Best Semi Hollow Bass Guitar (2024 Update)

Overall: When I say I own it, I mean I own THIS bass guitar, the one in the picture. I can't put this instrument down, it is always the closest thing at my side. Out of the box I could not find a thing wrong with it. The fit and finish were really great. I had to adjust the truss rod after a bit as there was a bit of noisiness, but that allowed me to lower the action even more. This instrument is really silky smooth to play, with a thin neck, super light due to the semi hollow body. The tone is excellent, and the piezo output can be adjusted on each string. So I feel this was just the perfect bass for me, just feels right, and I love the music and sound that I can make with it.Adam

Overall: Ibanez really nailed it with this bass. Easy to use, two knob bass that has a great fretless tone. Bass is very sensitive to hand position so there are a variety of tones to be found. Bass intonation was set perfectly (like Gary Willis style). Out of the box I could have taken this to a gig and played comfortably. Body and neck are both comfortable. Black fret lines on the board are useless to me but don't get in the way. Compared to the Portamento this may seem like a very simple bass. Having owned the Portamento it is. The Portamento is a fine bass but there are almost too many tonal options. With the SRH500F I find great sounds tones with ease. Records very well and sounds great in a mix too.Aproud

I've been playing guitar for many years. Dealing with the pandemic isolation, I decided to teach myself bass guitar. I have had standard scale basses in the past but never warmed up to them. I tried a short scale and, viola, I now enjoy the instrument. Guild has been making quality products for ages and this bass continues the tradition. I'm glad to have it in my guitar family. I would recommend this bass.Bruce D

Superb joinery, finish and fretwork. I find this bass to be very comfortable to play and especially like the neck width (narrow) and profile. Don't understand why it ships with round wound strings, because this bass cries out for flats! I put some Chromes on mine almost as soon as I got it. Do take note that many short-scale string sets are too short for this bass because even though it is, in fact, a short scale, medium-scale string sets generally fit it better due to the greater distance between the "harp" tailpiece's saddles and ball end attachment points (when compared to, say, many Fender bass bridges). The individually height-adjustability of the pickup pole pieces is nice for dialing in even string-to-string response. On many other basses, this procedure is more a matter of "splitting the difference", since it involves raising or lowering the entire pickup. In response to another reviewer's comment about limited tones: I have found that to whatever extent this may apply due to the single pickup configuration and passive circuitry, the tonal palette of this instrument can easily be expanded with careful amp selection, an outboard pre-amp and/or various pedals (not that it can't stand on it's own, unsupplemented). I run mine through 2 amps simultaneously (isolating the signals with a Lehle AB/Y pedal): adding very mild gain/distortion to one output with a Darkglass pedal and leaving the other clean to maintain fullness of the lower freqs. If you're wondering about the ergonomics, the body is almost exactly the same size as that of a Gibson ES-335. If mine got stolen or destroyed, I would immediately buy another one. I've tried several other basses since buying a Starfire, and always wind up going back to them: they just look, sound and feels "right". I also have a Starfire II, but don't like the Starfire I any less on account of that and don't plan on getting rid of either one. IMHO, Guild really "hit one out of the park" with this bass.Mr. Thunderbritches

This bass was intended to complete my small collection of bass guitars. I had considered other semi hollow body instruments such as Epiphone and Fender. However, I'm not a fan of anything made in China or Indonesia but I have owned Korean crafted instruments in the past and I can say I've never had a complaint about them whatsoever. This Guild Starfire is a very comfortable short scale bass. The neck is narrow at the nut, similar to a jazz bass, and the string spacing is not too tight for me. The sound is very familiar to anyone who follows the early days of 1960's psychedelic rock bands, Jefferson Airplane. or The Byrd are two great examples. But this Starfire definitely holds its own in any country or western music genre band. My own band mates complimented and love the sound it produces. It's definitely enough as a single pickup model, but there is also a two pickup model also available. But I prefer the original look, feel and sound of this single pickup Starfire bass.Taino Ti

