Features:

  • ACOUSTIC-ELECTRIC BASS: Equipped with a 4-band EQ-7545R guitar preamp to produce high-quality sound for beginners and pros alike
  • RICH, RESONANT SOUND: The mahogany composition creates a beautiful sound, great for unplugged jam sessions or performances
  • 4-BAND PREAMP: Built-in volume control, a 4-band equalizer adjusts bass, middle, treble, and presence
  • FOR BEGINNERS OR PROS: Ready to use right out of the box, it's perfect for beginning guitarists or professionals who want to practice on-the-go
  • BEAUTIFUL FEATURES: Crafted with an attractive inlay, chrome die cast tuners, and a glossy finish
I am extremely happy with this bass

I am extremely happy with this bass. It sounds great with or without an amp. I put on some new strings, as the originals were a bit twangy for my liking. If you are in the market for an acoustic bass and don't want to spend a lot of money I'd highly recommend this one. I like the feel of this bass compared to some larger $200 acoustic basses I've tried. You might as well buy this bass for half the price of what they charge for an acoustic bass at Guitar Center and use the money you saved to buy a case and a guitar strap. You are also gonna need a guitar strap button too since there is only one guitar strap peg. Here are the links to the case and guitar strap button http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00G059BU4/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1 http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/B00BKXN9LS/ref=oh_aui_detailpage_o01_s01?ie=UTF8&psc=1

I am delighted with this bass!

First off, let me note that this is a $70 AE bass (the lowest price I've ever seen for an acoustic-electric), so I'm not going to compare it to the $500 Michael Kelly Club Custom sitting next to me or the $600+ Kelly Dragonfly basses I've played recently. Instead, I'm going to compare it to my realistic expectations. You don't buy a $2,000 used econobox at the car lot and then expect to drive off of the lot in a new $70,000 Mercedes. You just hope that it will reliably get you from Point A to Point B. Shipping/Packaging: I ordered it on a Thursday; it arrived Tuesday morning. The packaging was well-done with no damage. Color and Finish: The color (which some have complained about) is exactly as it appears in the picture, and I love it! Much to my surprise, the finish is flawless, even in bright, outdoor sunlight. Not a single chip, ding, or scratch. The details and the bridge are pretty cheap-looking, but what do you expect at this price? For the bridge (which was pretty rough in spots), I lightly sanded it and applied some walnut stain - after protecting the body with blue painter's tape. It was a minor detail perhaps, but the bridge went from looking cheap to looking pretty sharp. I also polished the fretboard with lemon oil (it seemed a bit dry), and that added a gorgeous luster. Size and Shape: Be aware that this is a short scale (30") bass - most likely just mass-produced and also used as a guitar body. That's probably why it has an annoying pickguard, something not typically found on an acoustic bass. However, it blends in with the color well, and I don't dare to try removing it. The bass is very, very light in weight compared to most AE basses, almost feeling like it's made from balsa wood. In fact, this "bass" is actually much more like a guitar than a true acoustic bass. Setup and Strings: You don't absolutely have to, but it's a good idea to replace the strings if you want a better sound. I put a $20 set of D'Addario Phosphor Bronze strings (long-scale) on it, and they make a world of difference. When I changed the strings, I also went through a pretty standard setup/checkout on it, and it did need some work, some of which I described above, but it's just a bit of detailing and fine-tuning anyone can do with a little bit of study. [See the comment section of this review for some additional advice.] There was no fret buzz, however, I did make a minor adjustment to the truss rod. adding 1/4 turn clockwise to lower the strings slightly, improving the "playability", but this is simply a matter of preference, not necessity. You may not have to deal with this, but one problem I did have is that the intonation was noticeably off - sharp at the 12th fret. After pulling the strings off, I noticed that the saddle sits in its notch with a little bit of slop. As the strings are tightened, it angles just a bit forward (toward the top). What I did to fix this problem was to fill the front with a thin strip of metal (I used an extra 0.55mm feeler gauge that was perfect when cut down), and between pushing the saddle backwards and more vertical, I gained about 1.0mm at the top of the saddle which was enough to correct the minor intonation problem. I could have just as easily used a strip from a soup can lid. To check the intonation, you can use an inexpensive tuner like the Snark SN-8, or if you have a good "ear", you can simply tune the 12th fret pressed down to the same pitch as the 12th fret harmonic. Another option which would probably improve the tone somewhat is to replace the plastic saddle with a bone saddle. It's not very expensive or difficult to do that, but it seemed a bit like overkill for this bass, so I didn't bother. Hardware and Electronics: The frets were good (no roughness), the tuning machines/pegs and electronics/EQ work fine (although they are cheap - the E string is underamped, and you tend to get feedback easily). All of the various screws/bolts/nuts were tight. Some people pull them and then reinstall them with Loctite, but I didn't see the need for that at this time. I've seen a few complaints here that this bass goes out of tune, but that's probably just due to the strings stretching, something that is normal for any bass and new strings, regardless of price. For a strap nut at the headstock, I just added an inexpensive separate wrap-around headstock strap with a strap button. To sum up, it exceeded my expectations (which were admittedly low), and I added these five items to complete the package: - D'Addario EPBB170 Phosphor Bronze Acoustic Bass Strings, Long Scale, 45-100 - Ernie Ball 4037 Black Polypro Strap - Acoustic Guitar Strap Button (Black) - World Tour BG20D Deluxe 20mm Bass Guitar Gig Bag - Snark SN-8 Super Tight All Instrument Tuner I certainly wouldn't recommend it as a professional/gigging axe or for serious study, but for a beginner, a child, or a bass to take camping, it's a great bargain. Also, it looks nice hanging on the wall next to my other basses, and I'll admit that one of the reasons I went through the "detailing" that I did was so that I could say to my musical friends, "You are not going to *believe* what I paid for this!". For what it purports to be, I'm more than satisfied, and I absolutely give it five stars. -TJ

