Sound:
I own a two pickup Mikro bass. It sounds just fine. I have owned and played basses costing much more money and this one sounds just as good to my ears. I give it a 9 because I am sure their are better sounding basses, but not for this price.
I play through either a SWR head with a goliath 4x10 or a Marshal guitar practice amp with a multi-effects unit, and it sounds great out of each. To be completely fair though, everything sounds good through the SWR, and the effects pedal lets me get hundreds of different sounds.
Through the practice amp with the pedal on "bypass", it still sounds good.
Feature:
First, I love the scale length. It is a lot of fun when you are used to a 34 inch scale and you switch to a 28 inch scale. I have smaller hands and I love how playable the neck is.
A standard "P" and "J" pickup is nice because you can get a variety of sounds.
The knobs are cheap, they look cheap, they feel cheap, and they will probably get replaced someday. The tuners are also cheap, but they keep the guitar in tune. I would not replace them unless they gave me trouble, but I already have a set of Gotoh's at home to put on them. They will probably go on it someday.
Ease of Use:
This is one of the easiest basses I have ever played. The neck is fast and is similar to my old Ibanez 605 soundgear bass. The neck is comfortable, and the reach you can get with the smaller scale is great.
There is no manual, but it is not that complicated of an instrument.
Quality:
Mine came in perfect condition. No sharp fret edges, or other give aways that it is a budget bass guitar. There is no noticable gap between the neck and body. The pots are not noisy. I would use this bass without a backup.
Value:
This bass is fantastic for the money. As someone who has played bass for 14 years I believe this to be an excellent buy. It is a great platform for upgrades and it is a lot of fun to play.
Manufacturer Support:
Never needed it so I don't know.
The Wow Factor:
I wish that Ibanez would make a "prestige" version of this, with natural finishes and the upgraded electronics and tuning machines of its larger brothers. The finishes available are marketed for younger players, and this is fine. I like my blue sparkle. Overall, it looks nice, but not expensive.
Overall:
I am very satisfied with this product and will keep it until it is no longer playable in any way. If Ibanez built a "prestige" version of this, I would save pennies to buy it.
As an experienced bass player I purchased this guitar because of its scale length and the fact that it is one of the better short scale basses available. The shorter scale length allows me to reach places I was not physically able to do before.
It can not be beat for the price.
If it were stolen I would replace it, or bug Ibanez until they made a prestige version of it for me to buy.
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