Best Sounding Bass Guitar (2024 Update)

Ordered one of these (In Pearl White) because of a good experience with another one. Of course I had to do some set up to alleviate fret buzz, adjust neck, string height etc. Once it was set up to my liking and a fresh set of my gauge strings, this bass was ready for just about anything! I have used it for a couple of outdoor shows with medium and very large P.A support and the sound was very good overall. Through my stage amp, I was able to dial in a very usable sound quickly. The bass is very light weight .(Which helps those of us with back issues.) Yet is still able to get a decent tone. The bass I received was a newer model with a poplar body and a Jatoba fret board which still has the characteristics of rosewood (slightly lighter in color) with a hint of a maple type bite. Personally, I liked the overall sound with this particular fret board. Speaking of which, the fret board is very easy to play (when properly set up) with a smooth, fast neck. The electronics are decent enough although the "bass boost" knob should be used sparingly and judiciously just to add some deep flavor on occasion for certain styles. All in all, a pretty decent machine that can easily be used by beginners and seasoned pro's (ok, it won't match up with a "boutique bass" by any means but still a very usable product!) Very good value for the price!Heard the Bass

This bass is really amazing for the price of it. The neck is so smooth and a bit thinner than other regular bass, perfect for my small hands and the weight wow it is really light. the built quality is top notch. The sound is really good and you've got plenty of sound you can experiment with it. Overall it's an all rounder bass from beginners to pronelson c.

The Ibanez GSR 200 is one of the best "bang for your buck" basses on the market. They are made with excellent quality, lightweight wood, agathis, maple, rosewood. The onboard P/J pickups and electronics sound good. They play good out of the box but they play excellently if set up by a guitar tech. These were choice basses for many of the bass players supporting MWR tours. Musicians would take Ibanez GRS 200 basses on tour and raffle them off to service members on the last gig.matt4717

Folks, let me start out by saying that I am a former professional drummer and have limited experience on the bass. However, I spent years locking tight with bass players to creat a solid foundation for the band and I know what sounds right. This bass guitar is a beauty. I was originally going to buy a standard jazz bass MIM. But I saw this and had to check it out. One of things that sold me on this bass was that it came with Geddy's high mass bridge. For all intent and purposes it is a Leo Qwan bridge which Geddy has on his #1. It really makes a difference in the sustain, it just keeps going and going. Also, the bridge just looks good… big and meaty. The neck plays like butter and the black binding and blocks on the fretboard just sets this bass apart appearance wise. The pups are solid, I might change those out one day…but honestly they sound great. This is a really well built bass and I completely reccomend you buy this bass. Also, thanks to Alan at GC Tampa for his patience with me while I was looking and trying out different basses. Great customer service.Charles I

I'd been wanting a Fender Jazz bass since I was a kid. Started off playing on a Squier P-Bass Special and I always liked the Jazz neck. Better than I expected. The tone is bright and cuts nicely. The neck is fast and the body is comfortable and not too heavy. Set up was also pretty good coming out of the box. Definitely going to be buying another Fender through AMS next year or so. Definitely met and exceeded my expectations. I haven't put it down since getting it. Cant wait to leave work and jam on it. Awesome.Sapo

As a touring and studio studio musician I am thrilled to have a bass at this caliber. The sunburst design is breathtaking. The action feels and sounds great right out of the box. This is the first time I have ever had a bridge that looks and feels the way this one does. It really ties the aesthetic together! When you have all of the tone knobs up you get a really hot and bright bass sound that cuts through records. This can easily be adjusted on the knobs or in post cutting off everything above 4K. The neck is slimmer than most bassses I have played, which makes it super easy to glide up and down this bass. The soft case it comes with isn't too special and I will be upgrading to a hard case since I take it to the studio with me (will eventually gig on it). I've had it for a few months now and it can be heard on countless records coming out of the SF Bay Area. It meets and over exceeds all expectations I had set for it. It also sounds great using the old sponge trick to get the motown down you traditionally hear on a P Bass. Anyone looking to get a Fender Jazz, I would highly recommend the Getty Lee model.Ryan

