Duff Mckagan Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

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

I have used this bass in many shows, and it never disappoints! The tone is versatile because of the p and j style pickups. I use both together with the tone wide open, and it sounds amazing. I use this in a rock band with no problems. This bass gets compliments everywhere it goes. I would highly recommend this to any and everyone.Sam

Probably the best sounding & playing bass you will find for the price. Slick looks and even slicker playing. Everything in the build is outstanding! A fantastic all rounder for a number of genres and playing styles. Couldn't ask for more! The pickup selection (and the tone circuit) are nothing short of phenomenal. Rolling past "5" on the tone control is an experience beyond words and the addition of the "Hipshot" adds to the versatility. I would highly advice this bass to anyone!Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I always wanted the original 80's Jazz Bass Special made in Japan so I was so excited when I saw them come out with this Duff McKagan Signature bass. It looks amazing, it plays amazing, and it sounds amazing. I play in cover band and our set list ranges from Guns n' Roses to Lady Gaga and this bass get's so many different tones out of it that you will find the sound you are looking for. I have gotten nothing but compliments on how amazing this bass sounds and looks. This bass is helping me take take my craft to the next level. Duff Rocks!!!!Matty Bonez

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

Purchased the Walnut version. This is the first guitar which I had to do nothing to it out of the box except an initial tuning. All screws were tight, the nut height was correct, the relief was good, the action was good with NO fret buzz, the finish was flawless, the fret ends were perfect and the intonation was spot on! I've never seen this, especially for the price point. I love the short scale of this instrument and it can be played as fast as you can do. Wow! I'm happy and impressed. I like it even more than my Ibanez Gio Mikro. Gretsch has done something with the pickups as ther is NO hum from the pickups even though they are claimed not to be humbuckers after all.John

Bought earlier today and have been playing it since getting it home. I prefer flatwound strings so put some on as soon as I could. Lowered the action to just under 2 mm at the 12th fret on the bass side. Intonation is just about spot on. Didn’t need to tweak the truss rod at all but will check it in a day or two. I’m over 70 and bought my first bass around 1965. This little bass is quite amazing for its price. There does seem to be some quality control issues reading online reviews but mine is very good. Gloss finish immaculate with no pooling or dull patches. Tone and volume are very smooth and work as they should. It’s very easy to replace with CTS or similar but at present there’s no need. Jack socket holds the jack securely. Frets beautifully finished. The flattish neck is great to play on and it’s gloss finish feels really smooth. Not sticky. Walnut fingerboard looked in nice condition but I put a little lemon oil on it when changing the strings. There has been some uproar that Gretsch were advertising these as having mini humbuckers when in fact they are single coils. I have no problem with single coils being a Fender fan. These single coils do not exhibit any background hiss through my amplifier. Some have complained that they do but mine is silent. The only gripe which has cost the review one star is concerning the machineheads. They have a little play in them which I hate. The only thing I will change will be these in due course when I find some with the correct 14 mm hole diameter. Plenty of space on the headstock so might go down the vintage style rout. Not sure. The main thing is to get good quality and ensure the existing holes are covered. All in all I’m very happy with this bass. It weighs in at 8.2lbs. Not too heavy. The bass sounds really nice with lots of tonal variance available using the pickup selector and tone control.Brian

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

Purchased the Walnut version. This is the first guitar which I had to do nothing to it out of the box except an initial tuning. All screws were tight, the nut height was correct, the relief was good, the action was good with NO fret buzz, the finish was flawless, the fret ends were perfect and the intonation was spot on! I've never seen this, especially for the price point. I love the short scale of this instrument and it can be played as fast as you can do. Wow! I'm happy and impressed. I like it even more than my Ibanez Gio Mikro. Gretsch has done something with the pickups as ther is NO hum from the pickups even though they are claimed not to be humbuckers after all.John

