Though the GSR100EX is a fairly "no-frills" kind of bass guitar, it does feature the comfort and playability you'd get from Ibanez's more high-end Soundgear models, and it's Powerpole Dual Coil pickups give you a high output usually missing from beginner basses. The bottom side has a reasonably deep cutaway that allows good access to the lower frets. If you're going to get the hang of playing electric bass, this is a quality choice to get your chops up to snuff on. Case sold separately.