5 String Short Scale Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

The Mikro bass plays, looks and sounds great. The extra-short scale length does not compromise the traditional bass tone it produces. I have played 6-string guitar for over 40 years, including many professional gigs and teaching. I own over a dozen topnotch guitars. But this is my first bass, and I chose Mikro on the recommendation of a trustworthy friend. I have been doing my own repair work on guitars for decades, and can say the Mikro bass is impressively well made, and arrived decently set up with new, good strings. Fret work, neck, nut, tuning machines, bridge, fingerboard, finish, electronics are all virtually flawless; and the tobacco sunburst color I chose looks really nice, with a "vintage" vibe. I replaced the stock chrome dome knobs (which are nice ones) with Gibson-style knobs so I can see numbers for volume and tone settings. I really like the tone of the Mikro, especially the "Precision" style pickup–the one closer to the neck, from which it's easy to get a classic P-bass tone in conjunction with the tone control, which also works great. Ibanez chose a great capacitor value for the tone knob. The bridge position ("Jazz" style) pickup is just OK–usable, and not bad, but nothing remarkable, and it's especially lackluster when used solo, without any of the P-style pickup dialed in. That is the only part of this bass, other than the knobs, I would consider upgrading in the near future (maybe also the potentiometers, but even those feel smooth and responsive out of the box). The satin-finish neck feels great, and is a breeze to play, even for someone like me, who is coming to the bass from years on guitar. The tuning stability of the Mikro is remarkably great. So the latest versions of the Mikro basses are a phenomenal bargain! I would not hesitate to recommend a Mikro to anyone considering moving from guitar to bass, or to someone with smaller hands. From what my bassist friends tell me, the Mikro is great for any bassist PERIOD.NYC Slide Guitarist trying bass

Overall: I've been playing for years, mostly Fenders, Tobias and a heavily modified Decca short scale from the 60s. This is my first Ibanez bass and I am blown away! I chose the brown burst finish, and took a chance on the "blemished" version. Been looking at it all day and I can't find any imperfection anywhere. Definitely wanted short scale, light weight and a fast neck, this one has all 3 and then some. Set up out of the box was close, very close, with only a slight fret buzz on the E string. A very small adjustment at the saddle took care of it. The stock pickups sound good, the tone knob has useful range, everything sounds quite good through everything I've played it through so far (Fender, Orange, antique Earth head, etc.). Overall, I couldn't be happier!Bryan

An utterly great bass overall. It's perfect for someone with a low budget, or someone who's new to learning bass. Also good for children or people with small hands since it's a short-scale. This was my first bass and I still play it a lot. Not only is it cheap, but it has a really good tone, a nice feel to it, and a beautiful orange finish (if that is the finish you chose). The only bad thing I have to say about this is that it got some fret buzz to it but in all honesty, it's not that bad. I love Ibanez basses, I own several and this one is absolutly great.Logan

The materials are good. Fit and finish are good. Sound is good – I can get the P bass sound I was after in a 5 string. The fretwork is ok – for the price. Probably could use a good polishing. No hig frets or fret ends sticking out. The action on mine was high and the intonation was off. I lowered the strings a bit and adjusted the intonation. If you can't do this yourself, you will most likely need to have the tech at the store do it. Most Maple neck guitars in this price range shrink a tiny bit in their first Minnesota winter from the dry air. This causes the "fret bloom". I most likely will heed to file and reshape the fret ends when this happens. For the price, it seems to be a solid value.Merle

I was very surprised when I received this instrument. It was packed well and thought I was receiving the same quality instrument that I have received from musicians friend in the past. This right out of the box was not set up properly and would not play since the pickups were not soldered properly or at all. Had to do a full set up on the instrument and solder the pickups to get it to play. Now it sounds like the other instruments I have always received from Musicians Friend. I know this is not an expensive unit but the quality from ibanez was terrible. I am really disappointed to say the least. I should have sent it back, but thought I could fix myself and no what I had ,rather than have another sent to me in the same way the 1st one was sent. Very disappointed!!!!starfire 64

