Hollow Body Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

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

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

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

I have used this bass (gold top) in small clubs, large theaters and church worship. The bass is extremely well put together , great finish excellent fret work and a wonderful fast neck. in appearance this bass is a work of art. (I know it is a remake of the 70's les paul). The pick up has an amazing definition that allows the noted to ring true with out muddiness. Over all it is a spectacular bass.Bassblast

Initially I was very hesitant to buy this bass. But it's found a permanent place in my bass lineup. It has a real warm tone and kind of hangs around the p-bass vibe as far as application. I put some Thomastik Infeld round wounds on it. Sounds great! The look of this thing is amazing, so it's nice that it's a real player as well. Only and only complaint I have is where the strap connects at the base of the neck. The weight isn't distributed rightand the bass tends to tilt away from you. I haven't seen anything that compares to this bass today. Love it.finorama

After taking 3 weeks to review this Bass, take some time to get it's feel this is what I think. Looks wise, very nice. I did not like the strings that came on it and switched them out for D'Addario flat wounds. This gave me the warm mellow sound I was looking for, and also gave me the action and feel I am comfortable with. While changing out the strings I came across 2 tuning gears that where very rough, but after taking them apart and lubing them they got better and the gear quality is exceptable for the price range of the instrument. Over all I am pleased, think it is a cool instrument with many possibilities.Judy

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

I got the hotrod yellow. How often do you see a yellow guitar? I also have a $1600 bass and this sounds just as good! I had to do a complete setup which is unusual, adjust the truss rod,saddles,pickup height. It plays and sounds amazing now. Downsides are, you have to buy an adaptor(if you can find one) to use regular strings of your choice. The strap extender which made the bass sit right and more playable cannot be found and is no longer made. Lastly you need to buy a special stand which is also hard to find cause it wont fit on a standard one. I managed to buy the adaptor and the stand from Reverb. As always American musical delivers excellent service and has made many purchases become a reality with the payment system! I no longer shop at music stores all my buisness is done here! The crafstmanship is better then you would expect for the price point. The fit and finnish seems great no sharp edges. The gigbag has a larger pocket and seems a little better quality then the one I got with my GT-Pro years ago. I would recommend a hardshell if you play out a lot with this.Scott G.

I bought this guitar because my back and shoulder have been hurting a lot recently, even with reasonably light guitars. I also tried the Strandberg Boden, but although it was lighter than this I could not justify the huge amount of money and didn't feel it was worth it. So I went with this, the original headless! (or version of) For the money, you can't fault it – I am very happy and play it all the time. So in many ways it deserves 5 stars. There are some bits I don't love though: The volume knob is so close to the strings I knock it a lot. If you are a very precise player this won't be an issue, but if you're going at it Cobain style you will. For the size, it could be lighter. It is still considerably lighter than a "normal" guitar though. The pickups are not great. However, I knew this going in, and with the guitar being so affordable and pickups being the easiest component to replace, this is what I plan on doing. The middle pickup is too close to the strings – I hit it a lot. Again, fixable. The neck profile gets weirdly thinner the closer you get to fret 1. I use this guitar for metal, so I don't mind, but I can't play chords on it, for that I need some girth! I want to end on a high, so here are the things I really like! General playability – it plays really well! A joy. Fretwork – top notch. Tremolo system – Why do more guitars not have the knob at the back to adjust the spring tension? It is fantastic. As is the quick way to lock it off. I've not had a floating trem in years because of the hassle, this is much better. Flip out leg rest – just what you need for seated playing. The look – Marmite for sure, but I love it. Retro yet futuristic.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

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

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

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

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

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

what a great bass! It's beautiful, light, and sonically versatile. the different pickup modes have 3 radically different tones which makes this bass right for lots of situations. I've seen some reviews that mentioned so issues with some fret roughness but mine showed up in perfect condition. I couldn't be happier with the bass. I also want to mention the customer service. I used the chat feature to confirm whether this bass came with a bag or case. the agent let me know that it does not but pointed me to the bundle that includes the bag and they set me up with a price I could not pass up. once I completed the purchase the item was shipped within 90 minutes. Other music stores I've done business with are not nearly as responsive. CME killed itShaun M.