I've had this bass for almost two weeks now, maybe a bit more. I didn't give my feedback befor today, since I would've given it less than a one. However, I waited for a reason. The sound is great, and I don't mind the sound of the stock pickups. It looks great, but that's trivial to me compared to the sound. Now here's a problem that few have mentioned. While some said, it's playable right out of the box, IT ISN'T. I got the bass in a pretty bad condition. Meaning, the action was too high, and the pickups were too close to the strings. It was virtually unplayable, even though I convinced myself that I could play it; which I did. But the pain in my fingers was indescribable, I almost got depressed. I changed my strings a week later to SH77 flat wounds .50 (heavy and thick strings), which didn't help initially. So I tried adjusting the action myself, but still wasn't enough. A day later, I sent it to a professional for setup. Now that made all the difference. I'm in love now. The strings sound amazing, the bass plays amazing, the feel is amazing, …. in brief it's amazing. Bottom line, have it setup by a professional ( unless you are a professional technician), otherwise you'll struggle with this bass. Unfortunately, the agent at MF mentioned that it's playable right out of the box, and I was naive to believe it. Anyway, live and learn. Set it up, and you'll already to go. Hope this helps anyone skeptical about this bass.Rafi

I purchased a Sterling sub series stingray5 a week earlier and really wasn't happy so I went to return it. While I was there I was trying out some of the usual fenders that are in stock and just wasn't feeling it. Then, I noticed this one. I played it for 5 minutes and couldn't stop. It had the most comfortable neck I've ever played. After comparing it to a couple more expensive p bass options, this one was still the clear winner. The design may not be typical fender, and it's almost reminiscent of an Ibanez or a Washburn, but the ergonomic are like no other. Trust me this guitar is worth a shot. The tone is warm and growly. If you could imagine mixing the bass tone of the red hot chili peppers and the pixies, this would be what it sounds like.Chris

I got this bass recently and have to say its my go to bass for everything. I have a few others like a Dean which is nice, but feels odd due to its weight balance. But the Aerodyne sits well and feels comfortable. I think the tone of it sounds really good. Bought this in store so I got to test it out, action isnt bad. I did some innotating which only the E string needed it. I'm sorta new to bass, but I been producing music for 10 years. But being a new bassist, it feels great. I do highly recommend this bass. Great price.Liam C

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

Overall: This is a long term review of this bass. I didn't get mine from zZounds but have bought from them before. I want to mainly go over how this bass holds up and how it works in a band long term. When it was new it was good quality out of the box. Just needed a set up. I've used this bass on countless gigs over the years. If you play rock then it will definitely get the job done. Finish quality is good and durable. It doesn't like to chip but will if it takes a hard hit. Scratches are only really cosmetic, the poly is pretty thick. Keep it clean and don't abuse it and the bass will look good years down the road. The neck is pretty stable, I rarely need to adjust the truss rod. The three point bridge is fairly solid too, Paint on it is durable as well. The posts for the bridge can pull out the bushings but mine has not. The tuning keys are starting to get worn out. I'd replace them if possible. They still hold tune but not as well as new. Pickups and electronics are good too. No scratchy pots. Output Jack is still solid. Frets are pretty worn as well. Still got a lot of life but will wear faster than a more expensive bass. Overall a very durable bass considering what it's been through.Dominic

I read many glowing reviews of this bass on the sites of MF and GC, so I decided to buy one. Huge disappointment. Maybe I got a stinker or maybe the writers of the reviews don't venture beyond the 7th fret…who knows. Mine looks and sounds GREAT. However, the fret finishing beyond the 12th fret is essentially non-existent. Frets 15 and 16 are completely dead unless you keep the action at factory height, which is just not practical. The old-school three-point bridge looks great, but it's time to retire this dinosaur, even at this price point. It would be functional if Gibson/Epiphone would replace saddles 4 and 5 with additional 1 and 2 saddles for the E and A strings respectively (three-point bridge users will understand that lingo…). Even an inexpensive Gotoh bridge would improve the function immensely; a Hipshot would send it through the roof. I've played both professionally and casually here in Nashville since 1999, and have played bass for 30 years. I've owned some Gibson USA basses in my time (vintage G3 and Victory), and currently have two USA guitars (SG and LP). Gibson simply doesn't design basses for bassists who do anything more than play the root. I considered having the frets dressed by a service center, but have elected to simply return it to GC. Again, if you subscribe to the Dusty Hill Doctrine ("I promise to play the root, the whole root, and nothing but the root."), then this bass is fine. If you like to do ANYTHING more, then look elsewhere. I really wish Gibson would re-evaluate their approach to bass design, because I love to support local business. They're missing a huge market share by choosing to offer poorly designed and poorly executed instruments. Even a Babicz bridge can't correct a flawed blueprint…M

