Girl Playing Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

Ordered one of these (In Pearl White) because of a good experience with another one. Of course I had to do some set up to alleviate fret buzz, adjust neck, string height etc. Once it was set up to my liking and a fresh set of my gauge strings, this bass was ready for just about anything! I have used it for a couple of outdoor shows with medium and very large P.A support and the sound was very good overall. Through my stage amp, I was able to dial in a very usable sound quickly. The bass is very light weight .(Which helps those of us with back issues.) Yet is still able to get a decent tone. The bass I received was a newer model with a poplar body and a Jatoba fret board which still has the characteristics of rosewood (slightly lighter in color) with a hint of a maple type bite. Personally, I liked the overall sound with this particular fret board. Speaking of which, the fret board is very easy to play (when properly set up) with a smooth, fast neck. The electronics are decent enough although the "bass boost" knob should be used sparingly and judiciously just to add some deep flavor on occasion for certain styles. All in all, a pretty decent machine that can easily be used by beginners and seasoned pro's (ok, it won't match up with a "boutique bass" by any means but still a very usable product!) Very good value for the price!Heard the Bass

This bass is really amazing for the price of it. The neck is so smooth and a bit thinner than other regular bass, perfect for my small hands and the weight wow it is really light. the built quality is top notch. The sound is really good and you've got plenty of sound you can experiment with it. Overall it's an all rounder bass from beginners to pronelson c.

The Ibanez GSR 200 is one of the best "bang for your buck" basses on the market. They are made with excellent quality, lightweight wood, agathis, maple, rosewood. The onboard P/J pickups and electronics sound good. They play good out of the box but they play excellently if set up by a guitar tech. These were choice basses for many of the bass players supporting MWR tours. Musicians would take Ibanez GRS 200 basses on tour and raffle them off to service members on the last gig.matt4717

Very lightweight, no strain on my back. Has that perfect Ibanez action I've come to prefer over other makes. Pickups work in tandem, not separately, so that took some getting used to. Color is hot and sexy.John

The Ibanez GSR 200 is one of the best "bang for your buck" basses on the market. They are made with excellent quality, lightweight wood, agathis, maple, rosewood. The onboard P/J pickups and electronics sound good. They play good out of the box but they play excellently if set up by a guitar tech. These were choice basses for many of the bass players supporting MWR tours. Musicians would take Ibanez GRS 200 basses on tour and raffle them off to service members on the last gig.matt4717

I bought the jewel blue one and named it "Jewel". No, not like the singer. I thought it was totally beyond all expectations. I played it for a couple of years before I lost it when my marriage fizzled. Now I want another one. I'm no novice. I've been playing guitar for over 35 years, and Jewel was my third bass. I liked her better than a Fender Jazz. I want another one. To nitpick, I didn't like the square corners on the top of the neck (past all the frets), so I took the neck off and rounded them. Problem solved. I also didn't like that the threads stripped out on the E string bridge piece when I tried to back it up far enough to get the intonation right. But I think the real problem is solved with an Earvana nut. Anyway, if you can't afford to buy the bass everyone is telling you to buy – or even if you can – buy this one. If you don't sound good on it, you don't need a Fender or a Rick, you need lessons.Gravity Zen

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

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

I was expecting poor quality, but this is really nice. I have the Hofner version(Ignition) and this is as good or better. Maybe I got a good one, I don't know but I would recommend it to anybody who plays guitar or bass. It has a rich, full, smooth tone. And that's with the stock roundwound strings. Low action and no buzzing. Incredible! I've played for 50+ years so "I know a little….."Michael

Arrived in excellent condition with way high action and flat fretboard (A string in particular was buzzing on frets). Turned truss rod about 1/4 turn (loosen) and lowered action at the bridge; easy to do. Intonation was absolutely on as it arrived. Bass plays very nice and sounds great! Ordered some flat wound strings as the stock strings are rough as a corncob and cannot slide at all in higher registers. The price is right and the bass is top notch quality! I do need to look into raising the bridge pickup as it is about 1/2" below the strings and is very weak.John

At this current price point, I could not resist. It satisfies my need to own a violin bass, as I have been a Beatles fan since I was four (I'm 63 now). It may not be a Hofner, but I am willing to overlook that. I did make some easy modifications: I removed the screwed-on pickguard, turned over and blackened in the truss cover on the peghead. Please note: if price is a factor, be ready to add more money for flat-wound strings, so just order them when you order your bass. There is some fret buzz, but a little bridge adjustment helped that for the most part. The second string 7th fret will need to be filed down–I'll get to that sometime later. In spite of it not having the Hofner name on it, I'm giving mine five stars.Dave

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.

