I'm a singer/songwriter and producer. My main instruments are guitar and piano, plus the singing. I was on the market for a cheap bass to add some bass lines to my recordings — nothing fancy, since I'm not a bass player by any stretch of the imagination. I was split between this guy and the Harley Benton PB-20BK, but ended up getting this one because I thought the jazz bass would be more flexible for my use case. Plus this one looks better, which isn't a big deal for me, but it's always nice when the instrument looks good.
I have to say I am ABSOLUTELY BLOWN AWAY by this bass, and I just can't put it down since I got it. It has exceeded my expectations in all possible measures. It's on par with any Squier with similar features and materials, while costing at least 100EUR less. It came well set up from the factory, so I didn't even have to mess with that. The strings it came with are pretty good as well. And the tone is really exceptional for what it is — a sub-200EUR instrument. Obviously it will never beat a proper Fender Jazz Bass in that regard, but I really believe that if I replace the pickups down the road, it may indeed give said Fenders a run for their money. We'll see.
What impressed me the most is the fit and finish. The attention to detail from Thomann's quality control is exceptional here. Everything from the fretboard inlays (which are plastic, but look great nonetheless) to the black binding on the neck, to the fretwork — which is perfect from the factory — to the beautiful ash piece they used for the body — this really looks and feels like a much more expensive instrument in that regard. No crappy woodwork, no frets sticking out, perfect tolerances and fit across the board. Congratulations, Thomann!
I don't know if I can complain about an instrument this cheap with this much quality, but for the sake of completeness, I have to say that the tuners and the bridge are really nothing special, especially the tuners. They feel really cheap, even compared to my Harley Benton acoustic guitar (which was cheaper but has much nicer tuners). I might replace the them eventually, but for now, they get the job done.
Overall, if you're like me, and are on the market for a bass to get started or just to lay down some bass lines in your tracks, this is a great purchase. You'll be very satisfied. 5 stars across the board. Thank you, Thomann!