While this is my second Epiphone bass, this one is a bit disappointing. It is very eye catching but the style comes with a price: it does not hang well standing no matter what strap type or size I try. Not just neck drop but also the guitar casts away from your body like it is attempting to crash face first into the floor. Was supposed to be inspected and setup when purchased but was not. One tuner was mis-aligned, the bridge was improperly set, and the neck was back-bowed. The inspected by Epiphone sticker is a real joke! After a real setup, it plays well and sounds fine but then so do a half dozen other bass guitars I own. Just had to try one and did not want a thru-neck design so the cheaper Epiphone seemed like the choice. Guess I was wrong. I have to wonder if a Gibson would be any better – especially these days with Gibson almost on the rocks as a company…. Buy it to look pretty but do not expect much more than a barely passable bass guitar after you fix the issues it comes with. I would not recommend this for any bass player, even a beginner.cibulajb4

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

I bought this bass because a friend had one that worked great and played great and I loved it. When I purchased mine I had it sent to my house. 5 days later and it comes in with busted knobs and I had to take it in for a refund. They had another in stock and I took it home. Well the second is busted too. Huge disappointment considering how much I enjoy playing this bass. Absolutely unreliable and I won't be getting a third one.James

Bought this one for the kids, but it's so much fun I'll probably play it more. This has to be one of, if not the best short scales in this price range. Mine came with a great neck, good frets and no sharp ends. Weight wise, its a little heavier than I expected- maybe 7.5 lbs? Fingers, pick, slap, all sound good with no rattles. No neck dive. The only weak point I think is the cheapo bridge. Its really unstable and the E saddle could be bumped and moved too easily. I ordered a Hipshot when I ordered the bass because I hate these style bridges anyway. I'd have had to shorten the screw or maybe just cut off some spring length on the stock saddle for the E (and possibly the A) to get them to intonate. Get the bass on sale, a Hipshot for another fifty and it's a performer on par with basses that cost a grand or more, and still less than competing Squiers or Epiphones that also probably need upgraded bridges. I mainly just use the P in a PJ setup, but installed a Fender J anyway because this one was noisy at home (but not at rehearsal for some reason). I had to carve away about a millimeter of wood on top and bottom of the bridge cavity to fit the Fender, so be aware that aftermarket pups may not be a straight drop in. Upgrading the pups is not really needed though IMO. The tuners have the large posts so breaking strings is less likely. They seem to be holding pretty well. I can get through a few songs without having to re-tune, then it's only a minor tweak to the E and A.Lothar

I wanted a no-nonsence, light weight, easy to play and transport, bass for gigs and rehearsal. All these “bases” are covered and some. I can’t say or explain enough, how great this short scale guitar is to hold and play, especially for a “senior” musician looking for comfort on stage! Smooth neck, warm tone, no set-up needed, right out of the box! The price is right too! Try one for yourself!Jimbo

I got this bass for my son as he’s wanting to learn bass and music theory from myself . I’d been teaching him on one of my fleet of basses but he was complaining that it was too big for him so I decided to look into the small scale range at a reasonable cost. I seen this bass which, to me, looked perfect for an 11 year old to learn on . After receiving this bass I gave it an inspection and I was very impressed with its factory set up and the general build of this bass. I plugged it in and gave it a blast through one of my smaller rigs and I was literally left flabbergasted at the sound of this thing. It’s a little ripper! It particularly sounds best when using a pick with it but it can hold its own finger style too. I’d be quite happy using this bass on stage and I have many basses by distinguished brands ans custom built basses by luthiers . It goes to show that what’s perceived as a lower end instrument can actually prove to be a hidden gem. It’s loud, it cuts the mix and it plays like butter. What a great bit of kit.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

