Death Metal Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I purchased this Dean ML based on my appreciation for Dime and simply because teenage me committed to owning one someday. I found a pic that I took with Dime which reminded me of being in the front row watching him jam away on his Dime Slime years ago. For me, this purchase was primarily motivated by nostalgia, expecting build quality to be sort of, ok. I have to say, this guitar exceeded my expectations. Slight disclaimer: I purchased this item knowing I would immediately upgrade most of the hardware and adjust things to make it more comfortable for my playing. 1) It is a fantastic base instrument. It plays fairly well as sold. This was my first experience with a Floyd Rose Special. Also, it will definitely be my last. I played it stock for about 2 weeks to get a good feel for it before changing anything. It’s a great playing guitar. 2) Every review I saw said that the finish was amazing and pictures just couldn’t do it justice. I agree. They did a great job on the neck and body of this guitar. It’s flawless. 3) Everything was to spec on mine. Action, truss rod, intonation, fret, bridge and pickup height, all perfect. My fretboard had a somewhat excessive amount of dye on it but nothing too crazy. The nut on mine was clearly cut too deep leaving the high e in permanent sitar mode with fret buzz. So, quality control could be an issue. For my needs this wasn’t a problem as I had already decided on replacing virtually all hardware with new parts that I had on hand from a project that I decided not to restore. 4) The pickups sound great. The Dime Slime nailed the Pantera tones, not surprising. I was surprised by the classic/southern rock and soloist tones I was able to get with minor eq adjustments. Clear and warm through the drive/distortion. It does jazz and country pretty well too. It has a very balanced sound to it which I was not expecting. I’ve played it on three different amps with the same results. Great. This is a great buy. A solid guitar as is. However, in my case, this guitar didn’t really come to life until I did what I did: OFR Hot Rod, brass block,springs, some shielding, etc. Now, what really irritates me is that it plays a lot better than a few of my guitars that were either at or almost double the cost of the Dime Slime. Get One!SantaRosaJoe

Not a V type of player. I like Wilco, the Pixies, the Smiths, Stone Roses, Courtney Barnett, etc. So when I saw Ryan Adams rocking a V by that other manufacturer that starts with G, I started thinking about the V body style. I liked this model because it was at the right price point and had the tradition V body style, if you don't think too much about the headstock. This guitar probably hasn't gotten any love because I don't see it as your typical Dime type guitar, and its not your typical vintage Flying V. The pickups are not high enough gain to get love from the shredders and the Headstock probably turns some people off. What I found is a pretty great guitar with some help. First, the action was high. I lowered the bridge significantly. The good news is that the frets are good I didn't run into any buzziness after lowering the action a little lower than I thought I could get away with. Next, the pickups needed adjustment. They were pretty low. I brought them up a little and found that the sound filled out and got chimey like it should. I adjusted the pole pieces to match the fretboard radius and viola! Most of these guitars have good pickups and don't need an immediate change. Folks, you need to learn how to properly adjust your guitar pickups! Then figure out if you need something different. PS adjust these pickups on a clean channel, you need to hear the guitar not distortion. Long story short, this is a great guitar. It shouldn't be your main axe, but its a great conversation piece that sounds better than it should. I feel like I discovered a diamond in the rough. P.S. The guitar is really light and comfortable to play with a strap.Fred

