I give this bass 4 stars, based more on its durability and stamina than on the original price-point. Got mine in a pawnshop for $80 and change, it was filthy and missing a string and both strap buttons but otherwise looked OK. After a few hours disassembling, cleaning, reassembling, stringing, and setting it up, I am even more pleased with it, I'd have gladly paid $150 for a bass this nice. Obviously it's an entry-level unit, made in Korea between 1994 - 1999, with Alvarez-branded P/J pickups, alder body, maple neck, rosewood FB; but for a low-end bass it's actually quite good. Construction and wiring are better than any of the Squier crap you'd find from back then, and in fact a fair bit better than the (also Korean) Dean guitar I bought new in 1998. 34" scale on a very comfy neck, a touch fatter than an Ibanez SGR but still way faster than most Fenders. The finish on this thing is SUPER thick and durable; there are of course numerous dings and scratches, but most don't even go halfway through the clearcoat. During cleaning, I found easily half a dozen white and gray marks all over the body, which turned out to be remnants of lesser paint-jobs that wiped right off with a little guitar polish. If you can find one of these in decent shape for less than $200, you should probably just buy it.