Tom Araya Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

Quality control was quite bad on this bass from the factory. Truss rod was Way out. Neck had a hump it it. Several high frets. Almost stripped out the adjustment screws trying to lower the pickups. After leveling, filing frets, adjusting truss rod, tightening machine heads and retapping threads for the pickup screws it plays fine. Rather disappointedpartherian

This is more beautiful than the photo shows. My love of Slayer is the main reason for learning how to play bass. I tried tuning it right out of the box and broke a string. It needed a little bit of an adjustment on the neck and put new Ernie Ball Hybrid Slinky Bass strings on it, they were delivered before my Dunlop strings got here. It's amazing and you should buy it! * * * * * * * SLAYERRRRRR!Natasha

Best sounding passive bass. I've owned 4 basses as of now, (Active) Warwick Corvette, Stingray RAY24, (Passive) Warwick Streamer 5's, and this ESP's. Just connect this with a MXR M80 and for sure you gonna love this bass!RickRos

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

I've had this guitar for about 10 months, and it's great! It's everything you'd come to expect from the ESP LTD line. But the big question is, "How's that bridge?" My motivation for buying this specific guitar was my unending frustration with the floating tremolo on my previous guitar. We started jumping back and forth between standard and dropped D in our set, and making that work with a FR was a nightmare. With that, I had set out on finding a non-FR or fixed bridge, since I rarely used the trem' anyway. I had always wanted an ESP and the idea of each saddle being independent of one another was compelling. It can take a little to get used to, though. Tuning is done at the bridge, and the tension on the strings is adjusted by the tuning pegs. Once the string has the right amount of tension, that saddle will be "activated" in what is referred to as "zone 2". Here, the springs will counter any additional tension applied to that string up to a given point. This means that you cannot do bends or change the pitch in any real or easy way. Some people may like this, but it feels very odd, and the people at Evertune know that most people don't play like this. So, to get the best of both worlds, you will need to apply enough tension on the saddle to bring it right up to the edge of zone 2 by turning the tuning pegs. What I found to be helpful here is to not just listen for the note to change, but to pull on the string and visually inspect movement in the saddle. Once this is set, it feels like a normal guitar with just a tad more tension on the strings. The guitar will come with 10-gauge strings. I gave that a shot for a while. Only recently did I switch them out for some 9s. I think it feels a lot better with a lighter gauge string, especially considering that tad bit of tension. A tip I learned regarding Dropped D was to tune the guitar down by default. Then tune up the low E, which puts that saddle into "zone 3". This is far easier than the reverse and stiJohn Q. GuitarPlayer

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

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

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

This bass lives up to it's solid reputation. Excellent tone, preamp, passive mode, etc. Out of the box, I was really impressed with the fit and finish. After having it set up, played a couple of gigs with it. It was flawless. I also own an American deluxe jazz. In comparison, it comes in at a very close second!Phillsquatch

Plenty of companies offering "super jazz" basses; active circuits, high mass bridges, parametric eqs, etc. I have never seen this quality and feature set on bass with this price tag. Neck needed no adjustment, straight grain maple neck, with ebony board. 3 band EQ with sweepable parametric EQ, vintage passive tone control like you would find on a Sadowski. I lowered the action to taste and did a gig an hour after receiving the bass. This is a pro quality bass! Sonically, It is a hi-fi Jazz Bass.Dbassmon

Honestly plays like a bass guitar 5x more expensive. I can't believe how well this instrument is made, really great attention to detail, the rounded fretboard edges make this hard to put down. I've put my Fender Jazz bass back in the case at this point, the V2 just blows my mind in both sound and feel. All this for less than £500 – just ludicrous.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I own five Ibanez basses, my first one I bought back in 1982 was the Silver Series P bass. This is a really solid bass, I can get many different sounds out it, it feels good and is comfortable to play, it has nice bottom, growl and sustain. Great value for this price range, go for it!Mike

This bass plays and feels fabulous. The pickups are a little noisy, but for the price how could one complain? I'm switching out the pickups and electronics and I'm sure it will be a stellar instrument. The craftsman ship is killer for this price point.zestofyore

I tour with this guitar and it has so much character and I fell in love with the tone right away. Rosewood fretboards are not in style anymore so a maple fretboard on a bass is a major plus. Everyone loves it. It was hard choosing the warm yellow or cool mint green. I went with the mint green to go with our beachy image.Kayla

