Buying A Bass Guitar For Sale (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

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

This bass hits a home run. I would put it up to an American feder any day! The ONLY issue I have found it the jazz pup is a little weak when playing only through it.Mike

It is amazing how a MIM can sound like thunder. You can get amazing tonal possibilities from this bass; full of punch and with a clean and crisp tone. The neck is very soft for fast playing; and the pickups are incredible. I also have a Yamaha TRB 1005, and a Spector Classic Legend 5 but this MIM stands among the others with power and authority. You can take it to church and tear down the walls, or take it to the local venue and crush the other band mates. You will never find a bass like this, with this features for that price. If you find one: buy it! I'm thinking about buying one more to convert it to fretless it. You will not get wrong with the Deluxe P series!mrfunkh

I've been playing on and off for over 30 years. I have a broad collection. This is an excellent P Bass for the price. Great balance, very good tone, and the neck is awesome. The neck is a little thinner on the "SPECIAL" than a standard, which I love. I added an acrylic mirror pick guard, now it's time to Run To The Hills.flip21121967

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 have played Fender guitars before, but cannot justify owning one. I’m a “bedroom” player; they deserve to be in professional hands, on a stage. Hence, I defer to the Squier brand. But honestly, I can hardly tell the difference! (as I’ve said, I am certainly no expert) Astonishing value for the price!!! I just love it…Mr S. R.

Great bass guitar, I had a copy of a P bass from 'G4M' & was'nt that happy with it. I have a Squire Telecaster which is very well made & sounds excellent so I went for the Squire Jass bass & I hav'nt been disappointed, again well made & no setting up require, stays in tune & is a pleasure to play. Being part of Fender certainly sets the bar high for these Squire guitars & I recommend them, so do lots of more experienced musicians than me, just have a look on YouTube.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Although this bass is at the bargain basement end of the price range, I am very happy with it. It replaces my other Sunburst J Bass that had a truss rod issue and thus would never hold a tune for long even with ultra light weight strings. I love the colour, shame rosewood fretboards are not available on cheap guitars. The Laurel fretboard did come up nicely, and darker, after a clean and an oiling. Looks really great. There was a little scuff mark on one of the horns, a transit issue I guess, but came out with a little buffing. It is now fitted with D'Addario flats which look, feel and sound great. Thanks Guys.Pat

This bass is really comfortable after you get used to it because it is very different than any other bass on the market.But the fact is, the quality of these instruments does NOT match their price. They are built by hand, but so are fenders, and my pro jazz is FLAWLESS and absolutely solid. My Ric came directly from the factory with finish issues.The chrome neck pickup cover was heavily scratched, but the factory did replace it after making me jump through some hoops. When I took the pickguard off to get to the pickup, I noticed that it left a very deep impression in the clear coat (my other basses do not have this issue) which tells me two things: it was put on before the clear cured, and it was put on way too tight & the paint around the pickguard mounting hole screws is already bubbling and chipping away, as is the paint around the pickup routing, which is absolutely 100% going to lead to bigger issues. The overall finish of the final buff is ok. not great, just ok. (I am actually in the custom paint industry). These issues were brought to the attention of their "customer service dept" (for lack of better term) and I was basically told to pound sand. In the video of the factory tour, their CEO says he will put the finish of their instruments up against any one in the industry. BAD IDEA bro. You will get spanked. So to "nutshell" it: great looking bass, fun to play, great sound, BUT low quality build and ZERO customer support. They do NOT care about you, unless you are Lemmy (RIP) and are not shy about letting you know it. That was my experience, but maybe yours will be different. But based on what I have read so far, highly unlikely. Do yourself a favor…buy a used one. Then you wont have to deal w the factory. There really is no upside to buying new because their warranty is short, and doesn't really cover much, because ultimately, THEY decide what they will cover in spite of what the warranty saysnOne

I have exclusively played a Fender Precision for many years and it's still my Go To Bass. I recently purchased a Gibson ThunderBird and was happy overall especially playing technical songs but it still didn't beat the Precision's Tone and Punch. As soon as I plugged the Ric up and hit the first few notes I knew this was something special. Awesome look with the Jet Glo Black, Great Tone and Play-ability, easier to hit the notes, and a lot of fun in general. Spend the extra few hundred and don't get the 4003S. I now own the Trilogy of Great Basses. I say the same good things as others who went from a Fender Precision to the Rickenbacker 4003. You won't go wrong with this Bass.Poveglia99

