Paulo, I bought one of these for $199 about three years ago, fiddled with it off-and-on for almost a year. Picked it up one day, suddenly felt comfortable with it, and played it solid for the next two years. I liked it So much, that when one came up for sale about six months ago for the same price through Sweetwater, I jumped on it, and now own two!
These are Great basses for the money! Right out of the box, the necks are set up well with low action, and the fret-board is on the thin-and-flat side, which makes it comfortable to play. I have small-to-average hands, so the neck is a perfect profile to play on. The string spacing is probably 17mm, which makes it easier to play. I'm not a slapper, so can't tell you if the tighter spacing would make that style more difficult, but with my hand size, it's not a problem...
Honestly, for $199+shipping, you won't find a better 6-string for twice the price. Ibanez's build quality on these are solid - both my necks are straight, and true. They come strung with Elixer nano-web strings, which I like the feel of. The electronics are quite good for this price range, with two Volume pots; a Tone Control pot that has a nice sweep to it; and a Bass Boost pot, that can really dial in the low end if you want it. I've gotten lots of compliments from fellow bassists on how well this bass sounds.
You won't be sorry if you decide to spend a couple hundred on this bass. Hey, just a couple two-three gigs, and it's paid for!
