Ibanez TMB30-IV Talman Bass Ivory

I looked at a few reviews before I decided on this product. I had played a number of short scale basses that belonged to friends. When it arrived it lived up to all my expectations. It is well made and feels like a quality product. It sounds great and being a 6 string guitarist myself I found the short scale made it much easier to play than my other long scale bass.Really pleased!!!

A beautiful, easy to play bass which looks great and sound great too!

I'm newish to learning the bass and had a different one which was difficult to get my little hands round and the strings were hard to press down. I looked at reviews of this bass and it said it was good for beginners. I'm so pleased with it! This bass is a beautiful looking guitar and it has a lovely sound, it's got a really nice action too - the strings don't hurt to press down, the short scale is easier for me to get my fingers up and down the fret board and it is a good shape so I can sit it on my leg if I want to play sitting down. It making learning the bass much more easy and enjoyable.

Awesome beginner or project bass

Bought this one for the kids, but it's so much fun I'll probably play it more. This has to be one of, if not the best short scales in this price range. Mine came with a great neck, good frets and no sharp ends. Weight wise, its a little heavier than I expected- maybe 7.5 lbs? Fingers, pick, slap, all sound good with no rattles. No neck dive. The only weak point I think is the cheapo bridge. Its really unstable and the E saddle could be bumped and moved too easily. I ordered a Hipshot when I ordered the bass because I hate these style bridges anyway. I'd have had to shorten the screw or maybe just cut off some spring length on the stock saddle for the E (and possibly the A) to get them to intonate.Get the bass on sale, a Hipshot for another fifty and it's a ... MoreBought this one for the kids, but it's so much fun I'll probably play it more. This has to be one of, if not the best short scales in this price range. Mine came with a great neck, good frets and no sharp ends. Weight wise, its a little heavier than I expected- maybe 7.5 lbs? Fingers, pick, slap, all sound good with no rattles. No neck dive. The only weak point I think is the cheapo bridge. Its really unstable and the E saddle could be bumped and moved too easily. I ordered a Hipshot when I ordered the bass because I hate these style bridges anyway. I'd have had to shorten the screw or maybe just cut off some spring length on the stock saddle for the E (and possibly the A) to get them to intonate.Get the bass on sale, a Hipshot for another fifty and it's a performer on par with basses that cost a grand or more, and still less than competing Squiers or Epiphones that also probably need upgraded bridges. I mainly just use the P in a PJ setup, but installed a Fender J anyway because this one was noisy at home (but not at rehearsal for some reason). I had to carve away about a millimeter of wood on top and bottom of the bridge cavity to fit the Fender, so be aware that aftermarket pups may not be a straight drop in. Upgrading the pups is not really needed though IMO. The tuners have the large posts so breaking strings is less likely. They seem to be holding pretty well. I can get through a few songs without having to re-tune, then it's only a minor tweak to the E and A.

Beginner here...

Purchased this guy around 5-6 months ago, I was a complete absolute beginner but after reading some reviews of beginner sets I decided to buy all my bass stuff separately. Very happy I did. A few points, I'm glad I choose a bass with a shorter neck, great for a beginner with short arms or a confined practice area. A bit chunky and heavy for a beginner but if you purchase a padded strap it won't be a problem. One thing though I was getting fret buzz and didn't even realize what was going on untill some internet trouble shooting, I'd suggest a fret wrap and you will have a more clean sound. And if you are a beginner like me pick up a one of those tiny vox apms you plug directly into your bass then plug in some decent headphones. Quite a few reviews of the beginner ... MorePurchased this guy around 5-6 months ago, I was a complete absolute beginner but after reading some reviews of beginner sets I decided to buy all my bass stuff separately. Very happy I did. A few points, I'm glad I choose a bass with a shorter neck, great for a beginner with short arms or a confined practice area. A bit chunky and heavy for a beginner but if you purchase a padded strap it won't be a problem. One thing though I was getting fret buzz and didn't even realize what was going on untill some internet trouble shooting, I'd suggest a fret wrap and you will have a more clean sound. And if you are a beginner like me pick up a one of those tiny vox apms you plug directly into your bass then plug in some decent headphones. Quite a few reviews of the beginner sets complained of the bass litteraly falling apart after 6 months don't get those. Get this bass instead and purchase your accessories separately. I'm super happy I did.