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

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

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

Should you be in the market for a decent, inexpensive bass, you really should consider this model. Having just arrived home from jamming with six friends, three of whom (including myself) are gigging pros, I felt obligated to congratulate Yamaha Corp for creating such a marvelous bass for the price. I brought my favorite jamming bass–a Squier VM 70's jazz bass–to the jam yet ended up playing this TRBX for four hours. (The guy who owns the studio remarked that he just bought it (used), and he wanted me to try it out.) I'll admit that the controls for the pots are cheap plastic, but everything else about the bass was top notch. It's a passive bass, but the EQ is very responsive with a wide range of voicings from its P/J style pups. Beautifully finished neck, a fretboard with a generous slab of rosewood–it sure looked and felt like rosewood, despite what it's being called in the GC write-up–a really smooth fret-edge finish, solid body wood, but not too heavy. Tuners worked great, and the sunburst stain under the urethane finish was masterfully done. The studio owner bought the bass with flatwound strings, but the pups made them sound clear, with a nice degree of sustain. This TRBX will serve a bassist well as a back-up, but I wouldn't be surprised if some would use it as a main axe (maybe after ditching the plastic knobs for better-quality ones). btw, I had it input to a Tech-21 bass Sansamp (which I use all the time), and into a GK MB210-ii. Even with the Sansamp bypassed, it performed quite well. In summary: Nice surprise!BassesRBetter

After building myself an in home studio, I quickly realized the only thing i was missing was a bass. Swung over to a local store (sorry MF, i was in a rush!) and checked out their large selection. Being that i'm a drummer, I was looking for apparent quality as I didn't much know the specifics or traits that i should be mindful of. The price tag, finish, weight and balance of this thing caught my eye. I toyed around with it for a moment and purchased it about 15 minutes later. I would be lying if i said this was the most played piece in my studio – BUT whenever i do pick it up i am always impressed. Plugging it directly in to a preamp and hitting record with this thing is a dream. You can go from a very washy sound to some solid attack with the knobs. Contrary to one of the previous comments, it does have a volume knob. As i have developed my skills in the studio and on a guitar/bass I have never felt beyond or limited by this guitar. Exceptional piece, I can say with confidence that if bass was my main instrument, i would love to have this guitar as a backup. But for someone like me?…..perfect.Chris

This bass is excellent for the money. It comes out of the case ready to go, just requires tuning which can be easily accomplished with the provided tuner. The case and stand are of excellent quality. The case is hard and sturdy. Its fairly large but will definitely provide great protection. The stand is very sturdy and props the bass up securely. The bass itself sounds great. The only issue Ive encountered with it is some rattle on the E string which I believe can be fixed with the proper adjustments I just havent taken it in yet. Otherwise it sounds nice, full, and rich. Its also beautiful to look at. Overall a fantastic buy for someone looking to get into playing bass. Highly recommend!nicholapedraz-0

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

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

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

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

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

This is a good bass that I picked up as a beater and will probably use more than just for that. For active electronics and the cost, I figured it would be worth any set up that other reviews complained about. Mine didn't require any setup at all. However, there was a really noticeable chip off the paint on the headstock, and I bought new, not scratch and dent. It took two weeks to ship and I didn't want to go through a return process and get a less playable return, so I called Musician's Friend and asked for a rebate. They only gave ten, but I got it on sale and took the deal. As for the play-ability of this bass, it rocks right up there with a lot of basses three times the cost. It's a really easy to play setup, easy to navigate neck and gives nice indie rock bass tones out of the box, at least for me.Rev. Sal

I bought this for my son for his birth day a year and a half ago. I myself have played bass for over 30 years. I have had this thing professionally set up twice. Fretts needed dressed, action was way too high right out of the box. Electronics are fairly decent and playability is good after a set up. He is happy but already seeking a better bass.Scott

i bought it used, so that may affect my review but the bass was fairly easy to play, but the tuning was an issue. it would stay in tune but the pegs were kinda loose. i should note that this bass has ACTIVE PICKUPS. Meaning it takes a 9v battery to power. Not a big deal but you can't really play the bass without a battery. And if you forget to turn the volume knob all the way down, the battery will drain overnight and be complete dead before you pick the bass back up again. Would i recommend this to someone? yes but if they are beginning to learn how to play the instrument.zach m

A must have for the true hardcore Iron Maiden fan. Plays and sounds fantastic! But I must say, the blue one that came out a few years back is a bit better overall.TODD

