Wham Band Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

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 already have a Lakland Skyline 44-60 (formerly known as the Joe Osborn Signature model). After over 11 years, the "honeymoon " is still very much on with it! That said, I have wanted a 5-string, ideally another Lakland for some time. Until now, except for horsing around with any given brand of 5-string in music stores, just to see what they were like, I was very much a "newbie." Yes; there is very much a learning curve with a 5-string; getting used to that fifth (low B) string; and the slightly wider neck. While I consider myself a slightly above average non-professional; I've seen far better bassists slap a 5-string. THAT is another project, if your slap chops are anywhere below those of a Larry Graham, or a Louis "Thunderthumbs" Johnson (for examples). But, it can be done. Now, the overall feel of this bass is wonderful. I'm playing it a bit more often than the 4-string, which I will not abandon altogether (especially since it has flatwounds). Unless you can't do without active electronics, this is THE bass for you. If you want something that combines the best elements of a Fender, and "something else," this is why Lakland has been referred to as "the BETTER Fender."Bassguy

Lets get the gripes out of the way first. This bass is listed as "Shoreline Gold", but it's actually "Aztec Gold". The pic on the website makes it look lighter and more "amber/yellowish" than it is in real life. The Aztec Gold is a deeper, darker gold-color. Not a big deal to me because it's still a beautiful color. But according to the folks at Lakland, it's "Aztec Gold". I've owned a LOT of basses over the years. I have to say that of all the new basses I've ever purchased, this one had the absolute worst set-up I've seen on a new bass. After tuning it up to pitch, the strings were still almost laying on the frets in spots. Unplayable at that point. Nothing but rattle and fret noise. The truss rod needed a fair amount of relief, but the allen wrench provided didn't seem to fit properly. A friend had a 4 mm allen wrench that DID fit, so we adjusted the truss rod. I raised the action high enough to eliminate the rattle. Once I actually got it set up, it sounded quite good. Especially the A, D, and G strings. The E sounded a bit weak compared to the other three. I'm a flat-wound guy, so I slapped a set of GHS Precision Flats on it, and that seemed to even out the E string; and they sound great on it. So now for the positives. Once it was set up decently, this is a very nice-sounding bass. And it's quite a looker, as well. It comes with a Mint pickguard, which looks nice. But IMO, this Gold/rosewood combination just screams for a brown tort pickguard. None of the major pickguard makers seem to have a template for this because of the J-Sonic pickups. So I shipped the original Mint guard off to have a brown tort one made. Not sure yet when I'll get it, but I'm looking forward to it. The rosewood board is sweet, and not real light-looking like some. While changing strings, I went ahead and conditioned the rosewood with some Howards Feed & Wax, and now it looks even better. A deep, rich-looking brown. The J-Sonics sound good. A Keeper…Jeff

This bass is AWESOME. Tons of possible tone variations are achievable with the onboard active-EQ and pickup toggle. Low end comes through so well on this and that 35" scale makes sure my low B has enough tension on it to allow the low notes to actually come through without any "wobbling" on the tone.natful_6863

I was shocked by the quality and setup on this entry-level Ibanez Bass. Either the Ibanez Indonesia factory has stepped up their game, or AMS at least doesn't ship out the duds. Never purchased from AMS before, but once you buy you are hooked (stop sending me those $20 off coupons). VERY satisfied customer.Island Thumper

The Ibanez GSR105EX Bass is a nice value bass. The neck was straight. The action was nice and low. The neck profile made it very comfortable to play. The passive pickup has quite a growl to it. It is so light. Mine weighed just over 6 pounds. Strings were the weak link on the bass, which you would expect on a bass at this price. They were really rough on the fingers, even for an experienced bass player. They were changed out immediately, and it greatly improved the sound, and they saved my fingers from further trauma. I enjoy playing it. I think it is a good starter bass for those who want to explore a 5 string without a big investment.Pete H.

