Ibanez ASB140BS Artcore

Not a whole lot of features on it. It's a very simple bass, but personally I like that.

This bass sounds great. I bought it four years ago, and I can't imagine ever getting rid of it. It's a beautiful full sound, and it works great in a live setting. Haven't tried it in the studio yet, but I will be heopfully in the ne3xt couple of months, and I have no doubt that it will come out great. Even with old strings this bass sounds good.

The look is incredible. To be honest, that's really what I bought it for. I hadn't been playing long, and had no clue what I was doing, so I bought the bass that I thought looked cool. Four years later, with some experience, and more knowledge I'm shocked that I managed to find something so great based off of looks(and price). As far as the design goes, I've yet to find a single flaw. It's a bit rough for playing slap bass, but if your good at it, you can get a really nice sound.

I swear to everything holy, this bass is invincible. I've dropped it, repeatedly, and the worst that's ever happened, is a small scratch or dent, and it went a little out of tune. I've never had an issue with this bass pooping out on me. I use it for gig's on a regular bassis with no back up. No need.

I've never had to deal with it.

I love this bass like you wouldn't believe. I really don't think I would ever get rid of it. If it broke I would be crushed. It's definetly worth buying, especially for the price. I play it on stage complimenting two strats, one G&L, and one Fender(both high end), and it competes and compliments quite well.

Maple top, back & sides. 3 piece maple/ mahogany neck, 22 frets... quick release tail piece.Car

Mellow would be the best way to describe the sound of this bass; warm rich dark tones with nice midrange & marshmellow highs. If you are looking for a wide sound palette you won't find it here. There is one sound but that one sound is a 'real diamond in the rough'.

I bought mine used, the setup was tight. The finish is supurb especially for a cheap bass.

Because this bass is not a true hollow body it makes it a road worthy guitar. I only play shows with basses I can depend on & never take a backup because I'm to lazy this bass is very dependable, so far. Finish is solid. Like everyone else I think the neck strap button SUCKS!!! bigtime.

N/A

Have played off & on since 1979, Would weep like a baby if it was lost/ stolen, would starve my family to replace it. Love the useabiliuty of this bass as hollowbody basses have traditionally been sweet to look at & dogs to play. Simplicity, less is more in my book. Do the bass (& yourself) a favor, fit flatwound strings & buy a tube amp this way you will experiance the unique sonic beauty of semi- hollow body basses.

Very simple bass. And very attractive i must say.

I love the sound of this bass. Great for all styles of music.

I love.

Love.

I love everything about his bass. Even better, I found mine BRAND NEW at a sale price. Never been happier with any instrument. I'm put if up it for sale but all i'm getting is crazy-low offers. Screw that.

it's all been said before but who needs alot of features when it is just a great a simple bass

Incredible warm and rich tone, full scale sustain and no noise to be heard. using through a peavey tnt150 at the moment which is a big heavy beastie but it works for me great.

Looks great have gigged with it on many occasions and the stage pics etc all look great. Feels solid to play but not too heavy to wear all night, which is a good thing.

been using it solidly now for 8mths, gigging three nights a week and it is now the only bass i take, no back-up needed. That says it all i think.

not used yet

The case is incredibly long and it gets in the way sometimes.....pretty petty i know but hey, this is a review. If it was stolen for sure would look at another. I also have a p-bass and a musicmaster short scale but i love the versatility of this bass.

Mine is a 2005 model. I bought it used from a friend, and boy am I glad I did! My buddy needed money, and I thought... "what the heck, might as well buy it for that price." I wasn't expecting much from it, but I was blown away once I started playing it. This is a great bass. It has a sunburst finish and came with a fitted hardshell case. This is a long scale (semi)hollow-body bass with a single humbucker. It has 2 knobs, tone and volume.

This is a great sounding bass! Deep lows and bright highs... and it's LOUD! The first time I played it, it completely exceeded my expectations. Hollow-body basses have a really different sound. Some people hate it, but ever since the first time I played this one... I've been a big fan. It's not as versatile as some of my other basses (ie: Fender J-bass), but I've used it to play many different tones/styles (country, rock, alternative, grunge), and surprisingly... it's not a bad bass for slap. I wish they would've put the strap button on the front instead of the back, but I can live with that. I like this thing as a live bass, but I've used it in the studio as well. It seems to be at home in either setting.

It came setup and ready to play, I've never touched ANY of the adjustments. This bass feels great in my hands. My buddy thought the scale was way too long and the neck was too thick, so that's one of the reasons he got rid of it (see above). I really like the feel/weight/balance of it, and I'm not a particularly big guy (6'0" 185). The sunburst finish is great and the fit is very tight. The bass feels very solid. Honestly, it has a better fit/finish than many of the Fenders I've played/seen.