I love this bass!! My only problem was it did not come with the Steve Harris Rotosound Flatwounds, but no biggie. I like roundwound rotosounds, stainless steel strings anyway. This bass is meaty and heavy. If you like a burpy, growling sound-this is for you! Love it!Scabby

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

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

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

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

Almost 40 years of playing experience and this bass is by far the best value that I've experienced. I've had my share of Precisions, Jazz basses, etc. over the years up to the $1500 range. When the pandemic kicked in I had sold most of my equipment but decided I had to have one bass. The neck is solid and similar to a P-bass thickness which I prefer and I don't need a 24-fret, 2 octave one anymore based on playing blues, jam, reggae, and rock. The tonal landscape is phenomenal rolling off the treble or bass dependent upon what I'm playing. Bright highs and deep lows are easily accomplished. I've never written a review before, but this was worthy of the time. Enjoy!Steve

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

I'm a long time guitarist with some really fine instruments who decided to pick up a "value" bass just to learn for fun. Knowing what to look for in guitars, I translated that over to basses and went to GC to try some out, see what appealed to me, and how far I could stretch the dollars I was willing to spend on an instrument to start out and, maybe, stick with. I found this Sterling by Music Man Ray4 in mint green that filled the bill on all fronts. As usual, the guys at GC let me try several instruments and test to my hearts content. I do all my own guitar set-ups and would never buy a guitar sight unseen, being worried about how much adjustment might be needed. The Ray4 wasn't too bad out of the box (quite literally because I didn't like the display instrument and they had another in stock for me to try). Once home, I did adjust neck relief, string height, intonation, and pickup to a point that I liked best. The pickup required the most adjustment actually because it had gotten stuck in an odd and very high position, perhaps from being jostled in shipping. There is some fret sprout on the higher frets, but nothing that would bother my hand. Bottom line: Everything could easily be adjusted to where I really like it and has been stable now over several days. It's comfortable to play and is, in my opinion, a real "looker." The satin finished neck is great and, although I usually don't go for maple fret boards, I do like this one. I'm very pleased with my purchase decision and would buy it again. Now onto attack that fret sprout . . .AARP Rocker

This bass is everything anyone could want. You can dial in consistent tones for Jazz, Rock, Blues; anything you can imagine. You're only limited by your amp and skill. Good for novices or pros, and priced for both of them. I play progressive rock/metal, jazz, classical, fusion, etc and the bass lends itself well to all these things. The hardware is solid: the tuners tight, the bridge stable, and the nut functions as prescribed. Some people have problems with the TEK bridge but I personally find it convenient. No cross-talk, easy stringing, reliable setup that DOESN'T BUDGE. The pickup/preamp complements the bass and its resonance qualities. Passive EMG HZ pickups with the mahogany body work together constructively. The bass and treble controls work well with amps, not adding much to the gain of the signal but still affecting the tone strikingly. The body and neck are well constructed and add a lot to the tone. Mahogany+maple+rosewood are the essential dream-team. Access up to the 24th fret is relatively easy. The satin finish allows more vibrations to transfer through the hardware and body. The quality craftsmanship is fairly decent. The fret ends are smooth and all the edges are clean. The factory setup is alright but I like my action low for easy playability. Overall, the bass is clean, simple, and contributes to any playing style well.ProgJazzMetalBassist

Overall: When I purchased this bass guitar, I did it on a whim based purely off how much I like the sound of Schecter 6 string guitars. I was prepared to be a little disappointed and make a trade in if necessary, but no, I pulled this baby out of the box and fell straight in love from the first ultra twangy acoustic note. A few hours tweaking my Fender Rumble amp (also courtesy of zZounds) and suddenly I had THE sound I had been chasing. The layout of the pot functions were confusing at best but Schecter released an online wiring diagram so a little research got me exactly what I needed; excellent customer support in that regard, but with the quality of this bass, I feel as if I'll never even need to contact customer support in order to give them a review on it! Everything from chunky 90's post-punk to soft jazz to slap bass in tha face to dad rock to death metal to orchestral, just turn a few knobs and this baby knocks it out of the park. The EMG pickups really scream for passives, too.Taran

