They don’t just look pretty, the sound is quite good. I was not even aware of these when I went into a store last week that usually only carries Fenders & Squiers. I am a bit of a snob when it comes to basses and until recently if Leo Fender didn’t have some hand in it I probably wasn’t going to be interested (I have 2 Fenders, a Squier, and a G&L). I have however been trying my hand at the philosophy of not being a name on the headstock snob.
When I walked into the shop I saw the brown burst one (sorry, iced americano burst is just a terrible name) and was kinda wowed by the overall look (minus the headstock which is the only thing I don’t like on it). I ignored the Ibanez logo, plugged it into a 40watt Rumbler, and took it out for a spin for half an hour or so. The short of it is I bought it. I was not expecting it to sound as good and as versatile as it did. The balance across the strings is amazing… no weak G… and the sustain sometimes seems endless. From open strings up to well above the 12th I couldn’t really find a problem, fault, or shortcoming. I put it through the paces… Motown, funk, soul, pop, disco, grunge, from Abba to the Zombies and everything I could think of in between and it not only never sounded out of its depth but pretty much always sounded and felt right. It’s not just a Swiss Army knife, though it is quite good in that role as well. Honestly, it’s a pleasure to look at and play (headstock aside).
The thing that kinda shocked me more than the sound and look, was the combination of the two at this price point. I purposefully don’t look at price tags when I sit down and pull something I don’t know off the wall to avoid bias. I want to play it and see how it feels and sounds for a bit and then take a guess. Honestly, I was expecting in the range of a grand give or take a step either way. Were it a Fender I would have guessed a player plus but I wouldn’t have been surprised with an over preforming player or an American put together on a Friday. $400 though? Cheaper than a Squier VM 70s J? No. I would not have guessed that ever.
Now is it better than a Squier? I don’t know, that’s kind of subjective really. What I do know is that if I was asked to choose a good, value bass that was insanely versatile and would sound just fine from beginner to as far as you wanted to go I would probably pull this one and the VM 70s J (natural wood only) off the wall and whichever sounded and felt better to you in that moment would be the one I would say to go with. If you can try this bass, I suggest doing so.