I have been a bass player for over 50 years. During that time, I have owned a variety of basses including different Fenders, Gibsons and a Pedulla. My primary "go to" bass has been a Leo Fender (pre Ernie Ball) Music Man "Sting Ray" bass. I also own an American Fender Precision Deluxe and added the Ric two years ago. All three basses are great. What I like about the Ric is that it is a bit lighter and thinner than the other two basses (especially when compared to the Fender P bass). It has a different yet comfortable playing neck and is capable of getting that classic Ric sound and sustain. I've also always loved the look of this bass which is very distinctive. I enjoy playing this instrument quite a bit and find myself using it more and more. I purchased mine in the Mapleglo. It was a hard decision for me between the Fireglo and the Mapleglo, so it's possible that I might see myself getting a second one down the road. I haven't noticed any shortcomings in workmanship which seems to be one of the negative things I see surfacing in some of the review. These basses have always been a little pricey, and there are other very nice basses out there for less money. However, these basses have always had an intangible "kewl-ness" factor. I've been very happy with mine and love the sound and feel of the instrument. If I have any complaints, I would say the pick-ups can be noisy and the toggle switch sometimes can produce a static noise switching back and forth between pick ups.Artie

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

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

I searched for the Candy Apple Red for a year and a half. Finally found it at Kraft Music as a bundle. Everything I needed was included. I have owned and played many high-end Basses, Drumsets, Guitars etc and since 1998 I own and love a Yamaha BBN5A as my primary Jazz Bass.
This TRBX305 ROCKS, the neck amazing and the humbuckers are super hot yet fizz free. The 5 position switch does exactly as advertised. Flawlessly shifting from finger to slap or solo. As anyone who plays Yamaha already knows, quality, playability, sound and finish are impeccable. I love this Bass. Thanks to Kraft Music for being Santa this year.zack short

The yamaha trbx305 is a very versatile bass guitar that's suitable for all genres of music. including metal. it has a mahogany body and a set of ceramic pick-ups which can provide warm, beefy, punchy sounds. it also has a smooth low action so it's comfortable to play. the one unique feature on this bass is the 5-way tone switch. this switch has eq settings for all styles of playing. so rather if you play finger-style or play with a pick, the tone switch has a sound selection for any playing technique. I play metal and I personally dig this bass for it's warm punchy sounds. rather if I play live or record music, it fills up the band mix quite well. it also works well with the effects I use. not to mention it sounds killer with overdrive and distortion effects. I'm not quite sure what trbx stands for, but judging from it's incredible sound quality, I'm guessing that trbx stands for totally radical bass xtreme! \m/ lol anywho, if you play metal and wanted to try something a little different, this is a good bass to check out.Metal alex

Rec'd it new in the box from Sam Ash. Candy Apple Red looks very nice. I didn't get as lucky as some in that the set up was not very good. I mean, it plays really easy, but fret buzz all over the neck which comes through the amp. Too low I guess. It didn't want to "keep" the battery in without some fumbling around. Stayed in once the lid was closed. There is a small cut on the side of the fretboard, but doesn't look like an issue. Sounds pretty good in this price range. Played an Ibanez 655 which smoked it in every way, but just out of the price range at this time (near twice the price). So, new strings and 65 bucks for a set up and I think this will be fine for awhile. In this price range I am not dissapointed. It is what I expected except for hoping I could get away without having to have it set up for just a bit. Actually, in this price range, it really is the best I have seen.Chuck

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

As the headline says…it's very enjoyable to play. I've even made several recordings using it instead of my Fender USA Pro 2 Precision. It does a decent job on the P pickup; the J has lower output. To my surprise I'm really digging the "raw" feel of the neck; it's bare, tho sanded well. Another surprise: neck profile width and taper is like a J bass, yet the depth/shape feels more like a P! Huh!? Hey, works for me! With its black body and pickguard and the maple fingerboard it looks like it means BUSINESS! Point removed for the too-stiff tuner action. And then…I've managed to get the action very low, just where I like it. (FWIW, even on my USA Pro 2 I had to shim the neck to be able to get the level of low action that I prefer.) Yes, ladies n gentleman, I really appreciate this Affinity PJ. I am considering using it for punk and classic rock parts of the band's gigs; not out of the question at all!Leo

