Ibanez Bass Guitars

(Originally written by Bloodrain33/translated from Audiofanzine FR) - Where was it made? (USA, Japan, Mexico, France...) Made in China... I don't have anything against Chinese guitar makers but... More information: -> https://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_france.html - How many frets, what kind of pickups and what is the pickup configuration? 22 frets, piezo pickup, Ibanez SPT preamp - What about controls (volume, tone, pickup selector...)? I was surprised to see that the controls are very comprehensive: shape, treble, mid, bass, tuner plus a phase control but I don't know what for! There's a picture on the following website: https://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/images/features/28.jpg - What kind of neck? Standard set neck... - Is the neck comfortable? Quite comfortable! It's very fast! (but not as fast because the neck varnish is too thick... :s) - Is the access to the upper frets easy? No problems up to the 19th fret! Then it becomes difficult but that's normal, it's an acoustic guitar... - Is the instrument ergonomic (body shape, weight...)? Light, playable... - Does it fit your music style? Perfect! It's an all-round instrument! I play rock, punk, metal, etc. I sometimes like to slap and it's also quite good at that! (but don't expect too much, it's a budget Jazz Bass!) - Which amp(s) or effect(s) do you use with it? Amps: Behringer Ultrabass, Fender Rumble 15. Effects: EHX Nano Clone Chorus and Ibanez Phat-Hed PD7. - What kind of sounds do you get and which settings do you use ("crystal-clear", "fat", ...)? Everything possible using the versatile EQ! - Which sounds do you prefer / hate? The unplugged sound is ok, but it's more interesting when plugged. It has a nice but special character so test it before buying it. - How long have you been using it? Since early December 2008 but I tested it before... - Which feature do you like the most / the least? Pros: Very comprehensive preamp, sound, average finish... Cons: The varnish chips off too easily ... - Did you try any other models before buying it? I tested about ten models, three of which were interesting for me: a Cort, a Fender and this Ibanez (much cheaper)... - How would you rate its value for money? Unbeatable! Except for the too thick and chipping varnish, this bass is excellent! - Based on your experience, would you buy this product again? For sure! I give it between 16 and 18 because of the varnish. I'm not fan but other people might like it! I like natural finishes! P.S. I will update this review at some later point because the bass is still very new.

Brilliantly made bass, bought it as i was moving up in the music world and my BTB405QM wouldnt cut it with tone, playability or comfort. The through neck is the easiest i have ever used, howver if you have small hands it may be difficult or uncomfortable as the neck is very wide. the controls are simple, volume, pickup selctor, bass, mids, treble, there is also a switch to switch between mid boosts of low and high mids. The bridge is an ibanez made one as far as i know ot has individual saddles for each string, which partnered with the through neck construction gives the bass incredible sustain. UTILIZATION The large body of the bass means that it allows easy access to the higher frets, this makes for easy transition between playing a bass line low on the neck and then adding in a higher fill the octave up. The only draw back to the instrument is the weight, if you own one you will know it weighs a lot, however with a decent strap the wieght is distributed evenly and is actually very comfortable to play. SOUNDS I use a Gallien Krueger amp with it which i feel makes this bass sound perfect. Soundwise this bass is amazing. with a few tweaks to the controls you can go from playing harcore death metal, to heartfelt soul music. I really have never found another bass other than a musicman stingray $$ that can match its versatility. I have recorded a heavy metal album with it, i have also recorded soul tracks, funk, blues, this bass can do it all amazingly. I used to play in a heavy metal band and I currently play for a function band performing all sorts of styles, by just quickly moving a couple of dials on the bass itself i can switch between styles of music. It suits my style perfectly. The set up i use most of the time is set to the middle pickup with the mid booster set to the high mid setting, i also dial in the lows, mids and highs on the bass, i never have to go near my amp. I use no effects and never have needed to with this bass, to get a more heavy sound all i needed to do was boost the highs, this gave it a much more aggressive tone. OVERALL OPINION This bass is perfect in my opinion, i have never found anything better. I tried many instruments of the same price range and nothing came close. As for value i like to think of it as the useage i get from it, i paid £799.99 in the UK two years ago, this is below the list price, however i have got well more than £800 worth of use out of it, it has recorded 3 albums, done 4 tours and played over 300 gigs, been used practically every day and i have never had a single problem with it. The only thing i had slight reservations about was the weight due to my intense gigging schedual, however with a thick strap this was not a problem at all. I would recomend this bass to everyone, unless you have tiny hands, in that case go for an ibanez SR, the neck is much thinner!

I am just getting back to playing Bass. After a service time loss I have only 3 fingers and thumb on my left hand and only nubs and a thumb on my right hand but love music and wanted to play again. I bought the Red quilted finish. I bought this bass from guitar center 179.99 after looking around a few places to have a good solid unit to try to play again with in my hands. <a href="Resource id #1">Resource id #1</a> The bass has a wonderful feel to it and sounds great through the ampeg 50w I am using. the P/J pick ups all work and the knobs are first class and have no dead spaces or fade issues. The look is beautiful and it feels good standing or sitting while I play. The strings that came on this bass were garbage. Only a small adjustment to the neck made this bass ready to play. Well made it is a little tank of a bass. I feel very sure that this bass could withstand a strong thrashing and still play well and be ready for the next gig. This bass is a great starter, on stage performer or practice unit. It really fills the room with quality sound when asked to play. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I bought this bass at a place in London, Ontario called John Bellone's Musical Instruments. I paid $400 plus taxes for it. Right off the bat I was impressed with how it sounded. It has a real deep yet almost twangy sound. I also like how the neck moulds to my hand. My friends have told me that wood doesnt mold to your hand, but I'm telling you it does. The frets are flawless, they are so smooth I can slide from the bottom all the way to the top without the worry of cutting my fingers.(I know that shouldn't be an issue, but I've played some guitars that shredded my hands)The strings stay in tune suprisingly long. I could be rocking out hard for 4 or 5 hours at band practice, come back next week, and they're still in tune. To be totally honest, there is nothing I don't like about this guitar. This bass is SOLID!! For anyone who plays bass a lot, Im telling you, you arent going to find a more solid guitar then this. I've dropped it many a times and she still keeps goin strong. The neck is attatched to the body with what seems like concrete, it is extremely strong. IF you are looking for a bass guitar in the $400 range, I hgihly recommend this guitar. It is amazing, I guarantee you'll like it. This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

