OLP SB4

The only bad thing is its heads machine. I use musicman, it is more solid than rebop bass for example, but the body of the rebop is really nice, goood balance between body and neck, very confortable neck!!!
I have some doubt about its bridge, but it was made for a reason that just a specialist understand.
I'm not very likely about the materials in the body and neck... here you can "feel" the difference in between others professionals basses.
Anyway, very good performance in this item.

The sound is really particular, you cannot make any comparation with others basses, it is just a Spector Bass.
It is clear, modern and so sweet... punchy, agressive if you use hard stuff, but the most impresive thing is the sound's convination just moving a few its controls...
I don't know if a active picks i this bass can do a better job, for me it is ok like that.
Of course, to have this bass, you have to have 2 basses more at last because it is not a completed sound.
I use it with ampeg svt3 pro, this amp is a big big shit, but you can see behind the sound across this amp that there is a really big "guy".
May be using an Aguilar pre amp or head, you can obtain a good sound.
Anyway, this bass is to far from the "euro model", but... to people who don't play with Audioslave, ok, take it... you will be surprise!

Generally speaking, it came very good, like I have said, the head machines are really really bad and I have some doubts about the bridge.
The paint is very very horrible quality.

It is very useful to play it like a hourse, nothing else.. like chinise products... play it, broke it, burn it then...

My dealer shop was like that: 10 (thank you Michel from st. etienne / france)

Incredible instrument for people who have not the possibility to have a really good instrument.
You cannot buy such an instrument for this money, the sound is incredible, the body too and the brand is great.
Take it if you can... there is any new Fender (USA) with the same performance.
Musicman has few positives point over it, too much marketing. Don't pay attention on everything you see on magazines, prove this bass with both warwick and musicman too, you will see (I mention this basses becasue they are in the same range).

dual passive humbuckers

EMG-SSD pups, so I guess it sounds like the cheapest Asian Spector bass. It does not sound like the more expensive active Spector Euro bass which I own.

Good for a cheap Asian bass. You have to do a total setup on these when they arrive. Neck had way too much relief and very high action.

Basswood is light but dents easily. The hardware is exactly the same as on some Turser and Rogue basses. It comes from a big Chinese factotory that build for many marketers that have their instruments built under contract. It holds a tune and has a fairly nice action.

This is an OK bass, Very good for a learner. More like a 9 or 10 for the price, but more like a 7 if you own other decent basses that cost more. Don't think that you have a real Spector copy. It looks similar to a Spector, but in no way is it a Spector in neck design, tone controls, bridge, feel, etc. Its just a good starter bass that looks nice.

Hmmm.....it's an import bass with a maple neck, basswood body, and two EMG humbuckers. Quilted maple top is the only extra feature for the price, but it looks good in transparenr red. Decent bridge, but not a Spector bridge by a long shot.