This bass looks, feels, and sounds great! Did they nail the bodywork and neck lines? No, not completely. But that's about as much as I've got for negatives. This is one of the best 5 string necks I've felt. Less pizza shaped than the EHB but almost that good. Could have been nice to see a heavier finish on the fretboard but the edges are rolled with no sharp frets at all – unlike my cv 70s P. Sound on this Destroys the EHB and my sr505. Can't say how road worthy the pots and tuners are but I don't want to change anything and mess with this mojo. Unless you need silent pickups and can live with the tradeoffs. I don't know what you would need other than maybe a beefier jack. Setup was mind blowing. Literally took it out of the box in store. Got home, string height was dialed, haven't checked intonation yet but sounds fine. Was hardly even out of tune. Strings feel quality, I will probably even hold off changing those. This bass is making a lot of basses look and sound like questionable decisions. If you are worried about durability, honesty, get a good hard case. This thing feels plenty solid. Make sure the tuners and string trees are greased up and jam away.Arturo

I got mine in Black body, black pickguard, maple neck with maple fingerboard, It came with good setup right out of the box, I like the headstock's face with large "Precision Bass" 70's style logo, with gloss tint on it. The maple neck is one piece neck. I have other Affinities basses but this one sounds terrific, a lot of growl sound on P pickups , I like the P sound but also the J pickup is welcome. I always like this combination: black on black with maple fingerboard. I recommend this bass, Squier is getting better and better with the years. The only complain with this is that the Jazz Pickup is less sounding than the P bass pickup, I needed to rise the Jazz pickup to get better output but not the same output than the Precision pickup.Garedot

I have been looking at Thunderbirds for a while now. All the Epiphone and Gibson versions. Realized quickly the Gibbys were out of my price range although I wanted the Heritage Cherry version bad… My son spotted this one when it first came out.It was a stone cold copy of the original T-Bird that came out in '63. Had some Backstage points so I scooped this one up in Tobacco Sunburst. I was nervous because of the T-birds I had played in the past were neck heavy. Mine arrived after the typical lightning fast shipping by MF. It arrived in perfect shape. The finish was flawless, not a blemish or buffer burn anywhere. Hardware was classy. All the chrome from the tuners to the the pickup covers is perfect. Plugged it in to my Acoustic 600 W combo amp and went to town! Sound was great! Simple to dial in and the sustain is incredible. Put a strap on it and the afore mentioned neck heavy problem was non-existent! This bass is moderately heavy but not unbearable by any means. I played my first gig with it today, Thanksgiving 2019! It felt so natural to play, like I have been playing it forever. I could not be happier with this bass! It is everything you could ask for without a different name on the head stock. I have not played the Gibson but I can't imagine how it could sound or feel any better. Buy without hesitation! I am bummed it took me this long to decide on one. I have a lot of basses but this one is now my go to…. I can't think of a bad point to mention. Again, buy it! You will not be disappointed! As a side note, it fits in the EPI T-bird case like a glove. Plenty of room for that massive head stock!Hood's Creek bass 17

Anyone who's ever gone on the hunt for a good Thunderbird bass that they're pretty much awesome or awful with little middle ground regardless if it carries an Epiphone or Gibson name badge. I have a pretty big bass collection myself, but have never found an attainable T-Bird that I found appealing. Even among vintage models of Gibsons, dogs are as common as players, and few are truly worthwhile to me. What I discovered while searching for a good Thunderbird was that I favored vintage models with a separate tailpiece and pre-Bicentennial pickups: the intonation is superior and the tone fuller while still having that characteristic Thunderbird snarl. Since most of those are prohibitively expensive because of age and rarity and I don't care for the modern Gibson versions' TB plus pickups and three point bridge or the bolt-on Epiphones with their TERRIBLE pickups, I had pretty much resigned myself that short of finding a screaming deal on a 60's Thunderbird IV or becoming a rock star, my T-Bird itch would go unscratched. …enter the Epi Vintage Pro. It has literally everything I love about the old 60's 'Birds with some modern improvements in finish durability (I love nitro lacquer as much as anyone, but let's be honest, poly is WAY more durable) and intonation since the bridge is moved to its proper scale location. Add in the vintage "oversized" headstock, the neck-though-body construction and the AMAZING recreations of vintage Thunderbird pickups, and you have one monster of an instrument! I really can't say enough good things about it, and just to be clear, I would take this instrument OVER a US-made modern Gibson Thunderbird ANY day! I value quality and tone in my instruments over investment value and this bass has both in spades. If you're looking for an amazing bass for a great price, look no further!Anthony