To start, I have particularly small hands for an adult lady. I started playing bass about 6 months ago – I have been playing guitar for about 2 years now and am comfortable with different scale lengths and string gauges. I started playing bass with a standard scale instrument and struggled for the first time to reach across four frets, and felt like my progress was stalling because of the instrument I was trying to use. Decided to try a short scale and it instantly made a world of difference in my playing; this bass just feels good while holding and playing for extended periods of time. The bass is also beautiful! I love the retro vibe, between the shell pink body and the vertical text on the headstock. The walnut fingerboard has the most beautiful markings on it; it's my favorite fingerboard on any instrument I own, which includes much more expensive instruments that sport rosewood, ebony, pau ferro, purpleheart, and maple fingerboards. I was worried the tone would suffer from the shorter scale but I actually much prefer the sound of this baby compared to the standard scale I had previously, and have had no trouble tweaking the knobs to dial in just the sound I'm looking for. This is my first Gretsch purchase but I am definitely sold on the quality of their products, especially for such a budget friendly price! At the end of the day, I've more than doubled my weekly bass practice time since getting this sucker, which is all anyone can really ask for in an instrument! The only negative I've come across for short scale basses in general is you'll have fewer options when it comes to string choices compared to standard scale, and especially compared to guitars. PS – shout out to my gear advisor Ryan T. – he rocks! Despite my being a relative n00b to guitar and bass, he treats me with so much respect and seems genuinely interested in my musical journey. I never feel pressured to buy something I'm not interested in and he even helped me track down a great set of short scale strings that also accommodate my nickel allergy! 🤘Leesah

I bought this base in December. It was advertised as having to humbucking pick ups. That is untrue there single coil pick ups and they've hum very loud. I put GHS Bright Flats on it. I can't get the intonation set correctly. I am not an expert but this is the only bass I couldn't get close. The bridge is very cheaply made. The tuners are also cheap and loos. You never know how far you will have to turn one to tighten or loosen the string. The bass sounds good. I have had cheaper basses that was better made and sounded better. If GC doesn't give me back my money or in store credit I will sell it. I did by the extended warranty. If I have to sell it I would not go back to GC. This is the second Jet I got from there. The jack kept falling out of the first one. I am not driving two hours each way just to talk to them.William

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

I've been using this bass for around 2 years now and its my first its an amazing value this and a 20 dollar amp and I was blasting off I used a tuner off of my phone the notes played really well and true it's been my baby ever since I got it. I got a case for it and its pretty easy to manage not overly heavy and not too awkward to take with you to a park or something like that. Anyways this has been a great value and I assure you that you will not only be happy with the product but it will last you and it is a steal price wise.wilkiw_h4urof

I had a bass similar to this, never played it and when I moved to another state I gave it away and regretted that later. I have always wanted to learn bass and bought this guitar because it was inexpensive and the reviews were good. I didn't want to spend a ton of money if I decided later on that I didn't want to continue with learning this instrument. Although I am just starting to learn the bass, this guitar is going to work out perfectly for my needs. It's a smaller sized bass but not too small. It is really nice, light in weight and it looks well constructed. I got the black one and it looks really cool. If you're considering a bass you've got nothing to lose with this.Jay

Bought it for grand daughter. Wanted to learn bass guitar. Checked it out when arrived. Action was ok. Tuned it by ear and frets. Action a little high. But it's a starter. If she keeps interest I'll probably get her a better model. Or some flat wounds. Good starter for the $. Long scale.jammin_joemusic

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

I couldnt decide between a P or J bass to start with. This gives the best of both worlds, and the one I got on ebay was such a good deal. Tone is great, easy to play, killer look and feel. Very well made, tunes easy and stays in tune rather well. Its really a Jazz special, but the look is so clean with no pickguard…love it!kcfx7655

Other reviewers' complaints about the front veneer are specific to this color (you can see the odd 2-tone effect in the photos). This model also comes in "root beer," tobacco burst, and translucent black. Those finishes all blend the front veneer pretty seamlessly with the mahogany back, while still showing some nice front grain (very subtly in black). Yamaha's Indonesian-made 174 series mixes together fairly unbeatable features and tone in this price range. They aren't the world's fanciest basses, but they make no serious compromises. Necks are 1-piece maple (no 5-piece matchsticks). Bodies are made from real tonewoods: 3-piece mahogany (174EW) or 3-piece alder (174). The P/J pickup combination offers a wide range of tones, with solid electronics throughout. Nice touches: The neck is skinny (like a Jazz Bass') but extended to 24 frets. The downsized body is really lightweight, while substantial enough to be resonant. With the right EQ, these can really punch. Only downsides: I played 2 of these at my local GC, and noticed a real difference in tone. So I'd recommend buying from a local store where you can compare 2-3 copies. Also, the neck's satin finish feels a bit coarse to me. (I love satin finishes, but like them smoother.) While priced like a beginner's bass or impulse purchase, these are well-made, viable, giggable instruments. I've had my similar RBX270F fretless for years, and love it. (Especially since Victor Wooten signed its headstock.)Bass Desires

