This bass is quite attractive. It is solid maple, with a subtle flame throughout; even the neck is figured maple. Like most Pedulla basses, it is finely carved with an almost fluid form to it. All the joints, including the electronics cavity are well designed and crafted. It is surprisingly light and well balanced.

My only beef is with the fingerboard. I am told by a reputable source that it is ebony sealed with an epoxy finish. Apparently, some of Jaco's Jazz basses sported a marine epoxy finish on the fingerboard, and Mike Pedulla, with some help from his friends, refined the process to produce the first buzz basses. The result is a neck that offers the feel of playing on glass. The epoxy finish is rock-hard. You won't see any grooves developing any time too soon on this finish.

The bass is very playable. The inlaid lines are helpful to those used to fretted instruments. The neck was straight as an arrow and had no dead spots whatsoever, and the sustain was great. The active Bartolini P-J pickups round out a well thought out bass.

For me, though, the epoxy-over-ebony is less than ideal. The feel and unamplified sound of strings resonating against oiled wood is what makes my definition of a fretless bass. My recommendation if you're thinking of a Buzz Bass is to sit with one for a nice, long session to see if the glassy fingerboard is more of a turn-on than a turn-off for you.

Construction	95%
Appearance	95%
Playability	85%
Sound	87%
(95 when Mark Egan plays one ;)
Value	83%
Overall	85%