This popped up on Stupid Deal of the Day and I am not in the least disappointed. It was well packaged, box in a box, from Dean. My intended use will be jamming with friends at the park, campground, or beach. But, it could see small venue use as well. It is big (it is a bass after all): 34", 24 fret scale with the neck joint at the 17th fret. The lower bout is 18" wide and just shy of 5" deep. If you really feel the need to go above the 17th fret…get the cutaway. Because of its size it has a decent acoustic tone. Set up, including intonation, was very good considering it was last touched at the factory. It is strung with D'Addario EXP 45-100 lights. The strings showed some age (string cleaner should take care of it) but still have decent tone, especially for my intended use. All the electronics work as they should. The battery box and input jack are a single unit located on the lower bout. It appears to be a sturdy unit that does not require any tools for 9V battery replacement. Using the onboard tuner silences the pickup. The top is book matched and looks better than some of my solid top guitars. The Dean Playmate EAB Gig Bag (SKU 548316 000000000) does fit. I'm so glad that neither the bass or gig bag are emblazoned with "Playmate" anymore. Seriously, if so, I would not have purchased them. Overall, I am very pleased and believe it is money well spent.Vintage Bassist

The action is easily correctable by lowering the saddle. Sadly, it is not very loud if you finger pick while in the acoustic mode. It is however loud enough to practice alone in a quiet room with soft backing track. Electrically, it is like most EA guitars and you have to watch which way you're standing in relation to your amp. The tone is pretty bright acoustically but can be dialed back in the electric mode for that bassier sound most bassists are looking for. I would consider playing out with this bass for a folk gig. I got this bass on a "stupid deal of the day" promotion and I still can't believe Musicians Friend could make any money at all with a price like that.CA$H

The band I'm in decided that we were going to do an acoustic show for a big fundraiser called Gettysburg Rocks. Great! But one major problem I didn't have an acoustic bass, so I had to get one for this show. After doing extensive research and considering the budget I chose this model. When I got the bass there were a lot of high frets which caused major undesirable fret buzz. The strings that were on it from dean were horrible so I took the bass to my local guitar shop and had it restrung and set up. After this was done this bass played amazing and had great tone unplugged. Then I plugged it in to my di box and it sounded pretty bad through the pa. The electronics in this bass didn't sound good because The strings were not evenly voiced. In my particular case the e string was the loudest and over powered the a d and g strings. I had 4 days before the show and had to figure something out quick. My solution was to run a limiter pedal. Once I had the limiter dialed in I was able to get a very good sound out of the bass, And through eq settings I was able to make the bass sound great. Then the night of the show came around and I had all the kinks figured out . The bass sounded great and the show went beautifully. This bass is by no means a high end bass but with a little tweaking itcan be made to sound really good. I've noticed that I will grab this bass and just start playing it when I'm trying to learn new songs and licks because it sounds so good and it is nice to not always be tethered to an amp. This bass is great to practice with but in a band setting it will need to be amped if you want to be heard with more than one acoustic guitar. Overall I am very pleased with this instrument and would buy another if it broke. I was apprehensive at first thinking that this would sound like $150 bass. Looking back I'm glad I got this model. I hope this helps anyone who is on the fence about buying this bass.v1637

I brought this for a signature book for our wedding, we wanted a playable momento, but didn't want to spend a lot of money. It's a great $88 guitar, we have guitars upwards of $500 so of course it would not be as good. Well built, tunes easily, buy needs frequent tuning. I think if we replace with high quality strings we would definitely take this guitar up a notch. Good for beginners and will definitely teach them tuning skills.Tasha S.

I purchase this bass being motivated by its price and rave reviews. Let me just say that when I received my bass today I was blown over at the fit and finish on this bass. It looks like a $500.00+ guitar! I've been playing it for hours and the deep bass is so sweet. The action is a tad high but I kind of like it that way. The great sound projection from this bass made me chuckle while I was playing because the bass made a silver cup I have on a wall mounted shelf rattle! Now that's impressive sound projection! I can't wait to plug in this bass to my friend's Ampeg that's a 1X15 ported bass amp. It should be wild! For the money this Best Choice acoustic had got to be the deal of a lifetime if you're in the market for an acoustic bass guitar.Jason

This is a great acoustic-electric bass. I originally purchased it to use as an alternative to plugging in my electric bass. I instantly fell in love with it. It stays in tune. The nut is of appropriate measurements and the frets are greatly positioned. I changed the factory installed strings with some acoustic bass strings and it sounded so nice! For the price, I didn't expect to get a good value, but I was surprised once I immediately opened the box. Good job Best Choice products!consumer