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

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

I've had my bass since July and really can't say enough good things about it. I'm a luthier, so I did a full setup and bone nut upgrade right out of the box. Very little was needed in the setup, and it played perfectly fine out of the box. But after a setup it feels like a dream. I didn't even upgrade any of the electronics like I'd planned. It just feels and sounds so good as it is. Neck is wonderful, tuners are solid, bridge has not lost intonation at all since I first set it up. I really can't recommend this bass enough. I have a few pieces of gear I take everywhere with me for unexpected jam sessions, and this is the bass I keep on me. My guitars vary, but this bass is always in my lineup.Jason

The best bass on the market for the price. The neck is nice and solid and you can tell they hand picked the wood. The red finish is beautiful with no blemishes. The only complaint they installed the pots on top of the pickguard plastic so you'll have to unscrew the pots and output jack to get it all out. It has the OLP type bridge and the saddles move around so putting tiny pieces of foam rubber in between stops them from knocking together. The bass needed a total setup including pickup height. The pickups are loud and clear and the electronics are dead quiet. The preamp is surface mounts with polymer capacitors and they use the TL071 opamp. The B string doesn't flop around. These are great basses to mod. I replaced preamp with a Bartolini 2 band and added toggle switches for more pickup selections.BassDude

First let me say that I own several high end bass. My Fender Jazz American Deluxe is one of my favorites. So I decide I wanted a 4 string bass. This music man is all I needed. I love the tones it produces. I love the way the neck of it feels. This bass is a great buy especially for the price it's saying for. I had to make one minor adjustment to fret board.Leo

Fantastic bass guitar, great for scales and solos. Very thin neck for a 6-string and beautiful colours. Feels great to play, surprisingly better feel with the fan frets. Awesome !!! 😃Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Overall: I'm a guitar player that switched to bass 20 years ago. I've missed the ability to play full chords and solo in a range that can be easily heard. I tune this bass an octave lover than guitar with the same string relationships. Low E, not B. This bass allows me to do that with no set up issues. If youre coming from a 4 string this will be a wide neck, but 5 string users will adust. It's well balanced and finely finished. LONG REACH TO 1ST FRET ON LOWEST STRING, which is F for me, but I can get it. The fan fret design probably helps to keep string tension equal. I have a Novax (Ralph Novak invented the fret system) so I'm okay with it.Jeff

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Mustang as my previous experiences with short scale basses had not been good. But everything about this has been fine. The bridge pickup does sound a little buzzy with the tone fully up, but I really don't care! This is a surprisingly fun instrument.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I feel that this bass is excellent value for money. I was surprised by the high quality of the workmanship and materials. Of course it needs a setup to one's preference but that is really only a matter of a tweak of the truss rod, lowering the action and setting intonation. All of this is detailed carefully in the owners manual to assist the diy player or take it to a local luthier for a basice setup. Lots of variation in tones and really fun to play, I'm really happy with it.Tom

I know that I will start an argument with this comment but I'm gonna say it anyway. Why lug around a full size bass guitar when the short scale bass sounds just as good and weighs a lot less. I tried a full size bass and to tell the truth I would have never been able to play a set with it. It was just too heavy for me. Maybe twenty years ago I may have been able to take the weight but not now. I am a guitar player mostly and the full size bass was too much. This bass is the perfect weight, the perfect look and quality, and sounds like a full size bass. It just does. I see a time where the 34 inch scale will wither away and be replaced with the shorter scale bass. It's inevitable. The full size bass has nothing to offer over the shorter scales than maybe cosmetic options. And that will change as time goes on a people realize the advantages of the shorter scale. As a disclaimer I will say that is my opinion. I am sure that full time bass players may have their own reasons for the full size bass.Danny

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