First and foremost props to American Musical for their help with shipping, the company they used had a delay, and my Tbird went missing for a bit. American musical went above and beyond to help figure out the problem and i got my bass with very little frustration. Out of the box the bass is set up, action was a little high for me, but a simple 1/4 turn and it was playing great. The pickups have a great rock vibe, punchy, but not to high. Big difference between the Gibson and this Epi. Is the weight. It’s a lot lighter, and there isn’t as much neck dive, but be warned, the headstock is a whole inch longer than the Gibson, or the other Epiphone options. So far i absolutely love this bass, for less than half the cost of a new Gibson, this bass delivers. I’ve played Gibson’s, Fender USA’s, Spectors, and several others. For the money, this bass has been amazing.Jansen

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.

Some set up issues with the bass, but ,at the price I am incredibly impressed with the overall quality, playability and tone. After some adjustments to truss rod, bridge action ( intonation was good) and pickup height I've now got a 5 string J Type bass that I will happily gig when the venues open again. Although not as slick as my MTD and Warwick basses, the Sire gives me a whole range of tones that I can't squeeze out of the other basses. The active eq is really excellent, but the ability to use and adjust the passive circuit with the master tone control makes this more versatile than any of my other basses. Overall, a bit of a bargain with great service on top!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Fabulous, straight out of the box and arrived in tune! Read and watch the reviews, believe the hype. You won't hear a bad word against it. The only negative I found was someone did't like the headstock (which I love). This is an instrument way above its' price point in every regard. It feels quality, the sound is incredible. There's a very good video on Sires site with Mr Miller himself demonstrating it's scope. It's a very versatile instrument, the pre-amp is the same across the whole range and is quality schmutter, the sweepable mids let you fine tune your tone. And you can have it passive too and the option to string through or over the bridge. The rolled fretboard is the icing. I'd gig with this no messing, and can't wait to record with it. If I'd have had the cash, i'd have gone for a V7, but I am over the moon with this.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Bought it as a second bass for the occasions when taking my Thumb Bass gives me too much anxiety. I have owned a Fender USA Jazz once and always liked the idea of a jazz but just found them irritating compared to how well made and thought out the Warwick is. This bass on the other hand is very good value. Its a little rough round the edges and needed quite a bit of setting up to get it right for me but it was playable straight out of the box just the action was quite high. The two things I am impressed by is the tone and the neck. Both of these have been really well thought out and make it (in my opinion) better than the Fender I had. At least I can adjust the truss rod without having to take the thing apart and it stays where I put it. The weight is subjective, yes it's heavier than a Fender, not by much though. However its like a feather compared to the vastly more expensive Warwick. So in conclusion this is great, you get a good bass that plays and sounds much better than the £320 I paid for it and I now have a Jazz bass that doesn't irritate me.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

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.

This fretless bass is a great value! This bass is about 1/3 the price of the next cheapest fretless. The sound is very good with a wide range of tonal possibilities. Exactly what I was hoping for. The flat wound strings have amazing treble, similar to round wounds. I was able to lower the action quite a bit by adjusting the bridge with the provided Allen wrench. On the downside, while the A, D, and G strings were flawless, the E string was dead. It was totally mismatched to the sound of the other strings; thumpy without any treble. I guessed that the outer wrapping around the core had unwound at the factory and was not tight. Removing the E from the tuning peg and twisting it to tighten the wrap around the core improved the sound dramatically. Endemic to this model is a design flaw (I tried 3 of these basses previous) wherein the two tone controls are wired in series rather than in parallel. Either tone control can control the tone of either the bridge or neck pick-up, so that it is impossible to control the tone of the two pickups independent of the other. Consequently, you can roll off the treble fully with one tone control and then roll it off again with the other for an insanely deep bass sound. You can easily re-wire this unforgivable defect in a few minutes, if you own a soldering iron. You can Google this slip-up and get a correct wiring diagram online. I may leave it for now, as I am getting into the tonal possibilities of the "extended bassy" sound. Finally, the fret board is unmarked. Being a visual player, I found it helpful to pencil in fret lines. The side markers provided on the neck are not so helpful, as they are in the traditional fretted positions, one half fret back from the place where you need to finger. These drawbacks are not a deal breaker in my opinion. The bass is a blast to play and the tone is completely different than my fretted basses. GET THIS BASS! I STRONGLY RECOMMEND IT!Lenny