An amazing acoustic bass value,....Grab it,....you wont be disappointed!

I've been a bass player for over 50 years. In that time I have owned dozens of electric basses generally in the $300-$1000 price range both new and used. I am certainly not the most advanced player on the planet, but I can generally keep up with any group after a few practice sessions. After spending a lot of time looking at various used basses on venues like Craigslist and eBay, I happened upon this bass on Amazon, read a number of reviews here, and since I was looking for something for weekend campouts, I thought this made more sense than paying $200-$400 for a used bass. I ordered this bass and it showed up promptly,....and I must say,......it has exceeded ALL of my expectations. I was quite surprised by the build quality,....it looks like a far more expensive guitar,....very nicely put together. Yes,....the action was high when it arrived, but I watched a few videos on how to improve it, and by merely sanding down the white plastic bridge string rest,....by about 1/3 (it slips out of its slot,....then sand the flat bottom down) I turned this into a VERY playable bass. If you aren't comfortable doing this, local guitar shops should be able to do this in minutes for a nominal fee). The neck is perfectly shaped, (not too wide) and is quite playable. Perhaps not the loudest acoustic bass out there,....but certainly loud enough and the built in EQ and volume controls work very well,....delivering more than acceptable volume levels and tone control. Two Thumbs up on this one,...grab it,....you wont be disappointed.

