Kiss Axe Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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

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

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

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

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

I've had this bass for almost two weeks now, maybe a bit more. I didn't give my feedback befor today, since I would've given it less than a one. However, I waited for a reason. The sound is great, and I don't mind the sound of the stock pickups. It looks great, but that's trivial to me compared to the sound. Now here's a problem that few have mentioned. While some said, it's playable right out of the box, IT ISN'T. I got the bass in a pretty bad condition. Meaning, the action was too high, and the pickups were too close to the strings. It was virtually unplayable, even though I convinced myself that I could play it; which I did. But the pain in my fingers was indescribable, I almost got depressed. I changed my strings a week later to SH77 flat wounds .50 (heavy and thick strings), which didn't help initially. So I tried adjusting the action myself, but still wasn't enough. A day later, I sent it to a professional for setup. Now that made all the difference. I'm in love now. The strings sound amazing, the bass plays amazing, the feel is amazing, …. in brief it's amazing. Bottom line, have it setup by a professional ( unless you are a professional technician), otherwise you'll struggle with this bass. Unfortunately, the agent at MF mentioned that it's playable right out of the box, and I was naive to believe it. Anyway, live and learn. Set it up, and you'll already to go. Hope this helps anyone skeptical about this bass.Rafi

I purchased a Sterling sub series stingray5 a week earlier and really wasn't happy so I went to return it. While I was there I was trying out some of the usual fenders that are in stock and just wasn't feeling it. Then, I noticed this one. I played it for 5 minutes and couldn't stop. It had the most comfortable neck I've ever played. After comparing it to a couple more expensive p bass options, this one was still the clear winner. The design may not be typical fender, and it's almost reminiscent of an Ibanez or a Washburn, but the ergonomic are like no other. Trust me this guitar is worth a shot. The tone is warm and growly. If you could imagine mixing the bass tone of the red hot chili peppers and the pixies, this would be what it sounds like.Chris

I got this bass recently and have to say its my go to bass for everything. I have a few others like a Dean which is nice, but feels odd due to its weight balance. But the Aerodyne sits well and feels comfortable. I think the tone of it sounds really good. Bought this in store so I got to test it out, action isnt bad. I did some innotating which only the E string needed it. I'm sorta new to bass, but I been producing music for 10 years. But being a new bassist, it feels great. I do highly recommend this bass. Great price.Liam C

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

got one used in good condition but discounting the minor scratches and a minor ding near the strap button the quality of the workmanship was excellent for a bass in this price range. Plays really well and only a minor bit of fret buzz which was easy to get rid of by raising the bridge a bit. Action was really low when i got it so it could easily stand to get raised a fraction. The sound is very bass heavy on the neck pickup by itself. You can dial in a bit more treble by using setting 2 and mixing the volume level and tone of the two pickups. The bridge pickup is very treble sounding – almost too thin. If you turn down the tone on the bridge pickup it sounds better. I am not using the bridge p/u by itself ever – seems to be good for maybe only a few songs. Going forward I could see routing out the cavity and putting in a MM type pickup. Other than that the sound can get very close to Jack Bruce/Cream sound along with good Hard Rock to Heavy Metal sounds. You can dial in an acceptable jazz sound or R&B sound but it's not quite there so I'm using this baby for mostly Cream, Steppenwolf, CCR, etc. Works good for old-time R&R. Nice sleek black finish and chrome hardware gives it a nice dark appeal. Pots and controls work well and are smooth. Tuners are good but make the neck a little heavy so maybe replace with ultralights at some point. The neck does tend to dive so I'm moving the strap button nearer to the neck – almost at the end and move the strap button at the end of the body up an inch. I would also recommend a thick strap with rough leather on your shoulder to keep it from slipping – don't use a web strap as this will just let it neck dive when you let go. I'm hoping once i get lighter tuners and move the strap buttons the issue goes away but i can live with it for now. Well worth the asking price but if you can get one in good condition used it will still be a good deal even with minor cosmetic flaws.Bones

