G&L SB-2

4-string 2008 model. Ash body, tinted maple neck and fingerboard, honeyburst finish, heavy saddle-lock bridge, G&L tuners, 2 magnetic field humbuckers (P and J style), passive pick-ups, 2 volume knobs (no tone control), 6-bolt neck attachment, 1.5'' neck width at nut, 21 frets, white pearloid pickguard, comes with nice thin and lightweight hard case and truss rod and bridge allen wrenches..

Thick and growly is a good description. The pick-ups are very hot - as hot as my active warwick thumb bolt-on. To me the sound is best with both pups at maximum - again thick and growly but with plenty of definition thanks to the bridge pup. The neck pup is noticeable hotter the the bridge, and it produces a wicked and dirty P-bass thump. The bridge pick-up soloed is just ok. Again, it has much less gain than the P-pickup. Very little noise with any combination of pick-ups. The lack of a tone control does not really bother me, the bass sound fantastic even with my amp EQ set to flat. A bit of amp tweaking can produce, as you can guess, a wide variety of sounds. Great recording bass when used with a good DI. The neck is narrow like a jazz bass but its profile is thicker (which I like). I tend to use heavy-gauge nickel roundwounds with this bass to accentuate its inherently thick texture. This is far better sounding than any passive Fender P-bass I've ever played.

Near perfect out of the box. The built quality is outstanding. The transparent honeyburst finish, fret work, and gorgeous yellow-orange neck tint is clearly the product of careful hand craftmanship. No flaws that I've noticed. Very cool looking bass. Slimmed down P-bass body - perhaps a bit heavier than a Fender P though.

Built like a tank, of course. The 6- ountersunk bolts on the neck attachment will prevent any shifting. Hardware, especially the bridge, is excellent. A bass this expensive ($1387) should come with strap-lock buttons, but I can live without them.

Have not had to contact them so I have no opinion.

I have owned warwicks, fenders, carvins, peaveys, musicmans, etc. Many of these are also outstanding basses. But if you want a bad-*** P-bass sound, get this bass. The pups are hot and in your face and the additional jazz pup rounds out the package nicely.

4 string bass with P/J passive pickup configuration (G&L pickups, they're pretty hot), there is a volume knob for each pickup, no tone control. The neck is maple with rosewood fretboard, mine was one of the ones with the very thin jazz bass style neck. Tuners are nice, very accurate and fast. It came with an skb style plastic case. Personally im glad it dosent have any more tone controls, but i like its tone right out of the box and any more controls would just mess up that sound.

I absolutely love the sound of this bass. It can go from old school punk growl to classic rock to super smooth and warm just by tweaking the volume knobs. Ive played a lot of basses with active pickups/3 band e.q. and i can get a better range of usable sounds out of the sb-2. Playing through a tube pre/power rack to 2 18's and 2 10's(I have my rig setup just on the verge of overdrive, so the volume control really makes a big difference in tone even with small adjustments; i used to play a more traditional low gain high headroom setup and the tone difference was not nearly as noticable when tweaking the knobs, so i guess keep that in mind.) I do get a bit of hum and buzz, but not so much it bothers me. For studio work, id probably want a noise gate, though. I do a lot of effects/noise/heavy fuzz and it rocks for that, i can also get a deep, dark sound that is still warm and smooth, and this bass also does double duty in a cover band i play in, doing sabbath/cheap trick/90's alt rock, etc.
Overall ive found it to be very versatile and sound good all the way.

The action on this bass is killer, although im starting to get some buzz around the 6the fret E string, but ive had it for 7 years, played it almost every day and have never had it set up so i guess a little wear and tear is to be expected. Pickups can be raised an lowered and there are individually adjustable pole pieces that let you tweak the string output. I bought mine from a local music store where it was a floor display, and it was still in pristine condition. The finish is a gunmetal grey metallic, very nice.

This thing is very well built, i cant see much going wrong with it, its so simple electronicly. I would never gig without a backup, but if for some reason i could only take one bass on the road, it would be this one. My only complaint is with the case that came with it, two of the little metal feet on the side have cracked out of the plastic and fallen out, so now if you try and set the case on its side (handle up) it falls over.

Ive had this bass for seven years and never had it into the shop. I'll probably have it set up soon to get out that fret buzz. IIRC, it had a five year warranty, but dont quote me on that. Ive never dealt with G&L personally.

