A review of the Ibanez AVNB1FE Acoustic/Electric 4-String Fretless Bass…

Typically when most of us think of Ibanez, we think of great electric and acoustic guitars and basses, all of them being pretty much standard size. Then along comes the new line of acoustic basses from Ibanez and they are just amazing!

The bass for this review is the Ibanez AVNB1FE Acoustic/Electric 4-String Fretless Bass. The bass may be smaller in stature than a standard size acoustic/electric bass, but don’t let the size fool you; big sounds come in this smaller package. This bass is a true blast to play, even unplugged, with more than enough volume to compete with acoustic guitars in an acoustic setting.

Don’t shy away just because it is fretless either. There are side dots that line up perfectly where frets 3, 5, 7, 9, 12, 15 and 17 would line up, so no need to worry about hitting that wrong note, provided you are correctly tuned up.

The AVNB1FE bass is constructed of mahogany sides and back for the body with a solid sitka spruce top, completed with X bracing. The neck is also mahogany with the bridge and fretboard being cultured maple. Both the nut and saddle are bone material. The pickup is the Fishman Sonicore, with an Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp, with controls for volume, bass, and treble. It is also equipped with a tuner and powered by a 9-volt battery. The battery compartment is easily accessible, right along side the preamp. Connections available for output are 1/4” or low Impedance. An open pore semi-gloss finish completes the AVNB1FE.

Check out the new Ibanez AVNB1FE Acoustic/Electric 4-String Fretless Bass, along with other models in the series at an Ibanez music retailer near you!