Sound: I was impressed by the sounds I could get from this little beast. I'm a pretty heavy handed finger style player (I've always had a heavy attack), but I could hear the differences every time I alternated pickups, adjusted the EQ, and flipped the "Power Tap" switch. This thing offers a lot of sound for very little money! Features: As stated, the thin fast neck of this bass is amazing. I have smaller than average sized hands, so the slimmer design is really comfortable for me. The PowerSpan dual coil pickups are really decent sounding for what they are. The "Power Tap" switch is what sold me on it. After some knob twiddling, trial and error, I found a really nice warm, but heavy sound that I enjoy. Also, the ease of access to the battery compartment is a nice feature as well – no screwdriver needed! Ease of Use: Ease of use is great! Plug it in and play 😉 Seriously though, my stepfather is a guitarist by nature, and even he's remarked at how nice it plays and how nicely the knobs freely turn to dial in the sound you are looking for. Quality: I was impressed by the overall quality of this instrument for the price. I own and play "higher end" basses (Warwick's, Ibanez SR Premium's, etc.), and the quality of this is bass is almost as nice as my SR Premium at a fraction of the cost. Of course it had a few things that needed some tweaking out of the box, but overall I am very pleased with the product. You could spend a lot more and get a lot less (I have anyways…). I guess there's a reason I keep coming back to Ibanez basses. Value: The Ibanez SR300E is considered by most to be a beginner bass. I get that. Yet, for the price, you will be hard pressed to find something with better quality and features. If you are new to bass, or need a backup for your regular player, I would highly recommend the SR300E. I see it becoming my regular player because of it's features and sound. And hey… If something were to ever happen to it at a gig in one of those "seedy" venues, I could easily replace it and not be too upset about the price. Manufacturer Support: I've never had to deal with Ibanez directly, but I have dealt with zZounds a few times and their customer service is wonderful! Friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous. Those are the things that make me a repeat offender to this site! The Wow Factor: This bass is a lot of bang for the buck! I love the look of the black hardware on the weathered black finish. When my girlfriend gave me the "Oh no. Did you buy another bass?" look – even she had to admit the weathered black finish was sexy looking. Ha! Overall: I originally bought an Ibanez SR300E Iron Pewter as a gift for a member of my family who took an interest in playing the bass. When it arrived I took it out of the box to tune it and give the action a little tweaking. Of course, being a bass player myself, I had to give it a try to see how well it played. I was in shock and awe by how well it played and sounded. The neck was extremely comfortable; very thin and fast! It felt like this thing could play itself. After playing it for a few days, (and a few times since), I was so amazed by it that I had to come back to order one for myself (Weathered black – that black hardware on black bass just looks so good).Jason

As a long time guitarist, I thought I'd dip my toe into the world of bass. This is an incredible product for the money and in no way feels or looks like an entry level product. Really usable features which lend towards a huge range of tones from a single instrument. The guys at GG set up instruments to be played straight off and this one was no different – great action on a highly playable neck.Superb!Reviewed by guitarguitar custome

I have had this beautiful five string fretless bass guitar for almost four months now. This guitar was set up just right out of the box. The only two things that I had to do differently was of course to put flatwound bass strings on this bass, and I chose to raise the strings action up a little higher. Other than that this bass is exactly what I wanted in a fretless bass guitar. I wanted a bass that could nail those "Jaco Pastorius" bright tight punchier "Jazz" bass tones. This bass also does the new age music fretless bass sounds so well. It is very well built, and has a beautiful finish. I could not ask for any more from a bass especially for the wide range of sounds to be had from a bass like this Ibanez SR375EF! Thank You American Musical Supply. Sincerely Steve N. Jr.Steven N.

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

I really like the look, feel, and simplicity of the 50's P Bass. Fender itself does not make one anymore, leaving the Squire as the only option. Squire makes better instruments than Fender only collectors and vintage only players think. They are the only ones who will notice the "Squire" logo and care. The wood on this is good. Neck is straight and feels good. The frets are finished and good. Tuners are nickel plate and fine. Bridge is nickel plate and fine, with fully adjustable saddles that are nickel plated. The finish is good–providing you like it thick which I do, and was how it was in the 50's I suppose. Sound is good, but I will change the pickup to a Seymour SCPB-3 quarter Pound and change the pots for sure, maybe to Fender Vintage. I will eventually change the nut to bone as well. The sound is good–but can be made more like I want it with those changes. I will practice and rehearse with this now, and likely gig with this after the changes. Squire instruments are so much better than the similar priced gear available when I started playing in bands, when a new Fender anything was a grand without a case, and a Gibson was unthinkable. The knockoff instruments we played then until we could afford a Fender or a Gibson often ran $225-$400 new, and honestly were not as good as this Squire is.CAA