Cool and fun and cheap. Having fun!

Came well packaged. I love the guitar, feels nice, cool duck-egg colour (website does it justice), I like the sound and feel, however I am a total beginner so take that as you will. Only main downsides are the J-pickup can be quite noisy (cheap so fairs, P-pickup works nice though) and the pickup knobs don't feel very linear (nothing until the last 20% or so) - though that may be due to my interface. Theres also a bit of neck dive I'm sure I'll finda way of fixing. For the price it's lovely, size is cool (I'm 6ft but with a left trigger-finger pinky so I went 30-inch) looks good on me, not tiny or comical. Default strings sound fine. Honestly I'm just having a lotta fun with it

Impressed by the quality for such an entry-level price

I was looking to purchase a bass to keep me busy during lockdown without looking to spend too much as I have a very good bass (Ibanez SB900). So with this in mind, I ended up looking at something different and not too dear. I considered 5 strings but went for a short scale.The quality of the fret work is very good, no sprouting making it comfortable to play.Having the instrument setup before shipping is a great plus from MusicStore. It only needed a quick tuning to be back on track.The bass is a bit on the heavy side but that give it a great sound and sustain of the note. The default string gauge is well suited to E standard, drop D or Eb standard, I haven't tried lower so far.I play it through DI in amp sims and I'm delighteted with this bass, the sound is ... MoreI was looking to purchase a bass to keep me busy during lockdown without looking to spend too much as I have a very good bass (Ibanez SB900). So with this in mind, I ended up looking at something different and not too dear. I considered 5 strings but went for a short scale.The quality of the fret work is very good, no sprouting making it comfortable to play.Having the instrument setup before shipping is a great plus from MusicStore. It only needed a quick tuning to be back on track.The bass is a bit on the heavy side but that give it a great sound and sustain of the note. The default string gauge is well suited to E standard, drop D or Eb standard, I haven't tried lower so far.I play it through DI in amp sims and I'm delighteted with this bass, the sound is clear, the electronics are good pickups have a good output and the basic settings allow to get different tones. I'll keep it after lockdown as I'll have a different sound compared to the longer scale active SB900.The instrument might not be to the level of expectations of a pro bassist. But for anyone playing occasionally, at around 180€ that's incredible value (more than the jumpstart packs now that amp simulation are so common, 10W amps never sounded good anyway)

Much better than expected!!

I'm truly amazed by the quality of this instrument. This is Fender MIM quality at Squier bullet prices. I didn't spend anytime with the stock strings. Immediately put LaBella flats on it (104 low E). Set it up, and it plays as well as any bass I've played, no issues with intonation, frets work is good, no sharp ends, no noisy electronics. The neck is nice and smooth, straight, it's perfect. It even sounds good unplugged, and you can really feel the bass in your body when you play it.I had originally budgeted for a pick up change but I think I'll hold off on that. This thing sounds fine as is, for me, it's gig ready right out the box (except for the string change).Straight out the box, this thing is of comparable quality (maybe even slightly better) to my MIM ... MoreI'm truly amazed by the quality of this instrument. This is Fender MIM quality at Squier bullet prices. I didn't spend anytime with the stock strings. Immediately put LaBella flats on it (104 low E). Set it up, and it plays as well as any bass I've played, no issues with intonation, frets work is good, no sharp ends, no noisy electronics. The neck is nice and smooth, straight, it's perfect. It even sounds good unplugged, and you can really feel the bass in your body when you play it.I had originally budgeted for a pick up change but I think I'll hold off on that. This thing sounds fine as is, for me, it's gig ready right out the box (except for the string change).Straight out the box, this thing is of comparable quality (maybe even slightly better) to my MIM p-bass that I bought 10 years ago. I won't be rushing to make any 'upgrades' to this instrument.I will say that the tuners are not the best. They work fine and have stayed perfectly in tune, but they feel like cheap tuners when you turn them.