It arrived needing very little setup. I've been playing it for two weeks and I haven't adjusted anything. I work on my own guitars so I measured everything and it's all very close to specs. Nut height is good, relief good, really the only adjustment I might make is to lower the bridge just a hair, but it's by no means necessary. This is an instrument that inspires you to play and actually makes you a better musician. The pickup is so clear and can get so many different tones. With the impedance switch you get tones ranging from upright bass to heavy rock bass. It's also very responsive to different styles of playing and attack, or how hard you pick/pluck. It's like having three basses in one. On the impedance settings, the lowest is very open, acoustic sounding, very musical and sensitive to dynamics. The middle position is similar to a Fender bass, P or J bass etc. The high setting can add some beef to your tone and is good for distorted or heavier rock sounds. For reference, the bass can get Paul McCartney tones, 60's 70's tones, really versatile bass. My only complaint is that it is not as comfortable as something like a P-Bass. Where I rest my arm on the body has a hard edge that I am getting used to. Like an acoustic, where your right arm gets uncomfortable resting on the edge of the body. I'm looking at installing an arm rest and I made a foam cushion that I taped on the body that helps some. It's not an issue sitting down, so maybe this is more of a studio bass.Chris

I discovered this at Bass Northwest on an all day excursion playing everything they had. The JC had just been released. The first thing I noticed is that it felt broken in already even as brand new. The full scale neck was assuring I knew I was playing the real thing. The pickup and the way it interacts with this semi-hollow/hollowbody hybrid is just amazing. The woodblock under the bridge is very satisfying so I know it's going to last. The fret edges are smooth. It's like having something familiar yet different. Love it.The Nashville Texan

The Varitone-like switch lets you change the sound of the pickup and that matched with managing the gain in your amp, recording interface, or direct box/preamp, lets you get a soft more acoustic bass timbre or a more driving, aggressive sound. Combine that with picking dynamics and this bass is very versatile. Not the lightest bass in the world, but mine is not oppressively heavy. Like most basses, a wide strap is recommended. I have no issues with the quality on this model, both in the way it looks and the way it is constructed. I string mine with flats and pick with thumb or with a pick. It sounds different than the P or J model basses I've played, but in a good way, and the versatility lets it sit well in many different recording contexts for me.Frank

I'd been looking for an affordable but quality 4 string for a long time. I originally bought a Hofner but it was not up to par so my advisor suggested this Ibanez AFB200. I love the size and weight. The hollow body is great because you can jam unplugged if you want and it still projects. Plugged in sounds great too. Not for Metal or Heavy Rock but perfect for acoustic, funk, blues, country and just jamming. Pretty enough to have it sitting in the living room. Perfect purchase for me.TI Singer Dude

I've been playing guitar for many years. Dealing with the pandemic isolation, I decided to teach myself bass guitar. I have had standard scale basses in the past but never warmed up to them. I tried a short scale and, viola, I now enjoy the instrument. Guild has been making quality products for ages and this bass continues the tradition. I'm glad to have it in my guitar family. I would recommend this bass.Bruce D

Superb joinery, finish and fretwork. I find this bass to be very comfortable to play and especially like the neck width (narrow) and profile. Don't understand why it ships with round wound strings, because this bass cries out for flats! I put some Chromes on mine almost as soon as I got it. Do take note that many short-scale string sets are too short for this bass because even though it is, in fact, a short scale, medium-scale string sets generally fit it better due to the greater distance between the "harp" tailpiece's saddles and ball end attachment points (when compared to, say, many Fender bass bridges). The individually height-adjustability of the pickup pole pieces is nice for dialing in even string-to-string response. On many other basses, this procedure is more a matter of "splitting the difference", since it involves raising or lowering the entire pickup. In response to another reviewer's comment about limited tones: I have found that to whatever extent this may apply due to the single pickup configuration and passive circuitry, the tonal palette of this instrument can easily be expanded with careful amp selection, an outboard pre-amp and/or various pedals (not that it can't stand on it's own, unsupplemented). I run mine through 2 amps simultaneously (isolating the signals with a Lehle AB/Y pedal): adding very mild gain/distortion to one output with a Darkglass pedal and leaving the other clean to maintain fullness of the lower freqs. If you're wondering about the ergonomics, the body is almost exactly the same size as that of a Gibson ES-335. If mine got stolen or destroyed, I would immediately buy another one. I've tried several other basses since buying a Starfire, and always wind up going back to them: they just look, sound and feels "right". I also have a Starfire II, but don't like the Starfire I any less on account of that and don't plan on getting rid of either one. IMHO, Guild really "hit one out of the park" with this bass.Mr. Thunderbritches