1st-great price for what you get – no more or less. 2nd- Re: Mahogany Oil naming – this guitar hasn't ever been in the Zipcode of Mahogany but I guess the stain is Mahogany colored – sort of. Review: The bridge is fine and the intonation and action is fine. This guitar is like my old 'Cuda – the harder you drive it the better it gets. It shines on more aggressive stylings; tho I don't like slapping and popping this thing sounds excellent for that. I use this mainly for recording so as far as sound – the one giant 'bucker is fine as I run Bass thru EQ's and compressors anyway on my DAW. Having the low B, 5 extra notes is the key here for stoop-down bad-ass low-ness. For 2 bills it's too nice. •••• d:DDean

Great bass. I picked it up to re-record some bass parts that I played on some of my songs with a guitar tuned down an octave. It definitely helped the overall feel of the songs quite a bit. I don't know much about bass guitar and didn't want to get a cheap one, so I figured I'd get this one. It did not disappoint. I think the overall price point and sound/playability makes this instrument great for any application, be it as a higher end student instrument or as a more professional gigging bass. It's a bit on the heavy side even for a bass, so get a good strap to go with it. Don't cheap out on one.Eric, S

Overall: Let me start by saying "Thanks to zZounds" for an awesome program for buying instruments. I've been playing bass for many years now. I know quality when l see and hear it. The Esp B205sm is an awesome bass! zZounds has the best on time delivery in the world. litterally the next day l got my Ltd five string w/case. l open the box and sat back to just look at this bass. The craftmanship is spot on with the attractive maple and ash body. its a thing of beauty for the price. What l usually do when I pick up a bass is listen to the bass wood tone and the neck action before plugging into an amp. listen how the bass resonate, the sustain of the wood and the bridge adjustments. My bass was spot on right out of the box. I didn't have to make any adjustments. "Perfect" I want to give a shout to the engineer that set up my bass. The active three band EQ is just right, but not to much that it sounds thingy. I'm very much pleased with the spalting wood top, the curves, this is a sexy bass. My buddy that plays for various professional bands couldn't put my bass down. He said "the neck action and the string position feels really good". He will purchase one for his up coming tour. when I plugged the bass in "Wow" I personally recommend this bass!!!Jess

This is the first five string I have ever played or owned. That being said one week with this bass and I ordered a Stingray Five. Hooked on a 5 now. I have an American Jazz and MM Stingray 4 as well. This bass has a very solid sound. I purchased it directly off the hanger at the Guitar Center her in Tulsa. For such an inexpensive bass with somewhat tired strings this thing sounds wonderful. I added a little bass and mid on the EQ and rolled the pickups to about 60/40 rear. Fantastic tone. Ash body and a humbucker are the way to go. It does need a bit of set-up and intonation but playability is there in stock condition. If you are looking for a snappy, bright jazzy Jaco type sound this probably isn't your bag but I love it. Easily worth $100-200 more.Jim

The good: 5-string fretless that is a real bang for your buck. The neck is thin and plays fast. Tri-wing tuners are convenient. Ebony fingerboard is smooth (although scratches slightly as you play). Limited knobs make volume and tone control straight-forward. The action is great; I would even set the string height lower. The ramp helps, however gets in the way if you want to experiment w/ slapping on a fretless. Beautiful tone, although that is subjective.Not so obvious: Neck is maple, NOT matching the body color. Pickup is NOT contoured like the ramp (as on the GWB1).The bad: The QC for Ibanez was horrible. The pickup/preamp was blown, right out of the box. There was a chip in the finish near the battery compartment. A small dimple in the finish on the front of the bass. Rather than take the matter up with MF, I decided to take the bass to an authorized Ibanez repair shop. I have played this bass for one day, and have not seen it in 5 weeks. Hoshino (Ibanez) says it will take another 4 weeks for my pickup replacement to arrive to the repair shop from Japan. I still recommend this bass however, caveat emptor (let the buyer beware).Heerul

This is a nice bass. I'm an Ibanez fan, and have had a top-of-the-line SoungGear bass for many years, but wanted a nice simple bass – no active electronics/batteries. I also own Fender and Yamaha basses, and this one holds its own nicely. Nice neck (not quite as thin as some of the SoungGears, but not bad), nice feel, and nice tone from the single pickup. Great for small gigs, jamming etc. Play it through a decent amp & speakers and you'll get decent and varied sounds simply be adjusting the tone control. Nice!Hawkeye Fan