The Epiphone EB-3 cherry Bass is one beautiful guitar, but has cosmetic quality issues: The mahogany laminate on the face of the body, was glued on at a very "VERY" slight perpendicular angle, and not parallel with the neckline. (the back laminate IS straight). The fret markers are beautiful pearl, but the ninth fret marker is "blatantly" FLAT WHITE, and stands out like a neon light among the other markers. I can't understand how the person installing them, fail's to do a simple "match" of the inlays (either make them ALL white, or else ALL pearl!)(or REJECT a mismatched one!). (in comparison, my Epiphone Les Paul, has excellent matching pearl fret markers). I ordered a second EB-3, to see if I could get a better one, and had the chance to compare the two within the 45 day grace return period. The second one was worse, and had "TWO" mismatched white fret markers, with the other ones being "pearl". The mahogany laminate of the second guitar was not at all as deep and hypnotically mesmerizing as the first one they had sent, with the second guitar's mahogany appearing very flat, or dead/dull looking. (even though both guitars have polished clear gloss finish).(mahogany wood grain usually looks like a "natural mile deep 3D hologram iridescence", and the grain "dances and changes shapes" in the light as you move it around). Also the red tint on the sides of the second guitar appeared to be a shade lighter, and slightly mismatched appearing to the tint of the laminate tint to me. The first guitar's sides were slightly darker, and matched the laminate beautifully. On the second guitar, the bridge pickup holes were all half misaligned upon the poles with the cover tightened down anyways, right upon the poles permanently crimping each hole distorted over up on the pickup cover. The cover holes are half covering the poles. I kept the first guitar. It had a bit of fret buzz, but my technician fixed it in about 15 minutes. It plays perfect, sounds great!, and looks beautiful!Sir Ripstring

Overall: First of let me say this- the photos on zZounds website, while perfectly fine and acceptable, do not do this bass justice. It is absolutely gorgeous. The quality is high and there are no sharp frets or concerns anywhere. The first thing I did was fiddle with the pickup selector, and the volume and tone knobs to see what I could get out of it. There is a wide spectrum of sound. At it's brightest, it's not super bright, but then again, the first thing I did was put flatwounds on it, so that was expected. But let me tell you- this is one fat bottomed girl! The lows are expressive and the sustain on every string is amazing. There have always been the old Squier vs Fender and Epiphone vs Gibson debates. Epiphone, with this bass, has made the differences a lot harder to spot.Bruce

Right out of the box this bass sounded good. Dean sold me. Played a little venue at a friends house and got lots of complements on the sound and looks. Sure made me feel good. People asked to sign my bass and made me think how cool that would be? Maybe after some wear and tear that will happen. Can't say enough about this bass. What a find, really. Only been learning for over a year and maybe I don't know what I'm talking about but for now I'm talking Dean. Being a beginner at 63 sure is fun. Rock On kids cause that's how I feel….wunschy

This is a decent package for anyone wanting to learn the bass guitar. The bass guitar holds tune fairly well and is good quality. The amp that is included in the package is average at best for what it is, nothing impressive but good for solo practicing. The instrument cable is low quality without a right angle plug. The packaging is low quality and the guitar head was damaged in shipping as a result of the inadequate packaging. Sam Ash took immediate attention to my claim on the damage, their customer service is awesome. Overall is it a good bass guitar package.Aubrey

I'm an older ex weekend warrior who has played in bands for years. I've owned many other basses including Fender P-bass, Hamer Cruisebass, and Carvin LB-70 to name a few. I've been out of the music scene for awhile but really missed having a bass around to mess around with so I ordered this one in the satin finish. I knew what I was getting because I had been to Dean's website where they have accurate pics of this bass. I wasn't disappointed! This bass is an amazing value for the money. The tone is great right out of the box. Action is right where I like it. No fret buzz as long as you are fretting properly. I did change the strings right away to black nylon tape wounds. They lend a smooth attack (almost like a double bass) and are super easy on the fingers yet still get that P-bass like growl if you open the tone knob up. Construction is very good especially for the money, fit and finish is great except for the fret work. I'll need to file down the fret ends as they are a bit too long for the (nice) rosewood fretboard. They aren't sharp or dangerous so it could be worse and using proper technique you'd hardly notice it. The only other gripe is the tuners. They look nice but don't hold tuning for long periods of time. I end up having to re-tune the bass nearly every day. The tuner on the G string could be smoother as turning tension goes from tight to loose and back to tight as it turns. These are really minor complaints for such a low cost bass. The finish is really good. It appears they put a matching basswood veneer on the top and back so you can't even see the slab joints. I wouldn't hesitate to take this on stage, it looks that good with the black tuners, bridge, knobs, and strings (in my case). The neck is nice and thin and fairly fast with a satin finish on the back of the neck. The electronics are way above average for this price range. The pickup, volume and tone knobs work together very well to give a wide variety of tones.VTbassman

Great tone, it buzzes a little but with new frets that's not really an issue as they'll settle down sooner or later. All in all, very happy with the new toy.Brian M.

