Aria IGB-55

Carved ash body in natural finish, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, standard Aria asymmetric body with long top arm and short lower. 24 frets, 34" scale. Roundwound strings as standard. Single volume and tone control with coil tap for the single bridge humbucker. Passive electronics. Matt chrome string-over bridge with individual height and scale length adjustment. Non-locking matt chrome tuners.

Played with various amps, currently using a Fender Bassman 1x15. Doesn't really work with a 2x10, as the bridge pick-up is quite trebly and needs something to provide the low end. The only thing I would change would be to add a neck pick-up. I like having the treble available, so that isn't a criticism, just a comment. Playing mostly classic rock, I can get the tones I want.

Never had to adjust anything on the bass. I checked the action, and intonation and these were set just fine. Everything looks great and fits great. Nothing rough. Just very well made.

Never had any problems with it at all. Everything seems very solid, despite the relative light weight of the instrument.

Never needed it. Don't expect to.

I looked at a wide range of basses, but pretty quickly decided this was the one the others would have to beat. They didn't. Would I buy it again - you bet, especially if I could get it at that price (around half the recommended retail, but the store was reducing its range of suppliers - Aria suffered, but I got a bargain). A neck pick-up would be nice - the cheaper Aria basses nearly all have them.

Easiest bass to play I have tried. Makes the average Precision feel like a large (and very heavy!) lump of driftwood. It is very light for a bass, but still rock solid. I had got used to a slightly shorter scale, so my hands ached a bit at first, but soon got over that and the ease of fretting makes up for it anyway. Despite the relatively low action, I don't get fret buzz unless I want to.