I found myself away from home due to a family emergency with no idea how long it would be before returning. Since I had left in a hurry I didn't take any instrument and three weeks later I wished I had. So began my search for an inexpensive full size bass to practice on when I found free time. I ultimately chose the Ibanez GSR100EX for several reasons. This bass is a no frills offering having a single passive pickup and nothing more than a volume knob and a tone knob. The pickup is surprisingly beefy. It has that "fast" Ibanez neck and true to their advertising, it came setup with the same quality that you would see on more expensive models. Every screw was tight. Neck was perfectly straight. No dead spots and the frets were well dressed and crowned. The finish (I got the black model) was perfect. No cracks or hazing. Even the action and pickup height was just the way I like it. It's quite lightweight too. Maybe I just got lucky but other than some minor intonation adjustments it was ready to go right out of the box. I would play this bass anywhere and not be lacking. It's not just a beginner's bass by any means although a beginner couldn't find a better value IMHO. It may not have the tonal palette or lack the features of basses that cost many hundreds more, but it does deliver the basics and does it well. When I get back home I intend to convert it to a BEAD bass. DON'T let the price cause you concern. It really is a great deal.IamBuzzy

In highschool I played bass a lot and on the side I learned to play the guitar. BUt once I got into college I started to play guitar way more, to the point my Carvin 6 six string custom bass sat in its case for about 6 months because I had no chance to play it. Three years later, I started playing bass again but unfortunately I don't have any gear. BUt I have a couple of friends that have basses they let me borrow when ever I need to (one is this bass the other is the cheapest rogue they make). Now Its been a while since I played my old gear, which was a carvin 6 string and a nicer hartke amp with the alum 4x10s, but I still remember great tone, good tone, and blah tone. Anyways back to this bass, the tone is pretty flat fingerstyle. There just isn't alot of life in this bass, nor the rogue for that matter but the rogue is a hundred dollars less. The neck wasn't too bad pretty thin, action okay. This one didn't buzz much but the rogue had its places. ALl in all the basses sounded identicaland minus the fret buzzing on the rogue played the same. So my advice if you are starting out go to a music store find a rogue that has a decent neck with no buzz and save the extra hundred and put it towards your next bass. This bass is't worth the extra money even though it is cheap. This bass has no growl or spark in its tone just like a cheap rogue doesn't have any of that.Roger-bdKv7

Premium built guitar with very attractive price tag (sale). Beautiful maple top, comfortable neck with roasted maple fretboard, lovely sound. Only pots feel cheap and tone change pot in passive mode could be improved as it's far from the smoothness experienced on for example my other bass guitar which is Fender Precision.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Lovely instrument and much lighter than expected, wasn't expecting the finish to be quite as it was but hard to be sure when buying online. Very pleased none the less.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I wasn't sure what to expect from the Mustang as my previous experiences with short scale basses had not been good. But everything about this has been fine. The bridge pickup does sound a little buzzy with the tone fully up, but I really don't care! This is a surprisingly fun instrument.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I know that I will start an argument with this comment but I'm gonna say it anyway. Why lug around a full size bass guitar when the short scale bass sounds just as good and weighs a lot less. I tried a full size bass and to tell the truth I would have never been able to play a set with it. It was just too heavy for me. Maybe twenty years ago I may have been able to take the weight but not now. I am a guitar player mostly and the full size bass was too much. This bass is the perfect weight, the perfect look and quality, and sounds like a full size bass. It just does. I see a time where the 34 inch scale will wither away and be replaced with the shorter scale bass. It's inevitable. The full size bass has nothing to offer over the shorter scales than maybe cosmetic options. And that will change as time goes on a people realize the advantages of the shorter scale. As a disclaimer I will say that is my opinion. I am sure that full time bass players may have their own reasons for the full size bass.Danny

WOW everything you expect from the iconic Tbird, the sound and action are amazing. Ageing hands appreciate the amount of sound you can make with little effort.FRANK

Love this bass always wanted one, but just couldn't afford one . Found this one at a great price and with zero interest. It was really a no brainier. I have an old EBO bass , and it will be retired even though it's still a great bass. The only thing I'm doing is putting on a new set of flat wound strings.Robert

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.

