Aslin Dane AKB-202/5

I purchased an AKB-202/5 back in 2000. I loved how it looked: 35" maple neck, 24 jumbo frets, and cherry red sunburst finish. The 2 AD5B humbucker pickups (soapbars) and the 2 pickup volume controls were a nice feature. The open gear tuners were a nice touch too. I like chrome hardware better than gold, and the chrome looked nice against the red. I didn't really use the third control, tone, because I just didn't need it.

This bass was very helpful in my style of music. I play everything from Weezer to Smashing Pumpkins to Deftones to original stuff. The bass sounded better as I increased the sound to my Fender Bassman amp. I got full tones every note from this bass, the only thing this bass isn't great with is slap bass. I just couldn't get that punchy sound I needed sometimes. At the time I owned this bass, I used a BOSS BE-5B Multi-Effects pedal with it. Sounded just as good as any other 5-string bass for twice what I paid. I only used this bass once live, mostly it's been in the studio.

The only thing I didn't like was the action. It was harder to play the higher strings (D and especially G). It just felt awkward. Chords were harder to play. That's why I only used it once live. I found it better to record on it sitting down. Standing up and moving around with it didn't get great sound. The finish, tuners, hardware, and pickups were all flawless.

I think this bass is better for the studio. The bass is durable, after spending 2 years in college, it still looks/sounds as good as the day I bought it. I only had to adjust the truss bar once. This would be my back-up only if I ever needed it in the studio. As far as live performances, it's just too big to groove with. The long-arm that gives it its "Long Horn" nickname is too big. It requires more arm strength to hold the neck up higher.

I've never had any major problems with the AKB-202/5. The only thing I asked the company was when they were getting a hard shell case that fit the 5-string. Its dimensions didn't fit any hardshell case I bought in any of the stores I went to. That's the real reason I sold it a month ago. I needed to protect it on the road, but only had a gig bag for it, and the head-stock stuck out the end, so the strings were constantly being detuned from exposure to other music equipment.

I've been playing for 3 years. I now own a 'Dean Edge 5' 5-string bass, a 'Washburn XB-120' 4-string bass, and a Fender Jazz bass. Currently, I use two Ibanez Tonelok Pedals, the SB7 synth bass pedal and the PD7 bass distortion pedal. I bought the AKB-202\5 because it was unlike any bass I had seen: it looked nice. I had never seen a cherry red sunburst finish before. I do not regret buying or selling this bass. It was a great beginner 5-string bass. I didn't like the long arm on it. It was too invasive and made the bass uncomfortable and clumsy.
So the bottom line is: this is a great beginner/intermediate 5-string bass. It is considerable cheaper than many basses, and has great sound. I simply out-grew the bass. Some of you might keep it for many years, others might buy it then return within a week. If you are looking for your first 5-string bass and you don't have much money to spend, this is the bass for you.