I was playing guitar, but thinking about getting a bass again. I wanted a solid bass, without investing a lot. The Yamaha was a perfect pick. The construction and finish of the bass I received was perfect. The bass I got is really good looking, in person. It plays great. I've had so much fun playing it, that I've put my guitars aside, and I am now studying bass seriously. After many months playing it daily, I think I am going to lower the action slightly. Tone wise, the two pickups, along with the tone control, cover a lot of ground. I've gone from playing this through a guitar amp, to playing it through two different 100/150W combo amps – the better of which cost 3x what the bass cost. The amps make a huge difference – more than a change of bass. I've thought about trying to mod the bass with higher end pick-ups, but frankly I'm afraid I'll mess up what is currently good about the bass' tone. As I progress, I will probably buy a much higher end bass, something on the order of 1-3K in price. But I believe this bass is decent enough to gig with, unless you are in Victor Wooten's class of player. For comparison, I bought one of those Steinberger Spirit basses (5 string) also. The Yamaha bass plays better and has much, much better tone.Kulokoo

They say this is a beginner bass well call me a beginner. I love it!! I have nothing bad to say about this bass. Light weight easy to play great feel! I love the mango look I've had many good comments on how great it looks on stage. And yes I bought a second one. And to think I bought the first one by mistake wow I guess that's how it happens. Don't get me wrong I love American made basses, but they are killer on my old back. LOL.Muss

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

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

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

I’ve been playing a Taylor 310 for 25 years and was looking for something smaller and lighter to transport. Having read a lot of reviews and listened to the videos I thought I would try the GS Mini Koa and see what all the fuzz was about. This guitar sounds amazing! The Koa gives it a depth AND sparkle that you don’t expect from a small guitar. I keep asking myself does it lack depth compared to my dreadnought, technically it does but actually I don’t miss it because the sound is so full. The volume too is quite exceptional, I tend to strum a lot with a pick and don’t mind digging in hard….. this guitar just sings under those circumstances. It get’s louder and louder without noticeably going out of tune. At the other end there is such clarity and sustain that quiet finger picking also sounds great. You can easily hear a single note melody within a chord. Are there any downsides? Well if you have big hands then the reduced neck length may feel too cramped…. For me this is actually more comfortable than a full size neck but you wouldn’t want it any smaller. In summary I’m blown away, just amazing.David

Wow… what a stunner! Opening the case for the first time was quite an experience. This is a seriously beautiful guitar with beautiful craftsmanship. As a beginner with small hands (even for a lady) I have found acoustic guitars in the past to be very uncomfortable to play, the size of the body, the width of the neck, the high action, and after struggling with a Lorenzo Flame Series for the past year I decided enough was enough, electrics aren't almost impossible to play so why should I have to struggle with acoustic? I did some research and everything was pointing me towards the Taylor GS Mini-E series. Holding this guitar in my hands for the first time felt like a revelation. It felt like Taylor had made a guitar specifically for me – wearing a strap the body fits easily under my arm and my fingers just know exactly where they're meant to go. The sound of the guitar is rich and vibrant with a bright top tone – quite a feat in a parlour size guitar. After watching reviews it seems that this is due to the Koa body. The guitar also comes with soft, well-padded case that feels like it'll protect well from bumps and bruises whilst travelling. It has some nice shoulder straps so it feels like you're wearing a large (but light!) backpack. The best thing about this guitar though is that it's such a joy to hold and play that I can't put it down; my playing ability has increased so much in the past few weeks since buying it. As a beginner I absolutely recommend this guitar as an introduction to acoustic guitars. If you're a beginner and you've been playing an electric for while but want to get into playing acoustic, try out a Taylor GS Mini-e – it might be the one for you.Laura K.