Overall: I wanted a bass. I play guitar and just wanted to try the bass. I went in the music store and asked the salesman to help me. He showed me basses in my price line which was 500.00 dollars,then he wanted me to try the gsr100ex. He plays this one himself and asked me to try it. I love it!!!!!!!! I am telling you it sounded better than the other basses that were there. I would recommend this bass for anyone not just the beginner.Daniel

This is the fourth bass I've owned, and I am quite satisfied with it. My one complaint with it is that the pots are loose and don't have a center detente. But that's nothing that new pots and a soldering iron won't fix so I'm not bothered by it. I also bought it used; it could be a singularity but other people have had some trouble with the electronics. But this thing is passive and re soldering it is a walk in the park. I absolutely love the tone variety that I can get from this bass. With new strings on and on a bridge heavy tone you can coax out that signature Warwick growl using fingers or a pick; both sound good. It isn't a one trick pony though, if panned onto the neck you can get a nice fat sound that is sufficiently toned down but not so much so that you get lost in the mix. If you have both pickups at a similar level, you get a good balance of tone. I vastly prefer the placement of the pickups so you get a more ballsy sound than from something like my Schecter Stiletto. I also like that a tone knob is used instead of an onboard EQ- it's simpler but just as versatile especially when still figuring out the tone that you like. I put Power Slinkys on as soon as I got it and they work great. I play through a Hartke LH500 into a 1×15 cab, the only effects I use are a Xotic RC booster and an MxR comp. I love both, the comp is an always on pedal for me and the RC booster really brings this thing to life and gives it a little extra body and oomph so you really cut through the mix. I haven't tried this thing with distortion yet, so I can't speak to that if that's something you're looking into. This thing really can do just about anything; I played it in church and the sound guy loved it and I play hard rock/ metal tunes for fun at home and it rocks for both. Word of warning though, if you're used to covered pickups the open magnets may throw you if you're used to plucking pretty hard (guilty). Bottom line, if you want a versatile bass that tends toward an aggressive tone, buy this. Try and find one used, it's a much better deal. I don't know that I would've bought this at the new price. I would advise playing one in person first; I picked up a Warwick at a store a few years ago and didn't like it but then picked this one up recently in store and loved it. So it isn't for everyone. But for the price, the tones you get from this thing are real hard to beat, even if you buy new.Ajgriff

Overall: This is my second RockBass by Warwick. I must say, I’m even more impressed with this one than my last one. First, it looks even better in real life. The natural finish is what I prefer on instruments. Besides looking awesome, the lack of a lacquered finish means your wrist shouldn’t stick if you’re sweating. I mean the bass looks like a big chunk of wood with some strings and electronics, need I say more? The wood really gives this bass the distinctive tone that I personally love. Alder has a great brightness to it. This means I can really make this bass sing. Having that much natural high, even the EQ flat, means this bass is incredibly bright. Don’t get me wrong, the MEC pickups play a big role. A good allegory being “the wood is like the water, while the electronics are the coffee beans” or the other way around. Lastly it plays extremely slick. Warwick uses a 3D adjustable bridge, as well as having the adjustable nut. This allows the player basically every possible avenue to set this bass up perfectly. It may take some practice to get all the adjusting nuances down but it’s worth the practice. These RockBasses really are great. They fill the gap for people like me who are great players that haven’t met band mates yet thusly, don’t necessarily have the reason/means to get a $5,000 Thumb or Streamer. I love this bass, in just a month it has already become an extension of me. I can’t ask for more.Alex

All it really needed was a lowering of the bridge overall, to get the string height / action right. Also I HATE round wound strings, so had to put on flatwounds, now it's perfect. If only the bass Gtr manufacturers realized the flat-wound strings actually make people want to play for longer, they might sell more basses. I have played this thing non-stop (except during work and sleep) since I got it, and LOVE it. 2nd Warwick bought.Fred F

Wow, Just got my Jackson Bass! Took it out of well packaged box & smiled! Fire glow was flawless & Heavy chrome abound! Nice neck-through, & all fit & finish is superb! I haven't set up as yet , but tuned her up & tried it out as is out of box & with a few minutes to figure control knobs was Smiling large again! Strings, for my likes (heavy thumper) were Tad low but with a slight neck tweak (including hex wrenches) & perhaps a small amount of Bridge string height adjustment , this machine will be ready to thump out any style you wish! Responsive 9V Pre-amp! This is no light weight , about what a good American Fender Jazz bass weighs & size! No case, but should fit in any long scale Fender Jazz/Precision style case. As another reviewer had mentioned, it is similar to a "Ricky" style bass but with style & tones as well, as a Fender Precision Plus bass! I'm actually a Fender man, especially Jazz or P bass & others & have several, but am really digging this Beauty per price point! I took a chance & very pleased I did! Check ya's one out!Jerry