This bass was intended to complete my small collection of bass guitars. I had considered other semi hollow body instruments such as Epiphone and Fender. However, I'm not a fan of anything made in China or Indonesia but I have owned Korean crafted instruments in the past and I can say I've never had a complaint about them whatsoever. This Guild Starfire is a very comfortable short scale bass. The neck is narrow at the nut, similar to a jazz bass, and the string spacing is not too tight for me. The sound is very familiar to anyone who follows the early days of 1960's psychedelic rock bands, Jefferson Airplane. or The Byrd are two great examples. But this Starfire definitely holds its own in any country or western music genre band. My own band mates complimented and love the sound it produces. It's definitely enough as a single pickup model, but there is also a two pickup model also available. But I prefer the original look, feel and sound of this single pickup Starfire bass.Taino Ti

I have been playing bass for over 55 years! I've owned hundreds of basses. Every conceivable size shape and manufacturer. This bass by far is one of my favorite basses. Flawless construction. Compares favorably to my Epiphone Jack Casady. Great pickups on this viola. It's has a darker finish than it's online picture. Absolutely beautiful! I was stunned when I fired it up. I was expecting a dark subdued thud, what I got was thick rich tastiness. I'm blown away.Ronnie

I did not buy the bass but I was trying it out not to long ago because I'm looking for my first solid bass. Or one that'll be a keeper and a step up from my Epiphone EB-0. I wasn't terribly impressed with the hofner ignition sound wise I grabbed this Epiphone bass and ran it through an Ampeg combo. I'm a smaller guy and the short scale fits naturally on me. First thing I checked was the sound. A nice trebly sound with the muddiness of short scale. I checked the tone control for each pickup. There is a noticeable difference when the knob is at 0, 5 and 10 for both pickups. This is what I look for with bass tone controls! The electronics are fine no scratch sounds. And the if you mess with the volume knobs you get a variety of tones surprisingly! If I bought it, I'd put Labella flats on it. I'm a flats guy! Compared to the mudbucker on my two Epiphones (An EB-0 and EB-3) you get much more tonal variety with these mini humbuckers. Your ears will thank you two with about 1/3 the output. I give it five stars because this is the potential Epiphone is meant to be quality wise. The only grip some people may have is there's some neck dive cause it's a hollow body. But it's child's play compared to my EB-3. I wish it had a pickguard thought.C.J.

I really wanted this bass for a long time it just looked so cool in the sea foam green roasted maple neck. I just couldn't get out of my bubble on a p bass. I finally said screw it and give it a try and I'm glad I did. First off i opened this it came perfectly setup and ready to go no fret buzz or anything this is my first multi scale bass and it wasn't hard to get used to once in awhile I'll mess up but I've gotten used to this bass now and it's easy. The sound. While as the pickups are very dark the pre amp cleans it up nicely I choose not to use it tho because I'm more of a passive player it's nice to add for a boost in a song tho so it's cool to have. With a lot of eq and the right cab this comes together really nice I would recommend using stainless steel strings to help give more brightness to this. The body is really nice I can play for hours standing up without problems in the shoulders. I recently bought a new fender p bass for a lot more than this bass and from putting them off together I would say this bass is different and has more benefits than a classic p bass you get a lot more sounds stainless steel frets and the roasted maple neck which I wish was a thing years ago. Which bass would I prefer we'll it be the Ibanez at this point because of all the great features it's priced well plays and sounds great for the money my number one thing about any music I've done for the last twenty years is something that cuts through the mix easily the p bass has always been my go to it's easy and you get to work right away this bass is on that level just add more mids and high end and your set I've been recording music for clients with this bass for about a month now and they are very happy with there recordings I will continue to use this bass for now on no more tuning to e eb d c since I got this I've relearn to play everything in one tuning and it's awesome it saves so much time I couldn't be happier with this bass and would recommend it to anyone out there.Anthony

I had been looking at the EHBs for some time now and finally pulled the trigger. Needless to say, I have not been disappointed. Having severely injured my left shoulder in highschool, the weight of basses caused problems over the years and was only getting worse as time went on; especially 5 and 6-string basses. Problem solved. The weight of the EHB is perfect and I no longer suffer those issues. It's ergonomic design is supremely comfortable both standing and sitting. The variety of tones from the electronics is superb. The instrument arrived in a timely fashion and the setup was spot on. The only "issue" is a slightly cosmetic one involving the top layer of the body not being perfectly aligned with the controls (less than a centimeter gap). It doesn't affect the sound nor playability so it wasn't worth a change in the rating.G. Brown