I played a bass with active pickups for about 15 years. I wanted the passive growl. No set up needed! Perfect right out of the box. Sound, quality and price. This is a great bass.Isaac

Yamaha TRBX174EW is a great bass. It has a very balanced and versatile tone. I bought it with a pickups upgrade in mind after watching YouTube videos, but decided not to as soon as I played it. Looks great and sounds very nice.Alex

I'm really a 99% guitar player and only 1% bass player but I am completely satisfied with this bass for my purposes. I like to make guitar videos on you tube and honestly , I only even play the bass to add fullness to the sound. For not being a professional musician the price I paid for this bass is a great deal. ( This sight won't let me type in how much ?!?) I get exactly what I want out of it. I find it easier to play ( good action ) than my last similarly priced bass and it sounds good. If I could play like Geddy Lee or Steve Harris ( my 2 fav bass players ) maybe I'd spend more money. But this bass is plenty good enough to learn songs , practice on , or even play it in a local band. I've played in a few local/garage type bands and I would have no problem using or letting someone else use this bass for a show. Unless you are a professional I would definitely recommend this bass.scott b

Great value, set up was proper, finish was of good quality.Sound improved with higher quality strings, overall a really good guitar, especially for the cost of an entry level bass.thocow33

I played this bass about seven times, and knew I wanted one. The neck has very Fender-like feel to it. The pickups both have three settings, series, split and parallel. In series the sound is loud and powerful, good for heavy rock. In split, the volume is lower, and you will get slight 60 cycle hum with each pickup soloed, but not when they're used together. On parallel, the pickups sound very Fender-ish. The neck pickup alone on parallel has a nice, round and warm P-bass tone. Both pickups on split sound like a 70s Jazz bass. It also has many other tones; you simply have to experiment with the switches. The tuners stay in tune, and it has a good bridge on it. I got the ivory with maple board. It is gorgeous. The fit and finish is extremely good. If you're looking for a bass that has vintage Fender tones, and more, this bass is it. It is worth much more than it sells for. Buy one. You will love it. MikeMike

Sound: I can't think of any way to describe it tonally other than two jazz basses mashed together, with the option to turn one off or turn both on into a series or parallel beast. That's what this bass sounds like tonally, which somehow the double jazz pickup that was in the american series P basses couldn't even seem to perfectly emulate. It's a very impressive sound and the series/single/parallel switch attached to them is where this bass seems almost magical in managing to sound like 3 different basses in one. Going to have to split this section into three to describe it better. Series mode: very much like those double jazz pickups mentioned earlier that are in early 00s american series P basses and certain discontinued warwick models. Single Coil mode: put the pickup selector in the middle and you have a jazz bass plain and simple. That's pretty much the best way to describe this sound. Parallel mode: The final setup provides a very unique sound that lends itself very well to the genre I play. It's a midrange scooped sound that still retains plenty of high and low mid definition and manages to cut very well without sounding muddy like series bass humbuckers can tend to do. The best comparison I can think of for the parallel setup on the BRIDGE pickup is somewhat close to a Warwick Thumb bass with it's very aggressive percussive tone, but instead of a low mid focus it's very high mid heavy. The neck pickup in parallel is it's own sound that I've never heard out of a bass before, and is great for smooth runs and calm basslines. That being said, this bass manages to be the most dynamic bass I've ever played tonally, without a single battery powering it. Very impressive especially considering what you're paying for it. Features: Pickup wiring switching and the unique j-buckers are what makes this bass so special. However, the inability to blend pickups kind of sucks and it could've only been made even better by an active circuit, also with it's own on/off switch but that's something I can do should I ever see the need. Ease of Use: Might not be the best bass if you're after a VERY SPECIFIC sound (ala jazz bass, ibanez lows and highs, warwick low mid growl, musicman midrange bite) and is definitely something that might confuse and scare away people with the 80's-esque switching options, however it makes up for that in how many convincing and unique tones it can produce. Quality: Overall, the instrument is solid. There are two reasons I've taken off stars however: there's a minor cosmetic defect on mine that irks me even though no one has noticed it but me: when the pickguard was mounted, it was actually mounted in such a way that the back side of the pickguard, inbetween the pickups, is lifting up due to the mounting holes being drilled a bit too close to the center of the body. Second one is something more unavoidable due to the combination of a maple fretboard and the instrument being made in indonesia and coming over here to california: sharp fret ends. 40 dollars at a local tech solved it for me within 2 days of owning it, however it's something to consider and I feel it's more inherent of maple fretboards, so the only one that might suffer from this is the Ivory one (which is what I got) Value: In my opinion, best 5 string bass in the sub-1000 range by a mile. Only other contenders for that spot in my mind are the Ibanez BTB options and the Warwick Rockbass Corvette Doublebuck. Manufacturer Support: I did ask about a case and they were very quick to respond with plenty of helpful info on solutions. For those curious, the 5 string variant is ridiculously long (approx 49" from headstock to end of body) so don't expect it to fit in most hard cases. Schecter is yet to make a case so case hunting will be a thing! The Wow Factor: Unreal tone palette and options for this pricerange, extremely hard to beat for the same price. When I first tried this bass I was expecting a 1,000 dollar pricetag. I saw a 649.99 one. Needless to say, I sought it out on zZounds and bought it a few days later LOL. Here's for hoping Schecter continues to use these pickups and puts them in more cutting edge models like the Stiletto, I'd be on the waiting list for one that's for sure. Overall: Surprised to see no one has said much about this bass yet, so here's my takeaway and why I bought one. I'll save my life story for later for the sake of making this a review rather than a story, however I should mention I've never owned let alone played a Schecter bass until now, however I've owned well over a dozen various Ibanez soundgear basses, from the cheapest GSRs to the higher end prestiges.William