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Value: This guitar and others in the Epiphone line at this price point to $100 more are excellent value for money. If you need a set up and want to replace something, you still come out well under the price of the Gibson equivalent. The Wow Factor: It's different. It has character. It's sexy in It's own way. Just like me, haha 😉 Overall: It's been long years since I had an Explorer, mostly playing acoustics and Teles for a long time. I wanted humbuckers and a flatter fretboard than what Fender typically supplies, so I tried just about every Gibson and Epiphone model I could get my hands on. There were some contenders: LPs, 335s/Sheratons, even SGs which I never really cared for but was pleasantly surprised. None really felt comfortable to hold or play, all other factors being equal. Nostalgia called me back to the Explorer. It's big, drips with character and attitude, and is so easy to play sitting down or standing. If Gibson had a korina-bodied reissue model, I would have gone with that. The Olive Drab Green stood out to me, not positively at first, but I kept coming back to it. At this price, I could afford to upgrade everything from pickups to tuners for less than the price of a Gibson model. So, I pulled the trigger with zZounds because of their payment plan and great customer service.That being said, I had a few QC issues with the first one zZounds sent. It was shipped only in the box Epiphone packages them in, which got squished and shorted out the selector switch, and the neck was VERY bendy, like rubber spaghetti. zZounds was very cool about everything and I got a replacement in short order. It came with a box around the Epiphonr box, everything worked, and the neck was much more stable. It had some minor fret sprout in the upper frets, but that was the only issue.The guitar itself plays great, and the ProBucker pickups really push my amps. The bridge pickup is especially nice, but I plan on replacing them down the line with something with more clarity and definition like I've grown accustomed to from playing twangy Telecasters for so long. The ProBuckers are NOT muddy, dull cheap pickups like you would expect from an affordable sister company. The neck is probably the least articulate, even for a neck pickup, but it can still put out some great tones when pedals and amps are dialed in. Suitable for rhythm parts. Middle position is probably my go to, with the neck rolled back to 6-7, the bridge at 8-9, and tone at full tilt. The bridge pickup is excellent at driving leads and solos with the tone at 7-8 or at maximum. My first non-maple or ebony fretboard, I was well pleased with the Indian laurel. A bit of lemon oil conditioning was needed to bring it from Sahara dry to non-gritty playability. A couple of frets need some polishing to bring back in line, but nothing makes it unplayable. Just a little TLC and refinement, like any new guitar, and you're ready to rock and roll. So to speak. About versatility, the Explorer is a dark horse. Decades of hard rock and metal guitarists using them gives them a stigma, but they can play anything from blues and jazz to rock to metal if you fiddle with the knobs and get your pedals and amps dialed in correctly. My tastes are eclectic, and I wouldn't have bought or kept this guitar if I couldn't get the sounds I wanted out of it. Things I would like to see: push-pull coil splitting, a quieter selector switch, regular pickup soldering instead of quick connects, and a better-cared-for/out-of-the-box fretboard. Honestly, it was dry enough to be used for kindling.What I really liked: playability, fit of parts, very decent ProBucker pickups, Tusq nut, and the color. The Olive Drab Green gives a military/Cold War vibe that I love, and the poly finish is going to be able to handle years of my clumsiness and abuse and still look good. Say what you will about poly finishes, but they will survive the nuclear apocalypse.Jefferson

I bought this guitar 8 months ago and now have run it thru it’s paces. What a great instrument this is. I compared my Epiphone to my Gibson Explorer and honestly the sound on the Epi is right there. My Gibson is mahogany as opposed to the Limba on the Epi but the Epi still holds its own. The Epiphone is lighter and has a sweet, solid attack with a rich mid range that sings. The neck is super straight, the fit and finish is beautiful and hardware is great. The pickups are very sweet however I replaced mine with Pro Buckers to darken the sound slightly. The original pickups are great but with my rig I like the darker Alnico 2 sound. In my opinion the difference between the Pro Bucker and Classic pickups are the magnets. Not a lot of difference in output. Other changes I made were a white pick guard, CTS pots and bumblebee capacitors but upgrading these guitars is the best part. Stock it’s fantastic and adding a few new parts is just a joy ride. I consider this guitar completely ready for professional performances all the way.Roger