Overall: This is the nicest bass guitar I have ever owned. It is super light weight, has so many different tones that you can't possible not find what you're looking for. The back of the neck is so soft to the touch is makes for fast playing and very easy slides. The tone this guitar puts out is unbelievable. It is so clean and crisp and clear I don't think any other bass out there sounds this good. The guitar stays in TUNE!!! I use a strobe tuner and on occasion I might have to turn these monster tuners maybe 1/20th of a turn. The intonation was perfect right out of the box. The bridge is so beefy. I think this is Ibanez's best bridge they have ever made. The strap locks are sturdy and beautiful as all of the hardware is. This neck is awesome and beautiful craftsmanship. The wood used for the body is gorgeous and the dragon's eye finish is spectacular. My wife is very jealous of this instrument or should I say work of art. BUY IT!! You will not regret it.Robert

I did not buy the bass from this vendor. This is a beautiful instrument. It's light, makes wonderful sounds and is comfortable to play. The very coarse wire wound strings that came with the bass made a lot of noise if your fingers moved along them. I replaced them with flat wound strings and you can only hear what you play. It needs a pro set-up but is straight and true, and stays in tune The semi-hollow design makes the bass feel solidly built while providing that deep woody hollow body sound You can't go wronghellejame

Thought I would do a follow up from previous review on just the Bass itself. As others suggested installed Nylon Flats and had a setup done. This has become one of my favorite Bass guitars. Nice deep tone, quiet strings and easy to play. Sounds fantastic thru my Markbass amp. Be sure to order long scale strings. Truly worth having in your collection.JohnnyB

One of the most beautiful basses I have seen, the binding and craftsmanship is on point. I even like the way they made the volume and tone knobs to match the guitar. My Bass came pretty well set up and ready to go, the neck was straight enough and there was no buzzing of the strings, alittle tuning and admiring, started playing 5 minuets after I got it. When I put a strap on the bass it had a tendency to lean away from the body, if you need to see the fretboard it might present a problem, maybe a different strap position would help, didn't bother me. It sounds very woody and a little bit hollow, it doesn't sound like an Jazz or P bass, I have both so the comparison was easy for me to make, it has its own sound. I think it would mix up good in a easy setting, a little light rock and some country music, not a metal bass by no means. All in all I knew what I was getting when I order it so I'm not disappointed at all, its not a fender or musicman, it's an Ibanez and that's what it sounds like.MickeyB

Really like this bass. Setup was great right out of the box, finish was flawless. Has a real nice woody thump to it. Works great in the rockabilly/classic country bands i play in. Only negative comments i might have would be it is a little neck heavy. I run it thru a Mark Bass 210 combo and it kicks butt!LARRY

Fantastic looking and sounding bass, first rate fit and finish. Set up very well straight from the box. There are a great range of tones (all good) from this bass due to Gretsch having a master volume and two separate volume controls so blending the pickups is easy and you can turn the bass down without having to try and find same setting at the start of the next set. The only negative things to say about the bass is it is neck heavy, but I’m used to playing Thunderbirds and a suede strap should put pay to that and it is prone to feedback at very high volumes being a hollow body bass, but l’d doubt you would buy this type of bass to play Heavy Metal etc . I’m very pleased with the bass, it is perfect or the music I play. it certainly is a keeper. Thanks to Tom at the Norwich store for his help.DW

This is the best investment I ever made. Put flatwounds on it or you are wasting money. Great tone. Great sound. If you love Bill Wyman and the Rolling Stones or just want a different sound pick this bad boy up today.IAMTHEREALSPENCERWHARTON

I am enjoying the bass. I started playing it right out of the box. I assumed I would play it for a few days, then have it set up. But after playing it for a while, it may not even need a set-up. Glad I found it.whiskeyjackstudio

