I've been looking for a short-scale bass and didn't want to spend a lot. For reference, this is my third bass and I've lost track about how many guitars I've bought and played over the years! Let me just say that it's a fantastic value for the price. It's not perfect by any means and it doesn't come with a case or gig bag. There are also some minor finish issues: for example, there are small gaps where the neck meets the body and some paint issues around the neck bolts but they are not very noticeable. I tuned it and it was immediately playable. Neck and action were fine but intonation was totally off and it only took 15 minutes or so to correct. It comes with all of the tools you need except for a screwdriver to use for the bridge saddles. Frets are level and finished well, tuning pegs are smooth and it stays in tune. Pickups are basic but sound fine and unfortunately, there is no way to select which pickup combo and it's a matter of adjusting individual pickup volumes. But overall, it's hard to go wrong. I've purchase guitars and basses at 3-5x the price that had more finish and setup issues.
I'm not a bass player, always wanted to be one,just never got around to it. My guitars go untouched now days due to arthritis in my hands, but I find I can still hit "most" of the strings on the bass,so I got one. The Ibanez has a slender neck,easier to get my hands around, and sweet sounding pick-ups,I was really impressed with the quality for the money. So I can make some noise for a little longer. I think it was a great buy.
These short scale basses are a joy to play if you don’t have large hands. Restringing with D’Addario short scale half-rounds 45-100 and doing a full setup with the truss rod, bridge and intonation made this great. And swapping the neck J pickup with an mLaval $16 special (need to trim to use the original cover, and wire out of phase) made this sound and play about as good as any bass under $1000 to my recollection. Don’t be afraid you won’t be able to make the jump to a full scale bass, learn comfortably and stretching a bit later will be no problem. If it isn’t comfortable for you you aren’t going to do it enough...and to be honest I don’t see or hear much lost vs the longer strings once upgraded.
A lot of bass for the buck! Quite well made overall It needed the usual adjustments to the neck and bridge, but the tools were included. Good shipping and packing. It is a little "short" on sustain and sounds a little "tinny" with my 20 watt practice amp, but great with my 160 watt Peavey. Perfect for young/small hands.
Just what I needed! I write and record music at home. I needed a bass but didn't have a desire to blow a lot of money on one since I just need it to lay down some bass tracks for my songs. I also had a daughter who was interested in learning to play, so for me it killed two birds with one stone. I love the smaller size personally and it's definitely easier for my daughter to play because of that.
Love this bass. Its my favorite instrument I own! Nice action on the fret board. Durable as hell. I dropped the bass one night cause my strap came undone and it landed on the neck, picked it up out the strap back on and it as still in tune. It still sounds great and holds time even after being dropped a few times.
I ve been looking at a number of inexpensive short scale basses as of late and i am so glad i went with this one even having not tried it in person before hand. I ve played bass for 35 years and have owned well over 40 basses. I currently play on two series I alembics( fretted and fretless) but needed a bass i could take around most anywhere without worrying about losing a costly and amazing instument. I had tried out a few other short scaled basses(the fender bronco and jaguar, and others) but i just didnt like the feel and limited tone possibilities i found on these instrument. I have had both fender and ibanez basses in the past and was pleased them all, but these short scaled basses just didnt offer what i was looking for. So i took a leap of faith and bought the mikro unseen/unplayed. I love it!! The tiny neck has a very smooth feel to it and plays quite fast. As far as tone goes..well, i wasnt expecting too much. I played back the first recordings i did with it and was blown away by the versitility it displayed!! Ranging from deep reggae tones to bright snappy tones great for rock or jazz both plucking and slapping! The only issue i have with the bass after 5 days of playing with it is that a couple of the pick-up height adjustment screws are either misaligned or just contrary, but i imagine that it is something easily addressed and overcome. All in all, i am very impressed with this little bass and all it brings to the mix! Its tonal versitility far surpasses that of the other basses i encountered in this scale length/price range. Its playability is wonderful and the feel of the neck is great! And the light weight is a godsend(i bet its no more than 1/3 the weight of my alembics!) I would heartily recomend this instrument for either the beginner or the more advanced player looking for a small new bass to play with, or just for something a "little" different!