Great bass for the price

I trained as a classical musician since 2nd grade in the 50's. Got into a rock band in highschool in the 60's and had all the classic basses, Fender P bass, Hofner Beatle,etc. and my favorite, the semi hollow body Guild Starfire. Sounded the most like an upright. In the 70's, married with kids stopped playing and sold my equiptment. Now retired I wanted to get back into playing both bass and guitar with a few friends. For a sub $100 bass the reviews sounded good so I took a chance and ordered from Amazon. The bass arrived in undamaged condition, good protective packaging. This bass hasgreatly exceaded my expectations, the neck needed a small adjustment to lower the action. Other than that the finish is perfect, the bass looks great, the short scale and the thin neck make it a pleasure to play. The eq works great, run the bass through a small 10" practice bass amp set up from Behringer. I'd loved to hear this played through a Fender bassman amp. The strings sounded fine and didn't need to be replaced but I wanted the deeper sound of the up right so I changed they for Rotosound black nylon wound strings. I'd highly recommend them if you want a deeper clean upright sound, had them on my 60's basses and was thrilled to find they still were being manufactured. These strings sound wonderful and are easy to side on and push down and they just look so good on the bass. The tuner pegs worked fine, stays in tune. To conclude: You can spend hundreds more and not find I better acoustic bass. Just because it's not a brand name doesn't mean it isn't being made in the same factory in China as the higher priced bass. Order this befor they are gone!

A great acoustic electric bass, fantastic price !

Sometimes, you can buy an inexpensive instrument and it will sound great. This is one of those instruments. I hope my post helps others, I’ve been playing acoustic guitar, bass guitar and other instruments for more than 30 years. Here is the breakdown on this acoustic electric bass guitar. What came in the box: 1) On the box, the guitar was made by Sky Enterprise, the model of this bass is 427 for the one that is natural color. 2) The box came with pick guard that has a Self Adhesive sticker on the back. I am glad that the manufacturer is giving the owner the option. To me, I like the way the bass looks without it, but end game... it depends if the player heavily uses a pick or not.. some do. 3) There was no hex wench for the truss rod, however I have ones that fit already.. so no big deal on that. 4) The guitar did have foam wrapping inside, and then just the thin outside box. I think that there should have been another external box for more protection. Physical condition / Fit and Finish: 1) Unlike others that have posted, on the one I got... “no” scratches or other damage. The body is perfect! There is abalone for the rosette, and the front top wood may be spruce, the sides and back very much do look like mahogany. 2) The fretboard is supposedly rosewood, and it was “very dry”, I put 3 dime sized drops of Old English lemon oil (not polish) to condition the fretboard. The strings were not tight (as they should) so it was easy to rub in the oil. 3) The “BC” that is on the head stock was very faded, and not to noticeable unless you get in close to the guitar. I don't think that was intentional by the manufacturer, however I very much like the way the logo looks. It's not pronounced. more faded with the wood itself. 4) There is a strap bottom on the very bottom of the guitar and another one of the side of the “neck” toward the body, not sure if that was added as an after thought as I read some posts here on Amazon that there was no 2nd strap button. 5) The built in equalizer is a model: EQ-7545R which you can find by itself on Amazon. The volume knob does not seem too solid, so be careful about that when your turning that volume knob, the other sliders on the EQ, seem good. The battery check light works. Also note that the 9-volt battery is installed and has plastic wrap on it, so you have to pull the battery compartment out and then take that plastic wrap off..don’t forget about that. Sound / Playability: 1) All the frets are fine, they seem to be all the right height.. no dead spots.. nothing. The ends of the frets are "dressed", no need to file them. 2) I did have to tighten the truss rod, that that helped bring down the string height. The white saddle the the strings goes over on the bridge, that piece does come out, and I took down “half” of the material using a dermel rotary tool, then a flat metal file and that also helped get the strings height lowered for better playability. Don’t forget to look on YouTube for instructions on adjusting the truss rod and saddle, "you can" do the basic set up yourself. It's more of a feel, see and play "thing"... more than anything else. 3) Some people in the comments has said that the biggest string, the “E” string does not sound loud enough when the guitar is plugged into an amplifier. Try adjusting the equalizer settings, take down “higher end” on the right of the guitar equalizer and then turn up the “mid” or “high” on your amplifier, that may balance out the sound more. 4) The bridge looks more like a classical style bridge. It has no bridge pins, only holes that go thru the bridge itself. I went with light gauge D'Addario Strings, which I may return for some phosphor acoustic ones, not 100% on that. Another idea, is Nylon strings. Also to note, buy bass guitar strings that are short scale. Also to add, that light strings tend to be brighter, but the upside of that, they are easier to press down and \ fret and also less tension on the neck and bridge. 5) The strings that comes with the guitar, are “ok” for the short term, but I can see physical imperfections of the strings themselves, like the wounds are mushed up in some areas of each string. There is plenty of new ones to choose from on Amazon. Final Conclusion: This electric acoustic bass guitar is a Christmas present but I needed to check out that there was not any outstanding issues with it. From what I can see, this is perfect. I have not seen any acoustic electric bass guitars, that the body has that cutaway shape in this low price range.. anywhere. It’s definitely worth buying 100%… Have a great holiday season! - Tom