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

I'm a 40+ year working bass player. Previously I had owned an Ibanez BtB and loved it, then traded it for a Warwick, which was cool, and definitely fashionable too. Ended up having several shoulder surgeries and a major spinal surgery in my neck, (I set off metal detectors now), also gathered a pile of some rather large medical bills in the process, so the Warwick had to go to pay the bills, so I decided to retire in order to heal up for awhile. Lately, sitting at home doing nothing and waiting for the pandemic to end. I decided it was time to get another bass, and decided to start playing again. Since I had worked at a local music store for years as a guitar tech I was familiar with the Ibanez SR Series, so when I found this here I knew this had to be the "one" because of the price and me being familiar with the SR Series, (we were an Ibanez dealer). I love the color, the feel of the thin neck and the active electronics. With the 3 way tap switch, volume/tone/pickup splitter knobs you can get an amazing number of sounds out of this instrument, from floor shaking lows to twinkling clear highs. The color was nice, the neck felt good and the price was definitely right. It also arrived with a decent set up, not great, but better than many others I have seen, so as a retired guitar tech I lowered the strings a bit, tweaked the truss rod, worked on the intonation and it was ready set go! If only my callouses would come back that easy everything would be golden.I would definitely recommend this as a great beginner instrument, and also as capable of being a suitable gigging instrument.Sonny

I am Loving my new Ibanez SR300E Bass. As a female Rock bassist, I needed to find a lightweight, slim bass that still packed a punch, and this baby does all that I've asked of her. Lovely deep tone, well balanced and responsive, the active electronics are on point, the lead stays put, and as for the colour… WOW! My husband, the drummer, is also really impressed at how well she locks in with the groove. Excellent delivery times from PMT, ordered on line and it arrived within 3 days. Very happy.Sammy T.

I've been playing guitar for many years. Dealing with the pandemic isolation, I decided to teach myself bass guitar. I have had standard scale basses in the past but never warmed up to them. I tried a short scale and, viola, I now enjoy the instrument. Guild has been making quality products for ages and this bass continues the tradition. I'm glad to have it in my guitar family. I would recommend this bass.Bruce D

Superb joinery, finish and fretwork. I find this bass to be very comfortable to play and especially like the neck width (narrow) and profile. Don't understand why it ships with round wound strings, because this bass cries out for flats! I put some Chromes on mine almost as soon as I got it. Do take note that many short-scale string sets are too short for this bass because even though it is, in fact, a short scale, medium-scale string sets generally fit it better due to the greater distance between the "harp" tailpiece's saddles and ball end attachment points (when compared to, say, many Fender bass bridges). The individually height-adjustability of the pickup pole pieces is nice for dialing in even string-to-string response. On many other basses, this procedure is more a matter of "splitting the difference", since it involves raising or lowering the entire pickup. In response to another reviewer's comment about limited tones: I have found that to whatever extent this may apply due to the single pickup configuration and passive circuitry, the tonal palette of this instrument can easily be expanded with careful amp selection, an outboard pre-amp and/or various pedals (not that it can't stand on it's own, unsupplemented). I run mine through 2 amps simultaneously (isolating the signals with a Lehle AB/Y pedal): adding very mild gain/distortion to one output with a Darkglass pedal and leaving the other clean to maintain fullness of the lower freqs. If you're wondering about the ergonomics, the body is almost exactly the same size as that of a Gibson ES-335. If mine got stolen or destroyed, I would immediately buy another one. I've tried several other basses since buying a Starfire, and always wind up going back to them: they just look, sound and feels "right". I also have a Starfire II, but don't like the Starfire I any less on account of that and don't plan on getting rid of either one. IMHO, Guild really "hit one out of the park" with this bass.Mr. Thunderbritches

This bass was intended to complete my small collection of bass guitars. I had considered other semi hollow body instruments such as Epiphone and Fender. However, I'm not a fan of anything made in China or Indonesia but I have owned Korean crafted instruments in the past and I can say I've never had a complaint about them whatsoever. This Guild Starfire is a very comfortable short scale bass. The neck is narrow at the nut, similar to a jazz bass, and the string spacing is not too tight for me. The sound is very familiar to anyone who follows the early days of 1960's psychedelic rock bands, Jefferson Airplane. or The Byrd are two great examples. But this Starfire definitely holds its own in any country or western music genre band. My own band mates complimented and love the sound it produces. It's definitely enough as a single pickup model, but there is also a two pickup model also available. But I prefer the original look, feel and sound of this single pickup Starfire bass.Taino Ti