I was wondering about one of these. I'm getting into playing fast lead bass, sort of Entwistle style, and I wanted a bass with a fast oil finished neck, EMG humbuckers, low action, good balance, sort of a hi-fi tone while maintaining a bit of organic vibe, and a look a bit out of the ordinary, but not extreme like a Buzzard, Kelly or B.C. Witch bass. Active electronics was a necessity, but I was willing to add on an Aguilar onboard preamp, as they are cheap for pro quality preamps and sound clean and organic. The Peavey NTB-4 was too damned heavy, and the pickups passive and too overwound for the sweet high end I wanted althgough they have plenty of output. A bass playing acquaintance had bought one of these and decided to trade up to a real Spector, so he let me have it for a two-week trial and the price was too low not to give it a go. Right off the bat I liked the bass. The bass had been reasonably well set up by the previous owner and the oil finished neck was fast. The EMG-SSD had a good upper end for passive pickups, put not enough grunt and drive for my taste. I still preferred them over the Fender Mexican Jazz Bass pickups. I played through a borrowed SansAmp Bass Driver DI and knew it had potential. I paid the guy and proceeded to modify to taste. I ordered a set of Spector medium roundwound strings to replace the mediocre Ernie Ball strings and that helped sweeten up the high end and sustain. I installed an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp in the oversized control cavity and rewired the controls to Blend - Treble - Bass. This bass has a thick body so the control cavity is fairly generous. You turn off the bridge or neck pickup by full forward or backward turn of the blend knob, and there is a center detent for both pickups full on. The volume knob is on my bass amp, and if I need quick volume control I hook up my volume pedal. The blend control is really faster than separate volume knobs for each pickup when searching for the right tone. The two remaining knobs control treble and bass boost on the OBP-1 preamp. For a cost fully $300 less than a new Spector Korean basses, I got a bass at least the equal in tonal quality. OK, so gave I up a 3-piece neck in choosing this, but like the Aguilar electronics better than what the Korean Spectors sound like. My 3-knob system is faster for getting a quick tonal change. The original single tone control was very limiting. I MUCH prefer being able to boost the bass and treble at the same time instead of just rolling off the highs like before. A volume change using my pedal is faster than a volume knob. This bass rocks now. Lots of tonal range and great drive capability. It sustains very well, except for the few obligatory dead notes since it is a 1-piece flatsawn neck. With the preamp, I like it better than a Fender Aerodyne Jazz bass which was also a contender because of the basswood body. Basswood just sounds good in bass bodies, so I guess that's why some many manufacturers are introducing them. The Spector Basses made in Korea use basswood as well. OLP just gives it to you at a cheaper price. Stay away from the Agathis crap. Basswood is where it's at in cheap basses, and even a Status Buzzard 2 bass uses a basswood body. The basswoood warms up those EMG pickups and makes it hi-fi and organic at the same time. This is the best sounding bass I ever heard for under $200 on the used market in mint condition. At the price and after my mods it's a 10.

I lucked out and got a good piece of quilted maple on my bass. It's a thin piece of maple, but that's all that's needed for looks. The neck fits tight into the body and doesn't move around. I got the action fairly low without buzzing and the fretwork was fairly good. All I had to do was touch up the fret ends a bit to remove some rough edges, but it was almost too minor to notice. Truss rod and saddle adjustments were easy. The neck is fairly slim at the nut and reasonably thin front to back and works well in helping the oil finished neck give a fast action. I sanded the back of the neck a bit with ultrafine sandpaper, which I have done to most of my basses. The bass hangs comfortably without neck dive and is fairly light. This is a comfortable bass. I take this over much more expensive American P-bass and Rickenbacker basses I have owned for lightweight comfort. It even beats Spectors if weight is a major concern. Looks good, feels good, sounds good. I would prefer a more stable 3-piece neck with reinforcement and a better satin finish on the back of the neck than comes from the factory, but you can sand the finish a bit and you aren't getting a 3-piece neck with reinforcement at anything close to this in price.

The tuners have held a tune all day long while playing. Outside of having to put some glue in the strap button holes, it hasn't had any problems.

???

It's a keeper, especially considering the price I gave. Everything was bought used except the strings. I'm getting sold on basswood as really good for low cost basses. I've played $1000 basses that I liked a lot less. Now I'm going to get a cheap killer bass practice amp to match it. Stay tuned. I now run through a SansAmp into the PA system at a gig.

I won't bore you with the obvious...It's the same as everyone else's. Same tuners, Same Pickups...Mine is the red clearcoat with the maple Cap. It's suppose to be flamed...It is kinda..no AAA here though.The nech is no Jazz bass. Its kinda chunky...but not uncomfortable. The neck is smooth allowing me to play along the neck quickly... The body is Basswood. I got it on e-bay for 187 bucks shipped. I bid on it thinking there is no way I could get it at this price. I was pretty shocked that I won. Overall its a nice bass at a great price