Folks, let me start out by saying that I am a former professional drummer and have limited experience on the bass. However, I spent years locking tight with bass players to creat a solid foundation for the band and I know what sounds right. This bass guitar is a beauty. I was originally going to buy a standard jazz bass MIM. But I saw this and had to check it out. One of things that sold me on this bass was that it came with Geddy's high mass bridge. For all intent and purposes it is a Leo Qwan bridge which Geddy has on his #1. It really makes a difference in the sustain, it just keeps going and going. Also, the bridge just looks good… big and meaty. The neck plays like butter and the black binding and blocks on the fretboard just sets this bass apart appearance wise. The pups are solid, I might change those out one day…but honestly they sound great. This is a really well built bass and I completely reccomend you buy this bass. Also, thanks to Alan at GC Tampa for his patience with me while I was looking and trying out different basses. Great customer service.Charles I

I'd been wanting a Fender Jazz bass since I was a kid. Started off playing on a Squier P-Bass Special and I always liked the Jazz neck. Better than I expected. The tone is bright and cuts nicely. The neck is fast and the body is comfortable and not too heavy. Set up was also pretty good coming out of the box. Definitely going to be buying another Fender through AMS next year or so. Definitely met and exceeded my expectations. I haven't put it down since getting it. Cant wait to leave work and jam on it. Awesome.Sapo

As a touring and studio studio musician I am thrilled to have a bass at this caliber. The sunburst design is breathtaking. The action feels and sounds great right out of the box. This is the first time I have ever had a bridge that looks and feels the way this one does. It really ties the aesthetic together! When you have all of the tone knobs up you get a really hot and bright bass sound that cuts through records. This can easily be adjusted on the knobs or in post cutting off everything above 4K. The neck is slimmer than most bassses I have played, which makes it super easy to glide up and down this bass. The soft case it comes with isn't too special and I will be upgrading to a hard case since I take it to the studio with me (will eventually gig on it). I've had it for a few months now and it can be heard on countless records coming out of the SF Bay Area. It meets and over exceeds all expectations I had set for it. It also sounds great using the old sponge trick to get the motown down you traditionally hear on a P Bass. Anyone looking to get a Fender Jazz, I would highly recommend the Getty Lee model.Ryan

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

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

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

The Mikro bass plays, looks and sounds great. The extra-short scale length does not compromise the traditional bass tone it produces. I have played 6-string guitar for over 40 years, including many professional gigs and teaching. I own over a dozen topnotch guitars. But this is my first bass, and I chose Mikro on the recommendation of a trustworthy friend. I have been doing my own repair work on guitars for decades, and can say the Mikro bass is impressively well made, and arrived decently set up with new, good strings. Fret work, neck, nut, tuning machines, bridge, fingerboard, finish, electronics are all virtually flawless; and the tobacco sunburst color I chose looks really nice, with a "vintage" vibe. I replaced the stock chrome dome knobs (which are nice ones) with Gibson-style knobs so I can see numbers for volume and tone settings. I really like the tone of the Mikro, especially the "Precision" style pickup–the one closer to the neck, from which it's easy to get a classic P-bass tone in conjunction with the tone control, which also works great. Ibanez chose a great capacitor value for the tone knob. The bridge position ("Jazz" style) pickup is just OK–usable, and not bad, but nothing remarkable, and it's especially lackluster when used solo, without any of the P-style pickup dialed in. That is the only part of this bass, other than the knobs, I would consider upgrading in the near future (maybe also the potentiometers, but even those feel smooth and responsive out of the box). The satin-finish neck feels great, and is a breeze to play, even for someone like me, who is coming to the bass from years on guitar. The tuning stability of the Mikro is remarkably great. So the latest versions of the Mikro basses are a phenomenal bargain! I would not hesitate to recommend a Mikro to anyone considering moving from guitar to bass, or to someone with smaller hands. From what my bassist friends tell me, the Mikro is great for any bassist PERIOD.NYC Slide Guitarist trying bass

Overall: I've been playing for years, mostly Fenders, Tobias and a heavily modified Decca short scale from the 60s. This is my first Ibanez bass and I am blown away! I chose the brown burst finish, and took a chance on the "blemished" version. Been looking at it all day and I can't find any imperfection anywhere. Definitely wanted short scale, light weight and a fast neck, this one has all 3 and then some. Set up out of the box was close, very close, with only a slight fret buzz on the E string. A very small adjustment at the saddle took care of it. The stock pickups sound good, the tone knob has useful range, everything sounds quite good through everything I've played it through so far (Fender, Orange, antique Earth head, etc.). Overall, I couldn't be happier!Bryan

An utterly great bass overall. It's perfect for someone with a low budget, or someone who's new to learning bass. Also good for children or people with small hands since it's a short-scale. This was my first bass and I still play it a lot. Not only is it cheap, but it has a really good tone, a nice feel to it, and a beautiful orange finish (if that is the finish you chose). The only bad thing I have to say about this is that it got some fret buzz to it but in all honesty, it's not that bad. I love Ibanez basses, I own several and this one is absolutly great.Logan

