Black Metal Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

This bass is absolutely fantastic for rock and metal, the single pickup design is nice and simple and sounds fantastic, bass is very durable and feels great and the luminlay side dots are a definite plus for playing live, the tone of this bass paired with some good overdrive sits great in a mix, only con would be that it doesn't sound very great when used in different genres but is still useableGash S

Overall: This is serious kick ass bass that is made for metal. Great sound and vibe, even when not plugged in. The combination of tone woods is unbeatable. Top that off with EMG pups and you got a well rounded low end metal machine. If you like EMG then this is a sure hit for you.Sotero

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

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

The strings and sound of this bass are great, when it stays in tune. It turns out, the holes drilled for the tuning pegs are too big, so the pegs slip and cause the bass to fall out of tune with almost no use. We only found this out because we thought the pegs were bad, but upon taking them off to install new ones, we realized this fault. If you want a good bass for practice, this one will do fine. I would not recommend it for professionals, unless you want to spend the extra money to drill the holes out further to put in fittings for the pegs.Ryan

Being that there arent any very popular (or effective) battery operated bass amps out there, an Acoustic Bass is really the only option for someone who doesn't have access to a wall outlet, or doesn't want to carry a heavy amp with them. I was hoping to pick one up, but very few were in a price range that I, as a college student, could afford. That is when I found this little gem. The general rule I have found when buying a bass, at least as far as my experiences go, that anything under 300 that you buy will have to have something taken out of it; you can only make an instrument so cheap before it becomes more of a hassle than your time is worth. However, Ibanez has found a way to break this rule time and time again. Starting with the downsides: Do not get this bass expecting it to stand up against the drums and electric guitar unamplified. There isn't an acoustic bass on earth that can pull that off, and if there is, it is way to big to bother with. The pre-amp is OK, but only OK. The output jack is in an odd place. and the wiring would be a pain to deal with as you would have to reach down into the body to get to it. And now for the many, many upsides: It is a bit fat in size, but is very light weight. I usually play an 11 1/2 lb jazz bass, and this thing is such a literal weight off my back (at least a whole 4 lbs). It has an amazing, earthy tone that you just cant get out of a solid body bass. the body is very study, braced very heavily on the inside. As far as Acoustic basses go, this is one of the loudest I have played. The tuner is surprisingly accurate, and very useful. It is also very comfortable to play standing up, and won't strain your back. And the Icing on the cake is that it allow you to practice anywhere, any time, without the need for power. In short, It is very nice, and should be part of your arsenal today. Do not hesitate on this purchase ^_^Koren Rain

This bass exceeded expectations by a country mile. I've had acoustic basses before, and this one plays and projects far better than others I've had that cost a lot more. The Ibanez name tells me that the unit will remain stable and that the company will stand behind it. The factory set-up is fine. Ibanez supplies a higher bridge and hex wrench for neck adjustment, but neither were necessary. Other reviews point to action, "buzz" and low volume. In some cases, these reports may be accurate, but I suspect a lot of folks buy these instruments with unrealistic expectations. Simply stated, acoustic instruments slap, squeak and generally misbehave. This goes for Martins, Ibanez, Guilds…you name it. It is part of the charm of playing acoustic music. Bass strings move more across a long scale length, so you are going to get this in spades. Raising string height to stratospheric levels to overcome these natural traits seems to be something like training a wolf to herd sheep. To me, random tonal excursions are part of the package. Frankly its why I bought the thing and even at that, this bass is pretty well behaved. If you want perfect tones, perhaps a Fender Precision or even a MIDI synthesizer is a better choice for you. As for volume, well, lower tones need far more amplification to carry than their higher pitched cousins. 100 watts out of your Strat needs to be matched by some 400 watts from the accompanying bass. That's simple physics. This bass projects amazingly well, but if you are going to jam in a large group or hall, consider adding a small combo amp. That would go both for this bass or a $2000 custom instrument. Overall, I love the thing. I would buy it again, and I would recommend it without reservation.Ankeny Picker

