Ibanez AEB10BBE Acoustic-Electric Bass  

I’m not a huge fan of the acoustic bass guitar (ABG). The lack of volume and the need for an amp to be heard among other guitars makes owning an ABG more of a novelty than anything else. I owned an Applause AE40. I sold it two years later because of the above.

I joined a KISS tribute band recently, and we are now doing “unplugged” sets in makeup. This required me to purchase an ABG in black. The color requirement, and the fact that I didn’t want to spend a lot, significantly narrowed my choices. After much research and inquiries, it appeared that the Ibanez may be the best, cost-effective way to go about pulling off the “unplugged” thing.

PROS:

- You can remotely keep up with two guitarists without any amplification. It’s not perfect by any means, but it was a lot better than what I thought. Keep in mind, that to produce this volume level, you must use a pick, and raise the action.

- The black hardware is pretty cool looking and unique to an acoustic instrument.

- The bass played decently for its price range, despite the fact that it is an ABG.

- The square back is nice, and resonates pretty well. The rounded backs on the Applause/Ovation acoustics would always slide of me while seated.

- The two input choices is a nice touch (XLR or ¼”). - This bass uses two AA batteries to power the onboard preamp and tuner. Being that my Line6 wireless operates on AA batteries, this worked well for me. This bass comes with two batteries. Very nice.

- The battery tray slides out pretty easy for quick access. - The bass also comes with two Allen wrenches for trus rod adjustment, one spare bridge bobbin, and one spare bridge insert. Nice!

- The best part of this bass is the onboard preamp. It really allows the user to dial in a nice tone when amplified. You have a 3 band EQ, a phase switch. It even has a “Shape” slider which aides in preventing feedback.

- Hanging on a strap, the bass balances nicely. I used a cheap Ernie Ball Nylon strap, and had no neck dive.

- It has a finished, black neck, but I didn’t have any issues with it getting sticky.

CONS:

- The finish had several blems. One ding on the headstock, in between the E & A tuners, smudges on the top and bottom of the body, one the edges.

- The A tuner on the bass looks like it was installed by a drunk person, because it was so far out of alignment.

- There were big globs of dried wax where the fingerboard met the body. - The decal around the trus rod was half way falling off.

- The phase switch on the preamp doesn’t really do anything.

- The onboard tuner is slow to register the note. I think it’s a preamp and tuner geared more towards guitar that they retrofitted to an ABG.

- I had to return this bass, because it was defective. The onboard tuner is activated by pressing the tuner button. This action cuts the output signal. Once tuning is completed, the user presses the button again, and output signal returns. The bass I received would randomly go into tuning mode, causing my signal to disappear, mid-song. If I didn’t have this issue, I would’ve most likely kept the bass, despite all of its blems, dings, etc.

Maybe I got a lemon, but I didn’t take any chances

See above

See above

See above

This is when five stars is correct. This has all the features any bass player wants! Well to start, the bass uses AA batteries. I rather use those then 9V. Another is the great XLR output, that is amazing. You can plug it right into the board and it sounds great. An onboard tuner? Perfect! Preamp? Amazing! The features are awesome!

The craftsmanship on this is amazing! The spruce wood makes the tone of this bass sound wonderful. Also, since this is a deeper, full body bass, the tones are deep and rich. The strings are loud and the bass sounds amazing. The Fishman pickup has a great tone. It is the same pickup used in my upright bass. Great, just great.

The price should be higher on this bass. This could easily be sold for much more. With all the features, the deep tone, nice wood, and great pickup, this bass is totally worth your money.

This bass is as great as the upright I have, the bass guitars I have, and I have never been more impressed by a bass. The first time a played it, I instantly fell in love. Get this.... NO FRETT BUZZ!!! This is also one of the best playing basses I own. It plays so smooth. If you are looking for a great acoustic bass, buy this bass. This bass is wonderful!