This is a great short scale bass. It is a quality instrument. The finish is excellent. Playability straight out of the box was very good. Nicely set up.I love the pick-ups and the ability to blend the two with their individual volume controls. Great range of tones available. It looks good too ! Highly recommended. The only gripe is that at this price it should come in a hard case and not a bag !Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Really good guitar for nirvana type music. Only issue is that you need to set it up for it to be playable but once it's set up it's a great instrument. Pickups are pretty articulate but not to bright either just perfectly balanced. If you get one I recommend to lock the bridge down to improve its tuning stability and sustain. Note it DOES NOT sound like a kc style mustang, it has its own sort of sound to it. Fretboard is pretty nice same with the low radius which I prefer. Overall it's one of my favorite guitars I've ever bought and I cannot recommend it enough if you play grunge and nirvana music.Preston

I bought this bass as it was my dream bass and I never spend over $500 on any instrument incase someone steels it I can afford to replace it. this bass plays like butter. Its not neck heavy at all. I use a padded leather strap and It hangs just fine. you can get multiple tones with it that are useable and sound great. I also like that I can just pick it up and play it without having to use a amp.JoBoo

I may not be an experienced player but I have heard plenty of bass' and this is one of the best and smoothest sounding guitar.Xxxxx

This, as others have mentioned, is a beautiful bass. Simple and elegant design, and the wine red with the gold fittings seem perfectly matched rather than "gaudy", at least to my eyes. The instrument feels solid without being heavy, and has probably the most comfortable bass fretboard I've played on. The chambered body sound reminds me of a glass bottle being blown across its lip – slightly glassy, slightly hollow. In that respect, and along with the neck-favoring pickup placements, gives the bass a distinctive rather than a flexible tone when compared to the little Gretsch Jet II that I also play. The Gretsch is also a louder bass. I also own a Hofner Ignition violin bass, and while that is my go-to instrument and cannot be beaten for lightness and the way the small body encourages melodic playing by making the upper frets so accessible, the Allen Woody certainly does better in the sustain department. I would almost buy this instrument just to stare at it in the early evening sun, when the wine red glows translucent, but it also plays like butter and sounds great live or for recording, so, unless you're looking for a tonal jack-of-all-trades (and assuming you like its tonal signature), it would be hard to regret investing in this instrument.Dreaming Chris

This is my first bass so take this with that in mind. The fit and finish and setup were very good. I had read others complain but mine was perfect. This bass is a neck diver (it will not stay in playing position, neck dips toward the floor.) I added 31 oz of lead shot to the guitar strap and now it stays put. I understand this is common with some guitars, especially bass guitars but I own dozens of electrics and acoustics and this was a surprise. Overall I like the bass and with Rotosound 77 strings it has a mellow pleasing tone. I'm mostly rock and folky stuff so if you are a djenerate you should listen to one first. It is light weight compared to a full size bass like a P-Bass. It is almost as big as a 34" though measuring only 1.5 inches shorter than a P-Bass. I also picked up a Ibanez Mikro which is several inches shorter and lighter and the scale length is 2 inches shorter (28.6 vs 30.5 for the Epiphany). If you want tiny (but still acceptable tone consider the Mikro, it would be better for kids. If you want a bass that is short scale but otherwise a contender for performance playing the Allen Woody is fine. I also tried on a Fender Mustang (30 inch scale length) and it did a neck dive too. If this is an issue for you I do not know what to tell you.Michael

Have been interested in this bass for quite awhile, and finally bought one. I like the way the neck feels and plays. The pickup configuration is different than any others I've played, which I think makes it different and unique than the old repeated p/j type basses. Mine was set up quite nicely upon purchase, maybe a tweak here and there. I love the gold hardware and the finish is awesome. The only thing I've found is that my forearm needs to get used to the body type, as I've always played basses with contour right there. Pretty minimal problem. I play mostly blues/rockish type stuff. It's great for that. I recommend checking this bass out.Grover71

what a great bass! It's beautiful, light, and sonically versatile. the different pickup modes have 3 radically different tones which makes this bass right for lots of situations. I've seen some reviews that mentioned so issues with some fret roughness but mine showed up in perfect condition. I couldn't be happier with the bass. I also want to mention the customer service. I used the chat feature to confirm whether this bass came with a bag or case. the agent let me know that it does not but pointed me to the bundle that includes the bag and they set me up with a price I could not pass up. once I completed the purchase the item was shipped within 90 minutes. Other music stores I've done business with are not nearly as responsive. CME killed itShaun M.

This is a great short scale bass. It is a quality instrument. The finish is excellent. Playability straight out of the box was very good. Nicely set up.I love the pick-ups and the ability to blend the two with their individual volume controls. Great range of tones available. It looks good too ! Highly recommended. The only gripe is that at this price it should come in a hard case and not a bag !Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Really good guitar for nirvana type music. Only issue is that you need to set it up for it to be playable but once it's set up it's a great instrument. Pickups are pretty articulate but not to bright either just perfectly balanced. If you get one I recommend to lock the bridge down to improve its tuning stability and sustain. Note it DOES NOT sound like a kc style mustang, it has its own sort of sound to it. Fretboard is pretty nice same with the low radius which I prefer. Overall it's one of my favorite guitars I've ever bought and I cannot recommend it enough if you play grunge and nirvana music.Preston