I bought this for my seven-year-old son who is taking bass guitar lessons. I was worried this would still be a little big for him, but it is perfect. I liked it so much I almost want to get one for myself. It has a great sound for an inexpensive instrument. It is surprisingly lightweight, but not cheap feeling. This instrument is perfect for a child or adult with small hands. My only disappointment is that it does not come with a case or gig bag. For the right person, this is well worth the money.
Don't let any negative reviews on this little monster detour you. Right out of the box it sounded great. I put some Dr neon standard bass strings on it and WOW. It immidiately replaced my full size no questions asked. Have already gigged with it and am very pleased.
I am a novice bass player more of a hobbyist really and I have been using my 5 string bass to practice and learn on. However I find that the frets are too big and my arthritis makes it difficult for me to stretch my hands to get good sounding notes. So I decided to try a Short Scale bass guitar. I found this one on Amazon from Roxy Music and ordered it. There were some issues initially with shipping due to the Labor Day holiday and human error on the shipping address. But I finally got the bass. And I really love this bass! It plays very smooth and sounds great. The quality is A#1. No flaws in the finish. The shorter scale really sounds the same as my big 5 string bass but plays A LOT easier. So I would highly recommend both Amazon & Roxy Music and of course Ibanez Mikro Bass for anyone needing a low cost short scale bass to learn or practice on!!!
Imtiaz Uppal Imtiaz Uppal
Awesome value for a short-scale bass
I've been looking for a short-scale bass and didn't want to spend a lot. For reference, this is my third bass and I've lost track about how many guitars I've bought and played over the years! Let me just say that it's a fantastic value for the price. It's not perfect by any means and it doesn't come with a case or gig bag. There are also some minor finish issues: for example, there are small gaps where the neck meets the body and some paint issues around the neck bolts but they are not very noticeable. I tuned it and it was immediately playable. Neck and action were fine but intonation was totally off and it only took 15 minutes or so to correct. It comes with all of the tools you need except for a screwdriver to use for the bridge saddles. Frets are level and finished well, tuning pegs are smooth and it stays in tune. Pickups are basic but sound fine and unfortunately, there is no way to select which pickup combo and it's a matter of adjusting individual pickup volumes. But overall, it's hard to go wrong. I've purchase guitars and basses at 3-5x the price that had more finish and setup issues.
June Kiker Poston
Just making noise.
I'm not a bass player, always wanted to be one,just never got around to it. My guitars go untouched now days due to arthritis in my hands, but I find I can still hit "most" of the strings on the bass,so I got one. The Ibanez has a slender neck,easier to get my hands around, and sweet sounding pick-ups,I was really impressed with the quality for the money. So I can make some noise for a little longer. I think it was a great buy.
Grace Rogers
Super comfy and awesome with upgrades
These short scale basses are a joy to play if you don’t have large hands. Restringing with D’Addario short scale half-rounds 45-100 and doing a full setup with the truss rod, bridge and intonation made this great. And swapping the neck J pickup with an mLaval $16 special (need to trim to use the original cover, and wire out of phase) made this sound and play about as good as any bass under $1000 to my recollection. Don’t be afraid you won’t be able to make the jump to a full scale bass, learn comfortably and stretching a bit later will be no problem. If it isn’t comfortable for you you aren’t going to do it enough...and to be honest I don’t see or hear much lost vs the longer strings once upgraded.
Petrena Jones
Perfect for young/small hands.
A lot of bass for the buck! Quite well made overall It needed the usual adjustments to the neck and bridge, but the tools were included. Good shipping and packing. It is a little "short" on sustain and sounds a little "tinny" with my 20 watt practice amp, but great with my 160 watt Peavey. Perfect for young/small hands.