I purchased this bass online and my local Guitar Center happened to have it in stock, so I was able to pick it up that same day. Can't complain there. What I could complain about are the finish issues on this specific bass – though it reminded me of a valuable lesson, which is to avoid purchasing an instrument you don't have time to fully inspect.. •The binding where the nut shelf meets the head looks like it was cut with a dull blade. Unnoticeable unless removing truss cover and does not affect playability. •The nut groove for the E string is rough. Looks like the string was melted into it and the excess plastic was left behind. I will correct this once I upgrade the strings in the near future. •The inlay on my 15th fret has a faded/incomplete corner. Cosmetic, but annoying. •The body has an imprint where the pickup cover rested (I removed mine). Only on the top side. Bottom is without dents. Cosmetic but annoying. Then, there is the set up – or lack thereof. It's really not a big deal for me, as I have no problems setting up my guitars and setting up a bass is really the same thing – but for someone who isn't comfortable setting up an instrument, it is very much worth mentioning. The first 2 frets on every string were completely muted/buzzed out. The neck needed quite a bit of relief. Also, the intonation was pretty far off. Now maybe they intentionally come out of the factory with the necks set to bow for shipping reasons? Either way, it's apparent that the employees at Guitar Center do not treat setting up an instrument as a standard. If yours has a good set up, it's likely that they just happened to want to play that instrument between customers. Doesn't leave the best taste in ones mouth, but this place is my only option where I live. The employees were nice enough on a personal level.. Other than those things, I really do love this bass. It feels great after properly setting it up, and has a great variety of tones thanks to the PJ pickup combo, blender knob and active pre-amp. The pre-amp sounds great. It really is a beautiful bass in my opinion and I am happy with my purchase.Paul

I first researched this bass and had tried a couple different basses. This bass is very well made with great features. Beautiful finish, very responsive. And the active EQ makes your tonal choice unlimited. I was expecting a heavy bass, but it wasn't. Jackson didn't disappoint, the quality and craftmanship is very good.Anthony

This was my first Jackson product purchase. I was absolutely impressed with the quality of the instrument at this price point. I have purchased other higher priced guitars that weren't as nice as this. I can definitely recommend and will probably be looking to purchase others.busmech70

Highly recommend this bass to anyone and everyone. From experienced and beginners alike. Beautiful finish. Great feeling neck and is just the right weight. Pick one of these up. You won’t be sorry.Glenn

The Kelly Bird looks drop dead gorgeous and sounds absolutely thunderous. It's tone and tone shaping ability is amazing. Clean, gritty with some OD, or even some weird solo synth preset you never use on your effects- all sound like you handed the bass to a pro. It has enough punch to scare the dog but also enough top end to play high. The neck is just wonderful. Sanded from the factory without that sticky shellac on cheaper instruments. The fretboard perfectly laid out and the frets properly rounded. The fit and finish is top notch stage quality level. Stock strings are pretty good and it came to me almost perfectly in tune. I love this guitar. From a tonal standpoint it scores top marks. But whoever designed the body has never even held a guitar. The neck dive is just ridiculous. I've had basses that dived before like Warlocks and Mockingbirds, but the Kelly blows them all away in the sheer speed and violence this neck plummets to Earth. It's only saving grace is that it is light so having to hold the thing up with your fretting hand is possible, but ungainly. But for the pick player- it's a challenge. I've seen Megadeth live and Dave Ellefson's bass doesn't dive when he lets go of it. Mine dives like someone yelled 'Incoming! I ended up shoving tire wheel weights in the electronics box until the bass was half again as heavy– and it still dives, just more slowly now. You'd have to add enough weight that the thing is uncomfortable to completely eliminate the dive. Next I am going to hang weight off the rear strap lock. It's silly that I should have to do all this just to make it stay put. I expect neck dive on these body shapes, but the Kelly takes it to another level. Sitting down is no better. The body slides to the outside of your knee, putting the nut somewhere in the next time zone from your body. It is like playing a Steinberger bass, despite those being small you have a long reach to the nut. As a functional guitar body, the Kelly Bird is terrible. Standing or sitting- it's badly shaped and badly balanced. But man, does it look great. Because it sounds so good, I can't give it anything but high marks for actual playing. But only after I have had to resort to frankly silly fixes to try to make it more playable in the first place. Hands down wins the gold medal for neck dive. Still a great bass sound, still love to play it, still think it's the best sounding bass I've ever had. Just have to accept it's faults like any lady you fall in love with.thesollylama

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