This thing seems remarkably solid for a hollow body. It appears to be very well built. The tuning keys look cheap, but the bass tunes up really nice. The bridge is a monster and so is the pickup. It looks like it's built to last. The tone pot was a little loose on mine, but 30 seconds with a wrench and it's good as new.

I haven't had to deal with them yet, so I can't say much.

I've been playing for a decade or so, several different genres. I have 2 other basses, and this one is not my favorite... but I really like it. Like I said above, I didn't go out looking for this bass. I just picked it up from a buddy who needed money. However, finding this bass was a happy accident. It is a gem! I really enjoy playing it and the fit/finish/sound is great. I don't think I'd want it to be my only bass (I probably choose a Fender J-bass for that), but it is a great bass nonetheless. If it was stolen, I'd want another or something similar. A great value.

I bought my Ibanez ASB140 Artcore Bass a week ago. I got it from Guitar Center, San Francisco. They had one on the wall, I took it down and played it and was impressed with the perfect setup (your own results may vary). That one was scratched up from being a demo, so I asked if they had another and they did, in the box and untouched. Got it for $329.99 on sale - that one ALSO had a perfect setup. Mine has the reddish-brown finish (not sunburst). Features level is just fine. A two-pickup model would be nice, but at THIS PRICE? C'mon!

I can't believe nobody has mentioned this - it's all over the other forums on this bass. WHAT THE HECK IS THE TONE KNOB FOR? It does nothing useful whatsoever. I can't hear any difference in the sound from stop to stop, but there's a little variation in the middle. Somebody really designed that part badly. Other'n that, the pickup is weak overall and lacking treble. The tone is plenty pleasant, but I plan to replace the pickup, wiring and pots and see if I can improve on it.

Absolutely unbelievable build quality, especially at this price. I can find no flaws in the fit or finish. The setup was perfect out of the box - I even measured to confirm this. I doubt that GC touched it, I think it was set up at the factory in China. The binding and other quality touches are impressive. I had looked at Mexican Fenders the day before, and the setup was complete crap to where they were unplayable. Yo, get a clue! This Artcore bass is a stunning piece to look at. I don't like the sunburst, but I like the reddish brown that I did get.

I'll give it an 8 based on it feeling solid, but I've only had it for a week.

Dunno.

Been playing 10 years. Also own Warwick Thumb Bolt-On (my favorite), Fender P-Bass, Rick Turner Renaissance Fretless and Tacoma Thunderchief ABG. I was choosing between the Artcore and the Jack Casady Epiphone. Chose this for price, the Casady might have better electronics but I haven't played one yet.

Everyone said it all. Look here:
http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/guitar.asp?model=ASB140

Not too many features, but I liked its simplicity.

I really liked its nice warm and mellow sound. I changed the strings to Fender flatwounds and I love it. If it were fretless, I bet it would sound amazing. Sounds like it's meant for Jazz.

I was digging the Single Cutaway Artcore bass ever since it came out. But I found the Double Cutaway Bass used for $200!!! It looked flawless! No scratches, but I did later find out that it looks like a factory second: some guy left his thumbprint on the edge of the finish on the back! But it still looks perfect to me. I dont like the neck and body joint. They could have done a much better job.

Action was high. Fixed that with no problem. The pickup seems uneven in height, but not too bad.

Seems to be built pretty solid. The only thing I dont like is the strap button behind the neck joint.

Never had to deal with them.

First thought when I played this bass on stage was: "This thing is huge." It's not your everyday bass. I like the sound of it. I would be taking this to gigs with me only if I had a case which is hard to find just because this bass is huge! I like it though. I bought it with the intention of reselling it for more (paid $200 because the guy was moving out of the country), but I think I'm gonna wait for a while.

Made in China.
Very Simple design, which I like.
1 Tone knob and 1 volume knob.
I rate Features a "6" but the lack of them is good.

Has a really good traditional sounding tone. Rich and full. Good for blues, southern rock, gospel, country.

Set-up very nice from factory.
Action was about right. Intonation needed some work.

I have only had this bass a short time so I do not know its reliability.
Hardwarwe seems to be good, not greaty but sufficient.
Stays in tune reasonably well.

Been playing 27 years. I own American Fender Artist Jazz models and MusicMan Stingray. This bass will go to the gig with me.
Warning, this bass needs a special size case, will not wwork with regular size for P or J.
The look is very cool on this bass. Binding is nice, and tobacco sunburst is good.
Neck is good, fretwork is good.
Overall a great find at $259 New!

