Sound:
Great all-around sound, and totally excels in loud, aggressive rock lines. The active equalizer helps to provide a fairly wide range of expression, with particular emphasis on punchy, ringing tones in the style of John Entwistle. This bass will serve any style of music when coupled with a good amp, but I get the feeling that it is at its core a rock and blues bass. Awesome sound, screams like no other bass.
Feature:
Good features ... active equalizer helps a lot. I especially liked the little bass boost knob that can give the low frequencies more presence, which really helps if you're switching from a lead bass line to a more reserved style. Pickups are very good, they have excellent clarity and much higher output than I ever expected from passives- I have a Dean 5-string with active EMG's and even those don't put out the sound that these do, although the Ibanez's sound is not quite as mellow as the Dean's. The jack is very nice, Fender Strat-style placement on the body. The neck is also very nice: slim, fast, and not too long while still providing a clear 24 frets, which makes fast playing easier than any other bass I've played.
Ease of Use:
This is undoubtedly the easiest and most fun instrument I've ever played. It's very very light without sacrificing tone; although I typically don't do too many stage theatrics, jumping around with this or even throwing it (god forbid) would be a breeze. All the frets are very easy to reach and smooth to play on. Interface with the knobs is initially confusing; without seeing a label for each one, it'll take a bit of practice before you get a feel for it, but it'll come eventually. Getting various sounds from it isn't a problem as long as you know the features well, but I can't emphasize too much that this bass is best for rock and blues; it's got incredible punch and clarity, and totally rocks on screaming bass solos. If there was anything I could change, I'd provide a little bit more emphasis on the lower frequencies- there's plenty of bass there, but I feel that it's overshadowed a bit by the biting treble and punchy mids. Still not a problem- I have a 5-string that I use for the mellow jazz, reggae and classic blues, and this bass is my rock guitar.
Quality:
Definitely another quality product from Ibanez. For as light as it feels, one would expect the bass not to last long, but it's surprisingly durable. The finish is great, no flaws that I can yet see, and the neck fits quite well onto the body. No parts have come loose; actually, they're much more solid than those on my Dean 5-string, which I paid $100 more for- used. I do keep a backup (the Dean), but that's more for really mellow and laid-back styles of playing than anything else. I haven't seen any problems yet, but the finish seems like it might not last as long as some others, but it is still high quality and will definitely last awhile. I really can't see any bad aspects of the quality, even the stock strings are pretty good.
Value:
This bass is definitely worth the money and more. The price was surprisingly low compared to other products- I'd easily pay at least $450 if not more for this, and I've certainly played basses that go upwards of $600 that didn't pack anywhere near what this thing has.
Manufacturer Support:
I rated this 10 because I've never had to go to Ibanez, and the shop told me that they have good support.
The Wow Factor:
This bass definitely looks great- sleek and smaller than average body with a nice slender neck, and the color is very nice, sort of a dark reddish/brown with a nice solid finish. It feels absolutely wonderful to play- very light, perfectly balanced, good neck length, easy-to-reach controls, fast playing, good action, everything. Basically, it looks great, feels even better.
Overall:
I bought this bass because I was looking for a good rock bass with lots of punch and growl, and this certainly fills that. It gave me a lot more than I expected, and I'd replace it in a heartbeat if it ever broke or was stolen. From the various basses I've played and considered (Peaveys, Deans, Fenders, Guilds, Epiphones, ESPs, Jacksons, Schecters) this ranks up in the top margin- I like this even better than Fender Precisions and Schecter Stilettos. It definitely gets me what I'm looking for, is a great rocker, and gives me at least as much presence as the guitarists in my band. I advise whoever buys this to mount Ernie Balls on it, preferably heavy gauge for the extra low resonance to complement the bass' mids and highs. The pickups are great, don't need replacing, but if customization's your thing than I'd recommend EMGs or Bartolinis. Anyway, this bass is awesome, definitely my favorite, and highly recommended. You can't go wrong.
13 of 13 people
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Sound:
The sound is punchy and full through the range.
Feature:
I love the thin neck and the deep cutout. All the components are good quality.
Ease of Use:
Easy to play, great tone adjustment.
Quality:
It was built great, no problems, even set up perfectly.
Value:
I think so.
The Wow Factor:
Awesome looks! Clean, smooth shape.
Overall:
Forever! The only reason I would ever buy another would be if I just had to have a new look. If it were stolen, I would replace it with an identical one or another Ibanez
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