Red And White Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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

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 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

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

If you are tired of searching for a professional sound buy this bass. I hated the mim fender deluxe model, but fender did something special with this bass. It has a clear piano like quality to it. My two sire basses sound like toys up against it. I have wasted so much money on lesser basses. I'm just trying to help my fellow bass players out there. Everyone says that I sound good playing my other basses, but there are certain ugly overtones that I don't want to hear in my bass. This bass doesn't have those unwanted frequencies, it is voiced beautifully. I know that most of tone is in the fingers, but at the end of the day you know what you want to hear. If you are an audiophile this is the bass for you. I have spent weeks demoing this bass and no matter what amp you run it through it sounds good. I played it at a church last week and all I can say is it was nasty. My wife ordered mine yesterday for my birthday and it's suppose to arrive today, fingers crossed.Eric

I've owned and played bass guitars for 30 years now and I've owned several fender basses and the myriad clones out there of the J and P basses. That history and background left me with a bias against fender and an eye for other "better" production guitars like the Stingray which is my other go-to bass. That being said, I am blown away by this bass. It is a SOLID instrument with no flaws or blemishes that I can detect. It came from the factory with an almost perfect setup. I had to make a minor intonation adjustment on the low B and E strings but the string height, pickup height, and neck position were perfect. Fender's Ultra Noiseless pickups (a stacked humbucker really) sound great in passive mode emphasizing a fat bottom end and the tone nob adds a good bit of mids. The highs are kinda meh for me but the active switch takes care of that and I can get as bright as I want. The 18v active preamp provides a lot of room to boost or cut low, mid, and high frequencies to get just about any sounds I want (I still prefer my Sting Ray if I want to get real funky). This is about the best sounding 5-string I've had. Most 5-strings sounds great as 4-strings and SUPER muddy when you work the low-b string but this bass brings it out without too much mud.T. DeWees

I bought this base back in April 2022. It sounds great and plays great. However, the front pickup recently quit all together. After a tech looked at it, it was discovered that it was a bad front pickup. It was beyond the store warranty, so I took it up with fender. After 2 weeks of going back and forth between them and the store that I bought it at, it was determined that fender would send the pickup to the technician if my choice and they would fix it. But it would take 30 days because they send it directly from the manufacturer. Which still boggles my mind, because the slowest mail would be less than a week? So my opinion of fender customer service has dropped considerably. A working musician doesn't have 30 days to do without their instrument. This is unacceptable. I decided to purchase the pickup myself. I can get it in the mail in 2 days, and put it in myself. However this is a great base if you happen to get one with good parts in itJerry

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

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

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

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

I watched dozens of reviews of various Bass guitars of varying price ranges. This guitar sounds fantastic in whatever genre of music. This bass is everything that Dagan, of PMT, said it was. It looks great too. Watch his review here https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VmJAYSbM2ZMGeoff W.

I've had mine for 1 year so far. Very nice. I have the natural wood looking style, which gets compliments all the time for musicians. The neck is smooth, easy to play. Sounds great. Down side is the active pre-amp drains batteries too fast. Even when set in passive, the battery will drain if it is plugged into an amp (even with the amp off). It will eat a 9V over night. So with that said, I never use the active setting, I just leave it in passive mode. You'd be better off getting a pre-amp pedal if you want that functionality.Michael

Wow, what a stunning bass this is! So much punch and grunt! The sound has so much depth, with beautiful lows and rich mids. Beautiful neck, slim and smooth to play. Sadly, I had to set the bass up when it arrived – AWFUL fret buzz, but no real big issue I guess. All in all, VERY impressed!Simon B.

This bass has the best sounding J pickup I've ever owned on a P/J bass. I always buy P/J basses as I prefer the slimmer necks that they usually have with the P pickup and never use the J pickup as they usually leave a lot to be desired for my ear. They usually sound congested with too much emphasis on the mid range. The mid range tones are present but the tone has more of a J neck pickup characteristic as opposed to a bridge J pickup. I was concerned about the fret edges when I bought this one as I saw a video review complain about how sharp they were. Are they as smooth as the higher end models I've played. No, they are not. Is the bass useable right now without a set up. Yes it is! I plan on using it a my next gig.James

Based on the BroadBass of the 70's, this is a great player without killing your budget. For an inexpensive bass it both plays and sounds extremely well. The BB's of the 70's were always nice and this one brings back that great vintage feel and sound that the original's had. I have played these in the studio before to break sounds and tone's up…it did the job and did it well.Lee @ Sam Ash CIncinnati

I got the Squier Mini P-bass in Dakota Red, it looks great, no finish issues. I'm a guitar player and I love the size, it's a blast to play, the scale length isn't too far from a guitar, it sounds pretty good and is comfortable to sit with. The pickup is fair, it would definitely make a great bass for a younger player or a small adult that is uncomfortable with a full size bass… and for someone like me that just wants to play around on it for fun and do some some basslines on home demo recordings it is sweet. With a couple of upgrades it could be a mini monster.Mark

I’d read reviews of how good this bass is and had to check it out for myself! I’m starting uni soon so wanted a cheap small bass to take with me. Fit and finish is very good as was the setup. Just had to slightly tweak the intonation. It’s really quick and easy to play and actually sounds very precision like 👍🏼 The G string can have a slight ‘sizzle’ to it but nothing too untoward. The tuners aren’t the best but seem to hold tune ok. I did replace the strap buttons as they are minuscule and my strap came off them too easily. Overall a fun and great sounding addition to anyone’s collection.Nic S.