Overall this is a very nice bass for the money. Mine was made in Indonesia. Quality and finish were very good. Setup was fine right out of the box. Hardware and electronics seem to be of good quality. You can get a lot of tonal variation as well. One minor complaint is the body is lightweight and the neck is heavy so be sure and buy a comfortable strap that won't slip.Steve

Bought this as an open box return. The finish was slightly scratched near the bottom strap peg (so slight I didn't notice it for several days) and one fret marker was missing leaving just the hole. For the price the damage was VERY minimal. I have yet to replace the missing fret marker and have never noticed any issues at all while playing. Overall, considering it was an open box return, the quality of the bass greatly exceeded my expectations. The bass itself is very nice. Good tone, ease of playability, sound electronics, solid construction, and overall of good quality. I wouldn't choose it over my Peavey T-40 but that's because I bought the Peavey new in 1980 and we've been best friends a long time. Otherwise the Rogue could have easily become my go-to bass. In summation, I would have no problem in recommending this guitar to a friend.Pokyhawk

There's not a lot to dislike. I thought I would have to strip the finish and redo it to my liking, but the blue sparkle actually looks quite nice. Tuners are sealed, and like the pickups and controls might need upgrading, but are perfectly serviceable right out of the box. Maybe this was because it was a scratch and dent special, but there was SEVERE fret sprout, so bad that I scratched my hand badly during initial playing. Fixing that isn't terribly difficult, though, and during that fix I noticed the action was a bit high, so I lowered it. Once I change the strings I'll give it a full setup for neck relief and all. I'm not docking it any points for this as you as the buyer should be aware that any instrument that you get in the mail, especially at this price, will likely need a setup done. I bought a rogue A/E guitar on a scratch and dent special and it's served me well over the years. I expect even better from this bass.SKR3N3S

I fist bought a 4 Rouge 4 string bass guitar Dark Blue & a Cherry Apple Red 5 String Bass Guitar. I play the 4 string to play n are the cure cover band named AVATAZ we play Cure songs. I also play U2 With or without you Sunday Bloody Sunday Where the steers hu CT have no nameWe also playI play the 5 string bass guitar 2 Metallica song One, Nothing Else matters,Stained It's been awhile& Outside & Red Hot Chilly Peppers Under The Bridge, Scar Tissue& AC/DC Thunderstruck ,TNT, 4 Those About 2 Rock( We Salute You), Bauhaus Hollow Hills & She's n Parties,Bryan

Ibanez knocked it out of the park with this one. I purchased one of these a little over 3 years ago in Roadster Orange and still have it. In it's price range I think this is the best bass you can get. I've had much more expensive (Modulus FB5 Flea) basses and much cheaper. This is a well balanced bass and you get ALOT of higher end features for your money with it. I have been in love with the fat, boosted sound of Ibanez Soundgear basses since I started playing as a teenager. And the feel is amazing. No sharp fret edges, great action. Highly recommended if you are looking for a bass in this price range. I tried the Sterling Sub 5 and absolutely hated it. It's garbage compared to these.TW

Hey guys I wrote a review for this guitar and it was a 4 star review, I have made some corrections if you will about this Bass 1) The pots are cheap, but I had 2 that simply weren't tightened down, simply pull the knob off and gently but firmly tighten the nut on the pot and your golden. 2) I made some ever so slight adjustments on the bridge saddles on the E string and the G string on mine all it took was about a half turn on both screws now zero buzzing and still plays great virtually unnoticeable playing wise. So with just a little patience and a touch of work You will have an outstanding instrument to play live or record with. Great Affordable Bass Guitar by IbanezPerryman

I have very expensive basses and everything in between . I don't want to take those expensive heavy basses everywhere. This bass replaced a MIM Fender Precision bass. I could not have been more pleased with the performance of this bass. The first thing I did was take it to my guitar guy and have it setup to my liking (as always). It was set up fairly good Straight Out of the Box. This is now the bass that I use when I play at Disney. Construction is awesome but what really surprised me is the sound is every much a Fender precision or even that of a beefy jazz. More versatile than my MIM Fender precision was. The bass is light so after playing all day I don't feel like I've been carrying bricks around my shoulders. The action is exceptionally smooth. I think this is a great intermediate bass for anyone – 5 or 4 strings it doesn't matter. I have seen where some people don't like the bass boost feature. Always question what they're using the base for. If you play a lot of death metal then this may not be the best choice for you. But if you're like most of us playing anything from Jazz to R&B and pop on a regular basis this is an excellent choice for you. There are a lot of choices in this price range. However, the quality of this instrument's Construction outshines most of them in my opinionTank

