G&L Club Part 7

[jmlee]

The front of the headstock contains the “made in usa” script under the jb-2 model name.
I was surprised to see the black back and sides,too.
Does the tribute model have the 6-bolt neck attachment?
Edit-from what i’ve seen of the current trubute colors,the burst is more of an overall “tobacco” flavor,and those only come with maple fretboards. (?)

Yup, 6 bolts on the Tribby and definitely a 3-color burst. Maple fingerboard. Different pots, no cloth-covered wiring, tiny orange cap on the tone control. Your neck is definitely US. I suspect that the pickups and electronics are US.

The body, though...I've found some listings for US JB-2s for sale or sold. The pictures of the backs are below. I've been unable to find any US-made JB-2 in a burst with black back and sides. That's consistent with what I know of US-made G&Ls and their beautiful bursts.

I strongly suspect that you've got a Tribute body on that bass. Exactly how that substitution might have happened would be interesting to discover.

 

[woodyng2]

Yup, 6 bolts on the Tribby and definitely a 3-color burst. Maple fingerboard. Different pots, no cloth-covered wiring, tiny orange cap on the tone control. Your neck is definitely US. I suspect that the pickups and electronics are US.

The body, though...I've found some listings for US JB-2s for sale or sold. The pictures of the backs are below. I've been unable to find any US-made JB-2 in a burst with black back and sides. That's consistent with what I know of US-made G&Ls and their beautiful bursts.

I strongly suspect that you've got a Tribute body on that bass. Exactly how that substitution might have happened would be interesting to discover.



View attachment 3293567 View attachment 3293568 View attachment 3293570
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Great-now i’m wondering If I overpaid.
From what i’ve read,though,the clear finished tribute bodies are swamp ash,so i may just decide to be ok with it. Dither,dither.....(bass was $800 at GC).
Edit-is there any way to tell about the origin of the body,maybe in the neck cavity?

 

[Iridescentone]

The front of the headstock contains the “made in usa” script under the jb-2 model name.
I was surprised to see the black back and sides,too.
Does the tribute model have the 6-bolt neck attachment?
Edit-from what i’ve seen of the current trubute colors,the burst is more of an overall “tobacco” flavor,and those only come with maple fretboards. (?)

The black sides and back on USA burst JB-2 finishes is very common. I'll post pics later, but every one of mine (USA) were not bursted on the back, (except one, a later honey burst that is bursted on the back). Of the lighter color bursts like honeyburst and cherryburst, the backs were just the trans color of the burst (not black).

 

[Iridescentone]

View attachment 3293444 View attachment 3293446 A couple more pics. All the gl website says about the serial number is “made sometime after mid 1998”,which could mean anything. I guess i will take the neck off to see what the date stamp is.

The first year for the JB-2 was 2001. The neck and body should be date-stamped.

Re the orange drop cap....can't recall what came stock in all of mine (9 total), but I'll pop the cover on my 2004 later and report back.

 

[woodyng2]

The black sides and back on USA burst JB-2 finishes is very common. I'll post pics later, but every one of mine (USA) were not bursted on the back, (except one, a later honey burst that is bursted on the back). Of the lighter color bursts like honeyburst and cherryburst, the backs were just the trans color of the burst (not black).

Thank you,sir,you’re a scholar and a gentleman!

 

[craigb]

Yeah, I seem to remember the "non-burst back" discussions (on the G&LDP IIRC) that occurred at one time. I went through my pics and only found one non-bursted back US burst G&L, a honeyburst JB2 coincidentally.

 

[Iridescentone]

Here's a few pics of my non-bursted-back JB-2's. It seems that maybe around 2000-2005 G&L didn't always burst both sides?...I have pics of former SB-2 and L-2000 sans bursted backs as well.

2004 Redburst

2001 Cherryburst

2004 Tobaccoburst (Woody, note the rosewood board on Tobaccoburst combo)

2001 Honeyburst

My current USA JB-2 has the back burst'd, circa 2012.

 

[woodyng2]

Here's a few pics of my non-bursted-back JB-2's. It seems that maybe around 2000-2005 G&L didn't always burst both sides?...I have pics of former SB-2 and L-2000 sans bursted backs as well.

2004 Redburst
View attachment 3293768

2001 Cherryburst
View attachment 3293769

2004 Tobaccoburst (Woody, note the rosewood board on Tobaccoburst combo)
View attachment 3293770

2001 Honeyburst
View attachment 3293771

My current USA JB-2 has the back burst'd, circa 2012.
View attachment 3293772

Wow,those are beautiful specimens!
Thanks again!

 

[Iridescentone]

Wow,those are beautiful specimens!
Thanks again!

Thanks, and yes they were really nice.

I looked in the cavities of my USA 2004 and 2012-ish JB-2's. Both have tiny tan ceramic tone caps (no green or orange). The 2004 has all-plastic coated wires (no cloth wires). The later 2012-ish one has all cloth covered pickup wires and plastic ground wire. Hope that helps. Cheers.