So I originally wanted to buy a Taylor T5 because they feel so good and sound so awesome. This guitar sounds just as good as a Taylor T5 and about the third of the price. And its appearance is just absolutely beautiful. I was all set to upgrade the strings and set it up to my own preferences but once I started playing it it was just perfect. Vendor was excellent to work with. Very professional. Very efficient. The guitar was delivered a day earlier740*gn

This is my first classic style guitar. Its heavy, really heavy, I thought it would be light to pick up. Its really well made. The pick up are great and very bright. Shipping strings are good. No case or cover, box was well done, awesome even. Has a nubone nut, had to lube quite a bit for tuning. I feel like its a bit over priced, but that might just be me. Again, its solid, like you can smack someone with it and it won't care. I love the head stock. I got this because my hands are falling into ruin from diabetes. I'm trying really hard to find a falt for it, its just a beefy hard core classic style guitar. Volume is pretty low. If your getting into nylon strings i'd recommend it. I honestly can't find any faults for it. Heavy, beefy, Rawr.Meatpopsicle

So after about 40 years of playing music and traveling everywhere I had never actually owned and played a hybrid acoustic guitar. I wanted a Taylor T5, so sweet. $2000 was more than I wanted to give to add to my collection of 30 guitars already. My I caught this gorgeous ESP Telluride acoustic electric guitar. Playing it acoustically was nice but running it through an amp I was extremely impressed with the overall sound quality specially wearing a suit of quality headphones such as you would use in a recording session. I had about a third of the price of the T5 the quality is exceptional, not as good as a T5 before the price it is well worth it. I love this guitar and since I've bought it I rarely play anything else. Awesome guitarGary

So I originally wanted to buy a Taylor T5 because they feel so good and sound so awesome. This guitar sounds just as good as a Taylor T5 and about the third of the price. And its appearance is just absolutely beautiful. I was all set to upgrade the strings and set it up to my own preferences but once I started playing it it was just perfect. Vendor was excellent to work with. Very professional. Very efficient. The guitar was delivered a day earlier740*gn

This is my first classic style guitar. Its heavy, really heavy, I thought it would be light to pick up. Its really well made. The pick up are great and very bright. Shipping strings are good. No case or cover, box was well done, awesome even. Has a nubone nut, had to lube quite a bit for tuning. I feel like its a bit over priced, but that might just be me. Again, its solid, like you can smack someone with it and it won't care. I love the head stock. I got this because my hands are falling into ruin from diabetes. I'm trying really hard to find a falt for it, its just a beefy hard core classic style guitar. Volume is pretty low. If your getting into nylon strings i'd recommend it. I honestly can't find any faults for it. Heavy, beefy, Rawr.Meatpopsicle

So after about 40 years of playing music and traveling everywhere I had never actually owned and played a hybrid acoustic guitar. I wanted a Taylor T5, so sweet. $2000 was more than I wanted to give to add to my collection of 30 guitars already. My I caught this gorgeous ESP Telluride acoustic electric guitar. Playing it acoustically was nice but running it through an amp I was extremely impressed with the overall sound quality specially wearing a suit of quality headphones such as you would use in a recording session. I had about a third of the price of the T5 the quality is exceptional, not as good as a T5 before the price it is well worth it. I love this guitar and since I've bought it I rarely play anything else. Awesome guitarGary

I ordered this bass because I was looking to emulate a particular sound (I'm in a tribute band). It's a beautiful instrument and sounds great. It stays in tune pretty well. My only minor complaint it is that it is a little unbalanced (probably because it's hollowbody), so the neck will dive if you're not supporting it with your fret hand. Other than that, I love it. On a side note, we were messing around and I got a lot of crazy feedback from it by putting it up to my amp with delay and overdrive on.D-Hook

It caught my eye hanging in my local Guitar Center in Goodlettsville, TN, which has a terrific staff btw. I asked to try it and was quite impressed with the overall build quality and set-up. Simply perfect; action, intonation, fret dressing, etc. It didn't need a thing! Thought about it overnight and returned the next day to buy it.Alan

I went from a new yamaha with active pickups to this jackson with passive pickups. I don't play much bass, so Literally I was looking for a cheap guitar to record with. It has a solid low end grunt but still maintains the mid bang "slap" as you might call it. No its not spotless, the wood is not colored along some of the seems and its not the prettiest style wise, but for someone who just wants an easy playing, solid sounding bass track, this is a great weapon.Jeremy