I tinker with different styles..from a mellow blues to a little bit of alterative...nothing too heavy...The bass has a lot of useable tones ...and a few absolutely horrible ones....When I roll off the bass and roll on the Treble...and then play through the front pickup. yuck....I play through a Roland DB500 cube...It compliments it very well!. I've played it live and had no trouble with tuning..Overall its a good performinig bass

ok regarding the fit and finish. Out of the box the finish looked great. I polished it up and it looked even better. The saddles were cut well and the strings did not buzzz..they did not buzz because they were about an inch off of the Fretboard. Its possible the company shipping the bass took out the tension of the Trussrod soit wouldn't snap during shipping....or it was never setup. I worked on it for an hour and I was able to get the action way low with very little fret buzz. The pots were excellent though....No noise...

I survived a 45 minute gig in which I thrashed it a bit..and It came out with flying colors. I had to be careful with my old bass. Too much jumping around and ...bam... out of tune. The finish is holding up well..I do make sure to wipe it down after I play. I am a little worried about the strap buttons...no problems yet..but I will end up replcing and reinforcing them

never dealt with the company..but I have very little faith in them providing any kind of service. Their website hasn't been updated in months. It still shows the sb4 as a new model..

I've been playing for 2 years...my first bass was a junky 89 dollar Kramer Focus...I played that for a year and a half. I installed new pickups, pots, a jack, a new string guide,and strings..Its not a bad p-bass copy now....If anyone tried to steal it I would probably get a real spector..because this "copy" was pretty great. I am pretty satisifed with this bass.

Dual humbuckered bolt-on bass with passive controls. Combines features of Spector Performer and Fender Jazz basses.

It uses the SSD-EMG pickups so it will sound a lot like Spector's cheapest bass. The body shape and headstock shape say Spector, but the V-V-T control system and neck profile say Jazz bass. If you want J-bass neck feel and controls, but want a Spector look and sound, this is your bass. This would make a great backup for a Spector or Jazz bass. The supplied Ernie Ball Slinky roundwound strings are decent, but I may be changing to flatwounds for a deeper tone.

Although it was able to achieve a great action, I had to do considerable setup adjustments as the action was too high and too much neck relief when it arrived. The setup was very quick and the bridge is easier to adjust than a real Steinberger bridge that comes on the better Spectors. Neck is tight to the body and finish is smooth and well applied. The red transparent color looks great. The frets are well finished for a bass so cheap. The neck has a smooth minimal finish and is slim like a Jazz bass neck. The quilted maple top looks upscale for a bass this cheap. The bridge is not a Steinberger copy, nor is it like a Jazz bass bridge, but looks closer to a Steinberger at a distance.

I think it would go a 7 or 8 for reliability and durability, but too soon to tell, so no rating on that.

Tuners hold very well, but I didn't trust the strap button screws in that soft basswood. I removed the screws, ran some super glue down the holes with a toothpick and let it soak into the wood and harden, then the screws held tight and will not strip out.

I would want a backup, but this is definitely a gigworthy bass in spite of the low price.

??? Hope I never need to call them.

A great entry level bass for somebody who wants a Jazz feeling bass with Spector humbucker tone and looks. I think the Spector shaped body is actually more comfortable than a Jazz bass, and the lighter basswood body takes a load off and has fabulous bass tone.

I prefer this bass over a Mexican Fender Jazz bass, but the Euro Spector basses blow it out of the water (no surprise there, huh?) at about 3 times the price. A good alternative to the Spector Performer 4 bass if you like a slim Jazz bass feeling neck. Otherwise, I would pay a few extra bucks and get the Spector Performer 4 if you prefer Spector neck feel to Jazz neck feel.

The quilted maple top sure looks good up on stage. Most people will never guess how little this bass costs, unless they are familiar with OLP's. For the low price, it's a 10.

A great bass for beginners that need lots of tonal range.

I tried the OLP MM2 and the OLP SB4 and the SB4 had much more tonal range adjustment and it looks better than the MM2 as well. It's basically the same sound as the cheapest Spector Performer 4 bass except I paid $100 less. This is the best sounding bass for the money I could find for under $300. The pickups are the same as on the Spector, passive EMG-SSD.

