Description
Review of the Safeplus 45 Inch Full Size 4 String Electric Bass Guitar
The Safeplus is a 45 inch full size four string electric bass sold as a beginner package with a gig bag, a shoulder strap, a bass pick and a cord. The listing describes a maple headstock, a rosewood-type fingerboard and a polished wood body in a black and white finish. It is pitched at someone taking up bass from scratch on a small budget.
Pros & Cons
- Full 45 inch scale rather than a shortened body. A standard length bass means the string tension, spacing and reach match what a learner will meet on any other bass, so nothing has to be relearned later.
- The gig bag has proper zip closures and pockets. Storage for a cable, a pick and sheet music inside the bag is more useful than it sounds, because it keeps the small items that go missing in one place.
- A pick is supplied, which suits most beginners. Many new bass players start with a pick before developing finger technique, and bass picks are thicker than guitar picks, so having the right one in the box removes a small barrier.
- A 30 day return window is stated. The listing sets out that the product can be returned within 30 days of purchase if it is unsatisfactory, which is a meaningful safety net on an inexpensive instrument.
- The product title on this page overstates what ships. The listing includes an amp cord, meaning an instrument cable, not an amplifier. A bass without an amplifier is close to silent, so an amp is a required additional purchase, not an upgrade.
- The body wood is given two ways. The manufacturer description says the body is basswood. The spec table lists paulownia for the body, back and top. Both are light softwoods used at this price, but they are different timbers and the listing does not reconcile them.
- The listed weight of one pound is impossible. A full size electric bass typically weighs eight to ten pounds. The imported figure of one pound is simply wrong, which means the actual weight, an important factor on an instrument worn on a strap for an hour, is unpublished.
- The spec table lists a tremolo bridge. Bass guitars do not use tremolo bridges, and nothing in the description mentions one. This is another placeholder value rather than a real specification.
- The pickups are never described. The spec table gives a pickup configuration of custom-removable-pickups, which is not a recognised layout, and the description does not mention pickups at all. Whether this is a P style split pickup, a J style pair or something else is unknown before it arrives.
Detailed Product Description
The instrument is listed at 45.3 inches overall by 13 inches wide, in a black and white finish with a polished surface. The description names basswood for the body while the spec table names paulownia. Either way, both are light woods, which helps a beginner who is not used to the weight of a bass on a strap but also means the body dents more easily than the alder or ash used on more expensive instruments.
The neck is listed as parawood in the spec table, while the description states the headstock is maple. The fingerboard is described as techwood rosewood, a phrase that usually indicates an engineered or treated rosewood substitute rather than solid rosewood. The listing gives no fret count, no nut width and no scale length in inches, so the exact reach from the nut to the first fret, the measurement that matters most to smaller players moving to bass, is not published.
Strings are listed as nickel and there are four of them, which is standard. Four string bass is the sensible starting point: five string instruments add a low B and a wider neck that make early technique harder. Anyone weighing full scale against a shorter instrument should read short scale versus full scale bass before deciding.
What Comes with the Product
The package contains the bass, a gig bag, a shoulder strap, a bass pick and an amp cord. It does not contain an amplifier, a tuner, spare strings, a stand or a hard case. The cord alone connects the bass to an amplifier that has to be bought separately, and bass amplifiers need more power than guitar amplifiers to reproduce low notes cleanly. The amp wattage guide explains why a bass needs more headroom than the same rating gives a guitar.
Who It Suits
This suits an outright beginner who wants a full scale bass at the lowest entry point and already has, or is separately buying, an amplifier. It also works as a spare instrument to leave at a rehearsal space. Look elsewhere if the buyer expects an amplifier in the box, if published specifications matter before ordering, or if the player is small framed and needs a shorter scale. Compare the Davison full size bass package that does include a 15 watt amp, the Ktaxon P style bass kit and the Stedman Pro beginner bass kit. The wider bass guitars and beginner starter kits sections hold the alternatives.
How to Maintain
Wipe the strings down after playing, because bass strings are thick and expensive to replace and skin oils are what kill the brightness. Keep the bass in its bag rather than leaning against furniture, since a neck-heavy instrument tips over easily. Check the neck relief after the first few weeks as the instrument acclimatises, and have the truss rod adjusted rather than living with a high action. Store it away from radiators and out of unheated spaces where humidity swings will move the neck.
Tips and Recommendations
Budget for a bass amplifier with the purchase, since the cord in the box connects to something that is not supplied. Headphone practice amps designed for bass are the cheapest route for anyone in a flat. Expect to want a setup: the action on inexpensive basses is often high, and lowering it makes the difference between practising and giving up. A clip-on tuner is the other essential, since low notes are difficult to tune by ear.
Product FAQ
Does it come with an amplifier? No. The listing includes an amp cord, meaning a cable. An amplifier has to be bought separately.
How long is it? The listing gives 45.3 inches overall by 13 inches wide. No scale length is published.
What wood is the body? The description says basswood and the spec table says paulownia. The listing does not resolve the difference.
How many strings does it have? Four, which is the standard configuration for a beginner bass.