I bought this bass on a whim, and I don't think I could be happier. The pickups have a surprising amount of versatility, and the body is surprisingly lightweight. Only downside is a there's JUST a bit too much neck dive. Nothing to make me wish I didn't buy though. I do recording and play live, and this bass sounds spectacular through everything I've plugged it into. 8/10Justin, W

I just got this bass and can't seem to put it down. I love all the features about it. The Neck-Thru body construct is a feature I've always wanted with a bass a slim neck for faster playability, loving this bass alreadyBloch Party

I am a working bassist and this bass first caught my eye it's a very cool looking instrument , then I plugged it in and with a little set to fit my playing I was sold , and frankly blown away at this little Ripper. Plays like Butter and has great tone , punch, sustain and independent volume control for each pick up instead of the standard pu mix control I really liked that feature you can really dial in your tone , and this bass is far from being a one trick pony , you could use this bass in most any situation just by simply dialing in the sound you you want for what ever style of music your playing. Can't say enough good things about this bass I'm just loving this bass.Boom Boom

I’ve had this bass for a couple of months now and I’ve yet to find any big faults with it. The setup was fine out of the box, it arrived quickly and unscathed, and plays perfectly. The only problem I encountered was that the volume knob, which utilizes a set screw to keep it in place, was loose and came off about a week after I got it. The bass included a set of Allen wrenches, one of which fits the set screw on the knob, so that was an easy fix and a minor inconvenience at most. The blue burst finish is stunning in person and it was absolutely worth waiting for it to come back in stock. The stock pickups are pretty good for this price point, but I’m definitely looking into some options for swapping them out in the future. Not that it’s absolutely necessary by any means. I keep buying from AMS for 2 big reasons: the payment plans that can’t be beat, and fast, free shipping. AMS came through on both again!Mason V.

I bought this bass awhile ago. After reading several negative reviews I think the issues they have is this bass is shipped with no tension on the truss rod/neck. Out of the box it is not playable, sounds horrible and you need to adjust the truss rod to add relief to the neck. After making that adjustment this bass is a great beginners bass and sounds good. You will not be disappointed. Just watch a YouTube vid on how to add relief to a guitar neck / adjust truss rod.Gerald

I got this just to use for home recordings after YEARS away from bass playing. I've owned better in the past, but this is not bad! It has a good tone and the neck is easily playable. Sounds good playing through a Fender Rumble 25 watt amp. If there is one thing I don't like, it's the round-wound strings. I first started with flat wounds, playing funk and R & B, so the strings aren't as "warm" as I'd like. Still good for slap styles or for rock.Lee

I bought this bass back in 2003, and wanted to start playing again. I played bass in the early 1980's till 90's. I grew up with Rock to Metal days and had a Fender bass. I got caught up in marriage and working 12 hr days , so I sold my equipment. This bass plays well once you get it set up. Sounds great for a budget bass. I still have it among other upgrades bass guitars I now have. I still like playing it. And it still looks like new . Great bass for the money.Jbrocky0

Cool vintage looks, solid construction, love the neck profile. After minimal adjustment to the setup it plays very well and sounds great through my current rig. Good features for the price, pickup routing could be closer but I can live with that. Overall, very happy with it.D.W.

I am a beginner bassist that started playing bass about maybe 5 or 4 months ago. I originally had an ibanez gsr 200 to start which was a solid bass. But the Yamaha I a step up in every way when it comes to quality and tone and how much fun you have with the instrument. I can't say much about the electronics as I haven't had much time with the bass to notice anything but all and all they have held up just fine. I highly recommended this bass to people of all skill levels.Mountaineerace

Mine came with a warped neck, body is super soft and easily dings,and finish as you would expect is consistent with most low cost cost Asian basses. Electronics also. Required a lengthy setup but still could not optimize with bad neck. There are better options in a beginner bass. The Rondo SX and the lower end Ibanez lefty basses are just two examples.kraigster414

I bought this for my son for Christmas. He is a self taught instrument player. He was overjoyed with this package. He loved the look of the guitar and all of the extras that it came with. He said it was a definite upgrade from his old guitar that he learned on.Deoanna

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

Gift for my friend. He loved the look and realistic details of the guitar. Also, the stand had adjustable features & padding; so real! Absolutely love it.Lhasa