Since I don’t play bass as my primary instrument, (but I still require one around the studio for a few odd jobs), I grabbed a brand new student model bass from ESP’s affordable LTD range thinking… “Okay, good enough – this should work.”
That said… I was pleasantly surprised when I realized that this LTD bass was performing well beyond its very reasonable price-tag!
The B-50, is a starter model bass – which was why I initially thought ‘basic,” but surprise, surprise, it turned out to be anything but.
The B50’s basswood body is unexpectedly comfortable, with nice rounded body curves and a mild contour to the front and back.
Access to the upper frets of the 24-fret rosewood fingerboard is great, and the cutaway offers more than enough room for high-fret playability.
SOUND:
The B-50 is responsive with clearly defined tone. The sustain is equally good, so it comes as no surprise that it sounds great from the moment it is plugged in. It offers a solid, crisp tone with a lot of pickup options, making this a good bass for all musical styles!
Although it has been designed and manufactured to a specific price point, there hasn’t been any obvious corner-cutting.
CONCLUSION:
For any bass work I do, (and that does not amount to much), this ESP 4-string that is just excellent. It’s all original – straight from the factory – andI have absolutely zero complaints… it is fantastic!
In fact, this bass impressed me so much that it now has had me start considering an ESP guitar purchase due to it’s amazing construction and killer tone.