I bought this bass an an inexpensive backup to my Fenders, but I expect to use it as more than just a backup, because it plays well and looks cool. This one had good fret dressing and a nicely-cut nut (some Squier CV basses don't have the nut slots cut seep enough, and they have sharp fret ends, and they buzz at about the 14th fret This one didn't have any of those problems). The Indian Laurel fretboard is darker than most and almost looks like rosewood. I did have to lightly oil it, though. The pickups and bridge were all set to factory specs. and the intonation was pretty close to dead-on. I did need to adjust the neck a bit. There was way too much relief. The only downside is that the truss rod nut is set really deep and my wrench could barely reach it. Time to buy a longer wrench, I guess. I swapped the white pickguard out with a mint green one. You can see that in the picture I uploaded. I think it really looks good with the sonic blue.Dave

I have been dreaming about one day owning a late 50s Precision bass for a long time now, and now my dream has come true in a way. When I saw this bass listed in your “flash sale” last weekend, I knew I HAD to have one! I have been hoping Squier would come out with a bass like this, and now my wish has been granted! When I received it today, I immediately tuned it up and plugged it in to my bass amp-and I was immediately transported to heaven! Sounds great,feels great, and plays like a dream come true! I LOVE IT!!!! Thank you for helping me make my dream come true!Dave

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

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

Sound: I was impressed by the sounds I could get from this little beast. I'm a pretty heavy handed finger style player (I've always had a heavy attack), but I could hear the differences every time I alternated pickups, adjusted the EQ, and flipped the "Power Tap" switch. This thing offers a lot of sound for very little money! Features: As stated, the thin fast neck of this bass is amazing. I have smaller than average sized hands, so the slimmer design is really comfortable for me. The PowerSpan dual coil pickups are really decent sounding for what they are. The "Power Tap" switch is what sold me on it. After some knob twiddling, trial and error, I found a really nice warm, but heavy sound that I enjoy. Also, the ease of access to the battery compartment is a nice feature as well – no screwdriver needed! Ease of Use: Ease of use is great! Plug it in and play 😉 Seriously though, my stepfather is a guitarist by nature, and even he's remarked at how nice it plays and how nicely the knobs freely turn to dial in the sound you are looking for. Quality: I was impressed by the overall quality of this instrument for the price. I own and play "higher end" basses (Warwick's, Ibanez SR Premium's, etc.), and the quality of this is bass is almost as nice as my SR Premium at a fraction of the cost. Of course it had a few things that needed some tweaking out of the box, but overall I am very pleased with the product. You could spend a lot more and get a lot less (I have anyways…). I guess there's a reason I keep coming back to Ibanez basses. Value: The Ibanez SR300E is considered by most to be a beginner bass. I get that. Yet, for the price, you will be hard pressed to find something with better quality and features. If you are new to bass, or need a backup for your regular player, I would highly recommend the SR300E. I see it becoming my regular player because of it's features and sound. And hey… If something were to ever happen to it at a gig in one of those "seedy" venues, I could easily replace it and not be too upset about the price. Manufacturer Support: I've never had to deal with Ibanez directly, but I have dealt with zZounds a few times and their customer service is wonderful! Friendly, knowledgeable, and courteous. Those are the things that make me a repeat offender to this site! The Wow Factor: This bass is a lot of bang for the buck! I love the look of the black hardware on the weathered black finish. When my girlfriend gave me the "Oh no. Did you buy another bass?" look – even she had to admit the weathered black finish was sexy looking. Ha! Overall: I originally bought an Ibanez SR300E Iron Pewter as a gift for a member of my family who took an interest in playing the bass. When it arrived I took it out of the box to tune it and give the action a little tweaking. Of course, being a bass player myself, I had to give it a try to see how well it played. I was in shock and awe by how well it played and sounded. The neck was extremely comfortable; very thin and fast! It felt like this thing could play itself. After playing it for a few days, (and a few times since), I was so amazed by it that I had to come back to order one for myself (Weathered black – that black hardware on black bass just looks so good).Jason

