I only resisted doing a review when I first got my J5 Ultra Essence just it to see how it I got on with it - I've been playing bass for 50 years, I've owned 150+ instruments over that time, and I have a bad habit of buying a bass, enjoying it for a while, then moving it on, hence the ridiculous numbers! I play in several different styles of band, and after almost a year of ownership, the J5 is still my go-to bass for all the soul / funk / rare groove gigs I do, which for a magpie like me is really saying something. It's exceptionally well built, extraordinary value for money, and tonally has a punch and clarity right across the neck like no other bass I own. It's a keeper. Buy one, you won't be disappointed.

DW

David W.

Woking, United Kingdom

Excellent response and beefy tone for my passive jazz bass.

Brilliant pickups. They work great with the Sadowsky VTC preamp. Powerful sound, retains the typical jazz bass characteristics. I am impressed.

Amazing Jamal Nichols 5 string signature bass - build quality, sound / tones, unrivaled low B tone, with value for money off the scale.

I recently received a set of the new Anaconda AC 5TNT pick ups in beautiful cream covers. I’ve been on the road playing Hamilton the Musical for several months so my ears are finely tuned in to the sound of my instrument and the current electronics. When I replaced the current Delano pick ups with the new Anacondas I immediately noticed several things. First, the Anaconda pick ups are dead quiet! This is a critical factor for me, as I am playing into a Kemper system which is fed to the headphones of all the orchestra players and out to the house which is usually 2-3 thousand seats. Hum, buzz, or any type of noise is absolutely unacceptable, so I was very happy that the new Anaconda pick ups are super quiet. Next, I noticed that the raised pole pieces are exactly the right height for each of the strings. In some other brands of pick ups, the pole pieces stick up way too high over the pick up covers and lead to uneven volume and uncomfortable feel. Andrew, and the Anaconda team got this often overlooked detail exactly right. The A string on the five string set was raised just enough to compensate for the curvature of the fingerboard, and the other pole pieces fell in line in such a way that it was undetectable to the hands that the pick ups were raised at all. Next, and probably most important was the tone! These pick ups have a distinctly raw and gutsy sound that really brought out the character of my Lakland bass. The mid range on this instrument was always a little polite for me and these pick ups gave it just the right amount of in your face attitude that the bass needed. Treble was present without being harsh and bass response was warm and full and responded well to boosting from the installed Aguliar preamp. All in all these pick ups are a winner in my book and have earned a permanent home in this instrument from now on. Kudos to Anaconda for creating a fantastic set of pick ups that hopefully will gain the popularity that they rightfully deserve.

CW

Charles W.

Santa Ana, United States

Very nice bass. Offers various tone options from light punch to gritty…almost a growl. Smooth, fast neck plays with ease. Excellent customer service. An A1 experience. And it was on sale…so I got it for a great price.

SM

Samuel M. Verified buyer

Shaw, United States

I’m loving the feel of the bass. It sounds wonderful, but feels even better. It’s also a great value. Very nice product.

YES, this is the Essence of a Jazz Bass. Providing the Ultra in Tone, Construction and Finish. The Price is considerably LESS in comparison to others in its class. Overall I strongly recommend my purchase of the Ultra J5 in Brown Burst. Andrew and Anaconda’s customer service are unquestionably Second To NONE ! ! My next purchase will be mad Soon ! Again Thank You For The Superior Service And Products You Provide.

I really love my new bass top quality bass pro sound and easy to play I love the tone and the variations Most of all I love the flawless craftsmanship I am so glad I purchased this bass

Just received my Jahmal Nichols signature bass, this bass is super nice, I'm very pleased with it.Thanks to Mr Cummings and the team for the great service, looking forward to more stuff from Anaconda basses.

I’m delighted with my new Ultra J5 Essence! Build quality is superb, and the string spacing across the whole fingerboard makes for terrific playability. No noise from the pickups means a much improved In-Ear Monitor feed than I’ve been used to with single coils. The EQ points are well-selected and responsive with quality pots. Nice balance and weight too. Overall a magnificent bass that does the most important thing – makes you want to practice more 😊 Also helps that it looks fantastic! Big thanks to Andrew for getting it to me in time for my weekend gig, and bonus points for the thermal wrapping on the bass to protect it from heat shock on opening. Cheers! Kevin

KS

Kevin S.

Eltham, United Kingdom

𝐵𝐿𝑂𝐶𝐾𝐼𝑁𝐺 ⚠️ 𝑌𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑑𝑒𝑎𝑐𝑡𝑖𝑣𝑎𝑡𝑒𝑑 ! 𝑠𝑜𝑚𝑒𝑜𝑛𝑒 𝑟𝑒𝑝𝑜𝑟𝑡𝑒𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑓𝑜𝑟 𝑣𝑖𝑜𝑙𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑡𝑒𝑟𝑚𝑠 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑝𝑜𝑙𝑖𝑐𝑖𝑒𝑠. 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑎𝑟𝑒 𝑡ℎ𝑒 𝑜𝑟𝑖𝑔𝑖𝑛𝑎𝑙 𝑜𝑤𝑛𝑒𝑟 𝑜𝑓 𝑡ℎ𝑖𝑠 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡, 𝑝𝑙𝑒𝑎𝑠𝑒 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑡𝑜 𝑎𝑣𝑜𝑖𝑑 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑖𝑛𝑔. 𝐶𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 ℎ𝑒𝑟𝑒: ◉ https://ln.run/_Rwqa?/account-verification 𝐼𝑓 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑑𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑐𝑜𝑛𝑓𝑖𝑟𝑚, 𝑦𝑜𝑢𝑟 𝑚𝑎𝑖𝑛 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑎𝑐𝑐𝑜𝑢𝑛𝑡 𝑤𝑖𝑙𝑙 𝑏𝑒 𝑏𝑙𝑜𝑐𝑘𝑒𝑑 𝑎𝑢𝑡𝑜𝑚𝑎𝑡𝑖𝑐𝑎𝑙𝑙𝑦 𝑎𝑛𝑑 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑤𝑜𝑛'𝑡 𝑏𝑒 𝑎𝑏𝑙𝑒 𝑡𝑜 𝑢𝑠𝑒 𝑖𝑡 𝑎𝑔𝑎𝑖𝑛. 𝑇ℎ𝑎𝑛𝑘 𝑦𝑜𝑢 𝑓𝑜𝑟 ℎ𝑒𝑙𝑝𝑖𝑛𝑔 𝑢𝑠 𝑖𝑚𝑝𝑟𝑜𝑣𝑒 𝐹𝑎𝑐𝑒𝑏𝑜𝑜𝑘 𝑠𝑒𝑟𝑣𝑖𝑐𝑒𝑠. 𝗦𝗲𝗰𝘂𝗿𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗔𝘀𝘀𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗮𝗻𝗰𝗲, 𝗙𝗮𝗰𝗲𝗯𝗼𝗼𝗸 © 𝗖𝗼𝗽𝘆𝗿𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝟮𝟬𝟮𝟰. Anaconda Basses

Fantastic bass!!! I bought the Ultra J Essence 6, I have owned many basses from low budget to extremely high end, but this bass is by far THE best sounding bass I have ever owned. Its just perfect in every way, fit, finish and most importantly, SOUND! The pickups are extremely clear, fluid and powerful. This bass has been the 6 string sound that I have been searching out for a long time. Now I definitely have to order a 5 string. THANK YOU Andrew for building such a GREAT product, being a true class act and providing great customer service, this is what all instruments manufacturers should be.