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

Sound: Sound wise, it is great. Very good for soft rock to all genres of metal. Haven't played any other types of music with it yet but the pickups seem very versatile. Features: The active pickups are a plus and sound great. Has all the basic bass controls. Manufacturer Support: Only dealt with schecter in regards to questions a few times in the past. Never had an issue with any of their instruments. Overall: I am a guitar player who needed a bass for my home recording.I'll admit, I am a Shecter fanboy. I have been playing and collecting schecter guitars for a long time. The quality of their instruments are great and for the price they can't be beat.Purchased this for some home recording and I am amazed at the playability and sound.Not being a native bass player I was not sure what to expect. I have played bass before for my home recordings and let me say this bass sounds amazing.Using it with a motu m4 and a 24 volt mod for the active pickups.It has a lot of gain so I have to turn down the input volume on my m4 quite a bit but the sound come through great in my daw.J

Sound: Sound wise, it is great. Very good for soft rock to all genres of metal. Haven't played any other types of music with it yet but the pickups seem very versatile. Features: The active pickups are a plus and sound great. Has all the basic bass controls. Manufacturer Support: Only dealt with schecter in regards to questions a few times in the past. Never had an issue with any of their instruments. Overall: I am a guitar player who needed a bass for my home recording.I'll admit, I am a Shecter fanboy. I have been playing and collecting schecter guitars for a long time. The quality of their instruments are great and for the price they can't be beat.Purchased this for some home recording and I am amazed at the playability and sound.Not being a native bass player I was not sure what to expect. I have played bass before for my home recordings and let me say this bass sounds amazing.Using it with a motu m4 and a 24 volt mod for the active pickups.It has a lot of gain so I have to turn down the input volume on my m4 quite a bit but the sound come through great in my daw.J

I've had this bass for about 6 or 7 years now and it has absolutely blown me away! I didn't play it much when I first got it bc of the weird transition from 4 to 5 strings but over time I've played it more and more. I love it more every time I play on it! I've used this thing for rock, alt metal , death metal, posthardcore bands, jazz bands, jamming with friends stangers in a bluesy way, I've recorded With it and made YouTube covers with it. It's suited more for rock metal punk abd subgenres but it's versatile. This thing will take thick strings if you want (135 B string), the dadario strings that came on it were great too. This thing has great low end roar but can also sing melodically I play a lot of chords/fragments and tremello with a weird playing style and this thing sounds great! It's my favorite bass, it's the best I've played although I haven't tried many abd my others are lower quality. I play guitar too but am mainly a bassist so I like how the strings sit a little closer together than on others or 4 strings. I've had guitarists ask me what I did to make this bass sound so great and they were blown away when I said nothing just took it out the box! I've only had to intoneate it once so far. It's set up was pretty great out of the box the strings were a bit higher off the neck than I was Used to but once I got used to the action I was glad they put it where it was. Only complaint is that the low b sometimes would make the low b harware rattle and I could feel it skake/vibrate the whole bass (it didn't come through amp or anything. This stopped over time and I think higher string gauges might have helped to smooth this out. Batteries for the active pickups seem to last for quiet awhile. I use this through a boss me50b with compression on and through a nice combo amp that can compete with stacks this bass roars through it. I highly recommend this bass especially to rockers/metalheads. Schecter guitar research totally know what they're doing. Thanks 4 thisBassschecrer

First off let me say I've been playing "P" bass for quite a while. My current model is 24 yrs old. Thought I'd shop around for a replacement. No gigging for me anymore. Last one was July 4, 1973. Then along came children. So now I just sit on the edge of the bed and play along with John Paul Jones. When I found this Schecter Omen Extreme -4, I was deciding between an SG standard, and the Fender Aerodyne. Then I picked up this one, simply because it is bezutiful to look at. What a suprise. The pan knob will switch you from a "P" bass to a "J" bass. Even though the Omen has a 34" scale it plays beautifully. I am not disappointed with this purchase. The shape hints at a Jazz bass which I like, hence the Aerodyne search. Never mind that, this plays sweertly. At this time GC us offering an %18 off sale. You just couldn't go wrong. Only wanting a case, which will be delivered soon.Pops

I haven't been playing long. Bought my first bass in 2020 (Epiphone Thunderbird Goth). Started taking lessons online through BassBuzz (Josh is excellent!), after a few weeks of practicing for a minimum of 2 hours a day, I was able to start learning songs for our Praise Team at Church (we currently had no bassist). I'd take my Epiphone of course. I learned to play sitting down, now it's time to stand, my shoulder was killing me! 2nd week of playing at Church and my tone column failed! I took it to GC to get it fixed and spotted the Schecter hanging on the wall. I picked it up and couldn't believe the difference in the weight (again, I'm a novice), my salesperson explained the difference between active and passive and I knew then that I wanted an active guitar. The Epiphone took two uses of muscles for my left arm, one to hold the neck up and of course the other to go up and down the fretboard. This guitar is so balanced it will stay where you place it from the get go. GC gave me a fair trade on the Epiphone so I did the deal the next day. If you're a beginner or even an experienced player, this guitar can make a tremendous difference with ease and sound. Being a novice,were it not for this guitar I wouldn't have known what to look for without an experts help!Fred W