Pretty Simple. One tone,one volume. Nice adjustable bridge, quick string change tailpiece. Not a feature loaded bass, But I'm not a pro and it works well with the music I play.

Suits my music fine( western, praise, 40's and 50's swing, blues ). No noise at all on either of my amps ( behringer BX108, BX300 Ultrabass ). Amazing warm bottom end, nice woody mids and enough sparkle on the top to keep from being a one-dimensional bass. It's no jazz bass for sure, but for my music, it is great. Tone control really works(surprise,surprise)

Dog crap set up from store. Bought from GC, set it up myself ( nut, truss and bridge) Now it is perfect, low action, no buzzes anywhere. Fret are nice and level and the neck straightened out perfectly flat. Bass seems tight ,well put together, and the finish is typical Ibanez Artcore series( very good). Hate the forward strap button on the heel. It tips the bass forward and makes it head heavy. Thinking about putting it on the top horn, but I'm not sure there is enough wood there to do the trick.

I have been gigging with other basses and I will with this one also. Time will tell, but If I take care of it( as I do all my stuff), it should hang in just fine. Strap buttons seem solid , although I don't like the front one's placement. Buy the Ibanez case that fits this model and you'll be fine playing out with it.

no experience

If this bass was stolen( I had some gear stolen, that's why I bought this one), I'd not think about it a second, I would go buy another one. I love the sound of this bass, and definitely the looks ( brown sunburst). Wish it had top horn strap button , other than that it is perfect for me. If your style of music has deep,mellow,walking bass lines and you like the hollowbody look ( with the long scale neck), there is no better bass out there, no matter what you pay. If you are headstock name sensitve or have an unlimited budget go for something higher end. This bass is,IMHO, the biggest bang for the buck out there.

Beautiful semihollow tone with vintage style. Should be great for country, jazz, or blues.
Single huge humbucker, no hum at any volume. Nothing extra in the box except a subscription to Rolling Stone.

One of the warmest, clearest, bass tones I've ever heard with great control based on right hand position.

All fit and finish is excellent, except for the cut around the single pickup - the naked edge of the cut is not even, and should have some binding or something to clean the edge.
Setup was great, intonation spot on.

The finish is not as deep and smooth as some I've seen. There is a slight surface bump seen where light reflects. Perhaps indicative of needing additional sanding and spraying.
I hear 'creaking' from the upper strap button.
The binding, especially on the neck seems very good, and likely to help this instrument last a long time.

Hard to find good information on their Web site, I've never had to deal with them directly.

If it were stolen, I would check out a Dean Psychocab to compare sound. But I think the Artcore bases are unique at this price range, with an extra long scale for great sound.

Hi, I bought the Ibanez AGB140 - I would never have considered an Ibanez - on impulse when my friend was buying an amp. The design just appealed to me - a really nice single cutaway shiny reddy brown with lovely clean binding.
The Instrument is a nice long scale which suits me, but a friend who plays bass but is on the short side found it too much. The balance is a bit off which kinda forces you play Stones style sometimes.

The bass has a deep soft tone which is a really nice contrast to the toppy Ricky. It only has volume and tone controls - so no problems there.

It has a much nicer finish than a lot of more expensive guitars I've seen, the hardware seems durable enough so far.

After seven months gigging the guitar is showing no undue stress or wear and holds its tune pretty well, even under lights.

I have had no need to return it for any warranty work - so no opinion om back up

I have been playing 16 years on a Fender Jazz (77) and a Rickenbacker 4003 (95). I actually wanted a 4005 but the poor availability and crazy price scared me off. As I said I bought it purely on looks and a quick play, but it was a wise move. The quality and price of this bass is unbeatable. This week I bought the Ibanez ASB140 double cutaway version in a kind of tobacco sunburst - and I'm selling the Ricky ( it was relegated to bench anyways )
Thats how impressed I am by this guitar, and I can say that before I saw this guitar I would never have bought an Ibanez. I always considered them to be Fender clones or nasty jagged "rawk" basses.
I was wrong.

The other reviews are spot on here. Its a hollowbody w/ 2 F holes, 1 pickup, 2 knobs (volume, tone), crown-type headstock looks good, sealed tuners, quick change bridge, yada yada.

