After being so impressed with the AGB140 I bought the AGB200. Based on the same design but with a standard scale neck and two new pick-ups, the two points I thought let down my AGB140 have been addressed. The bass is exactly the same colour and finish as my AGB140, a transparent brown with white inlay banding to the edges. Add to that the new features of gold coloured hardware, white headed tuners, and a standard scale and this is a classic looking bass.
It weigh in at 8lbs, a maple arch top body and a three piece Mahogany neck, with a 30.3" scale, so 22 frets to play on. The transparent brown finish lets the grain come through giving it a deep rich look which changes depending on the light.
The tuners are closed units in a 2x2 arrangement with white heads to give it a vintage pearl look. Add the white pearl inlay effect on the name on the headstock, the white ivory effect banding to the fronts edges and this is a class finish. The white ivory effect banding continues from the headstock finishing all front edges on the instrument, turn it over and again it appears on the back of the body. The two F holes are finished at their edges, as are the edges of the neck at the fretboard with this detail, nice touch.
The bridge arrangement is again is simple and sturdy and along with the tail piece is finished in gold (not real gold of course). It has the look of a floating bridge and tail piece, but is in fact fixed in to the body. This is because the body is solid straight down the middle in construction and the sides(front and back) are the semi-acoustic part of the design. The new addition of two humbucker soap bar pick-ups, one neck mounted and one bridge mounted, finished in the same gold colour as the bridge is a fantastic look and now gives the bass the class its predecessor, the AGB140, lacked. There is a single toggle switch to change from bridge to neck or the two together, with a single volume and tone control for all positions. They are great sounding units, the bridge has a dry top end tight sound, the neck has warmth and depth. use the two together and you have it all a great sound with a bit on gnarl if you want it. Use the tone control to cut the top and again each of the setting takes on a new colour. I like the bridge position with full tone cut, it for me gives a great up-right sort of tone, it has an natural feel to it as the guitars adds to that feel and sound.
The balance is good and the neck again has an easy playability down near the nut as a result of the standard neck. The bass due to the strap button in the back of the body in line with the neck does make this bass hang with the effect that the neck seems further away at the nut, if you are used to basses that hang from top horns. On the AGB140 which has a long scale this was a problem, on the AGB200 it is now not.
On the down side for me was the fact that I could not find the gauge of flatwound strings I use to replace the roundwound ones that come as standard. In the end I doctored a set of Picato flatwounds to get me out of trouble, but that failed on the E sting as it un-wound on the fretboard side if the nut. After talking to Picato and sending them the measurements in an E-mail that problem was easily solved for under £25. a set custom made.
All in all the AGB200 is a great improvement on the now discontinued AGB140, in looks and playability. For anyone looking for a lighter classic looking bass for under £400, then look no further. If this range is a success, and I see no reason why not, then some other colours and finishes maybe the next option for Ibanez if they wished to up the ante again.
It weigh in at 8lbs, a maple arch top body and a three piece Mahogany neck, with a 30.3" scale, so 22 frets to play on. The transparent brown finish lets the grain come through giving it a deep rich look which changes depending on the light.
The tuners are closed units in a 2x2 arrangement with white heads to give it a vintage pearl look. Add the white pearl inlay effect on the name on the headstock, the white ivory effect banding to the fronts edges and this is a class finish. The white ivory effect banding continues from the headstock finishing all front edges on the instrument, turn it over and again it appears on the back of the body. The two F holes are finished at their edges, as are the edges of the neck at the fretboard with this detail, nice touch.
The bridge arrangement is again is simple and sturdy and along with the tail piece is finished in gold (not real gold of course). It has the look of a floating bridge and tail piece, but is in fact fixed in to the body. This is because the body is solid straight down the middle in construction and the sides(front and back) are the semi-acoustic part of the design. The new addition of two humbucker soap bar pick-ups, one neck mounted and one bridge mounted, finished in the same gold colour as the bridge is a fantastic look and now gives the bass the class its predecessor, the AGB140, lacked. There is a single toggle switch to change from bridge to neck or the two together, with a single volume and tone control for all positions. They are great sounding units, the bridge has a dry top end tight sound, the neck has warmth and depth. use the two together and you have it all a great sound with a bit on gnarl if you want it. Use the tone control to cut the top and again each of the setting takes on a new colour. I like the bridge position with full tone cut, it for me gives a great up-right sort of tone, it has an natural feel to it as the guitars adds to that feel and sound.
The balance is good and the neck again has an easy playability down near the nut as a result of the standard neck. The bass due to the strap button in the back of the body in line with the neck does make this bass hang with the effect that the neck seems further away at the nut, if you are used to basses that hang from top horns. On the AGB140 which has a long scale this was a problem, on the AGB200 it is now not.
On the down side for me was the fact that I could not find the gauge of flatwound strings I use to replace the roundwound ones that come as standard. In the end I doctored a set of Picato flatwounds to get me out of trouble, but that failed on the E sting as it un-wound on the fretboard side if the nut. After talking to Picato and sending them the measurements in an E-mail that problem was easily solved for under £25. a set custom made.
All in all the AGB200 is a great improvement on the now discontinued AGB140, in looks and playability. For anyone looking for a lighter classic looking bass for under £400, then look no further. If this range is a success, and I see no reason why not, then some other colours and finishes maybe the next option for Ibanez if they wished to up the ante again.
