JB-75MN Black Vintage Series : Decent beginner/backup bass

I bought this bass for a complete beginner as a gift. I didn't want to spend a huge amount of money in case she wasn't interested, but I can safely say that she is now a bass convert!

Sure, this bass is certainly on the lower-end of the scale price-wise, but the build quality and sound EASILY matches a bass twice it's price.

The frets have some slightly sharp burrs on the edges which will either wear down over time or could be easily filed, but this isn't as drastic as some would suggest - it's still very playable.

I fully expected to have to upgrade the pickups at some point but I hadn't realised that there were Wilkinson pickups included. These have a nice traditional growley jazz-bass tone that's unmistakeable and really quite good for the price.

This bass is HEAVY. I assumed from the price that the bass would be cheaply made and thus light, but it really does appear that there were no compromises in the build process.

All in all, a very good product for the price. This is definitely an easy way to bring a complete beginner into the bass world for a great price.