Bass Gear Review

Reviewer	Jon Casselman
Experience	36
Review date	January 31 2003
Manufacturer	Dillion
Model	VMB500-5
Price	List $625.00
Item owned for	A very, very long time

Bass type	5 string fretted
Neck join	Bolt-On
Neck construction	One piece maple
Fingerboard	Maple
Body	Solid maple
Finish	Natural with laminated ash front and back
Pickups	One large hjumbucking
Hardware	Chrome
Electronics	passive with 3 way parallel-series-humbucking push/pull knob

Well, first of all I must say that this is my second Dillion VMB500-5 that i've owned in the past 3 yrs. This one is identical to my first. The fit and finish of this bass is outstanding, including the hardware! For a instrument that is made in Korea and has a list price of $625.00 (as noted above) these instruments are a bargin. I didn't pay that for this bass, but it is worth every penny and more. These basses are a pleasure to play and look at. They have quality written all over them. I don't know which factory produced Dillion guitars and basses in Korea, but these instruments are top quality. After searching for a quality 5 string bass for a few years, I came upon my first Dillion which I bought. I used the bass both live and in the studio a number of times and was extremely happy with it. Thinking that I could still get a better 5-string, I sold the Dillion to buy another brand name 5er that was 3 times more expensive than the Dillion list price above. I very quickly came to the conclusion that the brand name bass was nowhere near the quality of the Dillion. From both a fit and finish standpoint and much less versatile. But more importantly, it wasn't as much fun or comfortable to play. I wanted to buy another Dillion, but was (incorrectly) told that the VMB500-5 had been discontinued and were no longer available. So i'd have to find something else. I bought a MusicMan StingRay5 which is a beautiful bass. I've used it ever since. But I still wanted another Dillion, if I could find one. In the fall of 2002, I happened upon a used VMB500-5 and bought it immediately (the bass was like new except for one tiny mark). Like my original, this one sings. If you can't tell by now, I like the Dillion VMB500-5 in every way. They are currently available finished in Metallic Blue with the Maple neck and Ebay is a good place to find new and the occasional used ones.

Construction	100%
(Solid, no cheap stuff here)
Appearance	100%
(Styled after a StingRay4, what else do you want)
Playability	100%
(The maple neck is a joy to play)
Sound	100%
(Great versatility)
Value	100%
(Worth twice the list price)
Overall	100%
(This one won't be getting away)