Just took delivery of a used Hofner shorty bass in black. Lovely instrument. Fit and finish was fine. I had to do a little bit of intonation setting which took no time. The neck is better than expected. Frets are finished properly and the neck has a nice satin finish. Its not to wide, not too thick and feels great. The pickup delivers and even sound across the strings. There are no dead spots. Volume and tone controls work great and the knurled knobs feel very good. I was able to dial in some of my preferred sounds using the VPF control on my Markbass Blackline 250 going through a Markbass NY604 cabinet. I was also liking the sounds going through an Eden World Tour preamp. Im looking forward to rehearsal tomorrow using the Eden directly into an EV ZLX 12 powered cabinet. The bass came professionally packed and really appeared to be new. Love the padded Hofner gig bad with the logo on it. All in all a great small, inexpensive (but not cheap) bass for practice, performance and especially travel.Miguel404

First of all, this bass is just what I wanted for practicing when traveling. Compact, 24 frets, decent electronics and comes with a gig bag. Intonation was pretty good too. I did adjust the intonation, but that's really only because I'm kind of fussy about intonation. One thing I will say is I had never experienced "neck dive" until I owned this bass like. in the resting position, the bass headstock will point right down to 5 o'clock. Since this is a practice instrument, I made some modifications. I put weight in the body cavity, but the body cavity is not huge, so with extra weight, I could get the neck to hang in the resting position at about 3 o'clock. I next removed the front strap pin and drilled a 3/8" in diameter hole 2" into the body at the same angle as the strap pin screw. I purchased 3/8" aluminum round stock and cut it to 7.5". 2" would insert into the body and 5.5" would remain outside to mount the strap button while extending out to nearly the 12th fret. I painted the round stock black (primer and paint). I mounted (drilled and epoxied) the strap button on the end of the round stock. I think epoxied the extender into the body. It looks pretty darned good and now the bass balances perfectly.Kevin1014

Ok… first off, the fanned frets are amazing. The extra scale is incredible… If you need it. The tonal qualities are insane! The pickups and electronics are on point. The finish is stunning. The neck… well… it took me a while to feel comfortable with it. It’s “chunky.” I had a hard time getting it set up to make it feel good. The string height from the factory Was really high!Bassgurl3369

I played one of these in a guitar shop in late 2019 and fell in love with it. This bass just fits my hands, plays effortlessly, and has perfect balance. You might think that the fanned frets would be an issue but if anything it adds to the comfort. Out of the box, it was set up really well and the intonation was spot on.Mark

Ibanez knocked it out of the park with this one. I purchased one of these a little over 3 years ago in Roadster Orange and still have it. In it's price range I think this is the best bass you can get. I've had much more expensive (Modulus FB5 Flea) basses and much cheaper. This is a well balanced bass and you get ALOT of higher end features for your money with it. I have been in love with the fat, boosted sound of Ibanez Soundgear basses since I started playing as a teenager. And the feel is amazing. No sharp fret edges, great action. Highly recommended if you are looking for a bass in this price range. I tried the Sterling Sub 5 and absolutely hated it. It's garbage compared to these.TW

Jumping from a heavy 4 string Epiphone to this beauty was an awesome experience! It's narrow and comfortable neck is a highlight, I found string spacing not to be a prob. Sound is also great and it has a beautiful rounded shape. I have been using it actively for 3 yrs to now and have to say, it's light weight is definitely one of my favorite features, additionally tuning is very very stable, requiring only small adjustments if weather changes. On the other hand, I had some problems with electronics, some re-welding was needed, battery replacement ain't easy, an snap-on lid would be preferable, but that`s it. With more pros than cons (price included), this bass is a very good choice, it won't disappoint you.Skybss