I give this bass 5 stars, not because it's comparable to a high end instrument, but because of the quality at this unbelievable price point. I was looking for a passive P-style bass that wouldn't break the bank; my expectations were that I would have to do some work to it (fret level, polish, sharp ends, etc.) However, I was very pleasantly surprised to find that none of those issues existed when it arrived, and it was even actually in tune! I lowered the action to my preference, as should be done with every instrument. The neck is extremely comfortable and fast. The plastic nut is cut quite well, bridge is more than adequate, tuners are sufficient and hold tune even with heavy handed attack. The real surprise though, was the strong sustained growling punch of the pickup! This bass actually sounds quite good! I wouldn't hesitate to gig with it: and it's an excellent backup or first bass, that you won't soon outgrow. For reference – I have been playing guitar for 32 years, bass for 25 years and have a MIM Fender Jazz V, and several Ibanez basses (mid grade – professional grade, 4, 5, & 6 string variations). This Jackson isn't in the same class as my others, but that doesn't really mean anything, because it still delivers exceptional quality and value. It is very fun to play, and the tonality is quite useable and shapeable. Bottom line is – this bass is a huge bang for buck!Shasal

This was the first bass I bought myself and im very glad I did. I bought this bass around last December and have been in love ever since. I bought this bass mainly cause of the price tag but also because I was wanting a bass with humbuckers. The epiphone thunderbird had my eye but wasn't exactly in my budget at the time but then I came across this bass. Great price tag and a familiar (body) P bass shape. Fast forward to today and this bass still rocks. The body was put together nicely along with it's finish but you can tell where quality was sacrificed which was the neck. Not terrible or unplayable but you can tell it's a fairly cheap neck. Otherwise the tone, playability, and feel is amazing.Brandon F

As a relative newbie to bass playing I thought I'd invest in something a bit better than my basic P bass. As soon as I picked it up it felt light and comfortable. I like compactness of the guitar and how easily could find the strings and frets when practicing . . which makes my learning process quite a bit easier. The sound quality is both good and varied with Hofners pick up set up. The bass just looks good too, which I know doesn't influence the playing experience etc but it makes you want to just pick it up and play. Overall I'm very pleased with my purchase and look forward to many an hour practicing . . . and maybe even making some progress too.Duncan S.

I got this exact bass in green here from Musician's Friend (stupid deal of the day). I have played about 20 or more live shows with it send it definitely holds up.. it has a very big sound and is extremely lightweight, which is fantastic because we move around a lot. The craftsmanship is pretty good, probably adequate to that of the Epiphone viola, but with a cooler color. I constantly get compliments on the color. The only thing I'd say I would have liked better is if they had put a little more quality or craftsmanship into the control panel. It's not horrible at all, it definitely does the trick, it just kind of looks plain Jane. I would suggest switching out the volume and tone knobs with the vintage style tea cup knobs. That's what I did, and it really helps dress the bass up.Arrow

I'm a keyboard player getting back into playing bass after decades away, so I did a fair amount of research before this purchase, and I'm glad I did. There is a very really difference in quality between the 'Contemporary' and 'Ignition' Hofners, both in terms of finish and sound – The contemporary has better sustain and more 'richness' in the bass end. If you are wanting either something approaching an 'electric upright' or a classic McCartney sound, then the Contemporary will get you nearer than the Ignition – it's not in the 'German Made' class but unless you've got 2 grand to spend… Mine arrived on time and well set up. Very pleased with it.Willow S.

I've been playing for over 30 years. I mainly play a fretless bass but I like to play a fretted bass at times. My old fretted bass is worn out and spending 2k on an instrument that isn't my main go to bass is not something I'm going to do. This Yamaha is a great bass. The finish is perfect. Even in the hole to adjust the truss rod. I got the translucent black and It's a very black matte look. The frets are not super polished but are not sharp or sloppy. They play really nice, stand tall, and are capable of a wide variety of tones with different playing stlyes. The 5 piece neck is really playable. I'm really digging it. Mine is perfectly adjusted right out of the box. Tuning pegs have a really cool gunmetal finish and are adjustable if the ever get sloppy. Bridge is the same gunmetal finish and isn't high mass but it's not flimsy like the stock fender and it is the standard 5 screw type if I ever decided to change it. I don't think I'll do it anytime soon. The sustain resonates so well. Maybe better than my pricey fretless. I'm really into the mahogany body. Mine came with the intonation setup perfectly. It shipped detuned as it should've. All I did was stretch the string and tune it. Man do these electronics shine. I've got to spend some more time really learning the controls but I was able to dial in a few tones I wanted to try immediately. My first impression of the strings is that they really suck. Maybe that's true but they do play well and they're not dead but I bought a set of my favorite strings that I'll get on when I get sick of these. Overall I got a lot more bass than I expected for the money. A beginner could really grow into this and more advanced players should be quite satisfied.ZioEnzo