Ive been playing for 11 years, starting with punk then going more experimental noise/ambient. I also have a Spector 5 string, Ibanez music man copy, '78ish Ibanez musician series fretless, i like them all for their own sounds, but the sb-2 is defintely my go to instrument.
If it was stolen, im not sure what id do, the thin neck i like is now a custom option from G&L ($$$), so i might shop around a little before i sprung for a new one, but i dont expect to find anything that plays or sounds better.

I don?t if this is so much a generally positive review of G&L?s SB-2 bass as a rag on the L-2000 model. The SB-2 is a 4 string bass, made in the USA, the serial number indicates a 1983. Electronically, this SB-2 has 2 of G&L's weird Soap Bar style pickups with 8 pole pieces per pickup, a 3-position switch for the pickups, a single volume control and a single passive tone control. It has a maple neck and fingerboard with 21 nice big frets. I've owned and played other G&L model basses and have found all of their necks very comfy and playable. Black finish on an unknown wood P-Bass style body, maybe its alder? It has a sort of retro look to it. The SB-2 is nice and light in weight unlike what seems like a ton with the L-2000. Hardware is stock G&L. Its about as simple as you can get with a multi pickup bass. The original case was long gone when I bought it; the store sold it to me with a gig bag.

Sonically, it?s pretty versatile for a passive bass and has a relatively high output. It could cut-it in just about any gig. I've played mostly rock music and currently play in a stoner rock band. No outboard effects are used and is amplified with an Ampeg SVT III Pro, which I guess is an effect in and of itself. This bass changed my mind about passive basses. I've played active basses for twenty years and believed active basses only could produce the clear, solid low end, stringy, evil sound that I enjoy. I mostly use both pickups at the same time with the tone all the way up. On occasion, I do use the front-pickup only for a Geezer, moving a ton of air sound. The proprietary shaped pickups had me concerned as it would be difficult to change to replacement pickups without it possibly looking ugly / mutilating the instrument. It sounds good with the stock pickups and I found that its tone was compatible with basses of P-J pickup configuration. This is nice if it?s necessary to switch basses for some reason. The G&L L-2000 model I previously owned needed drastic adjustments to the amp to make a listenable sound.

The action on this bass is low and the pickups are well balanced. It has a tight neck to body fit. The finish isn't chipped but has lost its gloss on many areas of the body. Maybe it needs a treatment with rubbing compound, but probably its not a bad finish for a 23 year old bass.

G&L has a reputation for solid, reliable instruments and this bass is no exception. No neck adjustments have been necessary so far. I am old, do not like to haul any more gear than required, do not bring a backup, and am confident I will not need one.

I haven't experienced any problems with the bass so I haven't needed it. The G&L website is helpful for serial number information and electronic schematics. The electronic diagrams are useful when trying to figure out the functions of all the switches and knobs on the L-2000 bass.

I've been playing for 25 years and my other basses are mostly Ibanez with P-J pickup configuration. The Ampeg SVT III Pro has the pleasure of driving various SWR, GK, and Trace Elliot cabinets. I have not regrets about buying the SB-2 and if I needed to, would buy another one, preferably of same vintage. It sounds good, plays well, and for basses is light in weight. The SB-2 is a great bass and was glad to sell the L-2000 model I had.

pretty straightforward, just two volumes, one for each pickup.(split-P,single coil-J) passive pickups with twice the gain of my other two EMG equipped basses.maple neck.beautiful bellaire green (just a shade or two darker than vintage fender sea foam)molded plastic case not my first choice.there are two large chunks knocked out of it from pretty pedestrian gig truck handling. there are lots of variations to be had by pickup ratio ,but still wish it had a tone control

I PLAY BLUES,I use fender flatwound strings and teh ones on it now were on my fretless for three years before I switched them to this guitar when I purchased it two years ago. I use a Mesa walkabout through two BAG END 15 cabs or on the rare occasion an older SVT-II w/ 8x10 cab. I usually use the bridge pickup exclusively live and a combination when recording. I have "my" tone and I don't vary it much ever so the range of tones this guitar gets is of no concern to me. that said ,this is the finest bass guitar I have ever owned bar none. after two years the intonation is perfect, the finish is gorgeous, the neck is perfect, it never even goes out of tune!!! It is perfectly balanced and if I need a big huge nasty note I can pop the strings hard and it responds. the dynamics I am able to inject into my playing are far superior to any other bass I've owned. as far as I am concerned you can take your little girlie man basses like alembic and warwick and all that crud and burn them . this is a real bassplayers guitar!!if there are any complaints it would be lack of a tone control

have not needed to make any adjustments since the dat I got it even after addiong high tension heavy guage flats

this thing is a tank, quit carrying a backup the first month I had it

like my toyota truck, it's gonna outlive the warranty so who cares?

