The G&L JB bass was one of the early offerings when Leo Fender and George Fullerton started G&L in 1980. The G&L JB-5 is the 5-string version of Leo Fender's continued evolution of the famous jazz bass design. The G&L Alnico V vintage jazz pickups provide the brilliant tone to stand out in the mix, and the optional quarter-sawn 5-string neck provides additional stability and responsiveness.

The is new USA G&L JB-5 features:

• Sunburst frost finish on Alder, 10 pounds
  
• Pickguard delete option
• Satin finish Quarter sawn maple neck
• Medium C 5-string neck profile
• 1.75" nut width
• 9.5" radius
• .820" depth first fret, and .940" depth at the 12"
• Indian Rosewood fretboard
• Medium jumbo frets
• G&L Ultra-Lite tuners for better balance
• G&L JB Alnico 5 single-coil neck pickup
• G&L JB Alnico 5 single-coil bridge pickup
• Dual volume, single tone controls
• G&L Deluxe padded gig bag
• Made in Fullerton, CA

The Jazz Bass was Leo Fender's follow up act to his original Precision Bass. The Precision Bass gave upright bass players a fighting chance with the increasing volume of western swing and emerging rock acts. The Jazz bass addressed a couple of issues: The first being tone, and an emphasis on a brighter and more focused treble response. While his second innovation of a slimmer width neck to mimic an upright bass does not apply to the JB-5, the 5-string variant packs all the vibe of the original with added versatility of a low B-String. Despite the success of the original Jazz Bass, Leo Fender started G&L with the notion that every one of his great designs was eligible for improvement, and that philosophy lives on.

One of those innovations carried over to the JB-5 is G&L's saddle lock bridge. The hefty machined brass bridge has a "heel" that sits into the body for better sustain. The "saddle lock" is a set screw that clamps the five chunky machined string saddles together for better coupling and fewer sympathetic vibrations. Not just a gimmick, it's something you can hear. And G&L's tuning keys with tapered lightweight aluminum string posts reduce headstock weight and minimize string slippage.

For this JB-5 we opted for the quarter-sawn neck option. Quarter-sawn wood has the grain perpendicular to the fretboard instead of parallel like a flat-sawn neck. The perpendicular (90 degree) grain orientation to the fretboard results in a stiffer structure which is more stable and less prone to "dead spots" on the fretboard. Never a bad idea on a 5-string bass.

The tone of the G&L Alnico V Vintage Jazz pickups is exactly what you would hope for. Both pickups together have the springy, bouncy qualities and silky high that is great for slap and funk players. The neck pickup by itself is warmer, but never muddy or lacking in clarity. And the bridge pickup adds brightness without being metallic or tinny. With the classic V-V-T arrangement you can make minute adjustments quickly to slot into any playing situation.

As the jazz bass was intended, the G&L JB-5 is a perfect fit for the player who needs to stand out in any rhythm section while also hitting those low notes, and gaining increased range across the fretboard. Whether you're playing jazz, funk, reggae or rock, the G&L JB-5 can hold the groove.

We are an authorized G&L Premier dealer located in Bellingham, Massachusetts, and this guitar comes with all tags, tools,paperwork and certificates. We have a wide selection of G&L’s in stock at all times, and please feel free to browse our other listings, or contact us for information on a custom order.