Top-Seller
Ibanez AEB5E Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar Black


Description
The innovative Ibanez AEB5E acoustic-electric bass delivers punchy tones suited for any genre. Its agathis body and sides provide a warm, resonance when unplugged, while the Ibanez piezo pickup and Ibanez AEQ-202T 2-band EQ preamp with onboard tuner allow for a natural acoustic sound with the volume you need when amplified.
Agathis Body Resonates With Warmth
The Ibanez AEB5E's agathis body and sides are carefully crafted to produce a warm, resonant unplugged tone. Agathis wood provides an ideal combination of tonal depth and affordability in an acoustic bass. Its larger body size gives the low notes room to reverberate. Whether practicing in private or performing an unplugged set, the AEB5E delivers an organic acoustic bass tone.
Comfortable Neck and Fretboard
The Ibanez AEB5E features a comfortable neck and fretboard designed for fluid bass playing. Its standard 32" scale length and 1.77" nut width provide familiar spacing for most bassists. The rosewood fretboard offers smooth playability for expressive performances. Dot inlays help guide you to each note with precision. The satin finish neck offers a natural feel that won't stick to your hand.
Piezo Pickup Captures Rich Low Frequencies
The Ibanez AEB5E's piezo pickup is specially designed to capture the extended low end of an acoustic bass. It picks up the bass' deep resonance and projects a full, dynamic tone through an amplifier or PA system. The preamp's 2-band EQ provides tonal shaping to suit any style, from rock to jazz to folk. An onboard tuner allows for quick tuning adjustments on the fly.



Features
- Agathis back and sides
- Chrome die-cast tuners
- Ibanez piezo pickup
- Ibanez AEQ-202T 2-band preamp with onboard tuner
- Rosewood bridge and fretboard
- Ivorex II nut and saddle
- Case sold separately
Specs
- Pickup: Ibanez piezo
- Electronics: Ibanez AEQ preamp with 2-band EQ and onboard tuner
- 32" scale
- Dimensions: 16"W x 20"H x 5"D
Warranty
Featured Articles
Reviews
4.28
116 Reviews
83%
of respondents would recommend this to a friend
Most Liked Positive Review
Great at Any Price
This bass exceeded expectations by a country mile. I've had acoustic basses before, and this one plays and projects far better than others I've had that cost a lot more. The Ibanez name tells me that the unit will remain stable and that the company will stand behind it. The factory set-up is fine. Ibanez supplies a higher bridge and hex wrench for neck adjustment, but neither were necessary. Other reviews point to action, "buzz" and low volume. In some cases, these reports may be accurate, but I suspect a lot of folks buy these instruments with unrealistic expectations. Simply stated, acoustic instruments slap, squeak and generally misbehave. This goes for Martins, Ibanez, Guilds...you name it. It is part of the charm of playing acoustic music. Bass strings move more across a long scale length, so you are going to get this in spades. Raising string height to stratospheric levels to overcome these natural traits seems to be something like training a wolf to herd sheep. To me, random tonal excursions are part of the package. Frankly its why I bought the thing and even at that, this bass is pretty well behaved. If you want perfect tones, perhaps a Fender Precision or even a MIDI synthesizer is a better choice for you. As for volume, well, lower tones need far more amplification to carry than their higher pitched cousins. 100 watts out of your Strat needs to be matched by some 400 watts from the accompanying bass. That's simple physics. This bass projects amazingly well, but if you are going to jam in a large group or hall, consider adding a small combo amp. That would go both for this bass or a $2000 custom instrument. Overall, I love the thing. I would buy it again, and I would recommend it without reservation.
Most Liked Negative Review
Acoustic Bass nice but......
1st impressions, good looking acoustic bass. (Violin sunburst). Needed set up on the neck, about a half to 3/4 turn to minimize strings 3 and 4 buzzing. Had some very light scratching on the head stock. Like it was wiped down with a cloth with something coarse on it. 2nd impressions, I liked playing this bass pretty well for the price but I was hoping it would be able to project into a live acoustic jam session without an amp. Our church group likes to play acoustically spontaneously without having to cart an amp and cables around. Unfortunately we found that this bass could not stand up to a group larger than 3. Acoustic guitar and bass, with vocal, sitting close together. As soon as you add 2 more folks outside of a 5 ft radius with congas and another vocal the bass cannot be distiguished from anything else, and the bass player was willing to bleed and build huge callouses to make this work but alas, it was not to be. Now that being said, after more research (to see if a suitable acoustic bass exists to upgrade to) we saw a number of discussions indicating that amping an acoustic bass even in the quietest locations was recommended. So, to be fair, and to help others who may think that an acoustic bass on its own is enough, I wanted to write this review. Incidentally, this bass amped is nice (but an electric bass is smaller and more portable if that is a requirement). To sum it up, if you and a buddy want to work on vocal, bass, and guitar parts, unplugged, in a quiet venue, and you want a sweet looking/sounding acoustic bass at a great price, this is your bass. If you have a dream of playing it unplugged with a group of 5-8 folks spread around your living room jamming, it is just a dream.(Unless maybe you get an upright bass....hmmmm)
- Practicing52
- Jamming33
- Small Venues16
- Recording15
- School Bands5
- Requires Constant Tuning11
- Poor Quality7
- Flat Sound2
- Not Consistent2
- Needs dampening or expect feedback.1
- Experienced31
- Novice21
- Professional Musician7
- Child1
- Fun To Play48
- Good Feel46
- Good Audio39
- Consistent28
- Stays In Tune28
Reviewed by 116 customers
I would not buy again
submitteda year ago
byDavid
fromSeattle, WA
I got my Ibanez around Christmas 2019. It needed retuning frequently. It developed a crack in the neck. The puck ups were fine. The sound was ok, but losing tune was not helpful. I ended up needing to borrow another bass. Now I have a bass that won't stay in tune and is slowly cracking.
