Marcus Miller V3-5 ORG 2nd Gen 4-stars Reviews

Very good instrument for the price

Total

Overall, this is a very good instrument for the price. It suits funk, jazz and pop. It has a good playability and a good low-B for the price. It is a heavy instrument and a good strap is highly recommended.

Features

The fretboard is a very dark rosewood or similar and it seems durable. The back of the neck has a satin finish which is very good for playability. The rounded fingerboard edges should be a standard in every bass, they are very comfortable. The neck at the nut is quite narrow for a 5-string bass and the strings a quite close to each other (this may be a problem for some players), however it has a standard spacing (19mm) at the bridge where it is very comfortable to play. The bass comes with Ernie Ball strings 0.45-0.130. This is a heavy instrument (4,54 Kg) and tends to be unbalanced on the neck side. A wide strap is highly recommended.

Sound

This sounds like a modern version of a jazz bass. The active Eq. is very effective and allows you to have a plethora of tones without losing the character of the instrument. I find the pickup blend in this bass easier to use than the two separate volume controls (typical of the jazz bass). All controls have the flat position and they work as boost or cut. This allows you to start form the “flat” sound and then adjust it according to the song you’re playing or to the room acoustic. I personally find this bass suitable for jazz, funk and pop. It is definitely not an “aggressive” instrument. Despite the MM brand, not the best bass for slap in my opinion. The low-B is very good for the price and well balanced with the volume of the other strings. Probably the best I’ve heard in this price range.

Quality

The construction is decent for the price. However, there is a 1mm gap between the neck and the body in the neck pocket. Bridge and tuning pegs are Fender style and the instrument stays in tune quite decently (I do not agree with the reviews saying the hardware is quite poor). Nut is well cut. Pickups and electronics are quiet and not noisy. The finish is homogeneous and there are no dents or scratches. The instrument needs a set-up to adjust the action and pickup height.