Firstly, let me state that I am a guitar player, that wants to have a bass for occasional use. I have tried full scale length basses, and find them uncomfortable for my hands, so was prepared to give a shorter scale instrument a chance - and I am so glad that this was my choice. I cannot fault anything about this instrument from my perspective, action and intonation good straight out of the box, finish of frets good, neck and body finish all fine. Played through a friends 80 watt bass combo, this guitar bumps and growls as I hoped for, the range of sounds from the two pickups and controls, most satisfactory. It is, in the overall scale of things, an inexpensive instrument, but there is nothing at all about this guitar that says 'cheap'. It is comfortable to hold and play, and is about the same overall length as most electric guitars, (38.5"end to end). Are there any negatives? For me, no, because my choice was always going to be a short scale, and within the limited range of available product, and at this price point, I would doubt that you could find better. For players with smaller hands, or like myself just more used to a conventional guitar, well worth considering.