Ibanez Review: ASB 140 F-Hole Acoustic Thin Body

History:

Purchase: I was trying out an amp and I took this bass off the wall to check the amp cuz it was the closest thing in the store to the type of bass I'd be using. This was at "The Only Guitar Shop" in Clifton Pk., NY [where there are about 4 guitar shops]. This bass was "used" but you can't tell by looking at or playing it. Payed $210 incl. a really nice also "used" gigbag, equally like new as the ax.

What I Like About This Ibanez ASB 140 F-Hole Acoustic Thin Body: She's just my style; everything about her drives me wild; d'hoom dat dewdap dhawmn. F-hole thin bodies, sunburst & humbuckers, 2+2 headstocks, full neck/body bindings, these are a few of my favorite things.... And this bee can sting and this doggie can bark, all without losing that bottom. It's a passive 2-knob ax and it feels good.

What I Do NOT Like About The Ibanez ASB 140 F-Hole Acoustic Thin Body: Lack of a top horn means balance does not favor a "neck-up" angle, but it's only *very* slightly off balance that way. There is no rear access panel for cleaning the pots or fixing the jack when needed. It's a bit large, but it goes into it's RoadRunner gigbag, barely fits but the zippers are not stretched. Many other bags are just too small. It should also fit in a Coffin Case 'Body Bag'.

Ibanez ASB 140 F-Hole Acoustic Thin Body Quality Rating: Looking thru the dark amber finish on the neck, I think I see mahogany. Body has a cedar center block that carries the single exposed-poles humbucker plus seperate stop tailpiece and 'tune-o-matic' type bridge. Set neck with 34" scale, 2+2 Gotoh style pegs, and rosewood fretboard. Peghead is large, with over 2" from nut to nearest peg. Excellent sunburst finish. Whole ax seems very well made [in PRC]. The 8-pole humbucker seems to be a very good one but I'm wondering what a BassLines MM will do for this ax.

Review Summary: Another "Poor man's Jack Cassady" bass and the poor man has nothing to complain about in this instance. I have a JC as well, and it's much heavier. The JC has the somewhat richer big bottom, but the Ibanez is not a clear loser there. It's a subjective call. This Ibanez has a big enough bottom that not every rational player will feel the need for yet more. Also, the Ibanez has a much more practical bridge system so that it can be set up easier to play.

Rating of this Ibanez product: 4

This Ibanez ASB 140 F-Hole Acoustic Thin Body Bass Guitars Review Submitted By: Golem

Review Date: 2005-06-14