Vantage 945BA Active Electronics

This is a 5-string, neck-through design. The electronics are active. Two pickups - one P-style and one J-style. Controls include; volume, blend, lows, mids, highs. The nut is brass. The hardware is gold. The fretboard appears to be rosewood. The strings feed from the back of the bridge - not a string-thru design.

I have a passive electronics version of this bass also and overall the tone of the active one is better - more lows and low mids. The output of the pickups was so different that I replaced everything electronic trying to solve the problem. It didn't help. I ended up with a dramatic difference in pickup height when all was said and done. The original pickups and electronics were okay. With a little help from amp EQ this bass could sound quite good. The high strings are a little thin sounding for my taste. The sustain is very good and offsets any complaints I have about tone. Both of my 945BA's have good sustain even on the low B string.

This is a well-built instrument. The finish is excellent. The hardware looks new. Everything is still tight. The action is low and the neck feels great in my hands.

This is a solid instrument. Once I got it set up, it's been reliable and stable.

I bought it used. No contact with Vantage.

I've been playing bass for about 35 years. I've owned the following:
- Gibson G3 4-string: great feel, records well without EQ, fair sustain, my drummers favorite
- Fender Mexican Jazz 5-string: awful feel, fair tone, no sustain
- Epiphone Ripper Reissue 4-string: good tone & feel, great sustain
- Washburn XB500 5-string: wonderful growl and feel, fair sustain
- Washburn XB400 4-string: wonderful growl and feel, fair sustain
- Vantage 945BA Active 5-string: Great feel, fair tone, good sustain
- Vantage 945BA Passive 5-string: Great feel, bad tone, good sustain

I like to find good instruments for little money. I'm happy with my 945BA because it's better than instruments costing many times more.