Edit: The Honeyburst (pictured last) is a 2014 build.

 

[nitrobrother]

Wow,those are beautiful specimens!
Thanks again!

Yeah, what he said...wow.

If I could find an L-2000 in like that tobacco-burst JB, with a J-sized neck...well, it'd be #18 (and G&L #3) in the collection!

 

[woodyng2]

Thanks, and yes they were really nice.

I looked in the cavities of my USA 2004 and 2012-ish JB-2's. Both have tiny tan ceramic tone caps (no green or orange). The 2004 has all-plastic coated wires (no cloth wires). The later 2012-ish one has all cloth covered pickup wires and plastic ground wire. Hope that helps. Cheers.

That does help,thanks! Sounds like they changed practices from time to time.
I’m also contemplating a neck swap,so at some point i will find out what the date stamp is on the jb2. (I have a 1 5/8” neck from 2017).

 

[Bulky Bass]

The front of the headstock contains the “made in usa” script under the jb-2 model name.
I was surprised to see the black back and sides,too.
Does the tribute model have the 6-bolt neck attachment?
Edit-from what i’ve seen of the current trubute colors,the burst is more of an overall “tobacco” flavor,and those only come with maple fretboards. (?)

That is not a Tribute body, my very 1st USA JB-2 was a sunburst with black on the back and it was before the Tribute line was out.

 

[woodyng2]

That is not a Tribute body, my very 1st USA JB-2 was a sunburst with black on the back and it was before the Tribute line was out.

Excellent! Thanks!

 

[woodyng2]

The bass has some pretty close grain,not sure if this is alder,or something else.
The bathroom digital scale method says weight is 7.2 pounds!

 

[dagrev]

Here's a few pics of my non-bursted-back JB-2's. It seems that maybe around 2000-2005 G&L didn't always burst both sides?...I have pics of former SB-2 and L-2000 sans bursted backs as well.

2004 Redburst
View attachment 3293768

2001 Cherryburst
View attachment 3293769

2004 Tobaccoburst (Woody, note the rosewood board on Tobaccoburst combo)
View attachment 3293770

2001 Honeyburst
View attachment 3293771

My current USA JB-2 has the back burst'd, circa 2012.
View attachment 3293772

Wow! Makes me want one again! It loved playing mine, but it never sounded good to me, at least with what I was playing through at the time. It was literally the best looking 3T burst I ever say. And I can't stand 3T bursts. But it was wonderful looking and playing, just never could be happy with the very clear and glassy sound. I'm not really a Jazz person, but possibly it would sound better with what I'm using now. Most things do!

 

[TomB]

My '98 L2500 was a 3-color burst with a brownish back.

 

[jmlee]

That is not a Tribute body, my very 1st USA JB-2 was a sunburst with black on the back and it was before the Tribute line was out.

Well, well! This is all very interesting! But then consistency has never been a hallmark of G&L’s approach. It’s great that we have the collected tribal memory of TBers to deal with these things.

 

[Chrome Dome]

Managed to get to Church tonight after all the ice,and snow cleared out here in Ohio. Temperature got up in the lower 40's,after being -15 below,for couple days. Got to play the Cherry Burst L2000 tonight after getting the new 2017 neck,on the body. Sounded great except our drummer,no show,and steel guitar player sick? Unfortunately have some neck pocket finish cracks,which if I remember were on there from the previous owner putting an SB-2 neck on there? In my haste to get the neck,on I chipped the paint,on the edges. Seems like the gap at the heel of the neck,is not as wide at first? I know this is a long story,but I think I rescued the body,from a lot of abuse,with all the dings,and scuffs,that I have noticed since trying to resurrect a beautiful bass,IMO. I love the binding on the G&L basses. I am usually pretty picky,with my instruments,and try to take care of them. Neck pocket crack,don't seem to be into wood,about afraid to take the neck back off,and make it worse,to see if it is into the body. Here are couple of pictures I took tonight at Church. Thanks,for looking!

 

[Kriegs]

The black sides and back on USA burst JB-2 finishes is very common.

My old USA L-1505

 

[woodyng2]

Wow! Makes me want one again! It loved playing mine, but it never sounded good to me, at least with what I was playing through at the time. But it was wonderful looking and playing, just never could be happy with the very clear and glassy sound. I'm not really a Jazz person, but possibly it would sound better with what I'm using now. Most things do!

In my recent exposure to g&l basses,i’ve found both my lb100 and the jb2 to have a razor sharp sound. That absolutely seems to bring out the best with flatwound strings. My lb100 had factory nickle roundwounds on it when i got it,and I didn’t like the sound at all...now has a set of Chromes and sounds great. The jb2 came with Labella flats,and it sounds fab with those. I don’t know if you were using roundwound strings on yours,but it just seems like they can be pretty harsh sounding.