Very attractive bass. Slim and fast neck. I adjusted the neck to a low action without fret buzzing. Very light and comfortable. The quilted maple top is rare in basses in this price range and makes it look much more expensive. It looks better than the MM2. The pickups were well adjusted. I tightened all the tuners and pots and adjusted the bridge for string height and intonation. I never bought a guitar or bass that didn't need some adjustment. The setup on a new guitar or bass needs adjustment every couple of months for the first year if you are really picky. Cheap instruments NEVER use seasoned wood. If a neck is straight after 2 years, it should be straight forever.

The basswood body will dent easily, but the basswood body is why it sounds so nice. The maple cap keeps the front side looking good. The hardware is nice and the bass will last and is solid enough for gigging. The tuners and bridge are really nice for a bass so cheap.

You'd have to be crazy not to like it. It gets sounds that the MM2 just can't get. It has a really slim and narrow neck like a Jazz bass, but the headstock is much smaller and it looks a lot nicer than a MIM Fender J-bass, and a lot lighter as well. I get lots of positive comments on how good it looks and sounds. I have the transparent red finish. Several people have thought it was a real Spector!

Same as below, but I added an Aguilar DB924 preamp for more tonal range. It has very good features for the price. It lacks the second tone control that real Spectors have.

The sound was about a 7 in absolute terms with the stock EMG-SSD pickups, but still extremely good for the price (most cheap basses would rate a 5 at best in my opinion). I decided it needed some boosting to sound more like the upscale Spector basses it is patterned after. I bought my bass used for $150 so that I could experiment. The Spector ReBop bass uses passive EMG-HZ pickups and an Aguilar OBP-1 preamp. The Aguilar DB924 is an outboard box that is identical in circuitry to the onboard OBP-1, and it can be used with all your passive basses for buffering and boosting your output. The sound is now much closer to my active ReBop with OBP-1 preamp. I use the SB4 bass as a cost effective backup to my Rebop. I put a belt loop on the DB924 and plug the SB4 or other bass into it there with a short interconnect. I generally leave the tone control on the SB4 full clockwise and dial in my tone with the DB924 after adjusting my pickup balance. The SB4 sounds a lot like a P-bass when the neck pickup is selected, and the EMG-SSD pickups are quiet. I generally use both pickups for a wide range and richer tone. You could also install the OBP-1 preamp into the SB4, but you would need to add an extra tone control. I prefer having an external DB924 for using with other basses. With the Aguilar preamp in the circuit and 18 dB of bass and treble boost, you can get just about any sound you want. With both controls rolled fully off, the preamp is flat and merely buffers your output for driving long cable runs, which I normally use at a gig. I play mostly classic rock and hard rock music, but the SB4 with DB924 can be dialed in for anything you want to play. The SB4 has more tonal range than the OLP MM2, plus it has a more comfortable body style. However, the MM2 seems to be outselling it as it looks like a StingRay. But take it from me, The Spector basses are definitely better than the Music Man basses and you want the copy of the Spector bass if playability, comfort, and tonal range is your goal. Those who like the MM2 would crap themselves if they got their hands on an SB4. It actually has a lot of the real Spector vibe going for it. Remember, the 9 rating is after I added the Aguilar preamp. There are no 10's at this low of a price, and those that give that rating are just ranting about their new toy. The amazing thing about EMG pickups with an active preamp is that new strings can be made to sound new for a lot longer than 2 weeks like on a lot of other basses (are you listening, P-brains?). The sustain is good, but not as good as a Spector. It also has more noticeable dead spots on the fretboard as there is no graphite neck reinforcement.