Jeromy Rillstone
I love the smaller size personally and it's definitely easier for ...
Just what I needed! I write and record music at home. I needed a bass but didn't have a desire to blow a lot of money on one since I just need it to lay down some bass tracks for my songs. I also had a daughter who was interested in learning to play, so for me it killed two birds with one stone. I love the smaller size personally and it's definitely easier for my daughter to play because of that.
Mattie Mahon
Love this bass
Love this bass. Its my favorite instrument I own! Nice action on the fret board. Durable as hell. I dropped the bass one night cause my strap came undone and it landed on the neck, picked it up out the strap back on and it as still in tune. It still sounds great and holds time even after being dropped a few times.
Devonte Grant
awesome little bass for a great price!
I ve been looking at a number of inexpensive short scale basses as of late and i am so glad i went with this one even having not tried it in person before hand. I ve played bass for 35 years and have owned well over 40 basses. I currently play on two series I alembics( fretted and fretless) but needed a bass i could take around most anywhere without worrying about losing a costly and amazing instument. I had tried out a few other short scaled basses(the fender bronco and jaguar, and others) but i just didnt like the feel and limited tone possibilities i found on these instrument. I have had both fender and ibanez basses in the past and was pleased them all, but these short scaled basses just didnt offer what i was looking for. So i took a leap of faith and bought the mikro unseen/unplayed. I love it!! The tiny neck has a very smooth feel to it and plays quite fast. As far as tone goes..well, i wasnt expecting too much. I played back the first recordings i did with it and was blown away by the versitility it displayed!! Ranging from deep reggae tones to bright snappy tones great for rock or jazz both plucking and slapping! The only issue i have with the bass after 5 days of playing with it is that a couple of the pick-up height adjustment screws are either misaligned or just contrary, but i imagine that it is something easily addressed and overcome. All in all, i am very impressed with this little bass and all it brings to the mix! Its tonal versitility far surpasses that of the other basses i encountered in this scale length/price range. Its playability is wonderful and the feel of the neck is great! And the light weight is a godsend(i bet its no more than 1/3 the weight of my alembics!) I would heartily recomend this instrument for either the beginner or the more advanced player looking for a small new bass to play with, or just for something a "little" different!
Jennifer Rouse Wilkinson
Perfect Short Scale Bass for a Kid
I bought this for my seven-year-old son who is taking bass guitar lessons. I was worried this would still be a little big for him, but it is perfect. I liked it so much I almost want to get one for myself. It has a great sound for an inexpensive instrument. It is surprisingly lightweight, but not cheap feeling. This instrument is perfect for a child or adult with small hands. My only disappointment is that it does not come with a case or gig bag. For the right person, this is well worth the money.
Vicki Boo
HUGE SOUND in a small package.
Don't let any negative reviews on this little monster detour you. Right out of the box it sounded great. I put some Dr neon standard bass strings on it and WOW. It immidiately replaced my full size no questions asked. Have already gigged with it and am very pleased.
Lily Irene Morano
This bass really does give you the MOST BANG FOR THE BUCK$$
I am a novice bass player more of a hobbyist really and I have been using my 5 string bass to practice and learn on. However I find that the frets are too big and my arthritis makes it difficult for me to stretch my hands to get good sounding notes. So I decided to try a Short Scale bass guitar. I found this one on Amazon from Roxy Music and ordered it. There were some issues initially with shipping due to the Labor Day holiday and human error on the shipping address. But I finally got the bass. And I really love this bass! It plays very smooth and sounds great. The quality is A#1. No flaws in the finish. The shorter scale really sounds the same as my big 5 string bass but plays A LOT easier. So I would highly recommend both Amazon & Roxy Music and of course Ibanez Mikro Bass for anyone needing a low cost short scale bass to learn or practice on!!!