This bass has the best sounding J pickup I've ever owned on a P/J bass. I always buy P/J basses as I prefer the slimmer necks that they usually have with the P pickup and never use the J pickup as they usually leave a lot to be desired for my ear. They usually sound congested with too much emphasis on the mid range. The mid range tones are present but the tone has more of a J neck pickup characteristic as opposed to a bridge J pickup. I was concerned about the fret edges when I bought this one as I saw a video review complain about how sharp they were. Are they as smooth as the higher end models I've played. No, they are not. Is the bass useable right now without a set up. Yes it is! I plan on using it a my next gig.James

Based on the BroadBass of the 70's, this is a great player without killing your budget. For an inexpensive bass it both plays and sounds extremely well. The BB's of the 70's were always nice and this one brings back that great vintage feel and sound that the original's had. I have played these in the studio before to break sounds and tone's up…it did the job and did it well.Lee @ Sam Ash CIncinnati

This bass is absolutely fantastic for rock and metal, the single pickup design is nice and simple and sounds fantastic, bass is very durable and feels great and the luminlay side dots are a definite plus for playing live, the tone of this bass paired with some good overdrive sits great in a mix, only con would be that it doesn't sound very great when used in different genres but is still useableGash S

Overall: This is serious kick ass bass that is made for metal. Great sound and vibe, even when not plugged in. The combination of tone woods is unbeatable. Top that off with EMG pups and you got a well rounded low end metal machine. If you like EMG then this is a sure hit for you.Sotero

I bought this bass awhile ago. After reading several negative reviews I think the issues they have is this bass is shipped with no tension on the truss rod/neck. Out of the box it is not playable, sounds horrible and you need to adjust the truss rod to add relief to the neck. After making that adjustment this bass is a great beginners bass and sounds good. You will not be disappointed. Just watch a YouTube vid on how to add relief to a guitar neck / adjust truss rod.Gerald

I got this just to use for home recordings after YEARS away from bass playing. I've owned better in the past, but this is not bad! It has a good tone and the neck is easily playable. Sounds good playing through a Fender Rumble 25 watt amp. If there is one thing I don't like, it's the round-wound strings. I first started with flat wounds, playing funk and R & B, so the strings aren't as "warm" as I'd like. Still good for slap styles or for rock.Lee

I bought this bass back in 2003, and wanted to start playing again. I played bass in the early 1980's till 90's. I grew up with Rock to Metal days and had a Fender bass. I got caught up in marriage and working 12 hr days , so I sold my equipment. This bass plays well once you get it set up. Sounds great for a budget bass. I still have it among other upgrades bass guitars I now have. I still like playing it. And it still looks like new . Great bass for the money.Jbrocky0

After 2 hours of trying many different basses in the store around the same price point (and higher), finally choosing this one, and having it in my hands for 2 weeks, I definitely made the best choice. This bass sounds great, plays great, and looks great. It needs minor setup adjustments, but other than there, zero regrets. For the price, this is an unbeatable instrument.ALEX

Schecter, ( I read) takes great pride in their craftmanship. I was not happy with getting my fingers ripped up by the rough, sharp fret ends. I talked to a tech at Schecter I described why I was not satisfied. He told me to return it ASAP. I then went out looking for a bass at my local guitar shop, saw the exact same one but the frets were nice and smooth. Makes me wonder if I was sold and received a knock off. Best to try out what you are interested in. P.S. Don't expect a quick refund.Bobby

Love how this sounds with distortion especially with the tone all the way down. Clean don't sound bad but not my favorite. Not sure if it's just mine but the pots range is very small, an 1\8 of a turn and it's maxed out.Skins IV

This bass is amazing, it doesn't die out like a lot of other basses do. just like a-lox said i haven't had mine in a case since I've had it either and it has even taken a couple falls (other ppl not watching where they were walking) and it still works like it did the day i got it. only problem could be that since it's a V u can't really sit and play unless u put your leg between the two legs of the V but i prefer to stand anyways. i recomend this o any1.Briggsy80