I have very expensive basses and everything in between . I don't want to take those expensive heavy basses everywhere. This bass replaced a MIM Fender Precision bass. I could not have been more pleased with the performance of this bass. The first thing I did was take it to my guitar guy and have it setup to my liking (as always). It was set up fairly good Straight Out of the Box. This is now the bass that I use when I play at Disney. Construction is awesome but what really surprised me is the sound is every much a Fender precision or even that of a beefy jazz. More versatile than my MIM Fender precision was. The bass is light so after playing all day I don't feel like I've been carrying bricks around my shoulders. The action is exceptionally smooth. I think this is a great intermediate bass for anyone – 5 or 4 strings it doesn't matter. I have seen where some people don't like the bass boost feature. Always question what they're using the base for. If you play a lot of death metal then this may not be the best choice for you. But if you're like most of us playing anything from Jazz to R&B and pop on a regular basis this is an excellent choice for you. There are a lot of choices in this price range. However, the quality of this instrument's Construction outshines most of them in my opinionTank

I have been waiting on this style to come back for quite awhile. This was the one bass I have been missing in my collection, now I can't say that any longer. Good sturdy design, good quality parts used, not too heavy and a price that is pretty amazing. Thank you to all involved on me finally getting one!jedibassgary

I got the Squier Mini P-bass in Dakota Red, it looks great, no finish issues. I'm a guitar player and I love the size, it's a blast to play, the scale length isn't too far from a guitar, it sounds pretty good and is comfortable to sit with. The pickup is fair, it would definitely make a great bass for a younger player or a small adult that is uncomfortable with a full size bass… and for someone like me that just wants to play around on it for fun and do some some basslines on home demo recordings it is sweet. With a couple of upgrades it could be a mini monster.Mark

I’d read reviews of how good this bass is and had to check it out for myself! I’m starting uni soon so wanted a cheap small bass to take with me. Fit and finish is very good as was the setup. Just had to slightly tweak the intonation. It’s really quick and easy to play and actually sounds very precision like 👍🏼 The G string can have a slight ‘sizzle’ to it but nothing too untoward. The tuners aren’t the best but seem to hold tune ok. I did replace the strap buttons as they are minuscule and my strap came off them too easily. Overall a fun and great sounding addition to anyone’s collection.Nic S.

This is a really good starter bass, IMO. It came well set up and ready to play right after I tuned it up. Intonation was good. Neck was straight and the fretwork did not need any repairs. Pickups seem to be decent. Fun to play. Short scale was the right choice for me. The extra 4" for a full scale would have really been an uncomfortable stretch for me.Clay

Right out of the box, was amazed at the quality of the finishes. Great balance. The neck was a terrific surprise as it came with no sharp frets and so comfortable. The electronics are not the highest of quality but they do work. The set up was amazing and initially had fret buzz on low E at 7th fret. Tuned it and has lessoned, I may need to tweak a bit. But for price who could go wrong! I should have ordered another one and will continue to check to see if they go back on sale again. Even at regular price if the deliver what I received then it is great value for the money. I happened to get mine when they were 1/2 off regular price so am super pleased.carol2m

Completely unusable out of the box. Neck was bowed like a half pipe. Various high frets had to be filed down, and it was impossible to intonate. E string nut was cut so deep it is almost even with the fretboard. Theres no wood on the tuner side to replace the nut like a Fender where there would be a wooden slot to fit a nut into. I'm trying to build it back up w/ some epoxy and filings off a bone my dog was chewing on & will refile. Otherwise, I'll use it for firewood. I had some higher end parts and the experience to make this a decent little bass but if you dont, save your money or go w/ an Ibanez or Jackson in a budget short scale. Or spend more on a Fender.Matty G

I have been a bass player for 30 years. I was happy that my 13 year old daughter wanted to take up the instrument. She learned Ukelele well enough that I was willing to listen but no way was she using my basses because I see how she takes care of her room. Her arms were too small anyway so I researched this Ibanez mikrobass. What a delight! The walnut finish is fantastic and the tone when unplugged is tremendous. Plugged in, it was a little clackety-clack and the tone knob is almost literally nothing so I put daddario XL Flatwounds 50-100 (a recent discovery from which I will never return) and took care of that problem. The tuners seem a little slack when Im tuning it up. If I were to make a change, it would be the tuners. But theyre fine enough. It is exactly the size of my six string guitars so I was able to devote a quality gig bag that I dont use much for the cause. My daughter is encouraged by it although she hasnt quite dug in yet. However if she decides not to play after all, this will remain in my collection. Its just SO FUNboredofthisalready