Excellent Bass Guitar!

Having played guitar and bass for a long time I just wanted a bass to mess around with at home. Seeing the high reviews on such a cheap bass, I thought I'd give this one a shot and I am so happy I went with this one. It arrived fast from fed ex on a Saturday. All I did was tune it and played. It's AMAZING for the price. I could not believe this only cost $80. It sounds like it should've been more. Only thing I did was take a little old English furniture polish and spread some with a q-top under the strings and onto the fretboard. The fretboard is a little dry as I saw other people also say. Other than that, I tuned it and played it within 3 minutes of unpackinging it. I lugged my old bass amp I had sitting in my attic down and plugged it in to test the electronics. It played every string loud and clear through the amp. People said the low E was hardly noticable through an amp. Not mine. They all were heard. An excellent bass guitar for a beginner to an expert. All around 5 stars for sure. I would def recommend it if you're looking for an acoustic/electric bass for whatever reason you want to use it for. I love just grabbing it and playing along to my favorite songs n my iPad. 2 thumbs up! If you are torn between this a couple other ones, 100% go with this one, you will not be disappointed.

This is a nice bass.

This is a nice bass...if you want something inexpensive to beat around with, here it is. No need to spend more money. I've not tried the electronics yet, but the acoustic sound from this - with the factory strings - is great. If the electronics don't work well, no problem, I'll drill a whole in the bottom and put in a microphone pickup. Also, I've not detected any intonation up and down the fretboard. Out of the box, it came pretty well set-up - nothing out-of-wack that could not be fixed. Which was much appreciated. Just had to adjust the truss rod to straighten the neck a little to bring the action down...I chose to file the nut slots some because the measurements suggested that; and the saddle a little too. Rockin' now. I would not fear playing this with others or in front of people. The thing is, this low-end stuff built overseas is so good now you really have to consider if it's worth spending money in the next range of $400 or so (because it's probably close to the same quality and maybe even built in the same factory). Also, this did have strap pegs on both ends...

A diamond in the rough... A great bass guitar that just needs some love to fulfill its potential

Great bass for the money, but set your expectations correctly. First of all, the bass will likely arrive not quite ready to go out of the box. Inexpensive guitars rarely arrive ready to play. Either be prepared to set it up yourself or pay someone to do so. Mine was hardly playable out of the box. When it arrived the action was set very high, however the intonation was good so the setup needed was minimal. I straightened the neck with the truss- up and shaved down the bridge saddle. The nut was actually cut well depth-wise, though the slots were a bit snug. I opened the string slots a bit to make sure they allowed the string to glide smoothly. The nut is cheap plastic as is the bridge. I may replace them in the future with bone if I bond well to this instrument. Once adjusted, it played very nicely. I experienced the same issue with uneven sound from the pickup as others have had. The fix was super easy! When I had the bridge out to shave it down, I pulled out the pickup a bit and carefully scraped off the plastic coating on the pick-up "bumps" using a utility knife. I only scraped the plastic off of the bumps that didn't produce enough sound, in my case the D and G strings. I replaced the pickup in its nook and all was fabulous. That tiny adjustment made a world of difference and now all of the strings are equally voiced when plugged in. Finally, I relocated the strap button that is on the neck heel. It interfered with my access to the upper frets so it got mounted on the bottom of the heel. As others have mentioned, the rosewood fingerboard and bridge were very, very, very dry. The driest I have ever seen. Liberal application and re-application of lemon oil took care of it, though it took quite a while to get it properly conditioned. That is all of the bad, which isn't really bad at all. As someone else said, it's like buying a guitar that needs the finishing touches done. For $75, it's still a good deal even if you had to pay a pro to do it. Construction is good, but the finish is not absolutely perfect in some small spots. I've seen Epiphones with the same and worse finish flaws, so it came as no surprise. However, the binding is decently done with triple on the top and single on the body and neck. The frets were nicely finished with no loose, sharp or high frets. The perfling is very nice and doesn't look cheap on other inexpensive guitars that clearly use a decal. This is either inset or a really nice decal. In any case it looks good. The finish is glossy, but not sticky like some gloss fender necks I've played. The neck profile is a chunky-ish C profile that feels good to me. The headstock has an understated logo that is unfortunately under the clear coat, so getting rid of it is a chore I won't undertake. It's not bad, as it doesn't grab attention so it is easy to live with. All in all this guitar is an amazing value at $75. Better quality than other brands at a much higher price point. This bass guitar is a winner in my book, as long as you are ready to do some work setting it up.

