"Buy this, do these mods, and you will NEVER need another bass."
This reviewer purchased this item from Same Day Music.
Sound:
It's difficult to rate something that is an unparalleled value. If I compare its sound to any of the great professionally set-up deluxe basses out there ... well, you can't. But it's a 10 compared to ANYTHING else in its price range. It's very happy plugged into my Ampeg BA110, which I also recommend 100%.
Details - the J p/u was a veritable antenna for AC hum. It was just plain noisy. So bad that I got the feeling that the J was just there for show.
Keep reading to see how I fixed that...
Feature:
Well, again for its price range, the features allow a surprising range/variety of tones. Separate dedicated volume knobs for the p/u's a tone shared by both and the Phat II active EQ. The style that I play generally precludes that kind of control. But, the flexibility allowed me to share my bass amp (Ampeg BA110) with a friend playing her Guild Acoustic Electric. She plugged into the passive jack and Hank (my bass) into the padded jack. With the Phatt EQ turned up the combo worked just fine.
Hank looks great. The tuners are VERY stable. The materials are WAY beyond what the price should indicate. Over all the materials and features have let me do what I want, and that makes me a happy bassist.
Quality:
Again, for its price...
Fit and finish on the exterior are just about perfect. Hank has the tri-fade flamed maple finish. Neck, body, bridge, everything is finished beautifully. Stunning really. I have heard some complaints about other people's 200's but none of which applies to Hank. Maybe Iby takes better care with the flamed maple jobs. I dunno.
Manufacturer Support:
I've contacted the site for questions and they've been helpful.
Have had no real need for support.
Value:
Nothing more to say here. If you buy anything else, you just ain't thinkin'.
The Wow Factor:
Hank is perfect for me. I play mostly old-school country and rockabilly. The look, the sound, the flexibility is perfect for me.
Overall:
Okay, here's what I did:
First, put on good FLAT WOUND strings; then line the cavities with copper-foil shielding, the wiring with shielded wiring, replace the p/u's with passive Dimarzio Precision and Jazz (about $100 for an exact replacement set and ooooh they sound goooood (lots more output, too)) replace the pots with linear Dmarzio's and then star-ground the whole thing. Yeah, it took a couple of days and careful soldering, but holy sh_t it sounds like a $1800 bass now. And I can say I did it.
Thanks for your vote. Can you specify what about this review did or did not help you?