I play in my home studio and record my bass along with mp3's of my favoritie songs, I make videos for self critique and to share with other bass players in my FaceBook bassists group. I recently sold my Ibanez SR755 5 string because I was not thrilled with the B string sound. Now I find the B sounds better to my ear with this bass that costs one third of the SR755…Amazing. I prefer passive electronics and the GSR205SM with it's Phat EQ give me the best of both worlds or active or passive. With the EQ turned counter clockwise the bass sounds like a passive and as you turn up the EQ the bass responds well and gives me an edge on the sound. Best of all there is no Floppy B string farty tone. the B sounds more musical. I want to address the weight of this bass. It is light as a feather especially after playing my Warwick. I can play for extended periods of time without having back pain issues. As to the statement of other reviewers about this being a great beginner's bass, let me add that in the hands of a seasoned player it sounds and feels as good as you'd want it to sound as well. This bass sounds totally different than my Fenders and Warwick and I find that to be advantageous.Preston

Overall: I bought this without playing it, but was very pleased right out of the box. My fingers were black after a few minutes of playing due to the dirty strings, but that didn't dampen my opinion by any means (but good idea to purchase a new set of strings along with the bass). Bought the Walnut Finish (looks more expensive) for use with my SC-300 Boss Looper (also purchased from zZounds). It sounds great! I'm not onstage playing head banger metal, so don't need that rumbling low end anyway. But the pickup configuration def gives you a lot of low end. Even though I've been playing guitar and bass for over 30 years, I would use this bass onstage, AND more importantly, if you are introducing anyone to playing bass – this will be a much easier learning bass due to the size. It still feels like a 'bass' and it's not tiny or anything, but it doesn't feel clunky like a bigger bass does. I'm looking forward to using this for a long while, and assuming it holds up over the next few months I'll likely grab another one just to have a backup. Don't hesitate if you need for a recording bass, or onstage. And def great for a beginner to keep them from losing interest due to most basses being too large for them.Jason

The Squier Bronco Bass delivers exactly what I expected. It's a 30" scale bass with a body shaped like the Fender Mustang bass; it has a single pickup (I believe it's a strat pickup), is fairly light weight (mine weighs in a 7 pounds 10 ounces), and it's a fun little axe. It's also the lowest-priced bass by an actual musical instrument company. How do they keep the price down? One way is that this is the only bass I've owned that has no fingerboard. It doesn't affect anything, but the front of the neck IS the fingerboard. The hardware is okay quality. But here's the thing – it sounds decent, feels great, plays well. There's going to be a little luck of the draw in a lower priced instrument, but my tuners stay in tune, intonation was on, everything is good. There was a little too much neck relief, but that was easy to adjust. If you're realistic about your expectations, the Squier Bronco Bass is an awesome value, looks good, and it gets you playing. It's not going to sound like a Stingray or a Geddy Lee Jazz Bass, but it doesn't sound bad, either – I would do a show with one without worrying about it. I have other basses, but wanted to add an inexpensive short scale to my stable, and this bass was exactly what I wanted. I may upgrade the pickup later – I may not. For now, it falls between my 34" scale and 28.6" scale basses, and it's fun to play. I'm very happy with it.Pcake

