SR300EB-WK : Excellent everyday 4 string bass

Conclusion - I really like it - in terms of finish and finesse it obviously cannot compete with more expensive instruments, but it looks good, sounds good and plays very well. Ibanez bass necks are super comfortable to play (similar profile to my Ibanez 5 string). I would struggle to justify paying more for a workaday instrument. Unequivocally recommended.

Background: I've been playing bass for a long long time. My trusty 1990s Hohner B Bass is almost completely worn out now, so I was looking for something to take its place as a 'daily driver' bass - something I can use day in day out without worrying about it.

Use: mainly personal in my basement studio where I play most days for my own pleasure, but I shall also be using it for occasional live performance. Current most used rig is a Boss GT-1B through an Ampeg Portaflex 500 and 2 4x10s.

Good points: Indonesian - it's pretty much a given that any Indonesian made guitar will be outstanding in it's combination of price and quality. This is no exception. Well finished and very tidy indeed. I haven't found any cosmetic issues at all. I really like the cherry fretboard - makes a good looking and nice feeling change to rosewood. No fret buzz anywhere, at all. It's thin bodied and light for a mahogany guitar, no worries playing it for hours on end.

In use:The active only electronics are effectively noiseless and the three way selector is interesting. I really only like the sound of single coils on a bass guitar, and true to form the humbucker only setting sounds to me boxy, like all Ibanez bass humbuckers in my experience. The combination setting, however, using split and humbucker together is the best option on this guitar, just don't touch the mid range or turn the bass pot up too much or the dreaded boxiness reasserts itself. Set like this I have the bright and deep sound that I like - piercing and bone shaking all at once.

It is actually a joy to play it, I've hardly put it down since I received it. Factory set up is almost spot on. The action is set medium, which might be too high for some, but suits my playing style and tonal requirements (nb guitar players: action height affects the tone on a bass guitar a lot more than you might think). The neck is perfectly set, no adjustment required. The intonation was a few cents out on a couple of strings, no big deal.

Not 100% good point: Being a mid budget guitar there is no fretboard binding, and there are a few very slight catches on the fret edges if you try to find them - unnoticeable when playing.

In short, I'm really happy with this purchase. The more I play it, the happier I am. Really loving this instrument.