The sound on this is pretty darn good. It has better sustain than some neck-throughs that I've had, which blew me away. I immediately got rid of the stock roundwounds and threw on some Rotosound jazz 77 flatwounds - yeah, great move! It already had a pretty mellow sound, but w/ flatwounds its so rich and full. It has a subtle presence, not obnoxious & in your face. This is good for me because I play mostly folk-rock and prefert the more mellow earthy sounds. I run it w/ a GK 400rb head and 410 cab w/ a boss geb-7 eq pedal and am able to control the sound how I want it before the sound guy gets a hold of it.

Set up was pretty close from factory. I had to adjust it after putting flatwounds on b/c it was a little sharp on the 12th fret. I like the pickup placement and find my best sound about 1/2 way between the pickup and the neck. The finish is beautiful and eye-catching. Most people comment on its finish and dig its hollowbody shape.

I've only had this a few months and so I'm still kind of babying it (it is after all my new bass). It seems like it will stand up to live play, but only time will tell.

N/A

I've been playing for about 7 years and have played Fender J & P basses, Washburns, and Epiphone Thunderbird. So far I dig this bass the most (mostly b/c of the mellow sounds). I would definately seek to replace it if I lost or broke it

Ibanez semi-hollow bass made as part of the Artcore series. The bass has one volume and one tone control. The finish is nice - stays in tune - a bit neck heavy though.

The sound is very rich and dark. This isn't a Fender bass sound. I use it for sort of a Wilco alt-country bass sound. It will not give the spongey slap sound if that's what you're into. However, I'm in love with the tone.

Action is great. The setup was fine. The only flaw is that the bass is a bit neck heavy so I have to compensate by playing Brian Jones styles with my bass neck sticking straight up. I may audition for a "garage rock" band :)

The Artcore series is the best deal right now. I trust it.

Bought used so I'm no help here.

Excellent piece of gear. I love the tone and the fact that I got it so cheap because it was "used" although in excellent condition. I'm not a bass player really. I bought this more for recording. However, I find myself playing bass more because this bass is so cool.

It has a 3 piece Maple/Mahogany set neck with Maple top & sides, a rosewood fingerboard only slightly wider than a Fender Jazz neck with a full 34 inch scale. The bridge is a Gibralter III bass bridge (quick change for easy string changes) and has a single Hot, longer sustain humbuck ACHB1 pickup. The body is medium in weight and the banding work around the edges and the F holes is beautiful and very smooth. Sealed, smooth machines and a volume and tone knob make the setup simple but effective when played.

I play classic 70's and 80's rock plus salsa and Santana twice a week in a club band and play progressive Christian music for 3 services every week in a church. Lots of professional musicians attend the church because of the hot music program and continually give me compliments on the incredibly deep and pure tones of this bass. The only change from stock I made was the addition of flat wound strings instead of the stock round wounds. I play through an Ampeg BA115HP amp. and occasionally use a flanger or a stereo chorus pedal when necessary? This bass plays great for rock, country, salsa and jazz music as I've found through many sessions and gigs. Even the sound men can't get over her incredibly pure, low tones and awesome sustain.

The intonation needed a couple of hours of my time to get the 12th fret tuning locked in since I changed from the factory round wounds to flat wounds but the neck was fine. The finish is beautiful and reasonably durable although my leather strap and done a little minor scratching on the back side as the leather rubs the finish. I've got to come up with some simple pad or something (that will never show to the public) to minimize more scratches??) The string action was pretty good and needed only minor adjustment to my particular finger style. I noted early on that she actually has TWO distinct "voices" as I found laying my fingers AT the pickup gave a crisp, defined sound where-as parking my thumb (for reference) on the bass of the neck allows my to finger just past the end of the neck for maximum resonance and deep, deep resonant bass tones that drive everyone nuts (in a good way!!!!) I've seldom had such versatility and refined definition of tone quality sensitive to variation in my hand positions before? It's truly the "BIG GUN" in my music arsenal !!

I've only had mine for roughly five months but it's holding up beautifully and stands up well to daily wear and tear. The tuning seems to hold solidly and the finish (although not "miles" deep like an automotive laquer on a show car) seems pretty typical and adequate.

I haven't had any warrenty issues yet but I bought the Ibanez brand name (over a lesser known manufacturer) because I firmly believe they'll take good care of their customers? Time will tell?? Warranty is five years.

I've been playing bass semi-professionally (don't give up the "day job") for 33 years. I also own a Fender Jazz bass from Asia and a new Ampeg 220 watt bass amplifier (BA115HP). I definitely was looking for a semi-hollow body when I picked this guitar and couldn't have found better from all the raves I get every time I pick it up and play?!! I wouldn't change a thing on it, it's perfect.