I ended up using this bass for songs where long scale can be a bit difficult. My main bass is an imported '54 P Bass copy, Alder body and maple neck/fingerboard. It had to go into a local shop for some major nut repair, and I needed something to play around with. Off the rack, it was a pretty great bass for the price. The neck is very well crafted, no sharp fret edges like some imported instruments. It's an agathis body, so the tone can be kind of bland, but compared to older Squier Broncos, it seems that all of the bridge and neck contact one piece of wood on the multi-piece construction, so sustain isn't too bad. The bad: The tuners are pretty sorry and are an oddball size, which makes replacement with good tuners very difficult. My E and A tuners rattle some, but all four do hold tune pretty well for cheap tuners. Also, the stock pickup is a six-pole ceramic Strat pickup, so it can sound…odd when bending strings. The other bad is the bridge: although it intonates pretty well, two saddles can make proper intonation difficult to achieve along with proper radius. Also, the bridge mounting pattern is almost impossible to replace with another bridge–four hole lock-down and quick-release style bridges DO work, but the bridge is mounted a little too far forward, and intonation is almost always sharp on the upper end of the fingerboard. Gotoh 201's are also very difficult to adapt to fit. But for its price point, some of these cons are easily fixed. I have a Mojotone Alnico V lipstick Strat pickup in mine with CTS 500K pots. It sounds excellent–it fools some of my buddies about how cheap it is. This bass could probably also benefit from a bar retainer near the nut. It went from an around the house beater to a mainstay for certain songs.Isher

my dad, a professional and extremely experienced bass guitarist, bought me this for christmas last year, and i love it. this is the first bass i've ever picked up and it's easy to play, is well built, has a nice feel to it, etc. i highly recommend it for beginners. i play it in my school band class and it fits in very well with the rest of the instruments. however it can fall out of tune easily and the pickup isn't the best, but ultimately it's the most perfect beginner bassout there, especially for the low price, it's high qualityace

Purchased the Walnut version. This is the first guitar which I had to do nothing to it out of the box except an initial tuning. All screws were tight, the nut height was correct, the relief was good, the action was good with NO fret buzz, the finish was flawless, the fret ends were perfect and the intonation was spot on! I've never seen this, especially for the price point. I love the short scale of this instrument and it can be played as fast as you can do. Wow! I'm happy and impressed. I like it even more than my Ibanez Gio Mikro. Gretsch has done something with the pickups as ther is NO hum from the pickups even though they are claimed not to be humbuckers after all.John

Bought earlier today and have been playing it since getting it home. I prefer flatwound strings so put some on as soon as I could. Lowered the action to just under 2 mm at the 12th fret on the bass side. Intonation is just about spot on. Didn’t need to tweak the truss rod at all but will check it in a day or two. I’m over 70 and bought my first bass around 1965. This little bass is quite amazing for its price. There does seem to be some quality control issues reading online reviews but mine is very good. Gloss finish immaculate with no pooling or dull patches. Tone and volume are very smooth and work as they should. It’s very easy to replace with CTS or similar but at present there’s no need. Jack socket holds the jack securely. Frets beautifully finished. The flattish neck is great to play on and it’s gloss finish feels really smooth. Not sticky. Walnut fingerboard looked in nice condition but I put a little lemon oil on it when changing the strings. There has been some uproar that Gretsch were advertising these as having mini humbuckers when in fact they are single coils. I have no problem with single coils being a Fender fan. These single coils do not exhibit any background hiss through my amplifier. Some have complained that they do but mine is silent. The only gripe which has cost the review one star is concerning the machineheads. They have a little play in them which I hate. The only thing I will change will be these in due course when I find some with the correct 14 mm hole diameter. Plenty of space on the headstock so might go down the vintage style rout. Not sure. The main thing is to get good quality and ensure the existing holes are covered. All in all I’m very happy with this bass. It weighs in at 8.2lbs. Not too heavy. The bass sounds really nice with lots of tonal variance available using the pickup selector and tone control.Brian

I am a full grown guitar/bass player over 25 years. I bought this in hopes of an affordable little Bass to have for studio use and was pleasantly surprised. While this would be a great starter guitar for smaller hands, I have a blast playing it. This is not a toy by any means, it is very well constructed, frets are nice and level, neck is smooth and very easy to play, tuners stay in tune and the volume and tone pots are just fine. With a new set of GHS short scale flat wound strings and a quick truss rod and saddle adjustment this is my go to Bass. Fits in a standard size guitar case and is light weight and easy on the shoulder when strapped on. Beginner to experienced player, this is a real instrument at a great price.jamsstudio