It is really good for the price, but things have changed in recent years and there are many good basses in the same price range coming from Asia. If it were not for the EMG-SSD pickups and Spector body style, this bass would have no advantage over several other brands. If I were buying new, I would spend a few extra dollars and get the Spector Performer 4 bass, as it will have a lot more resale value and prestige as it says Spector on the headstock, plus it has the extra tone control for installing an onboard Aguilar OBP-1 just like the ReBop. $300 at Musician's Friend is too much, even if it does surpass the MIM Fender basses that sell for at least $100 more. You can get a mint used Spector NS2000Q4 made in Korea for $300 on eBay all the time, and it has active circuitry already installed, but it isn't of Aguilar OBP-1 quality. The Spector Performer 4 is only $50 more at Musician's Friend. I like the quilted maple top, and the tuners and tailpiece seem to be good serviceable items. The neck is straight, and it achieved my standard action which is a little over 5/64" on the G string and 7/64" on the E string. The neck is in a nice tight pocket on the body, so no shifting around. The frets are fairly even, but not quite as nicely done as on my ReBop, but what do you expect. The paint looks hard and evenly applied. The transparent red finish looks nice with the quilted top, so it is not embarrassed to keep company with my ReBop. The SB4 also plays a lot better than my old P-bass I once had, and the neck is more like a J-bass. It is thinner than the ReBop neck. The body is also extremely comfortable and light, whether standing or sitting. You can't beat the Spector NS body style for comfort. The SB4 is a bit lighter than the ReBop due to the basswood body. This is an unbeatable bass for kids to learn on, due to the slim neck, light weight, ergonomic shape, and ability to achieve a low action setup. Again, very good considering the cheap price.

It doesn't compare to my ReBop when speaking of reliability and durability. The ReBop has graphite neck reinforcement and almost never needs attention. You have to adjust the SB4 neck every few months due to humidity changes with the seasons. It's good for the money, and you can gig with it until you get an upscale bass. 8 is a really high rating at this low of a price level.

If customer support is all that important, just get the real Spector, because nobody beats Spector customer support.

I got this in mint condition, and at only $150 it was a no-brainer buy. I beats a lot of American basses I once owned. I'm a dyed in the wool Spector convert. To think I screwed around all those years with Fenders. The only American made bass I own is a 10-year-old Rickenbacker, and you buy one of those because nothing else sounds like it, and I paid over 5 times what this thing cost me. The Spectors made in the Czech Republic are VERY close to the USA Spectors in sound, playability, durability, workmanship, and looks. The big difference is they cost half as much. I needed a cheap backup for my ReBop 4-string, and the SB4 was good enough when the Aguilar DB924 was added. I have never had to use the SB4 on a gig, as the ReBop is totally reliable and built like a brick outhouse. I do enjoy practicing with the SB4, however, and that saves the frets and strings on my ReBop for serious gigging. I will add a Euro Spector neck-thru to my arsenal some day when I find a used on at the right price, and that will lessen my need for the SB4 as a backup. Do NOT pay the $300 or more price tag that most music stores want for the OLP SB4. For $350 you can get a new Spector Performer 4 with the same EMG-SSD pickups, and it upgrades much easier to an onboard preamp. I got my ReBop used in excellent condition for well under $500 with gig bag included, SO DON'T PAY $300 OR MORE FOR AN SB4. The SB4 is a good bass for seeing if you like a Spector style bass, and it outclasses the MIM Fenders, no contest. After plugging into an Aguilar DB924, it will outperform a stock American P-bass or J-bass as well. The Aguilar DB924 can be found used for around $100, maybe less. It allows you to use a cheap bass until you find your favorite upscale bass. I have seen the OLP SB4 on eBay for $229 from Music123, and at that price it is a good deal if you can't afford the Spector Performer 4. The price difference will buy you a used Aguilar DB924, and then it will outperform the Performer 4. If I hadn't found a desperate dude with an SB4 and a case of GAS, I would have looked for a used Spector Performer 4 instead. Keep that in mind; you don't buy a copy if you can get the real thing at nearly the same price. You just can't beat Spector basses at their price points in most cases, especially if buying new ones. Consider the SB4 as a first step toward a Spector, or as a cheap backup, because that is what it is. Don't worry about your music style, because myself and others have played just about every style on this thing. I've been playing since 1976, and never above the semi-pro level. If I could have had gear this nice when I started out in my teens, who knows where I might have went to in my playing abilities. Get a kid one of these if you want to see if they have what it takes. Heck, it's even good enough for most grownups! But DO get a real Spector instead if you can swing the cost of admission.

