Ibanez AGB200

Bought this from new about 3 months ago. Not really sure where it's made. I'd never really played a semi acoustic bass before and got to confess bought it on looks and reviews here. I play in a 50's R'n'R band and wanted something to complement the guitarists Gretsch. That said the reviews were good so I took the plunge.

This is a simple enough guitar. Main gripe I have is the pickup switch is not that easy to get to when playing. Also it would be nice to have a separate volume control for each pickup. These are pretty minor issues overall.

The sound of this guitar is lovely. Big thumping sound when I need it and also enough variety to play not only the rock and roll but covers with my other band. I immediately got comments from the other members of the band and punters as it packs a nice punch and looks great.

Have to say the action was appalling when I got it. Totally unplayable. The shop offered a free set up and it came back brilliant. The pickups, frets and neck all had to be adjusted.

I was having arthritic like problems in my fretting index finger with my Yamaha but these have now gone away as this guitar is lovely to play so I've given it a high score.

No issues yet. Take a backup to gigs but probably thats just in case I break a string (rare I know but it happens).

Never had to use them.

If I had this nicked I'd get another straight away. Also have a Yamaha RB270. Nice guitar but not a patch on this one.

Bought new in 2008. 22 frets, 30" scale, pearl dot inlays, maple semi-hollow body, transparent brown colour (showing wood grain), rosewood fingerboard, ivory coloured plastic bindings and purfling, white plastic tuner ears, gold coloured hardware, dual covered humbuckers. One volume, one tone, and selector switch. This is a very beautiful bass guitar, one of the nicest I have ever seen. High quality, very nice trimmings, but not overdone. Did not need any setup out of the box.

Fantastic sound straight out of the box. I use this bass for classic rock, country rock, rock 'n roll, blues, and heavy rock. You can get a lot of different sounds from this bass. You get an almost acoustic sound with only the bridge humbucker, a near solidbody sound with only the neck humbucker, and really nice, rich full tones with both of them selected. It is very bright, but with the neck pickup and the tone control all the way down you can use it for darker stuff, although it'd be worth having a solidbody handy if you really want to do a lot of it. However, I'm very impressed with the range of sounds you can get just by switching pickups. This is a must-have bass for any small collection. You can plunk away for a backing track or pull out a high-fret solo, all without drowning out in the mix. Nice!

If I were to make one modification, and this is why it only gets a 9, I'd make the tone control more authoritative.

Feels great to play. Came out of the box perfectly set-up and even nearly in tune. The neck is quite wide and very comfortable, and the short scale makes it really easy (and fast) to play. You'd probably want to raise the strings a bit if you were going to pluck hard a lot and don't like that tack-tack-tack noise, but there's no fret buzz. The upper three or four frets are a bit hard to get to and a bit narrow for my fingers but I can get by. The finish is nearly perfect. The body, neck, head, and hardware are all perfect and beautiful to look at. You won't get anything else this good for anything like the same money. The optional case is also very nice. It's surprisingly heavy for a semi-hollowbody but I think that contributes to the lovely sound and it's no heavier than any decent solidbody.

I needed to tighten the jack nut and clean up the fretboard a bit, and I also wasn't keen on the visible wiring (I would have preferred it to have been hidden a bit better). I'm very, very fussy so that drops it down from getting a perfect 10.

It's well built, but as it's not a solidbody I wouldn't be smashing drum kits with it. Other than that, it seems fine. Ask me in 10 years!

No comment.

I've been playing for about 15 years and I love this bass. I play everything from really old school blues and folk to hard rock and metal and this bass gives me the range of sounds that I need. It sounds every bit as beautiful as it looks. I will be using a solidbody for some heavier stuff but if I only had one bass, I'd go with the AGB200. It would really suit someone who can't afford to have (or carry) more than one or two basses.

I don't like all the Fender looking things that you get. I wanted to get something that looks a little different than every other bass out there, and this one sure fits the bill. Everyone loves how it looks - it gets a lot of attention.

I think I'll have it a long time, and if stolen I'd definitely get another one. It's hard to believe such a nice bass can be sold for such a good price.