I would buy it again
Verified Buyer
submitteda year ago
byRonnie
fromAlabama
Submitted as part of a sweepstakes
I'm using this acoustic bass to play gigs without power hookup and practice
The good and the bad
submitteda year ago
bySlim
fromTucson AZ
This bass has great tone and is easy to play. I bought it because my wife said she wanted to learn bass. After it sat in the gig bag for many months, I used it on a gig. I had brought a feedback buster with me in case of low frequency resonance's, but the sound hole was larger than the buster. During sound check it fed back like crazy and I finally taped over the sound hole. I had to stuff a towel into the sound hole before the tape kept the feedback down. Once that was done, it was a good sounding, well intoning instrument. If you can find a large feedback buster, you may be able to skip the towel. If not, take my advice and stuff it. Once done, you will enjoy this bass.
Great sound, great price and stays tuned nicely.
submitteda year ago
byMichael
fromMesquite, Nevada
My new acoustic bass is great! I love the sound. It stays in tune nicely. Onboard tuner is user friendly and was spot on when tested with my clip-on tuner. Plays very nice! I strongly reccomend.
Great sounding out the gate!
Verified Buyer
submitted2 years ago
byGaston
fromColorado Springs, CO
Submitted as part of a sweepstakes
After much research I stumbled upon this electroacoustic bass guitar that satisfied both my needs. A nice, good sounding coach bass under $300. This one fits the bill. Electronics work great and it sounds well plugged in. Unplugged is not super loud, but loud enough to practice and play.
Great acoustic bass
submitted2 years ago
byWillem
fromNew Orleans
Acoustic smoothness with a punch. It even slaps well! Rich tone. And mine had good action on it right out the box.
Q&A
Have a question about this product? Our expert Gear Advisers have the answers.
submitted10 months ago
asked byBassman
fromStatesville NC
I'm having trouble finding a hard case that will fit Ibanez AEB5E acoustic bass. The lower bout measures 16.75. Any toughs?
Road Runner RRMBA17 ABS Molded Acoustic Bass Casesubmitted2 years ago
asked byFlyboy
fromNorth Wilkesboro NC 28659
is this a full size bass
No, it's a mid-scale --- 32"submitted2 years ago
asked byTeadums
fromLynwood Ca,
Can you use dr neon strings with this
You can. They will need to be trimmed. They are long scale - 34"..This is a medium scale - 32"submitted2 years ago
asked byDayz
frommcallen, tx
Where was this bass made?
This guitar was made in Indonesia.submitted2 years ago
asked byCarmesan_Cheese
fromIndiana
I've never owned an acoustic bass. Would this be a good option in the long run?
This acoustic bass would be a good bass to permanently own.submitted2 years ago
asked byAndre
fromnogales arizona
does this bass have any cracks and or damage?
This bass does not have any cracks and or damage.submitted3 years ago
asked bySnookie
fromYucca valley
What are the dimensions?
Dimensions: Length: 508mm/ 20" Width: 406mm/ 16" Depth: 127mm/ 5"submitted3 years ago
asked byMichael
fromReadyville, TN
is my tuner supposed to work even when not connected to an amp? (is the 9v battery used to power the tuner when not amped) thank you
You need to be connected. The input jack is an on/off switchsubmitted3 years ago
asked byxxx
fromRiverside, CA
What hard case do you recommend for this guitar or which one would fit in?
Please see "Road Runner RRMBA17 ABS Molded Acoustic Bass CaseRoad Runner RRMBA17 ABS Molded Acoustic Bass Case"submitted3 years ago
asked byBrandon
fromundisclosed
What type of string would be good for this guitar?
Any acoustic bass strings would work. The Ernie Ball 2070 Earthwood Acoustic Bass Strings would be a good choice.