PB-50 SB Vintage Series : Low Budget? Don't worry...

...because this is a good bass. Nice burst finish - it is Foto-Flame, but that's not a negative... more importantly, the satin-finish maple neck is straight and true and plays very nicely. No rough or sharp fret-ends, tuners hold tune, bridge is a high-mass item with grooves for the saddle screws... after a few minutes adjusting the intonation and action (with the supplied hex key) we're away.

The Wilkinson single-coil does a fairly plausible impersonation of Leo's 1951 pickup and has the fast attack associated with the original. It's at least as good as the name-brand upgrades that are available. The stock strings are D'Addario XL Nickel Rounds. I don't like these strings, they're somehow not as good as the D'Addarios you buy elsewhere - and in any case rounds aren't really appropriate for this bass. It far prefers flats, and fitting them makes a HUGE positive difference to the sound and playability.

So if you fancy the 50s vibe but don't want to break the bank, or if you just don't have the wherewithal or the inclination to spend hundreds on a more upmarket instrument, this bass will do you well enough. There is nothing wrong with it that a few minutes of fettling can't sort and it could easily be your main bass if necessary. My only gripe is that it would be far better out of the box if it came with flats already fitted.