I think this is a great bass for beginners to learn on. I wouldn't suggest using it in a band. There are a few things you need to adjust. I had to put a piece of styrofoam at the bottom (below the bridge) to prevent the G string from vibrating to much. You also need to sand down the piece of wood where the strings meet to the board. Its a little too high and it makes you press harder than you really need to. I chose this one to practice because its inexpensive compared to others and later down the road, if I'm still doing it, I'll be looking into getting a higher quality one which costs in the thousands.