Just OK, but Awesome for the Price

I bought this bass as a the playability is just OK out of the box, knockaround instrument for middle school students to learn on. Basically, what most other reviews say is true: Not a great instrument in the big scope of things, but phenomenal at the price point. There are noticeable deficiencies in the finer details of the finish, and the playability is just OK out of the box, but this thing cost under $95 shipped. The top is a very white blonde (probably basswood), the sides, back, and neck are stained an attractive honey brown. The tuners are nothing special but it holds pitch OK, and while the nut is a bit narrow for the fretboard (!) it plays alright with a little work. I like that the pickguard came unattached (I like it better without and will leave it off), and it has strap attachments both on the tail and under the neck. The built in pickup isn't stellar but with the 4 band EQ it's possible to dial in an OK sound. There is an attractive mother-of-pearl style inlay (or probably really a sticker under the finish at this price) around the soundhole that really makes this bass look more expensive than it is. The short scale will be helpful for smaller hands, although the neck is rather thick, which may have benefits and drawbacks. As others have said, this might be a better instrument for someone with a bit of guitar knowledge, as it was not a great player out of the box and needed a bit of setup. For a beginner it's probably not worth the expense of taking it in for a pro setup, but if you have the skills to tweak the truss rod, lower the bridge, and do other little setup tasks, it is a decent enough player. I put on some short scale flatwounds which GREATY improved the tone from the garbage stock strings (whatever else you do, replace the strings right away!). With a little work, a very servicable instrument. All in all, this bass is at its very best merely adequate, but when measuring value to the dollar it's really hard to go wring with this instrument.

I think I got a good one. What can we expect from a $80 ...

I think I got a good one. What can we expect from a $80 acoustic bass. Packaging kind of sucked...no box around the guitar box. I was scared because I heard rattling...however! I inspected the neck, body, fret board, and plugs... all in good shape! Strings were flopping around, which I was happy about because I always take off the factory stuff. Oiled it up, tightened it up, straightened it out, filed the bridge saddle, nut and what not... the frets did not need filing, 9v was in its packaging super awesome, wrapped the interior wiring with electrical tape so it helps the ringing feedback, put on new strings, put on guitar strap... mine had a button on the front too!, tuned it. I have a Ampeg BA115V2 and good cables so this helps a bunch. For the money I am very pleased. Yes it has some cheapo decals/ pick guard, body is super thin, and the electronics aren't great but seriously doubt if you can find any electric acoustic bass at this price. If you want a really nice acoustic bass you will end up spending over 4 times as much as this one. I have Schecter, Ortega, Epiphone, Kona in that order of quality. Some solid body and some acoustic. This is not trying to be those. I gambled and won. Granted it probably sounds awful if you just take it out of the box and try to tune and play... spend some time setting it up.

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