Product Description

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Artist APBDLX Deluxe Bass Guitar & Padded Bag

Finally, we're bringing the high-end to the low-end! Introducing the Artist APBDLX - combining vintage '50s mojo with modern dependability. Featuring a roasted poplar body, a satin-finished, one-piece roasted maple neck, a classic 9.5" radius Bolivian Rosewood fretboard, and four classic gloss finishes, the APBDLX is nothing revolutionary, which is exactly why you'll love it. After all, why mess with what works? 

If you're the kind of player who prioritises familiar playability, rugged build quality, dependable hardware, and superior tone over the latest flavour-of-the-month innovation, you'll find everything you ever hoped for in this one! However, that's not to say the APBDLX is your standard, run-of-the-mill bass guitar - it may be simple, but every component on this one has been agonised over to ensure it delivers simplicity like no other. With a 42mm bone nut, bar string tree, high-grade tuning machines, and a high-density, chrome-plated zinc alloy bridge, the APBDLX delivers night after night, gig after gig. Striking a perfect balance between sustain and attack, the top-loader bridge on this one yields countless tonal options, but let's be real - true vintage tone is the name of the game when it comes to this style of bass, and it delivers in spades.

Dial in the vintage-output split coil Alnico V pickup with a classic control configuration - one volume knob, one tone knob. There's no messing about with active circuits and fancy EQ controls here! This pickup is voiced to deliver a rounded, mellow tone that drips like honey - but that's not to say it's a one-trick pony. Like the countless bass-playing heroes who have used a similar style of instrument, you'll be able to dial in everything from smooth jazz tones to aggressive, in-your-face, classic rock punch!

Each APBDLX comes complete with a road-ready, padded gig bag, perfect for transporting from the practice space to the stage and beyond. For a taste of the old world that you won't need to keep in a museum-grade environment, look no further than the APBDLX.


The Tech Features

Body
Body Material: Roasted Poplar 
Body Finish: Black
Body Paint: Polyurethane
Body Construction: Solid

Neck
Neck Material: Roasted Maple
Neck Construction: One Piece
Neck Joint: Bolt-On
Neck Finish: Satin
Neck Shape: 20.5mm C Profile
Scale Length: 864mm/ 34"
Fretboard Material: Bolivian Rosewood
Fretboard Radius: 240mm
Number of Frets: 20
Fret Material: 25% Nickel
Fret Size: Jumbo
Nut Material: Bone
Nut Width: 42mm
Position Inlays: White Pearloid
Binding: N/A
Side Dots: White
Truss Rod: Dual Action 2-Way

Electronics
Bridge Pickup: N/A
Middle Pickup: N/A
Neck Pickup: Alnico V Split Single-Coil
Switching: N/A
Configuration: Split-S
Special Electronics: N/A

Hardware
Bridge: Top-Load Hardtail
Hardware Finish: Chrome Plated (Zinc Alloy)
Machine Heads: Chrome Open-Geared Clover-Style
Pickguard: 3-Ply Vintage White

Miscellaneous/Special Features
Strings: D'addario EXL165 45-105
Weight: 4-4.5kg / 8.5-10lbs

Accessories
Included Accessories: Padded Gig Bag, Instrument Cable, Truss Rod Adjustment Key, Bridge Adjustment Key, Picks
Optional Hard Cases: REBC300RC, REBC350FTB, BC500
Optional Bags: HGBAGEBASS, BAGEB

(18978)


Reviews (1)

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Another value-for-money high-quality effort by A.G

By: on 11 March 2026
I confess to a bad case of Gear Acquisition Syndrome, with seven basses so far (not to mention guitars), but who’s counting? (Apart from my wife) :-) Most of these are 5-string or 6-string, but I do have an acoustic 4-stringer I bought from Artist a while back. Anyway, when I spotted this new APBDLX and read the specs, the G.A.S. came on again, because I never could resist a good Precision at a decent price. Having bought from Artist many, many times over the past 13 years, I know their gear is consistently good, consistently well-priced, and consistently lives up to the quoted specs, so ordering it was a no-brainer. (I got the red, only because all my other basses are white, black, or sunburst, so ….. ! :-) ….. I’d describe this Artist APBDLX simply as a Precision-style bass with Fender Squier Precision (Classic Vibe) specs, but the Classic Vibe will set you back at least $300 more than the Artist. ….. DELIVERY: Okay, let’s get the single negative out of the way ….. My very-least-favourite-courier used their usual incompetence to route my Sydney-to-Queensland shipment via Melbourne, where it sat for a couple of days before they worked out that Queensland was NORTH, not SOUTH, from Sydney! But enough said, and now let’s re-focus on the bass….. UNBOXING: Adequately enclosed in a cardboard box, (with the added protection of the gig bag, of course). ….. FINISH: As usual with AG gear, the finish is flawless. No rough fret ends, and the machine heads / tuners are decent quality. The overall build is first rate — just one example is the use of solid metal string trees that are more robust than on some of the “name brand” guitars I’ve owned ….. INCLUSIONS: There’s a nice gig bag, and also a budget cable, a truss rod adjustment tool, a bridge adjustment key, and some picks to add to my collection of hundreds! I do like the new style of grey semi-rigid gig bags AG are shipping, which are somehow classier than the old black “soft” ones. While I usually swap my new guitars into a hard case immediately, I believe I can live with this gig bag for quite a while. ….. SET-UP: Set-up as delivered was truly excellent: very good action that I didn’t need to tweak, and intonation that was spot on, and I do mean SPOT ON (I’m very fussy on that point, but testing with a highly-accurate Peterson Tuner left me with nothing to do.) . ….. PLAYABILITY: I’m very happy with the sound and playing ease of this unit; I’ve tried it through both my (performance) MarkBass and (practice) Phil Jones amps, and it sounds to me like —well — a genuine Precision. That typical low-mid thump is very satisfying. (I replaced the strings as shipped (D'addario EXL165 45-105s) with a set of half-rounds (ENR71s), but that’s just a personal preference — yes, I did need to tweak the intonation after the string change, but the action was still fine.) ….. As I noted earlier, I’ve bought many an Artist bass and guitar over the years, and this one is right up there with the best. Overall, this unit lives up to AG’s reputation for quality gear at a good price. It would suit a newbie starting out, a keen amateur, or even a semi-pro using it in a band. ….. Now, excuse me while I get back to reminding myself that tonight I’m playing a 4, not a 5 or a 6! :-)

Artist Guitars Response
Thank you for the great review! If you ever have any questions or need assistance, our team is always happy to help.