Dual EMG-SSD passive humbuckers, chrome metal volume-volume-tone controls, heavy die cast bridge, enclosed Gotoh bass tuners, 24-fret maple neck with rosewood fingerboard and angled headstock, basswood body with 1/8" maple cap, flared strap buttons, input jack on bottom of body. Translucent black finish that seems durable enough and solid black finish on front of headstock. Single truss rod with allen wrench adjuster included. Comes with cheap interconnect cable and small allen key for string saddle adjustment.

For the price, who can complain. I am knocking off one point because the pickups are not as hot as on other basses I have owned, but they make up for it in tonal range and clarity. This bass sounds so good that I am giving up on looking for expensive basses. Run it through something like a SansAmp BDDI pedal and you virtually have an active bass for a fraction of the cost of one. I want the 5-string version if I ever get a 5-string. The sound goes from a nice round bottom through a snarling growl to a sweet top end. The highs are not brittle but are instead very musical. I think this had a lot to do with the pickups being passive. I think the sound is perfect for fingerpicking and is very bright and articulate with a pick. I like the range of tone you can get by leaving both pickups full on, adjusting the tone to where you like it best on average, then just varying your picking style for a huge range of tonal differences. I wanted at least a Euro Spector, but I just can't afford it right now. This is somewhat equivalent to the Performance and Professsional series in the Spector line that are made in Asia. For the same price as an NS2000Q4 you can get one of these and a SansAmp BDDI for a bit more versatility. I get lots of positive comments on the sound.

It looks as good as it sounds. The quilted maple top puts MIM Fender basses to shame. The neck plays like a dream. I had to adjust the action when I got it, but that is true of all the basses I ever owned. The tuners are smooth and hold solid. The action is 7/64 on the E sring, and a little lower on the G string. It has a fast and easy action and suits a wide range of playing styles. This bass is seeing the most use right now. Anybody who buys a MIM Fender, Ibanez, or Yamaha when they could have had one of these is hung up on big name brands. OLP blows away the big names in value. The closest thing to this bass is a RockBass Streamer by Warwick or a Performer 4 by Spector. The quilted maple top on the OLP looks better and you get it for $50-$100 less at street price. Those are the only competition, because it blows away Ibanez, Yamaha, and Fender at its price point when you play them. Buy the RockBass Streamer or Spector Performer 4 if you don't get this one, because they crap all over the big selling names as well and you still get value for the little bit of extra you have to spend. The OLP basses are light and comfortable. They don't look or feel as cheap as the other Asian imports in their price range. I think that if you took the bolts out of the neck, you would have to pry the neck from the body as it looks to be a zero tolerance fit. My old MIM Fender P-bass looks crappy by comparison.

Don't know yet, but it looks like it will hold up to the occasional gig for many years on end. I'm in a college rock band, and we mainly play on only Friday and Saturday nights as a group. The other band members are blown away by the decent sound, hardware, and cosmetics at a giveaway price. Our guitarist is getting the OLP SG1 and/or MM4 as soon as he gets the cash from selling his Epiphone SG copy. The SG1 can cover for a Les Paul or SG, and the MM4 covers for a Strat at a fraction of even the MIM Fender or Korean Epiphone price. I am saving for an MM2, as I want to add the StingRay sound to my tone arsenal. It looks retro cool as well. My beatup MIM P-bass is soon to be history as I like the MM2 better and I can only afford two basses now.

I would rather never have to learn how good the customer support is at OLP. I don't see any problems as long as the bass isn't damaged from abuse.