Overall: I bought this without playing it, but was very pleased right out of the box. My fingers were black after a few minutes of playing due to the dirty strings, but that didn't dampen my opinion by any means (but good idea to purchase a new set of strings along with the bass). Bought the Walnut Finish (looks more expensive) for use with my SC-300 Boss Looper (also purchased from zZounds). It sounds great! I'm not onstage playing head banger metal, so don't need that rumbling low end anyway. But the pickup configuration def gives you a lot of low end. Even though I've been playing guitar and bass for over 30 years, I would use this bass onstage, AND more importantly, if you are introducing anyone to playing bass – this will be a much easier learning bass due to the size. It still feels like a 'bass' and it's not tiny or anything, but it doesn't feel clunky like a bigger bass does. I'm looking forward to using this for a long while, and assuming it holds up over the next few months I'll likely grab another one just to have a backup. Don't hesitate if you need for a recording bass, or onstage. And def great for a beginner to keep them from losing interest due to most basses being too large for them.Jason

Overall: I bought this bass for my little sister for her golden birthday. She's always wanted to play a bass guitar, though there aren't many short scale models that suited her, especially considering she is a beginner. I was torn between a Squier and this Ibanez, but given I've had great experience with Ibanez (I personally own a modified RG8), I decided to get this little guy and man I don't regret it. Right out of the box I tuned it, and it honestly felt great. She can't tell because she's new to stringed instruments, but when I felt this thing, it felt really well crafted, and the intonation/action on this thing was well done. I played it a bit and I kind of want one now. I didn't think bass could be so fun. But the main point was that she loves it, and to anyone out there that's on the fence, I say go for it. It plays great, sounds great, and it made by sister happy, so it's definitely worth it.Anthony

After the initial COVID lockdown I landed a gig where I had to have a 5 string bass. So like a red blooded American I took my cash down to the local GC store to buy a fender 5 string American jazz. There wasn't any. I looked for an Ibenez. There wasn't any. I looked for anything and we'll there wasn't any. As the date grew near for our first show, I happened in and they had this one. I was disappointed that this was all there was, but out of desperation, I bought it thinking I would trade it once something I wanted became available. It took me about two months and 10 gigs later when I realized I love this thing. 9 months in and I don't know how many dates later, I wouldn't want to live without it. It plays awesome after a quick and minor setup on the action. The tone is big on the bottom and the mids and highs are as shapable as you want. It is a dream to play and guess what, when I finally got to put my hands on the fender I wanted, I didn't want it anymore. This bass is very much like the high end Ibenez basses. Probably too much for Ibenez's liking actually. I run through a 800w mark bass head with a 2×10 cab and a 1×15 cab. It sounds incredible. The big thing for me is when I run through my amp using the direct out in bypass, it sounds amazing. It is like having a sans amp in the bass. The electrics are that good. I have gotten tons of compliments on the tone and questions about how I got it. I literally just plugged it in. Also I can play it all night and even though it is a five, I am less fatigued then when I play the four fender American jazz I already own. The string spacing and scale I believe is responsible for that. If you are serious about playing a 5 string, at any level, then this bass is one you should look at. I am not super crazy about the esthetics but I get a surprising amount of complements on it. So if that is your thing then rock on I guess. I am getting over the fact that I was a fender snob. Also I believe Jackso is made by fender sooo….Chris

My one only bass for the past 20 years has been a Ibanez SR405 (2001 year model). I feel like I've purchased a big upgrade with this Jackson X Series Spectra. In comparison to the Ibanez, the Jackson's neck is fatter, lower fret sizes are slightly wider and the string spacing is slightly wider. The playability is a lot smoother for my larger fingers/hands. The pickups and active EQ systems are powerful. Need to have some amp/di box control to contain the powerful output when in smaller venues. I use the passive pickup control when in smaller venues and small churches. I feel that what sets this apart from other basses I've tried is how great it sounds to play the d and g strings as well as going above the 12th fret. The stock strings (D'Addario) sound really pretty when playing the higher octaves. The Elixir strings I'm currently using give the B string a BIG SMOOTH THUMP. For those worried about setup out of the box, I live in high altitude. Setup post manufacturer is usually a must because of that. I have been able to get fairly low action without fret buzz after casually messing with adjustments.Zach