2007 year model. Ordered it new directly from the Ibanez factory through a local dealer. Absolutely the most beautiful bass I have ever owned. A 4 string, semi-hollow body short scale bass. The guitar does have a surprisingly bit of weight to it, probally from the sustain block within the body. Transparent brown maple body finish is amazingly beautiful with gold hardware. Made in China. Has two passive humbucking pickups with one volume and one tone control and a 3-way switch; simple, the way I like it. The finish is flawless. Set neck is 3 piece maple and mahogany, I think. Body style is like a Les Paul with "F" holes all trimmed in a antique white binding. The guitar is very well balanced and comfortable standing or sitting. Sealed gold tuners with white knobs for that retro look. Has large frets which are well set and trimmed. I had to later order the case directly from Ibanez because no one, and I do mean NO ONE has a case to fit this guitar except Ibanez as far as I know, because I checked everywhere.

The guitar had a very bright sound, so I put Rotosound RS77S Flatwound Jazz Bass Strings on it which put that "thump" into the sound. There was considerable string noise before I replaced the strings, but the flatwounds remedied this. I use a Peavy bass amp with this guitar. There is nothing I don't like about the guitar. It's not your heavy rock and roll guitar, but I think any good bassist can make it do about anything if they set it up for their style of playing.

The action was a litlle high for me so I adjusted it accordingly. The intonation was way out of whack for the "E" string, but I adjusted that also and hit it on the head. I lowered the pick ups just a bit to help reduce the string noise and to compensate for the lowering of the strings a bit.

I feel this bass will be very durable and last a long time. But of course, I treat all my guitars like new born babies. The finish is very well done and appears to be very durable for the long haul. The strap buttons a heavy duty, as are the bridge and tail stop. I would do a gig with this baby without a backup. I trust it very much. Electronics are solid.

I had been trying to buy this bass for six weeks, but was told by everyone that it is was so new that none could be had at this time. I finally tried Sam Ash Music in Raleigh, and one of their sales people named Neil told me, "I can get you this guitar in one week." And in one week I was playing it. Thanks Neil!

I've been playing bass for 35 years. I've owned a Rick 4001, Univox, Fender P-Bass, Gibson, Washburn, Kent(Beatles Hofner copy; great little copy except the bastard made a nose dive for the floor everytime you let go of the neck.),Fender Mustang, and numerous others I can't remember. I also own two Rogue bass guitars, one 4 string and one 5 string. (The Rogue bass guitars are excellent basses.) I would buy this bass again if it were stolen. I love everything about this bass. If I could get Ibanez to change anything about it, I would maybe put separate tone and volume controls for each pick up.

Semi-hollow body; transparent brown finish; bound edges, including neck; gold-tone hardware; 30" short scale; H/H, covered pickups, volume, tone and pickup selector; no case or gig bag; tuner ears are ivory-colored plastic to match binding (this doesn't show in pictures).

This was a special order, so I bought it before playing it. I was looking for a short-scale bass, and there are very few in production. Very bright, loud sound. Came with round-wound strings; substituted flat-wound to cut brightness a little. Combination of bright and loud, together with hollow body, makes it pickup and sustain the slightest string vibration. So, simply lifting your finger off a string could cause noise that would persist until you touch the string again. This might go unnoticed playing live. When playing it in practice, I would often have to dampen the strings with my hand. Lowering the pickups didn't help. Rolling off the treble and switching to neck pickup could remove the brightness, but then the sound was muddy in the lower end. Played through a Fender Rumble 100 practice amp. A better amp might yield better tone. I returned the bass because I didn't like the tone and the residual string noise. Best to play it before buying and decide for yourself.

The craftsmanship was perfect. This is a beautiful guitar, period. Action was low, but I think it could have been improved by a profession setup.

Looks a little fragile, owing to the hollow body I suppose. It would help to have a case. Tuner action is loose, and I suspect it would have to be tuned frequently.

Don't know about the manufacturer. I returned it after a week. The dealer was very accommodating, and I ended up buying a different bass.

I played a lot in the sixties, then gave it up until recently. Started with a Haagstrom, then a Jazz bass, but my working bass was a '65 Epiphone Rivolli (short scale, hollow body, single humbucker). I don't remember having a problem with residual noise with the Epiphone, but it's been a long time.