I have played bass since I was 14, and acoustic guitar since I was 12. Only had the cheapest used Fender, Yamaha, and Ibanez basses until this bass came along as that was all I could afford as a teenager. I am glad to be out of the Fender/Gibson/Epiphone/Ibanez/Yamaha, et al, camp. Seriously, if you don't like this bass, look at the MM2..........or the Spector Performer 4 or Warwick RockBass line if you have a bit more scratch. They blow the big name mass producers away in sound, playability, and build quality. I know of nothing else at the OLP price level that compares. I would buy another one in a heartbeat, and I plan to as soon as the cash for the MM2 becomes available. I play through an Eden Nemesis NC-210P that I bought used for $225, and it's also a killer amp for the price. Sounds better, costs less, and weighs way less than an equivalent Peavey amp even. There are now better alternatives to the big names with a big advertising budget, folks. I suspect that OLP will soon be a large company if they manage to keep their prices low in relation to the big names. I hope they start making amps as good as their basses and guitars!

Maple neck, rosewood fretboard, basswood with quilted maple cap, passive EMG SSD pickups, 2 volume and 1 tone control. Die cast tuners and tailpiece/bridge. Ernie Ball Regular Slinky strings are standard.

This bass is a copy of the Spector NS series bass.

Adjustment tools and interconnect cable is included.

The bass has a wide range of tone for a passive bass. It has a bright sound that goes well with a fingerpicking style, but still packs plenty of weight. The dual humbuckers are fairly quiet and would fit in the modern sounding category. Because the sound is rather clean and tight, it sounds good with my Marshall AVT20 practice amp that I converted to bass by installing an Eminence B102 speaker and a resistive flow vent. Some people report Spectors as sounding too sterile, but they work very well when going through effects or an amp with good distortion control like a Marshall. The E string has very full output, while the G string can be very bright. This bass copies the Spector sound rather closely because it uses EMG Stuart Spector Design pickups. What you lose is the high output of real Spector basses with active pickups. However, the output should be good enough for most applications, and if not just add an effects unit of some kind. The sustain is very good for a bolt-on neck. The sound should probably rate a 10 for the price, but I haven't heard them all. The sound is good enough for pro use.

Action was high, and the neck had too much bow. I had to tighten the truss rod by over half a turn and lower the saddles quite a bit. Intonation then had to be reset. Action is now low and fast with very good intonation all over the fretboard. The tuners hold very well and work smoothly.

The neck is slim and fast. The neck to body joint is very tight. This would be a perfect starter bass for a young person or a very good bass for most women players. If you like a slimmer jazz style neck, you would probably like this one.

Pickups seemed well adjusted, so I left them alone. Tone controls are smooth with nice chrome knobs. I picked up some hum when I had a light with dimmer control switched on and close to the bass, but otherwise the pickups are quiet.

The quilted maple top is attractive. Mine came in transparent red finish, which is very evenly applied and smooth. The neck has a very light and smooth finish. The body is well sculpted and very comfortable. Very light weight with good balance. The handling qualities are simply excellent for a bass this inexpensive.

This is as well finished as any cheap Chinese bass. I would not be afraid to gig this bass in a semi-pro setting. The wood and hardware are of much higher quality than entry level basses of the past. You even get real EMG pickups, which sound amazing for the price.

Doubt if I will ever need any customer support, unless I accidently break it.

I have a Rickenbacker 4004 and an OLP MM2, but this bass has been getting the most playing lately. This is a really good bass for the price, and I would definitely buy it again. It is the best value I have ever gotten in a bass or guitar. I love the tonal range for solo practice, and the slim fast neck. This is an excellent bass for a wide range of musical styles. The clean tone makes it an excellent bass for using with effects and modeling amps. Used with a SansAmp RBI, you can play any style on this bass. At the price you pay, I doubt you could beat this bass. If your budget tops out at around $300, or if you are a beginner wanting a versatile bass that is user friendly, definitely consider this bass.