have played 36 years, 28 profesionally. if it was stolen I'd hunt the guy down and steal it back!!!
I also own a fretless guild pilot and a custom built from schecter and Fender parts P-J. both have EMG pickups. I also own an ancient guild d50 acoustic guitar, a 72 thinline telecaster, and run protools in my home studio

1994? Made in Fullerton CA, passive PJ configuration with NO TONE CONTROL. 22 medium frets, maple fretboard, alder p-style body with a translucent hi-gloss finish; let me reiterate: no tone control!

I use this with a peavey T.B. Raxx Preamp run directly into the house at my church service every week. We play gospel music and some christian rock/contemporary. This bass offers exactly the vintage tone I've been looking for; in fact, from the first time I used it at church, I've been getting comments on how great my tone is. (never got that with the mim jazz!)

What a beautiful tone!! On the p-style pup, it is fat, thick, full, round, rich, warm... and yet very nuanced and full of great overtones. On the jazz pup, I must confess, I'm not as impressed; there's a lot of single coil hum, and it sounds kind of limp. However, when the two are blended, it creates an awesome growl.

My only beef with this bass is the no tone control. The sounds it makes are INCREDIBLE, but its variety is a little limited. Its P-bass tone is so exquisite, though so I have to give it 10

I rescued this bass from a garage sale; it had been neglected for a few years, and prior to that, it must have belonged to a punk rocker, because it had dumb stickers and duct tape all over it. It also had awful pick scratches by the bridge and HORRIBLE high action.

Here's the happy ending: I took her home, took off all the stickers and fixed the broken pickguard, buffed out the scratches, polished it and set it up...

After its day of beauty, I found that the craftsmanship is impeccable; the neck pocket is so tight I can't put a piece of paper in it, the fret edges are round and smooth, and here's the best part: the frets are so perfect, I could set the action super low, where I've always wanted, and it doesn't buzz a bit. Sweet.

This baby is solid. It keeps tune for weeks, needs little adjustment, and generally feels STURDY. I would (and do) use it without a backup. I have every reason to think it will last forever.

Don't know, hope never to have to find out!

I've been playing for ten years; this is my first american made instrument. I payed a ridiculously low price for it, but having played it, I would buy another at full price.

Good ol' made in USA! Mine is an '89 Tobacco Sunburst and fits nicely next to my ASAT bass on stage. It ranks in the middle for features - nothing dramatic but nothing dingy either. Pickups are G&L design "P" style in the middle and a "magnetic field" "J"-type at the bridge. It has two volume controls and no tone control (strange)

Its actually one of the better passive basses that I have played as far as sound. Something about G&L's "magnetic field" pickups that give it great punch for slap bass. Not as tight as my ASAT or most active basses but tighter than a Fender Jazz. Its "Precision" sound (using the one "P" pick-up) is not only convincing but I think even better than a Precisions sound. However, the lack of tone control does not allow me to roll off the tone and use the "J"-pickup for a Jaco sound. That is probably my only complaint.

Q: "Will this bass withstand live playing?" A: this bass (along with the Peavey T-40/45 bass, Twinkies, roaches, and Keith Richards) would probably survive a global thermonuclear war.....

I've dealt with G&L for my ASAT when the electronics started to go weird for some reason. They replaced the electronics and only charged me shipping!

I have been playing over two decades. I have a G&L ASAT, an Alembic, an unknown custom bass similar to my Alembic, a couple of Peavey T-40s, a Peavey T-45, a metal neck Kramer KX bass, and an import Fender Jazz. I play professionally.

the born on date is September 9th of 1998. Made in the good old U.S.A. It is Lake Placid Blue with a white pearloid pickguard. There is just a volume for the hum-cancelling Presicion pickup and a volume for the single coil Jazz pickup. You don't really need much more than that, and I enjoy the simplicity of the controls. The body is Alder and the neck is hard rock bird's eye maple and I have a maple fretboard. 34" scale with 21 frets. I didn't get a case with it, because music stores in my area (ERIE, PA) always jack the cases and tell you they didn't get one!

you get a bit of buzz from the Jazz pickup. Which is to be expected from a single coil pickup. I use it with an Ampeg SVT 3 Pro head and an Ampeg SVT810E cabinet. You can get at least a fistfull of sounds by playing with different pickup ratios with the volume knobs. I just plain like the bass!