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

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

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

Overall: I bought this without playing it, but was very pleased right out of the box. My fingers were black after a few minutes of playing due to the dirty strings, but that didn't dampen my opinion by any means (but good idea to purchase a new set of strings along with the bass). Bought the Walnut Finish (looks more expensive) for use with my SC-300 Boss Looper (also purchased from zZounds). It sounds great! I'm not onstage playing head banger metal, so don't need that rumbling low end anyway. But the pickup configuration def gives you a lot of low end. Even though I've been playing guitar and bass for over 30 years, I would use this bass onstage, AND more importantly, if you are introducing anyone to playing bass – this will be a much easier learning bass due to the size. It still feels like a 'bass' and it's not tiny or anything, but it doesn't feel clunky like a bigger bass does. I'm looking forward to using this for a long while, and assuming it holds up over the next few months I'll likely grab another one just to have a backup. Don't hesitate if you need for a recording bass, or onstage. And def great for a beginner to keep them from losing interest due to most basses being too large for them.Jason

This is my second Mikro. I gave my first to my nephew, and moved onto full scale bass guitars, some fairly expensive. However, I missed that Mikro. Even though it?s the cheapest bass I own, it is by far the most fun to play and sits next to my desk as the ?go-to? guitar to pick up and play when the mood hits. Love this thing.RICHARD

I'm recently retired and a beginner with the base. The Ibanez miKro Series GSRM20 was just what I needed to get started. The short scale is better for stiff fingers, and I found it quite easy to play. The quality is very good for this lower priced guitar, and it came mostly set up, needing only a few tweeks. I recommend this product to others, especially older folks with arthritis.MARK

Amazing Jazz Bass. Wonderful tonal options, easy to play and looks great. A bit on the heavy side, so make sure you don't have any shoulder issues before you buy.professors*photos

Overall: The only star I gave less than a 4 is the Overall, I gave that a 4. Why? Because it feels like the price in the weight and appearance. That's not a bad thing because it plays and sounds Awesome!! I grabbed this because I was looking for something lite on the back for the 3 hour shows. When I first got it I was a little nervous thinking it was maybe for a beginner but once I plugged it in with the band it punched right through and the guitarist noticed a huge difference in sound compared to an Epiphone Thunderbird I was playing. I should mention that Epiphone costed me $300 more and this Ibanez seems to beat it in punch and overall sound. All that said I may buy another in black for the metal band. (Using the one I bought in classic rock etc..) That metal band sound? Think Lamb of God meets Slayer…I used it in that style of music and it punched right through. A problem I WAS having is whenever you play in metal bands the bass seems to drop out and more so during guitar solos. Well the reason I may buy a second one of these is because it performed well with that "Metal" test. So…If your looking for some punch, more EQ room and something that doesn't hurt your back for a GREAT price this is a great choice.Tony

Overall: I love the sound and playability of this wonderful instrument. My only complaint is with FedEx, they delivered a day late and at 10pm. they did not walk it up tp the door they left it in the middle of a driveway I share with a neighbor and left with no notification. I just happened to hear their door slam. I opened the front door as they left. I walked out to the driveway and stepped on the package because it was so dark. Fortunately the instrument was not damaged.Micheal

Bought one of these basses after searching high and low for used Attitudes and always wanted to play one. Finally found a III online at GC used. It was basically brand new out of the box. Once I received it I was totally blown away. I have Fender P and J basses and am very familiar witht the P neck, my first bass and have it for over 25 years. The ABIII neck is so comfortable and the action is amazing. The playability blows all of my Fenders away and I hate to admit that because I still love playing them but this bass just raises the bar. Construction is top notch. The neck through construction is solid and the body is solid but very light. Hardware is excellent and the recessed bridge just adds to the low action and sustain. Harmonics are bright and clear, there's no fret buzz and the bass plays very fast. Comes with a set of BS strings which I really like. I'm not sure if it's the strings themselves or the neck profile but bending is quite easy to do everywhere on the fretboard and not just where the neck is scalloped. Which brings me to that section…. just a great feature that adds to new inspiring riffs and soloing ideas. I would never try or do that on my other basses as it was just such an effort to bend and not buzz or be difficult to do but the scalloped frets make it a breeze. Fiinally, the tone. The EBO-esque neck pickup really keeps a nice low end thump and they are very complimentary to the P pups. I would recommend this bass to anyone that was thinking about a high end "players" bass. This thing is meant to played and played hard.Joeglow

