G&L USA Custom Shop JB Bass, Ebony Fretboard, 3A Roasted Flame Maple Neck, Swamp Ash, Blackburst

PLAYER'S PERSPECTIVE

Your favorite G&L Premier Dealers are back with this absolutely beautiful USA Custom Shop JB bass! Carrying on the tradition, heritage, and commitment to practicality and quality of Leo Fender, this is a vintage-faithful instrument with some absolutely eye-popping custom features.

This one comes with a bevy of class choices in its specifications, including a stunning 3A roasted flame maple neck, a dark ebony fingerboard with white pearl block inlays for a mix of vintage vibe and contemporary contrast, a resonant and lightweight swamp ash body, and a custom "blackburst" that really brings out the intricate grain of the body wood.

Here at the shop, we love basses that are modern and practical with "quality of life" improvements that cater to the player, but retain the vintage tone we all love. The G&L JB is all about subtle refinements to a timeless design. Paul Gagon, the tone and pickup guru over at G&L, analyzed hundreds of coveted old-school basses from the '60s. He found that part of their revered status had a lot to do with inconsistency. Back in the day, each bass rolled off the line a little differently, so some were "accidentally" built perfectly. These near perfect "Holy Grail" basses inspired and informed the G&L JB.

The looks, feel, sound and vibe are familiar and reliable, but there are tweaks hiding in the design that'll please your ears and hands for years to come. The custom-wound pickups in this bass capture that '60s J-Bass style tone perfectly, and then some. The tone is rich, all-purpose sound that will enliven your ideas without getting in the way, and the neck feels like an old friend. This is the perfect go-to bass for every kind of player.

The best Custom Shop instruments are ones that retain the core voice and identity of the instrument, while bringing it to a new level with specs, luxurious features and appointments rarely seen. This JB does just that.

Details

Players fond of the old adage “if it ain’t broke…” haven’t played a JB. You see, the G&L JB is all about refinement, blending “holy grail” Alnico single-coil tone with modern improvements and superb craftsmanship.

The JB’s classic Alnico V pickups have tone reminiscent of the best examples from the early ‘60s, thanks to the work of Paul Gagon, G&L VP Engineering. Gagon found his inspiration reviewing original prints stored in Leo Fender’s private laboratory at G&L, but that was just the start. About 30 years ago, Gagon was an R&D engineer at another company when he was tasked with finding out what was so special about the early bolt-on basses many players raved about. Gagon tirelessly analyzed many examples of what were considered “holy grail” basses, spending time out on the shop floor talking to builders still working in the pickup department since the ‘50s, all on a quest to discover where the real mojo was – and wasn’t. What he learned from the builders matched his own engineering analysis. You see, back in the day, the actual spec of pickups coming that down that old production line varied considerably. That meant coming up with the right specs was more challenging than simply following the prints, and Gagon’s persistence paid off as the JB serves up delicious, classic tone.

This JB projects a time-honored yet subtly progressive vibe, embracing the past yet unafraid of moving forward. The slim, hard-rock maple neck features an easy-playing satin finish. What’s more, the JB features an innovative Leo Fender-designed Saddle-Lock bridge to transfer string energy right into the body end-grain for an incredibly resonant instrument. The moment you open the deluxe Tolex hardshell case, you’ll be greeted with an instrument of timeless elegance and a delicious aroma that’ll have your pulse racing.