To be honest, I bought this bass mostly because of a great discount offered by Musician's Friend. I didn't want to spend a lot on the bass since I only wanted to experiment with fretless playing. However, this bass was a pleasant surprise. It looks great, plays great and has provided me with a bass sound I always wanted but could never get with my fretted basses. I was concerned that I would play out of tune without the frets, but it was easy to get used to finding the correct notes. The pickups are excellent! I've recorded several tunes with it now and honestly love the results. I'm impressed by Rogue basses, which many of my bass-playing friends shrug off as being "cheap" and not a brand name. They don't know what they are missing! I intend to buy a fretted version ASAP. It is lighter than my Fender Jazz basses and the smaller neck is easier to play. In conclusion, I'll never be a bass 'snob' again. Rogue products are an excellent bargain and not just for "beginner" bass players.lcad1953

I am mainly a guitarist but have always had an interest in a fretless bass. It sounds surprisingly good. To get intonation right I had to replace the bridge adjustment screws with longer 3X50 mm screws. Without that fix it is unplayable. Another fix would be to move the bridge plate 1/2" towards neck.Tom

I bought mine new and it's everything positive others say about it. Don't know what bobz429 is talking about. Obviously he has a modified model. Hardware is first rate with a Hagstrom designed P90 single coil at the neck and classic '58C humbucker at the bridge (Hagstrom winds their own pickups). It's a joy to play, very clean factory pups, beautiful finish, very well crafted and flawless. Rivals guitars up to 3 times the cost in my opinion. The Hagstrom composite Resinator fret board is fast and has good sustain. This guitar can be used for jazz with very clean articulation and voicing, moan the blues, fit right into classic or grunge rock and growl with the best of 'em throughout it's entire range. The ringing clarity is stunning! It's a lot of bang for your buck, and lighter than you'd think for a guitar with a 28" scale. A "tad" neck-heavy balance wise, but once you play it and realize it's potential from mild to wild, this is easily overlooked and by "no means" a deal breaker. It has 5 star ratings across the board for a reason. It's simply that good! This is a players guitar and one I'll keep the rest of my life. It will surprise and please you once you plug it in. This is an amazing baritone. Plug it in, crank it up, and jam 'til the cows come home! If your in the marketfor a baritone guitar, the Hagstrom Viking Deluxe is very hard to beat! I personally don't think any others in it's price rang hold a candle to it. Highly recommended. Enjoy! Edit: Was surprised to see I wasn't listed as a verified purchaser (don't know how that works). Oh well, I assure you I own this guitar purchased from SoundsCheapMusic on eBay out of Pleasant Hill, MO on April 22, 2015… in the Cosmic Black Burst finish. All the same, you won't be disappointed. 😉honorable1-us

With more than 15yrs. of experience with various Hagstrom guitars and over 40yrs. of playing and performing, this instrument and review was an unexpected and a very pleasant surprise. I will acknowledge that I was prompted to pull the trigger on the purchase in no small part because of a couple of reviews here on MFI, one by a fellow who is an American musician living in Sweden. From what I was able to glean from a collection of YouTube videos from past NAMM shows, it looks like the Viking DLX 12 made it's debut about 2016, and has had at least one major update since, with the most notable being larger, but traditional-shaped F-holes on the top, fully creme bound, of course. I very much agree with the opinion previously expressed about there being a major advantage for Hagstrom because of their sourcing all woods(primarily Canada)and all hardware and electronics, leaving their factory contractors in China to concentrate on building the best looking/sounding instrument possible. I would place current Hagstrom product on a par with anything from the Park factories in Korea, and nearly on par with some of the older product that came from Matsumoko in Japan. IMHO, and as pointed out by a previous reviewer, the only real contenders in this narrow category of instrument are the hollowbody Ric 300 Series, and the current Gretsch Electromatic 5422-12, both of which are 2-3X the cost of a new Viking DLX 12. Pickups are clear voiced but fairly hot, and the Resonator fretboard feels great and works with the overall timbre of a maple bodied guitar. The bookmatched flame maple body sides, top, and back are a sight to behold; laminated but beautiful. The most playable and comfortable neck I have EVER put in my hand for a 12-string; a profile similar to an early 60's Gibson or modern ESP being "thin", but with a 15" radius and a 45mm black Tusq nut. Perfect for chording and rhythm, but enough room between string pairs for either finger or flatpicking with precision. Get ItArch69er

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

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