No flaws, and I always set up to my way anyhow, everyone plays differently and therefore shouldn't be graded on setups.

I ALWAYS have at least one backup just in case, but this bass has and will hold up!

No need so far

Been playing 2 years. I have a five string ESP and a black G&L SB-1... I also have a four string Samick bass along with some effects on a board. I like this bass just the way it is.

My SB-2 is a 1997 model(2nd generation), with the PJ setup. Real nice three-tone burst, black guard. It has an alder body and rosewood board. Jazz type neck, 1 1/2" at the nut. Two volumes, no tone control. SKB case. I'm knocking off a couple of points for not having a tone control, tho I don't miss it, others will.

This bass fits my music style to a tee, blues-rock, fingers only. I have a very clean sounding rack setup which lets the true tone of my basses come thru, untainted. Like other reviewers have said, the SB-2 sounds best with the split pup on full, and the bridge pup just used to blend in some growl. Some have complained that the rear pup does not have enough output, but I think G&L intended the rear pup to be used just as an enhancer for the very strong split pup. Used in this fashion, I find the SB-2 to be one of the best sounding basses I've heard. With any bass, choice of strings is crucial, as different types of strings will have the biggest affect on sound. I use all kinds of different strings on lots of basses. On the SB-2, for my tastes, a set of Rotosound 77 flatwounds in the heavy, 50-110 gauge is a match made in heaven. Gigantic sound, never muddy, with growl on tap. Talk about presence, man I'm there! This bass does'nt have much variety of tones, but the old school thickness that it churns out is extraordinary. All G&L's have a little bit of buzz noise from a lack of shielding, but I don't mind. Not a great bass for slap/popping style with the flats on it, but it can suck the air out of your lungs at stage volume.

Fit and finish is excellent like all G&L's. Actually, G&L's are stand-out stunners in this department. High marks.

The epitome' of durability, G&L basses are known as workingmans basses. There's more "fender" in G&L's than there is in Fender.

Good support at G&L. Terrific website with a way cool factory tour showing the hand-made process start to finish.

Overall, a superb instrument of high quality. I've been playing since 1970. I have many basses and will keep an SB-2 in my arsenal always. I like it enough that I may order a new custom SB-2, as G&L has lots of great upgrades and finishes.

bought it new in....83? 84? 83 I think, maple neck that wont die, p-bass style neck with j-bass pickups,(middle one replaced the next year with a now- vintage Jackson "hair metal" j-bass replacement of some sort), Big ol heavy bridge that wont die, g+l tuners that won't die, Dinky plastic knobs(that also won't die, so who am I to complain? ) Used to have a navy blue finish that was very high quality. It took a lot of time for me to ruin it.

I learned how to play on my sb-2 and it's always been loud(to the point of excess) punk and noise stuff. The pick-ups for me were so bright that they almost sounded twangy, so if you're a Geddy-head you could do a lot worse. And the original pick-up that is still in the bridge position is still steady. This thing is solid. I treat my stage (or "sticker") instruments like hell, and I mean pounding on them, throwing them up in the air and letting them hit the stage, forgetting the case if it's an easy drive, stuff that would make guitar collectors scream in anquish, and this bass will not stop. It may not be as unkillible as a t-40, but they could have a great fight. Don't pass up a used g+l, theyre amazing. I should have bought 2!

Great on all counts. Quality and reliability out the yazoo.

see above

Beats me, Ill let you know when it breaks.

My 67 jass pbass is a vanity item. My g+l is a bass guitar. Thanks Leo!

I bought this bass used at a college dealer. It is silver finish with a black plate. When I first got it the action was way too low and there was a lot of buzzing. The jazz pickup knob was broken, and the frets stuck out past the neck and the sharp ends hurt my hand while playing. After having these problems fixed, the bass played quite well however. Nice midrange tone but lacking deep bass or full treble. Best for jazz music.

The sound on this bass after I had it fixed up was decent, but not terrific. There is some distortion at high volume and a _lot_ of noise with the pickups. Because of problems with the jazz pickup, it had no treble or full midrange.

The action is just the way I like it, the finish is great (no scrapes) but the body feels like it is made out of cheap plywood.

Although it has a lot of problems, once I got around them this bass was quite durable. The strings stayed in tune pretty well. The knobs feel cheapy however and the wiring isn't so good.

n/a

This bass plays well but only has decent sound. Because of reoccuring problems with the pickups and potentiometers I give it only an average rating.