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

Don't waste your money on this bass. Get an Ibanez GSR 105EX instead. I wanted to try this bass out and played it for a day and then put it back in the box and put it in storage. The craftsmanship is very poor: back of the neck is not completely smooth and feels sticky, fretboard looks dull and faded, paint was messed up in some areas, and the neck is unecessarily long. The strings it comes with are awful too and leave your fingers smelling like metal. The pickups are terrible (had to turn up the volume really high on my amp to even hear sound from the bass). Overall, this is NOT a good bass guitar and you will be better off putting that money elsewhere.egears123

Purchased the Fender Player Jazz bass. Overall great looks and sound, but some quality issues from the Fender Mexico factory (not Andertons' fault): – First bass had very clear weird uneven blemish under the varnish on the sunburst body. Not awful, but if I was in-store I would never have chosen that particular item. Returned and swapped by Andertons, no quibbles. Second bass arrived. Overall happy, sounds great, but still a few issues with quality control and design. – Control plate was missing 2 screws and was moving around – how does that get through Fender quality control? Replacement screws sent free of charge by Andertons. – Nut has not been slotted correctly – high G must have been passed through a machine and slipped, string is clearly a couple of mm too close to fretboard edge and you can see the failed first pass. Doesn't really affect playability, but is annoying and I will get it corrected at some point. Again, points to poor quality control. – Fretboard (Pau Ferro) is really thin – on the Player series, at least. Neck fret dot markers in white are half over the mid-dark fretboard, half over the light maple neck. Very hard to see in low light levels. OK, so they're just an indicator for position, but the design isn't great. So overall, the bass sounds great and Andertons service was very good. Fender quality control loses the one star from the review.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

…and falls in love. Let me start by saying I actually have owned one other P-Bass. I had a 50s reissue Precision, but honestly the neck was just too thick for my liking after years of playing Jazz basses. Honestly, it felt thicker than the neck on my Yamaha 5-string. So, I picked this bass up after always dancing around getting what would be considered a more standard P-Bass. I have a 70s Jazz with a ton of modifications, I've had quite a few other brands of basses, but I wanted to see what the fuss was about. I ordered this a few weeks ago, and have been very pleasantly surprised. The action was pretty good out of the box. I adjusted it a bit, made a few tiny tweaks to the intonation, and now it's super smooth. And, on the pickups, let me say it's a great sounding bass. Pickups are clear, bass sounds great. I play through a little Ampeg Micro cabinet. Earlier this week, I bought some Flats to throw on it (because that's what you do with a P-bass, right?) and now it's quickly becoming one of my favorite instruments to jam with. It really cuts through the mix when playing in a group. I see why folks really love the sound of a precision. My Jazz still has it's place, but man, I really like the sound of this bass. The Player P is a great value for what you get. I've never owned an older MIM, but I research the heck out of pretty much any purchase I make, and it looks like Fender really stepped it up with this rendition of their MIM Precision basses. Good tone out of the box, no discernible pickup noise, good action, a beautiful neck, and a Tidepool Blue finish that just shines and shines.Dennis F

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

Pros: This is a beautiful neck-through bass with a luscious satin mahogany body, and matte gold hardware. 5 control knobs – volume, pickup selector/tone, then 3 band EQ. Stays in tune. Great tone. Cons: The active pickups/EQ require TWO 9v batteries! Don't need changing often though (like every few years, playing 2 hours a week). The matte gold hardware is prone to some mild patina formation. In some electronic environments you get a bit of hiss from the pickups. I think fluorescent lights contribute to this. Mitigated by turning down the treble EQ knob, and fixed if your sound guy kills the highs on the mixer.blueflame1611