I have been a bass player for 30 years. I was happy that my 13 year old daughter wanted to take up the instrument. She learned Ukelele well enough that I was willing to listen but no way was she using my basses because I see how she takes care of her room. Her arms were too small anyway so I researched this Ibanez mikrobass. What a delight! The walnut finish is fantastic and the tone when unplugged is tremendous. Plugged in, it was a little clackety-clack and the tone knob is almost literally nothing so I put daddario XL Flatwounds 50-100 (a recent discovery from which I will never return) and took care of that problem. The tuners seem a little slack when Im tuning it up. If I were to make a change, it would be the tuners. But theyre fine enough. It is exactly the size of my six string guitars so I was able to devote a quality gig bag that I dont use much for the cause. My daughter is encouraged by it although she hasnt quite dug in yet. However if she decides not to play after all, this will remain in my collection. Its just SO FUNboredofthisalready

I play in my home studio and record my bass along with mp3's of my favoritie songs, I make videos for self critique and to share with other bass players in my FaceBook bassists group. I recently sold my Ibanez SR755 5 string because I was not thrilled with the B string sound. Now I find the B sounds better to my ear with this bass that costs one third of the SR755…Amazing. I prefer passive electronics and the GSR205SM with it's Phat EQ give me the best of both worlds or active or passive. With the EQ turned counter clockwise the bass sounds like a passive and as you turn up the EQ the bass responds well and gives me an edge on the sound. Best of all there is no Floppy B string farty tone. the B sounds more musical. I want to address the weight of this bass. It is light as a feather especially after playing my Warwick. I can play for extended periods of time without having back pain issues. As to the statement of other reviewers about this being a great beginner's bass, let me add that in the hands of a seasoned player it sounds and feels as good as you'd want it to sound as well. This bass sounds totally different than my Fenders and Warwick and I find that to be advantageous.Preston

Overall: I bought this without playing it, but was very pleased right out of the box. My fingers were black after a few minutes of playing due to the dirty strings, but that didn't dampen my opinion by any means (but good idea to purchase a new set of strings along with the bass). Bought the Walnut Finish (looks more expensive) for use with my SC-300 Boss Looper (also purchased from zZounds). It sounds great! I'm not onstage playing head banger metal, so don't need that rumbling low end anyway. But the pickup configuration def gives you a lot of low end. Even though I've been playing guitar and bass for over 30 years, I would use this bass onstage, AND more importantly, if you are introducing anyone to playing bass – this will be a much easier learning bass due to the size. It still feels like a 'bass' and it's not tiny or anything, but it doesn't feel clunky like a bigger bass does. I'm looking forward to using this for a long while, and assuming it holds up over the next few months I'll likely grab another one just to have a backup. Don't hesitate if you need for a recording bass, or onstage. And def great for a beginner to keep them from losing interest due to most basses being too large for them.Jason

I bought this bass as it was my dream bass and I never spend over $500 on any instrument incase someone steels it I can afford to replace it. this bass plays like butter. Its not neck heavy at all. I use a padded leather strap and It hangs just fine. you can get multiple tones with it that are useable and sound great. I also like that I can just pick it up and play it without having to use a amp.JoBoo

I may not be an experienced player but I have heard plenty of bass' and this is one of the best and smoothest sounding guitar.Xxxxx

No need to replace pickups, bridge etc. Just put on quality flatwounds and it's instantly a very good short scale 5 string bass for cheap.Bryan L.

This little guy is awesome. Tons of fun to play. Out of the box there was a pretty fair amount of fret buzz so plan on a set up. Pickups are relatively low output, so they may need replacement if you're looking for Something a little more aggressive. Otherwise, this thing is super playable. Neck profile is perfect for me- not too fat and not too thin. 30" scale makes it feel more like a baritone guitar than a bass. Plus it looks sick. Go play one!Matt

Overall: I love the sound and playability of this wonderful instrument. My only complaint is with FedEx, they delivered a day late and at 10pm. they did not walk it up tp the door they left it in the middle of a driveway I share with a neighbor and left with no notification. I just happened to hear their door slam. I opened the front door as they left. I walked out to the driveway and stepped on the package because it was so dark. Fortunately the instrument was not damaged.Micheal