First, I saw it in a shop just out of the corner of my eye and it grabbed my attention. So, I am usually not a fan of Yamaha, holding this bass in my hands convinced me in seconds I found it easy to play because of the neck form, which is curved asymmetrical, giving a good grip for my thumb. The when the seller passed me the cable to a very cheap amp, I was immediately sure that this is an exceptional bass guitar for a good price. As I am also not a fan of active electronic, the possibility to switch between active and passive is well done, and when during a concert your battery gives up, there is no big problem to switch to passive and change the battery before the next song. I love to take this bass when I do not know what the meeting with other musicians is about, and even with electronic music it can cope. The bass is very light and easy to carry, it is easy to play and playing with the active electronic gives you a huge variety of modern sounds, that is really nice to experiment with. Surprisingly for me Yamaha did a lot of innovative things with this bass guitar and a lot of things right. Meanwhile I am used to the thin grey matt painting and somehow, I started liking it. It makes the bass looking just different from any other. Try it! I also think that the bass is worth each penny.EL Principe de la Navarte

Been playing guitar for 18 years, but I started taking bass lessons about 6 months ago. I've had this bass for one week now, and I can't put it down. It has quickly become my favorite! I already own a 4-string double humbucker rock-style bass and also a 4-string passive jazz bass, so I was ready for my first 5-string bass—now I have three basses with different configurations that are perfect for my current needs. The BTB745 bass is wonderfully crafted. BUILD/QUALITY: The sense I get is this bass could withstand slipping from its floor stand and slamming to the floor. The sturdy build quality, finish, electronics, and individual controls layout seem first rate when you examine it closely. COMFORT/ PLAYABILITY: Its playability as a 35" scale bass is a little tougher for someone 5'-8" tall if you have small hands and average length arms like me, but I found that after the sixth day of playing 30 minutes every day that I quickly adapted. You may have to tweak the individual string heights, but mine didn't need a full setup. SOUND/TONES: I love the variety of sounds you can get from this instrument, but I find myself simply adjusting my amp to one gratifying low and tight thumping setting on my Markbass amp, then I just toggle the bass's mid switch to emphasize the level of what I want for any particular song, and finally, I was already familiar with the D'Addario NYXL strings that are a nice touch—so I'll stick with those for this bass. GENERAL NOTES: I do the Sunday church thing, so I primarily play on a Worship Team. This bass does take some getting used to because of its length, slightly heavier weight, wider fretboard, and the additional low B string. But if you play it every day for at least 30-45 minutes for a week or two, you'll adapt to it quickly. I'm already learning two songs that are so much easier to play, because of the low B. The Ibanez BTB745 series bass, which is worth its price, is my new favorite—I love it.Agape Guy

I have an Ibanez SR, 4 string, a Fender American Standard P-Bass, and was looking for a 5 string to get started with. Purchased this bass and have to say the richness of the tone is absolutely stunning. The neck does seem a little wide, but that suits me just fine. The amount of tone control with the three band EQ and the selectable mid band frequency is great. Also really like the ability to blend between the neck and bridge pickups. The finish on the bass is as good as any I have seen. The photo's do not do it justice. Surprisingly, for a Mahogany / Ash / Walnut body, the instrument is not particularly heavy. I really don't have anything bad to say about this bass other than to be careful, if you pick it up, you will love it.Instabassman

The BTB basses have taken high end features and made them available to the masses. After being around for about 20 years, Ibanez has continued to upgrade this boutique style instrument with premium features. This bass includes a zero fret for better intonation, monorail bridge saddles that isolate each string for increased tone and sustain, and neck through construction. The multiple tone wood combination creates a complex and versatile sound while the Bartolini electronics allow you to sculpt your tone with great control.Maximus Bassimus