Ibanez AEB5E Acoustic-Electric Bass  

its really a "strait to the point" bass. i love the EQ on it because when i'm plugging in, im looking for the right combination of a bright acoustic tone with the warmth of a bass. So a high and low frequency option is all i need! plus the option of turning up the volume for soloing as well as the on board tuner respectively is good to have! And the best part... when ur unplugged, you HEAR IT!!! You can bring this beut' to a camp fire where your guitar playing buddies are at, and slap in a fun little lick while they're strumming a funky chord progression, and be heard! That's what a good acoustic bass is supposed to do out of the PA!

While the contour of the bridge, classic look and feel, and responsiveness of the pick up and EQ system are nice, the neck is rather thick and if you have small hands that can become a problem, that can work as a way to teach yourself how to reach for when you get a better quality bass but if this is as best as your going to go be ready for some hand aches from stretching so much. The thick neck also makes it very neck heavy as well so it will tilt, and quite often to. That can easily be resolved by placing your right arm on the side to tilt it back up but if you're playing with a pick or slapping you'll find yourself holding the neck up with your left hand which will restrict your playing. If you can work with that, it looks good and sounds good, plugged or unplugged.

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A great bass to have! The EQ covers a nice wide range so your sound is very much possible out of this. Unplugged, you will definitely be heard, however, you do get a bit of a growl with the low E. It does sound really well when your just jamming with your buddies in your living room though, when your slapping you hear the attack, when tapping you hear the definition, when using a pick your get a real nice "bite" sound, all while unplugged!!! Plugged in its really fun to experiment with the different sound options from both your amp and you on board EQ. It is very neck heavy however so if you like standing up your playability will constrict a little bit from having to hold it up. and there were a few spots that buzzed really bad and til this day im having issues with that. But if your looking for a good quality acoustic bass, for a steal of a price, that projects when ur unplugged, whether a beginner or a pro, this bass is at the very least worth a try.

Great Bass for my needs

Tuner, volume, bass and treble controls on a this bass?  All work as advertised, lots here for the money.  The only down side here is that you have to plug it in for the tuner to work (designed that way).  Sorta defeats the acoustic with built-in tuner concept of being able to go play somewhere without an amp...  But - easy fix - just stick a plug from an old cord or an adapter in your case so you have a plug to stick in the jack while tuning, and you're good to go.

A fair amount of fret buzz out of the box, and I haven't had a chance to see if a quality set-up will improve that.  Some has been helped by adjusting my playing style, going at it a bit more gently than I'm used to with my electrics...  But, the finish is nice, the bass plays well, the electronics all work great, it holds a tune, good action, and nice tone - absolutely no complaints at this price!

I frankly, can't believe I got this much bass for this little money!  The sound is great, and (unlike some reviews I've read on other acoustics) this one can hold its own volume-wise in an acoustic setting with the six-strings you're likely to be playing with.

Overall, I'd definitely buy it again!  It's my third bass, rounding out the set - it accompanies an Ibanez electric that's my "hard use" bass, and a 1976 Ric 4001 that (naturally) is my "good" bass.  Good buy if the acoustic is something you're looking to add to your battery and won't be using as your primary bass.  If you're shopping for a primary instrument, I might be tempted to go one notch up the quality scale, but for what I bought it for - amp-less practice and the maybe 5-10% of songs during gigs where I want the acoustic sound, it's perfect.

Got this bass used at a great price and am very happy with it and the awsome people at Musicians Friend. Very good condition and play's well................

Some expected frett buzz ,especialy with down tuning but overall A good knockaround bass

Well worth what I paid for it

Overall This is a good bass. Some fret buzz but not unexceptable. Good action, Good tone and stays in tune.

The only problem is you cant use the tuner unless its pluged into an amp.

All around great bass for an even better price.

Amazing for the price I got it for.

Great bass but you should be able to use the turner without an amp. I would recomend it to any person who is just starting out.