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

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

Nice bass, short scale, thin neck, light weight and perfect for all kind of style you play i.e rock, funk, jazz or moving fast like jaguar etc. this is the one and recommended.jhnt8989

This is a dream come true. I've been playing guitar for 50+ years and have always heard about Short Scale (SS) basses that were very well suited for guitarists who want to play bass. This is a great value. I got the Performer Pak that included the $39 gig bag for only $10 additional. What a Deal!! This bass plays great and the Jazz style control configuration is nice for blending the tone. I'll be keeping this one around. I really like this guitar. Everything is top notch with the construction. No issues at all!!stratsplus

I purchased the Squier ss Jaguar because I'm a short scale addict and the price was right. I had to make the full gamut of usual adjustments out of the box, and the bass plays just fine now. Stock strings weren't my style; even with a string change and some height adjustment, it''s difficult to get a full sound out of the pickups. I had to really crank the mids on my amp to simultaneously get some definition and oomph. Still, I'll have a lot of fun breaking it in over the next month. I like the flamboyant silver finish and painted headstock; fretwork feels fine, and it sits comfortably (maybe the slightest bit of neck dive) with a wide leather strap. The bass didn't wow me as an instrument outperforming it's price range, but, with a sale price or coupon, it's a good short scale choice for a minimal budget.Michael

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

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

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

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: The older you get and the longer you play you come to realize that it's your skills and not that of gear that really matters,i.e Hendrix would have been Hendrix on a Wal-Mart Starcaster, is it nice to have a higher quality instrument? Of course is it necessary? No.This guitar will "get the job done", especially in a recording situation. This guitar is a "bare bones" no frills instrument for working players,once you "make it" go out and buy a 4k Martin or Gibson until then keep it real and work on your technique. I'm not really sure what players get in terms of value when they spend thousands on an instrument a 3k guitar does not sound 15x better than a $250.00 guitar. Some adjustment would be advised on this Yamaha, file down the nut or replace all together, the tuners could be better and the strings meh but this is a fine, professional quality instrument and I highly recommend it.Mike

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

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

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

I have previously played and owned only long scale basses. Have always wanted to try a short scale. Went to my local GC and tried a few they had in house. The short scale Sterling was a nice looking bass but the fret work was terrible. Based on reading other reviews I took a risk and ordered a Squire CV 60 Mustang. It is a beautiful instrument. Arrived in great condition with absolutely no flaws. Finish is great, Fretwork is great, string action and intonation were nearly perfect. Hard to believe that Squire can make an instrument like this for such a reasonable price.Jim

I have always wanted a short-scale Fender and decided to pull the trigger on the Squire CV version. Being a Gibson player, the 25.5 scale length always threw me off but this Mustang is very easy to play/swap between my Les Paul and 335's. The single-coil tones are great and certainly a contrast to the humbuckers & P90's I usually play. To be 100% honest, you better have some skills in setting up guitars and polishing frets or be prepared to pay a tech to get these guitars to their full potential. I had to completely polish the frets and fiddle for weeks to get the action to my liking. A neck shim is almost essential to get any height on the bridge and provide enough downward pressure to keep things intonated. I have no idea why Fender doesn't do this on all Mustang's, Jazzmasters and Jaguars since this is a very well-known issue. Once dialed in and frets polished up, this Mustang is a little tone monster.Jason F

Sound: It's a classic Mustang sound. Ease of Use: The Mustang bass was originally made for younger players and students, but it has a serious professional following as well. Quality: The only problem initially was rough fret ends which were quickly taken care of. Look for pro advice online as to how to do this. Value: Because I owned one before, I feel this is worth the selling price. Manufacturer Support: No contact with Fender about any concerns. Unless it's something out of my ability I'll handle it myself. The Wow Factor: When I first saw the "Vintage Vibe" Mustang bass, it owned me. Overall: I've owned one before and had to sell it. Incredible instrument. I've always preferred short scale basses because they're so much fun to play. Had to buy this one. I like playing this bass more than my 2001 American Series Precision bass! You won't be disappointed. Perhaps some minor tweaking may be needed, but worth every cent.Ampman

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

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

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

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