Alvarez AEB6BC

I believe this was a Korean made 22 fret 6 string. Rosewood fingerboard on maple neck. My bass was purpleburst, but I posted the review here since that is the only difference.

I prefer the sound of jazz pickups, but I was VERY pleasantly surprised with the sound of the soapbars. Good tone from B-C. I can usually dial in a sound I need (smooth jazz, classic rock mainly) with a twist of the knobs on the bass and amp. I use it with a Behringer BX600 amp. The sound was not nearly as dark and boomy as other humbuckers have been. It can be as warm and/or bright as I need it. I would like to have coil taps on the soapbars, but that will be an upgrade later. Bartolini M56 dual coils are drop in fit.

I bought the bass used, but it was setup fairly well. The bridge was adjusted to follow the curve of the fingerboard. Small touch that I liked. The bridge pickup is close to the strings and I can't seem to get it low enough. I would prefer to be able to adjust that more. The spacing at the nut is barely over 15mm. I prefer at least 18mm, so that is really tight for my fat fingers. I hope to get used to it with time. The fit and finish were very nice. The purpleburst fade was seemless. If the quilt top is a photo quilt, I can't tell. Edges by the neck are smooth. No gaps in the finish. The cover for the control cavity does not fit well. It is too big on one side, so it is difficult to get out. That is easilly fixed, though. The pots were smooth and noiseless.

I haven't used this very long, so I can't say much. It seems to be a solidly built bass that could take a good bit of use. Only problem is the plastic nut will have to be replaced. The G and C strings are already eating into the nut. Looking to get a graphite replacement

Unable to find parts for the bass. I need a new nut, but Alvarez didn't have any in stock when I contacted them through a dealer. They don't make electric basses anymore, so I wouldn't expect much help from them.

I am a new player (29 years old, but just starting). I have had a 5 string MIM Fender Jazz before, but I unfortunately sold it. If I had it stolen or lost, I would probably replace it with a bass from rondo music. I would have a hard time getting another one for the same cost I paid. I was tempted to buy a second one when I saw an identical bass on ebay. Might look into the 6 string w/ jazz pickups they made. I didn't know if I would like a 6 string bass, but after playing it, having a low B and high C are very addicting. Only thing I wish it had is wider spacing at the bridge 15.25 mm spacing is pretty tight. Very good deal for someone if they want an entry level 6 string with good passive tone. Overall value? For 210 shipped, how can I complain? A 10!

I got mine through Ebay for $320, which I think is just the steal of the year. It has everything I ever wanted in a bass (except not having 24 frets, it has 22...but I can live) and more. A very nice (but kinda blackened out) Flame Maple top on it in purple Trans...It has the basic 2 volumes and 1 tone....which is all I use anyway.

I love the bottom and top end of this bass...The top end is unreal though....harmonics sound like bells going off. The neck pickup volume has a short range however...it's like, little volume...LOUD.

The nut on the treble side came too wide and it used to cut my hand until I filed it down. Which was easy....it was plastic....plastic is bad. The C string was WAY lower than the other 5 and I ended up dropping them all some to match it some. I had to totally reset the intonation as soon as I got it, but ever since then, it stays in total tune 24/7.

This bass is a rock...it has been dropped, knocked over, stuff put on it.....and it never complains....I love this bass

From the Alvarez site:
Body Contoured Double Cutaway
Wood Solid Alder w/ Quilted Maple Top
Neck Joint Bolt-on Maple - Graphite reinforced
Fretboard Rosewood
Scale 25-1/2"
Radius 10"
Pickups 2-Custom Alvarez HB
Controls 2-Volume, 1-Tone
Bridge High Mass
Tuners Die Cast, Finish Chrome
Color Black Cherry on Quilted Maple

Pretty basic setup. No frills, just the essentials. Came with warranty card (limited lifetime to original owner), allen wrenches, optional thumb rest & screws, and a strange metal bar which no one can tell me what it does. :) I've also replaced the strap buttons with StrapLoks.

The low end on this bass booms. However, anything higher than the A string is very weak. I suspect the pickups have something to do with that. I would strongly recommend a pickup replacement in this bass.

The action was good right off the shelf. I don't know if the store set up the bass before putting it on the show floor or not. I've adjusted the pickups to attempt to compensate for the lack of high-freq response. The finish is flawless, neck is straight as an arrow. No noticeable fret buzz unless I miss a note. The nut is defective, a fact I didn't realize until I changed strings. The C string has cut its own groove into the nut (it's a plastic nut). Watch for this when consdering this bass.

I beat the hell out of this bass when I play, and it always comes back for more. Despite the damaged nut, the bass stays in tune. It's a fairly weighty bass, but not so that you'll need to see a chiropractor between gigs.

The bass comes with a warranty registration card. Fill this out & send it in within 30 days of purchase, and it activates the lifetime warranty. The warranty is good only to the original purchaser. But I have no intentions of selling this bass. :D

I've not had to deal with St. Louis Music as far as repairs. However, the local music store I bought this from was reluctant to replace the nut for me when I found out it was damaged (that would be Brookhaven Music & Sound in Brookhaven, MS). They wanted to send it off instead of doing the repair in-house, which leads me to believe they may not be an authorized Alvarez dealer. Caveat emptor.

Overall, this is a good practical solid 6-string. It gets the job done, and does what you need it to do. Active electronics and/or better stock pickups would be a definite plus. A better stock nut would be nice, too. Plastic is evil.