The description for this bass says "Great beginners instrument". I feel it is a quality instrument and sounds great recorded. If you're looking at a great sounding affordable instrument, I highly suggest Ibanez Sound Gear. I personally prefer a passive instrument but the active pickups on this bass sound awesome. A Fender J-bass or P-bass is just a luxury. A Spector, Warwick or Gibson are pure luxury instruments. You need a workhorse like a Ibanez.Drumming Guitarist

Sound: This thing sounds amazing! It can also sound like crap and everything in between. If you can't find several tones you like with this bass your just not trying. Love the way I can go from growly deep tone to super bright without switching guitars, or having to change my amp settings. Features: My only complaint as far as features is not having an active bypass switch (took away a half star for that) The active eq, the pickups, the hardware, the way the frets are… this bass has a features that most in this price range don't, it's well thought out and well executed. To say I was surprised to see a counter sunk hi mass bridge in $350 bass is an understatement, but it's details like this that make it such a treat. Ease of Use: Super playable, super adjustable, great sounding bass. However you will quickly learn to make small adjustments when your messing with the eq trying to find your sound. A little movement on the knob makes a big difference… Quality: My only issue, is the small gap between the neck and body. Took off a half star for that, and again it is small and doesn't seem to be an issue. I do have another concern with how the neck itself appears to be rotated slightly back, however everything lines up so it could just be how they are made. I'll be comparing it to others soon enough. Value: This is an amazing value at this price point, I was originally shopping for a much more expensive bass, however this one had everything I was looking for except it had it at 1/3 to 1/2 of the cost. Manufacturer Support: No experience with them. The Wow Factor: Ibanez really knocked it out of the park with this one, proving that a great instrument doesn't have to be expensive. Yes, there is the minor gap at the neck pocket, but they got so much right with this bass, I can overlook it. If your in the market for a new bass give these a look, you'll end up buying one too… Overall: So far I'm thoroughly impressed… love the wide range of tones I can get out this bass. The neck feels amazing, so easy to get around, makes my Fender Jazz neck feel bulky. I have noticed a minor gap on the treble side of the neck pocket, but doesn't seem to causing any issues with the sustain or neck movement. I will recommend going to a local guitar shop to see the different colors on person. Once I saw the Charred Champagne burst in person I was sold, the pictures make the colors clash which the don't do in person.Scott

Right out of the box this bass sounded good. Dean sold me. Played a little venue at a friends house and got lots of complements on the sound and looks. Sure made me feel good. People asked to sign my bass and made me think how cool that would be? Maybe after some wear and tear that will happen. Can't say enough about this bass. What a find, really. Only been learning for over a year and maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but for now I'm talking Dean. Being a beginner at 63 sure is fun. Rock On kids cause that's how I feel….wunschy

This is a decent package for anyone wanting to learn the bass guitar. The bass guitar holds tune fairly well and is good quality. The amp that is included in the package is average at best for what it is, nothing impressive but good for solo practicing. The instrument cable is low quality without a right angle plug. The packaging is low quality and the guitar head was damaged in shipping as a result of the inadequate packaging. Sam Ash took immediate attention to my claim on the damage, their customer service is awesome. Overall is it a good bass guitar package.Aubrey

I'm an older ex weekend warrior who has played in bands for years. I've owned many other basses including Fender P-bass, Hamer Cruisebass, and Carvin LB-70 to name a few. I've been out of the music scene for awhile but really missed having a bass around to mess around with so I ordered this one in the satin finish. I knew what I was getting because I had been to Dean's website where they have accurate pics of this bass. I wasn't disappointed! This bass is an amazing value for the money. The tone is great right out of the box. Action is right where I like it. No fret buzz as long as you are fretting properly. I did change the strings right away to black nylon tape wounds. They lend a smooth attack (almost like a double bass) and are super easy on the fingers yet still get that P-bass like growl if you open the tone knob up. Construction is very good especially for the money, fit and finish is great except for the fret work. I'll need to file down the fret ends as they are a bit too long for the (nice) rosewood fretboard. They aren't sharp or dangerous so it could be worse and using proper technique you'd hardly notice it. The only other gripe is the tuners. They look nice but don't hold tuning for long periods of time. I end up having to re-tune the bass nearly every day. The tuner on the G string could be smoother as turning tension goes from tight to loose and back to tight as it turns. These are really minor complaints for such a low cost bass. The finish is really good. It appears they put a matching basswood veneer on the top and back so you can't even see the slab joints. I wouldn't hesitate to take this on stage, it looks that good with the black tuners, bridge, knobs, and strings (in my case). The neck is nice and thin and fairly fast with a satin finish on the back of the neck. The electronics are way above average for this price range. The pickup, volume and tone knobs work together very well to give a wide variety of tones.VTbassman