Review of Ibanez TMB30-MGR 4 String Bass Guitar in Mint Green

I got this bass for my son as he’s wanting to learn bass and music theory from myself . I’d been teaching him on one of my fleet of basses but he was complaining that it was too big for him so I decided to look into the small scale range at a reasonable cost. I seen this bass which, to me, looked perfect for an 11 year old to learn on .After receiving this bass I gave it an inspection and I was very impressed with its factory set up and the general build of this bass. I plugged it in and gave it a blast through one of my smaller rigs and I was literally left flabbergasted at the sound of this thing. It’s a little ripper! It particularly sounds best when using a pick with it but it can hold its own finger style too. I’d be quite happy using this bass on stage and I ... MoreI got this bass for my son as he’s wanting to learn bass and music theory from myself . I’d been teaching him on one of my fleet of basses but he was complaining that it was too big for him so I decided to look into the small scale range at a reasonable cost. I seen this bass which, to me, looked perfect for an 11 year old to learn on .After receiving this bass I gave it an inspection and I was very impressed with its factory set up and the general build of this bass. I plugged it in and gave it a blast through one of my smaller rigs and I was literally left flabbergasted at the sound of this thing. It’s a little ripper! It particularly sounds best when using a pick with it but it can hold its own finger style too. I’d be quite happy using this bass on stage and I have many basses by distinguished brands ans custom built basses by luthiers .It goes to show that what’s perceived as a lower end instrument can actually prove to be a hidden gem. It’s loud, it cuts the mix and it plays like butter. What a great bit of kit.

So much bang for your buck.

I'm mostly a guitar player but needed a bass for doing my own recording. I have a completely utilitarian relationship with the bass guitar: I have no romantic feelings about brands or legacy and I don't know much about the ergonomic experience of different basses. I just wanted the cheapest bass that would get the job done, and I wanted short scale because it'll get 99% of its use in my tiny music room. Now, though. Now I LOVE this thing. I love the Talman body style, and the it was a tough decision between mint green and cream. The hardware feels solid, unlike some low end guitars in the same price range I've played. All in all, I would've settled with being merely satisfied with my purchase, but I love everything about this bass. 10/10 would recommend.

Surprisingly Good

The first surprise is that it arrived in one piece. The last guitar I got looked like it had been "air mailed"- that is, dropped from a plane onto my front porch. This has the lowest action of any bass I've ever owned, and I've had some pretty good ones over the last 40 years. A little fret buzz at first, but it went away (mostly) before I could try to adjust it. I bought this without even seeing one in person, because the last time Ibanez came out with a good, affordable short-scale bass (the GARTB20), I missed out, and no one will sell their used ones! In the old days, all my stuff had finished necks, now none of them do. One reviewer called the neck "dry". I've never heard that before, but it's a perfect description. So, instead of my usual single coat of ... MoreThe first surprise is that it arrived in one piece. The last guitar I got looked like it had been "air mailed"- that is, dropped from a plane onto my front porch. This has the lowest action of any bass I've ever owned, and I've had some pretty good ones over the last 40 years. A little fret buzz at first, but it went away (mostly) before I could try to adjust it. I bought this without even seeing one in person, because the last time Ibanez came out with a good, affordable short-scale bass (the GARTB20), I missed out, and no one will sell their used ones! In the old days, all my stuff had finished necks, now none of them do. One reviewer called the neck "dry". I've never heard that before, but it's a perfect description. So, instead of my usual single coat of Butcher's Wax Bowling Ally Paste, this one needed four, followed by heavy buffing and some Lemon Pledge. The pickups are surprisingly good, too. There's not a lot of tonal range, but I didn't expect there to be. Lots of bass and punch. The neck seems to be unnecessarily wide, with acres of space between the strings for no reason, and it's fairly thick, too, so it is slightly neck-heavy. I think the tmb100 (regular scale) must be way too neck-heavy. All in all, it's a steal at this price. I got the ivory, which is not as striking as the pictures, but it's nice, and it's different. I wouldn't record with it, but if you're small in stature or have small hands, for on-stage aesthetics and ease of playing, short-scale is the way to go! Highly recommend.