Bought one of these because I always loved the look and sound of Billy's bass but more importantly the P bass sound with the extra grind he has. I started to do research on the new one and didn't find too much on it but decided to jump in. So glad I did! The action is unreal and the tightest of all of my boutique basses with no fret buzz anywhere. The neck is chunky but very comfortable. Smooth palm rest and very fast playing. All of my guitar buddies are flawed by how low the action is and how great it feels. The quality is bar none. The bass is super responsive and sounds great with no effects used. Great P bass tone on the single plug in. When I ran 2 amps to try the 2 pickups in separate channels it just really added an immediate boost to the tone. There's so much dynamic range that the possibilities are endless. The scalloped neck was something I never had before and it is such a great feature to have if you like to bend notes. Very easy and super clean tone. The finish and construction quality of the bass is flawless. Very light overall bass, lighter than my Fender American Standard Jazz bass. Very comfortable right hand placement on the pickups or behind, I play in several positions but those are my most often used. Slap sound is very good as well. The neck has a little scoop taken off the end of the fretboard to accommodate your plucking finger. Great Bass, Great sound, super quality. I'd recommend this bass to anyone looking for a high end instrument. It's no wonder you can't find any of the older Attitudes for sale used. People just don't get rid of them!Joesph Loscacco

Bought this because I love the look and feel of a P bass but of course because of Billy. The feel and playability is unmatched by any of my boutique basses. Super low action with no fret buzz. The action is what a guitar player would die for and no wonder Billy can fly around on this thing. It's a shredder bass with the authentic P bass tone. Chunky yet very comfortable neck. scalloped frets were something new to me and I am totally in love with them. Clean work on the fret dressing, no burs or sharp ends. Total attention to the details on the neck. The body is super light and very well made. The D tuner is something I used on all of my basses and this comes standard. The P pickups have a great punch to them as expected from a split system and as authentic sounding as any Fender I own. I think they have a bit more meat to them which is great, I think just an overall upgrade to the classic design. The neck pickup has this EBO like tone that captures that nice sub kind of thump but it's not over the top and clear. It totally compliments the P pickups. A great pairing to my ears. I played the bass totally clean and flat EQ at first and was totally impressed then added some grit distortion to the mix and there's Billy's sound! I split the stereo outputs to a clean and distorted amp to mix the 2 channels and you get the best of both this way. You can also get both pickups through on amp as well but I wanted to try it the way he does to get the full experience. Hardware, tuners and bridge are all excellent quality, no complaints there. The recessed bridge is a great addition as it aids to keeping the strings as low as possible without over compensating them or having to adjust the neck angle or saddles. Intonates perfectly. I'd stack this up against of my Fenders or any of my other high end basses any day. It's no wonder you can't find the other Attitude versions for sale used on the net. They hold value and people just don't get rid of them. Now I know why.Joesph Loscacco

Very pleased with bass, great sound and much lighter than a V7 (3.9kgs vs 4.7kgs). It's a great Jazz bass. Roasted neck has a lovely feel to it and makes a positive difference to the sound. Pre-amp is so quiet and so versatile (but bass sounds great in passive mode too). It is a beautiful instrument and the finish is perfect ! I highly recommend this bass ! Well done SIRE and thank you Marcus for your input !Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Bass looks good. The action was fair at best. So I don't really understand all the pro reviews I saw on YouTube saying how great the bass is set up out of the box. The worse issue is an input Jack that shorts out constantly. Come on.Lar

Very pleased with bass, great sound and much lighter than a V7 (3.9kgs vs 4.7kgs). It's a great Jazz bass. Roasted neck has a lovely feel to it and makes a positive difference to the sound. Pre-amp is so quiet and so versatile (but bass sounds great in passive mode too). It is a beautiful instrument and the finish is perfect ! I highly recommend this bass ! Well done SIRE and thank you Marcus for your input !Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Bass looks good. The action was fair at best. So I don't really understand all the pro reviews I saw on YouTube saying how great the bass is set up out of the box. The worse issue is an input Jack that shorts out constantly. Come on.Lar

The bass has excellent tone. Was exactly what I expected. Was not happy about the loose tuning peg which buzzes from the vibration of the strings, but will find a way to make it stop. Fret buzz on the A and D string on the first fret of each one is an issue which leads me to believe that the nut is not properly fitted. Pickup buzz from the lower bridge pickup will mean that I will not be able to record with this bass. That being said, for practice and jamming purposes it will definitely be ok. Still despite these minor issues, love the tone of the bass.CroRoc462

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