Overall: I wandered into a national Music store chain one day in Oct 2016 and went straight to the used guitars that were hanging on the wall in the used section. I'm always trying to keep an eye out on a good used Music Man electric as I try to collect these fine instruments. That particular day there was pretty slim pickings so I wandered through amps, effects and I ended in the pass guitar section. (I do play bass but usually when I write my own tunes) and this 6 string bass caught my eye. It didn't look cheap so I asked one of the vultures hovering there ( employees, just doing their gig) what he could tell me about this bass. It was pretty light-weight, first impression, so he gave me the run-down on the thing and I asked him if I could put it through the paces that I knew and we plugged it into an Ampeg mini brute what ever it was called and began a 45 minute of exploration where I passed this through an extensive test regarding tone, intonation,ease of reaching pots, tome control, The bass boost, I checked out the spec's which were pretty tight on with what was written. The balance was great, ease of use overall in case I plan to take a 6 string bass to a gig and perform for 3 hours was good weight-wise. I was particularly impressed with the bright tome. I was impressed in the selection of pickups that were available with this instrument. I've been performing on stage since I was 8 years old but mostly on guitar. I understood first you are usually someone and I was tithe whoweEric

Overall: I bought this simply to see if I want to pursue playing a 6 string. Beyond a few brief encounters in music stores, I have not played one and opted to try the tried-and-true Ibanez brand. The price point had me a little scared but this was a great purchase. I don't expect to have this long being I will either continue on the 6 string, or it will be flipped into something else. This is my first Ibanez and I will likely give the higher end SR models a closer look regardless of string count. The Good: Price, the setup was perfectly playable out of the box, tone is decent, weight is good for a 6 string, the fret ends a dressed. The Bad: doesn't balance well (Raw leather strap helped), finish is thin and wood not worth keeping natural (wanted the black model but, out of stock), Odd EQC.j.

I had no trouble setting up this bass. I was able set the intonation perfectly. Even the low strings sustain pitch very well and were easy to tune. I added a slight relief to the neck, because there was a lot of string buzz. After this slight adjustment to the truss rods, there is only a buzz when playing hard on the bottom 3 frets of the lowest string. The action is still low and it is very easy to play (though I do have long fingers). The stock strings are very cheap. As someone else stated, I feel upgrading to higher quality strings may resolve the low B buzz issue. The tone is amazing thanks to the built in EQ bass boost. I found it easier to play harmonics than my other basses. Walking bass lines sound smooth and percussive playing sounds pro. This is my new favorite bass. I can't wait to play it with the band.Michael O

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

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

I 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

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

Bought this one for the kids, but it's so much fun I'll probably play it more. This has to be one of, if not the best short scales in this price range. Mine came with a great neck, good frets and no sharp ends. Weight wise, its a little heavier than I expected- maybe 7.5 lbs? Fingers, pick, slap, all sound good with no rattles. No neck dive. The only weak point I think is the cheapo bridge. Its really unstable and the E saddle could be bumped and moved too easily. I ordered a Hipshot when I ordered the bass because I hate these style bridges anyway. I'd have had to shorten the screw or maybe just cut off some spring length on the stock saddle for the E (and possibly the A) to get them to intonate. Get the bass on sale, a Hipshot for another fifty and it's a performer on par with basses that cost a grand or more, and still less than competing Squiers or Epiphones that also probably need upgraded bridges. I mainly just use the P in a PJ setup, but installed a Fender J anyway because this one was noisy at home (but not at rehearsal for some reason). I had to carve away about a millimeter of wood on top and bottom of the bridge cavity to fit the Fender, so be aware that aftermarket pups may not be a straight drop in. Upgrading the pups is not really needed though IMO. The tuners have the large posts so breaking strings is less likely. They seem to be holding pretty well. I can get through a few songs without having to re-tune, then it's only a minor tweak to the E and A.Lothar

I wanted a no-nonsence, light weight, easy to play and transport, bass for gigs and rehearsal. All these “bases” are covered and some. I can’t say or explain enough, how great this short scale guitar is to hold and play, especially for a “senior” musician looking for comfort on stage! Smooth neck, warm tone, no set-up needed, right out of the box! The price is right too! Try one for yourself!Jimbo

I got this bass for my son as he’s wanting to learn bass and music theory from myself . I’d been teaching him on one of my fleet of basses but he was complaining that it was too big for him so I decided to look into the small scale range at a reasonable cost. I seen this bass which, to me, looked perfect for an 11 year old to learn on . After receiving this bass I gave it an inspection and I was very impressed with its factory set up and the general build of this bass. I plugged it in and gave it a blast through one of my smaller rigs and I was literally left flabbergasted at the sound of this thing. It’s a little ripper! It particularly sounds best when using a pick with it but it can hold its own finger style too. I’d be quite happy using this bass on stage and I have many basses by distinguished brands ans custom built basses by luthiers . It goes to show that what’s perceived as a lower end instrument can actually prove to be a hidden gem. It’s loud, it cuts the mix and it plays like butter. What a great bit of kit.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

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

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