Plays great, hadn't to loosen the truss rod just a hair, but once adjusted it doesn't have any fret buzz or anything. Pickups and electronics seem to be pretty good, hardware is great quality. The fretboard is a lighter color than the pictures show, but I actually like the way it looks better.Bryanw

Every Ibanez Product I have ever played has been a good quality product. This bass is amazing for the price range. Playability was good right out of the box. My 405 has a 3 band EQ. But the bass boost knob here sounds very good. I am very happy with this purchase!T. Ford

Overall: The only star I gave less than a 4 is the Overall, I gave that a 4. Why? Because it feels like the price in the weight and appearance. That's not a bad thing because it plays and sounds Awesome!! I grabbed this because I was looking for something lite on the back for the 3 hour shows. When I first got it I was a little nervous thinking it was maybe for a beginner but once I plugged it in with the band it punched right through and the guitarist noticed a huge difference in sound compared to an Epiphone Thunderbird I was playing. I should mention that Epiphone costed me $300 more and this Ibanez seems to beat it in punch and overall sound. All that said I may buy another in black for the metal band. (Using the one I bought in classic rock etc..) That metal band sound? Think Lamb of God meets Slayer…I used it in that style of music and it punched right through. A problem I WAS having is whenever you play in metal bands the bass seems to drop out and more so during guitar solos. Well the reason I may buy a second one of these is because it performed well with that "Metal" test. So…If your looking for some punch, more EQ room and something that doesn't hurt your back for a GREAT price this is a great choice.Tony

My first factory-road worn instrument and I am a convert. It smells lovely and the relicing doesn’t look artificial. It definitely has that played-in feel without the issues of a knackered old bass. Sounds pretty good too! Tried out a few mustangs in the past but this is by far the nicest.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I've been a short scale fan ever since buying a Fender Squire Vintage Modified Jaguar SS bass many years ago. I was impressed with quality of the Squire and after changing the pickups (P J set) found it was the bass I always picked up to play. I had recently been looking at the Mustang but found it hard to justify buying since I already had a short scale bass. Then I saw the JMJ signature… road worn, '66 style with original style custom Seymour Duncan spilt coil pickups and a wider neck then my Jaguar. I bought one and after playing it for a few weeks I have no regrets. What a difference in the quality which I already thought was good in the inexpensive Squire. The neck feels great and the extra time spent on the fret work is obvious. I really love what they've done to create the "road worn" look, which something you can't get unless you're buying a Custom Shop instrument. All that you've heard about the JMJ Mustang is true. Killer tone that really cuts through the mix. This is my first Fender bass and after 30 years of playing I don't know why I waited so long. I guess I just wanted to be different… if you are serious about getting a short scale bass this is a great option you won't be disappointed.Shane

I've had the idea to buy a bass to help improve stagnation in my recording and writing process. I went in and looked at the wall of instruments and was impressed. The thing Sam Ash does right that others do not these days (ahem…GC) is have a variety of price ranges and styles to explore. The store rep came over offered me a cord to try them out and left me to do my thing. The reason why a variety was essential was because I was able to play basses on the lower price point, one that I initially planned to buy, but then a bright light shined on the only bass on the wall with flat wound strings and a relic finish. I plugged it in, let it rip, and it felt/sounded amazing. I put it back on the wall, picked up the cheap bass I wanted and it sounded clanky, put it back and kept picking up this bass on the wall, again and again. This is when the store rep came over to check on me, didn't pressure me, but validated me saying the feel on that one is like no other, then offered to work with me on price if I was interested. After I finally decided, there was some chatter among the other store reps that someone was buying "the relic!" I felt special. In the end, I went in Sam Ash on a budget and left with an instrument I'll keep for life and give to my kids. No bad decisions were made.DYLAN

Premium built guitar with very attractive price tag (sale). Beautiful maple top, comfortable neck with roasted maple fretboard, lovely sound. Only pots feel cheap and tone change pot in passive mode could be improved as it's far from the smoothness experienced on for example my other bass guitar which is Fender Precision.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Lovely instrument and much lighter than expected, wasn't expecting the finish to be quite as it was but hard to be sure when buying online. Very pleased none the less.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.