I have a Jazz bass in the works as this bass' successor, and I doubt I will be disappointed but will bust my Artcore out to spice up my instrument lineup.

Sound
I found the overall sound of this bass to be a dream for slow-moving, accompaniment bass parts. This was my first bass, and it was all I really needed for the first year or so. I played mostly blues and rock and strung with D'addario flatwounds it was great (I hated the factory roundwounds it came with--- so dead and just lame). However, once I began learning funk I found that the bass had very temperamental high-end, especially on the g. After changing to rotosounds (highly recommended, by the way) this problem was improved but the tone still seems scooped out at times in the high register. I play through an SWR 400 with a 300W yorkville cab and it sounds great with Ibanez 5 strings I've tried, but that sound eludes me with the Artcore on the same setup.

Features
I was generally happy with this guitar. On bad days, the single pickup annoyed me with the little variety produced with the tone knobs but overall it was fine. It really should have came with the hard case, it took me 5 months to get it from the factory and I would have been glad to pay the extra $100 up front.

Ease of Use
It is easy to modify from the amp, but controls on the guitar are extremely limiting. I love the shape but feel it is too long when I want to play… read more low, like my arms are too short (and I am 6'3"). Practicality is sacrificed for style.

Quality
My bass came with a cloudy finish near the cutout, which doesn't bother me but for the especaially anal I would check the finish with a magnifying glass because I actually get quite a few comments about the bad finishing job. Also, the action vs. string tension always feels off to me.

Value
I have to hand it to Ibanez, I love the cutout design and the cream edging on the f holes really gets me. I payed about $500 I think and would say the price is fair (although some great deals can be made with that $500 on some used instruments).

Manufacturer Support
I have had no devastating problems that needed the company's help. However, I have always been scared of the inaccessability of the pots, through the f hole.

The Wow Factor
I think the "I want it" factor for shape is about a 9 but would be a 6 if I knew more about the specs when I bought it.

Musical Background:
persistent musician

Musical Style:
bass, funk, rock, jam read less