G&L Guitars Introduces Pine Body Fullerton Deluxe JB-5 Bass
G&L Guitars has added a new JB-5 to their Fullerton Deluxe lineup that will feature a Western Sugar Pine body. The move is in part tribute to founder Leo Fender, whose first instruments were built with pine.
“The latest is the JB-5, Leo Fender’s final iteration of the bass player’s favorite with added low B range,” they write. “The Western Sugar Pine body is light, well balanced, and resonant. Partnered with Leo’s G&L Alnico V pickups and Saddle Lock bridge it creates a package of superior tone, sustain, and versatility.”
The bass will come in two variations: an Old School Tobacco Sunburst finish with a Caribbean Rosewood fingerboard or a Himalayan Blue finish with a maple fingerboard. They will be shipping soon for $1,799.99.
G&L Guitars Fullerton Deluxe JB-5 Bass Specs:
Construction: | Bolt-On |
Scale: | 34″ |
Body: | Western Sugar Pine |
Neck: | Hard-Rock Maple |
Neck Profile: | Modern “C5” |
Neck Radius: | 9.5″ |
Neck Width at Nut: | 1.775″ |
Fretboard: | Maple or Caribbean Rosewood |
Frets: | 20 Medium Jumbo, Jescar 57110 18% nickel silver |
Pickup: | G&L Alnico Jazz |
Electronics: | Passive Volume/Volume/Tone |
Tuners: | Custom G&L “Ultra-Lite” with aluminum tapered string posts |
Bridge: | G&L Saddle Lock with chrome-plated brass saddles |
Finishes: | Old School Tobacco Sunburst, Himalayan Blue |
Sounds good. G&L makes really nice basses. Nice to hear a demo within a band context.
Love G&L. But the cynic in me wonders about the true incentive of using pine bodies rather than alder or ash. Is pine really a tribute to Leo Fender or just cost effective?
Good question, and one that comes up fairly often in my mind when manufacturers gush about some new change they’ve made to something.
In this case, I’m not too troubled since a lighter wood is always something I welcome when it comes to solidbodys. I’m more interested in the quality or grade of whichever wood us being used. I hate paying good money for a guitar or bass then finding knots in the wood…