G&L Tribute JB2 Bass Guitar Review – Leo Fender's Less Known Legacy

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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G&L is a brand you don't hear about that often. They are the type of company people who are in the know are aware of, and consider it a reliable source of pure quality. That is not all that surprising if you consider the fact that Leo Fender was the co-founder and that he did some of his best work under that brand. The bass guitar we are looking at today is one of their tribute models.

It's a solid piece of instrument that delivers everything Leo Fender stood for at a price that is affordable to wider audiences. This earned it a place on our top list for $500 price range. If you're interested to find out which guitars made that list, check out our separate piece on that subject.

Body & Neck

If the shape of this bass looks familiar, that's because Fender never really gave up on his original design. G&L honored this by keeping in production, although without the trademark pickguard and some other features. The tonewood of choice for the body is swamp ash – a similar choice to what Fender is using these days. The finish comes in form of a natural gloss, which is something that G&L is known for. The neck is made of hard rock maple, and sports either a rosewood fretboard or a maple one. Profile they went with is a medium C with a 12-inch radius.

Hardware

When it comes to hardware, we see more of Leo's original designs. The bridge is his Saddle-Lock piece that offers exceptional sustain and great intonation retention even if you go harder on the bass. The tuners are pretty standard, but do the job more than well. Combined, these two components will ensure that your bass is in tune and on point when you need to rock out.

Electronics

Just how refined G&L Tribute JB2 is can be determined by G&Ls choice of pickups. They installed a pair of Alnico single coils which are passive, but bring on the thunder in a way only a top tier bass guitar can. We are talking performance above anything else, just how Leo Fender wanted it. These two pups are controlled by two volume and master tone knobs.

Sound

Where to even start. If you ever played Fender's P-Bass, you are going to love the G&L Tribute JB2. Let's say it's an evolution of that Fender's legendary design, which also applies to the tone. Pickups are incredibly expressive, allowing you to take your music to places you would rarely be able to with other basses. The output is sufficient, and the range is there. Overall, it's an awesome setup.

Conclusion

G&L evolved and continued to evolve what Leo Fender was all about. His visions are still alive, and one of them comes in form of the G&L Tribute JB2. In every aspect that matters, this bass guitar is impressive. Especially considering that you can have one for less than $500 these days. It features an aesthetic that some might not find attractive, but G&L Tribute JB2 is one serious performer that definitely deserves to be checked out if you're in the market for a new bass.

For more info about the G&L Tribute JB2, click here.
For more Bass Guitars under $500, click here.