Ibanez miKro GSRM20 Bass Guitar - Transparent Red

I'm in love with this bass. I found 4 reviewers on YT who said exactly the same thing, which is why I took a chance on the Ibanez Mikrobass. Professional instrument know-it-alls have said that short scale basses have a different tone than full scale (while making a face as if they smell a fart), and I was very curious about that, because... logic. After my own experimentation, I could detect no audible difference between my full scale Yamaha (BB350F/1997) and the Ibanez Mikrobass, both clean and on many amp and pedal settings... because, of course they both have the same gauge strings, are tuned to the same vibrational frequency and have virtually identical pickups, so... math. I love the feel of it, because the lighter body and neck, and perhaps the looser strings having more travel distance to sustain a note, allows the vibration of the strings to penetrate deeply into your hands and torso. For me, that really adds to the joy of playing. After a few days, I started to crave the feeling of it more and more. It goes without saying that the shorter, more narrow neck and looser strings makes it a lot more comfortable to play, for people with normal sized hands or smaller. If I were the seller, I would not be happy with those photos which leave you wondering about the body's finish. Well, let me tell you there is no hint of orange on my red body, just deep dark red, worthy of the blood god. And, through the clear coat, up close, you can see all of the wood grain detail, but at a distance, the dark specks give it a warm fuzz, that, how crazy is this, thematically suits this instrument in every way. The fuzz master, baby! Honestly, it's quite nice looking, IMO. Much better than I expected. And, the only imperfection I could detect was the volume knob sticks a little when turned all the way down, but I'm expecting it to wear in. In summation, it baffles me how this instrument, which has clearly had a ton of love poured into its design and quality control during assembly, can sell, new, for under $200. This is now my main instrument. I was not paid to say any of this.

Right, let me give a back story before diving into this review. I'm a beginner bass player, haven't even learned how to play a full song yet. This is the second bass that I've purchased. The first one is a standard 34" scale bass which, as nice as it is, has proven a little difficult for me to play since I'm not used to stretching my hand and arm so much to reach the frets. I recently tried a micro bass at a local music shop and decided that would be the route for me to go. Fast forward a few days and I ordered this beauty via Amazon. It took a hell of a lot less time for it to ship in than I was quoted which is wonderful. I opened the box like an excited child on Christmas day and to my great surprise, the bass came assembled. I figured I'd have to assemble it and string it together, myself which wasn't a deterrent and let me tell ya, the pictures that I had seen don't do this beauty justice. She gleamed in the light the same way my 4Runner does after a good wash down. So beautiful. After tuning my bass to E standard, I plugged her in to my amp and began to play the few notes that I know how to play. The neck of the bass felt so comfortable in my hand, the frets weren't spaced too far apart, and the sound was fantastic. I even began creating my own bass lines and riffs because of the fun I was having. I've still gotta tinker just a smidgen more to get it to total comfort but as far as I'm concerned, this was absolutely the right choice to go with. I'm now genuinely excited to keep playing and improving. Would highly recommend to anyone with shorter arms/hands or for those who want a good starter bass though I think I'll be keeping this long after my skills improve.

I'm not a bass player. I am a guitar player. I love the way this thing plays. I let my bass player play it at our last rehearsal. He loved it as well. He said he couldn't believe how good it played for the price. Everything is made with CNC machines nowadays. They put a block of wood on a table and hit start and the machine does all the cutting. That's why low end guitars are so good nowadays. There's not much room for human error. The computer is as skilled as any professional Craftsman. It doesn't mess up. The main thing you're paying for when you're paying for a higher end guitar is exotic woods and better hardware. This thing is awesome

I like this bass, but I will have to return it. When I received the Ibanez, I also purchased the necessary setup tools, carefully watched John Carruthers bass setup series on Youtube couple times until I am sure I know what I am doing. I was able to adjust the neck to fix things like string buzz. I also adjusted the bridge for intonation (to certain extent). The A string is a bit sharp (about two bars on my Zoom B1 Four, my Monoprice pedal tuner, and my clip-on Snark even though I adjusted the A bridge to the furthest position. The E string suffers the same issue, but a bit less (only one bar sharp). The D and G strings are not perfect but fine, got green light on the Zoom and Monoprice. For the A string, the saddle cannot move further because its wall blocks the screw (or itself) to move deeper. For comparison, the saddle of my Yamaha bass has a hole that allow the screw go through it. I can either cut the screw a bit short, or put a tiny washer at the back of the bridge. Also, the spring is at the most compressed position, so it may not work (replacing the spring may fix this, too). In addition, I just do not want to modify a brand-new bass like this. I think I should return it so Ibanez will fix the issue for everybody. I may try again later, too. I believe if the bridge is relocated about 1/4 inch further from the nut, the strings will be at proper lengths. The size is so good, just very right for me to play. My fingers can reach all notes comfortably. The neck is elegant, just very nice to play. The look is beautiful, elegant. I really like it. The build is solid, light, but not too light, just right, and comfortable to play long sessions. The sound is a bit thin and shallow, but it can be fixed using any effect device. I use a Zoom B1 Four. The A string snapped while I tried to make the adjustment. I emailed Ibanez and they simply replied the strings are not covered under warranty. I was expecting some friendlier customer service. Oh well, good to know. I still like the instrument, however. I purchased a D'Addario EXL170S set to replace the A string. Still sound thin and shallow. I think this instrument is capable and I myself can fix the issues (I just don't want to). If you are not very handy, I recommend a more setup friendly bass. For comparison, I got a Yamaha TRBX-174 and it's playable right out of the box. The strings are a bit sharp/flat but they are almost there. In short, I like this bass very much. I wish it had proper intonation! I hope Ibanez will offer an improved version in the future. Keep everything as is, just improve the intonation!!!

I love mine. Color was gorgeous. Electronics are great. Plays really nice. This is literally one of my favorite guitars. Also, it's really light which is nice. Great value.