Overall: Absolutely BEAUTIFUL looking 5-string bass!!!! In your hands, in your sight, and in your lap, this guy is stunning. Stunning to look at and to handle. Schecter really nailed it on the Stiletto series. That low B sting is what I have been looking for in a bass for a while now. I mostly am into classic rock & country type of stuff. But I am also into 70's funk like Stevie Wonder. The low B is a MUST for old school funk and reggae. When I first got the guitar, it was way out of tune and every string vibrated like mad. So when you first get your guitar from zZounds, it is not set up. That is a chore for the end user. Which is great because a musician should not have to be completely reliant on a "professional" tech in order to perform basic comprehensive maintenance on their instrument. So, I emailed zZounds requesting some help and advice from them for the proper setup of my newly bought bass. As quick as that, they replied with a bunch of links to help me get myself up to speed. After reviewing the guides, I was able to tune my bass and set the truss rod properly. Now my Stiletto sounds dang near perfect! To be honest, I am not that great of a player. I do have a musical background, but I am pretty new on the bass. But I can tell you that the more I practice with this guy and listen and appreciate its wonderful sound through the Markbass I'm using, the more I am happy with this purchase. TL;DR Excellent instrument. Excellent fitment of components (this guy was assembled in Indonesia) Marvellous to feel and to hold Emits beautifully clear, super deep bass notes Wish I knew about Schecter's stuff before I dropped over 2K on my LĀKLAND 😉Billy

I now own 5 solid body neck-throughs: Two 4003's, two Warwicks, and this Schector, which just arrived yesterday. I don't think I'm a good enough expert to sit and analyze each bass's pros and cons, and then try them out with a bunch of different amp/speaker combinations. That's what they pay the guys at Bass Player for. All I can say is I haven't stopped grinning about this Studio-4 since I opened the box. Easy playability, excellent build quality, sexy looks, and a good, loud, punchy sound. What's not to like ? I will say this: The EQ knobs don't do a wide range of tone-shifting. The EMG pickups are very bright, modern-sounding, and with the stock Ernie Ball RW strings, that's exactly what I wanted. Plenty of glass up top, and a bit (maybe a bit too much) at the bottom. If you're looking for P-bass thud-thud Motown sound, my first thought is this may not be your best bet, although with flatwounds it would probably be within dial-able range on your rig. The rest is all good, and this would make a great bass for a student, a working bassist or the dedicated hack (that's me). If you're a world-famous bass soloist, this may not necessarily be the axe you'd take the stage with, but I'm betting you'd spend lots of time practicing your moves on it. It will keep up. One more thing. It arrived set up as nicely as I've ever seen, right out of the box.doc

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

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.

Sound: when you own a sterling bass you do know, what your getting in quality . this bass is heavier then my sterling sub music man. same bass just diff color .the pick up of course is still amazing ,from my sub to this bass today. Ease of Use: i pulled out the box, was not in tune from shipping of course. used my d,addario head stock tuner on it, was only off a little from shipping. easy to retune and play out of the box. Quality: i love these bass., i have small hands. witha full scale to the get the best of the tone possible, long scale is the only way for me. small hand will use the neck as a whole. Value: would buy this for any one starting. would also buy another my self lol i have two lol Manufacturer Support: never had an issue Overall: awesome for the money, get great workmenship right out of the box, a small tune . after shipping of course. love the balance and small necks for my small hands. does not take away sustain. bass talks if you listen. so this is the second one i owned and would own another.Mickey

Love this thing! I had a problem with the sound on the first one but Musicians Friend got me all straightened out. The midrange sound was really quiet while the highs and lows were loud. They sent me a new one and took the return on the bad one. The replacement sounds great! I had a setup and new strings done by my local music shop and she sounds amazing. Intonation is now spot on. I love the look and feel of this one with all the rounded edges. Love the sound. She has a snarl in the low end that I haven't heard with any other company. I also own a squire 60s classic vibe p bass but i think i like the sound of this one better. My only complaint is that she's a little heavier than my Squire otherwise im super happy with this purchase. Thank you Musicians Friend for the smooth return and your amazing customer service. If you're looking for a quality beginner bass this one is a great choice.Matt

Love the sound of this heavy, neck diving beast. There's lots of tone to play with using the 5-way pickup selector. If played light enough you can avoid the fret buzz, of which is hard to get rid of with truss and saddle adjustments, but that can be said of a heavy hand on most guitars in general. The neck dive is severe like all the weight is really just the neck, but I don't notice it much when playing. It's just something to keep in mind if you play standing and lift both hands off the guitar to quickly adjust a mic or amp knob settings. The finish is kind of satin, as if it were printed on with an ink jet printer. It leaves the soft wood body pretty vulnerable to slow moving collisions against sharp corners. The Pre-Black Friday sale price on this guitar is a STEAL though! Definitely worth it for a Music Man bass sound for recording, or gigging if your willing to put up with the minor issues of weight and neck dive.Zach