Ibanez PCBE12MHOPN 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar Review

The Ibanez: Play the Bass Wherever You Want

I have always been surrounded by music. Both my mother and father were professional trumpeters and played at various theaters across the country, primarily in New York. I grew up listening to full orchestras, playing songs, and I was swept away.

Music has a power to provide escape and play with a person’s emotions. It can take you back to the time you were a child, or make you remember what it was like when you were with a certain person.

It has been proven that music causes the brain to reminisce and fire endorphins throughout your body. Music can calm you but also hype you up and get you ready for a workout. It is integral to society and there is always a need for new artists.

If you are new to the world of music, or even if you have been playing for years, it is always important to do as much research as you can before buying an instrument. It can cost you a good chunk of money, and you definitely want to buy one that will hold up a long time.

One type of instrument that you can buy online is the bass guitar, a fantastic instrument that is integral to any piece of music!

There are so many brands available on the market today that vary in price, size, and playing type. It can be overwhelming, but I am here to help guide you towards what brands work and what brands don’t.

One bass guitar brand is the Ibanez 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar. It is very affordable and available online for purchase.

Features

The Ibanez 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar comes with a variety of features to meet your musical instrument needs. These features include:

  • Grand concert body top
  • Mahogany on the top, the back, and the sides
  • Mahogany on the neck as well
  • A maple fret board
  • Rosewood bridge
  • Rosewood sound hole rosette
  • Tortoiseshell tuning machine
  • Chrome die-cast tuner equipped on the guitar
  • 20 bridge pins (on frets)
  • Plastic bridge pin strings
  • D’Addario pick up
  • The exclusive Ibanez under saddle preamp pickup
  • Onboard fully functional tuner and board—to change volume and tone
  • Open pore finish on the back, sides, and the neck
  • Measures 40” x 5” x 12”
  • Weighs 2.6 pounds
  • Both electric/acoustic

Pros

  • Great quality for a great price
  • Can record cleanly both acoustically and electrically
  • Woody sound, similar to upright bass (not quite as much depth)
  • Beautiful look and feel with open-pore mahogany (never seen on this type of bass before)
  • Fantastic sound even when unamplified
  • No cheap or glossy finish as with other brands
  • Well-made Instrument
  • Light
  • Easy to go mobile
  • Sturdy
  • Notes feel richer on acoustic bass
  • Acoustic tonal quality

Cons

  • Very quiet while playing acoustically (just a warning)
  • Onboard pickups not very good at all
  • Does not stay in tune for long periods of time
  • Onboard tuner can be slightly inaccurate
  • Sound can be a bit twangy (can be fixed with another set of strings)

Verdict

The Ibanez 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar is a great purchase for someone who is very new to playing the bass; it definitely gets the job done. It has a great sound, is easy to play, and is a real bonus that is can be both electric and acoustic.

That being said, there are some downsides to this bass guitar. Since it is on the cheaper side of the brands, the Ibanez is known to go slightly out of tune over a short period of time. I would recommend, if you are at a gig, to consistently be tuning every 30 minutes or so, as it could slip a bit under.

Also, the onboard pickups are not the greatest, but if you are just beginning to learn, you will not mind one bit. If you are a more advanced bassist looking for the highest quality of instrument, the Ibanez 4-String Acoustic Bass Guitar is not for you. But if you are looking for an acoustic/electric bass that is easily to move and doesn’t need additional features, then the Ibanez would be a great buy.

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