SPECS Neck Material: 5pc Jatoba/ Bubinga Neck Type: SR5 Body: Light Ash body Frets: Medium frets Fingerboard: Rosewood Inlay: Abalone oval inlay Bridge: Accu-Cast B25 bridge NeckPU: Bartolini® MK1-5-F BridgePU: Bartolini® MK1-5-R EQ: EQB-IIIS HW Color: Black Flat Finishes: NTF, WNF Scale/Length 864mm/34" a: Width at Nut 45mm b: Width Last Fret 67mm c: Thickness 1st Fret 19.5mm d: Thickness 12th Fret 21.5mm Radius 305mm PICKUPS Bridge Pickup Name: BARTOLINI® MK1 Model No: MK1-5-R Construction: Humbucking/Passive Magnet: Ceramic Description: Five string version of MK1-4-R. High output with well balanced tone. Neck Pickup Name: BARTOLINI® MK1 Model No: MK1-5-F Construction: Humbucking/Passive Magnet: Ceramic Description: Five string version of MK1-4-F. High output with well balanced tone. UTILIZATION I really cannot rave enough about Ibanez Soundgear series basses. This model in particular is a great example of a 5 string that won't break the bank, yet offers a lot of high pro-grade features. The playability, balance, and feel of the bass is top-notch. I can do whatever slap, pick, finger, or tapping techniques I need to do. The workmanship is also excellent for this price range. SOUNDS The Bartolinis, mixed with the electronics, offer a huge variety of tones to choose from. I cannot imagine needing any kind of raw bass tone that this particular bass could not provide - it'll do anything, from metal to country, jazz to hip-hop, and everything in between. The 3 band EQ plus mid-frequency switch allows me to make this bass sound like whatever I hear in my head. OVERALL OPINION I'm giving this perfect tens for the price point. No matter what style one plays, this bass could be a perfect addition to the bass rig. The low B is very tight and doesn't sound flabby, and the SR605 overall looks fantastic, feels fantastic, plays fantastic, and sounds fantastic. It IS fantastic! Enough said!

The Ibanez SoundGear Series SR-800 is an electric bass guitar in the beginner to intermediate range of instruments. I don’t own this bass, but one of my best friends and former band mates has it, so I’ve heard it a lot and have also played it a lot myself. The SR-800 has got 24 frets, along with both a neck and a bridge pick up. It’s also got an on board equalizer right on the bass, which is a pretty cool feature. Although this is a fretted instrument, a number of years ago my friend took the frets out and made it a fretless. UTILIZATION The feel of the Ibanez SoundGear Series SR-800 is definitely more than adequate. It isn’t anything to write home about, but it’s easy enough to play for sure. Of course professionals and more experienced players will be looking for a more fluid feeling neck, but it’s easy enough to play up and down the 24 frets that I can’t complain too much about the feel. Using the pick up parameters is very simple, although the EQ isn’t something you’ll find on many basses. A manual isn’t necessary at all here… SOUNDS The overall sound of the Ibanez SoundGear Series SR-800 isn’t the best, but is adequate for the price range that it’s in. I wouldn’t record with it, but for practicing and getting started with a bass, it sounds just fine. You’ve got a good amount of control over your sound between the EQ and the two pick ups, although I like the sound of the bridge pick up a bit more for whatever reason. Now that this bass has been made into a fretless, it has a lot warmer and free sound… OVERALL OPINION For a lower end bass guitar, the Ibanez SoundGear Series SR-800 is a really good deal. It’s definitely a bass that I’d recommend for a beginner, or for a player looking for an upgrade from their student level instrument without having to spend too much money. I definitely like this bass a lot more since my friend made it a fretless, but it was a good bass to begin with for sure. I don’t know if they still make these basses, but the price of one new a few years ago was more than reasonable. Definitely a better instrument than the SR-100 for not too much more money…

(Originally written by Kennet/translated from Audiofanzine FR) Body: ash Fretboard: rosewood Inlays: small dots Bridge, tailpiece/ nut: Accu-cats BV Hardware: cosmo black Pickups: LO-J5 + LO-J5 (or LO-Z J/J depending on the production year 1988-1990) One volume, one balance, two tone controls UTILIZATION Very slim and pleasant neck especially for a 5-string bass. Excellent access to the upper frets. The bass is quite heavy but it depends on the strap you use... Versatile sound ranging from very smooth to hard. SOUNDS High output power, it's an active bass. It matches every music style. Slapping isn't easy due to the slimness of the neck. OVERALL OPINION I've been playing it since 1990 and I will never sell it. I have played with very expensive bass guitar (Musicman, Fender, etc.) but the neck of this SR05 is something you won't find on every instrument. Excellent value for money. I wouldn't hesitate to buy it again.

It's basically your decent quality modern bass. With a few extra features, like the ergodyne material it's made out of. Price paid $550.00 UTILIZATION It has a very slim &quot;fast&quot; neck, which means the strings are a little closer together than most basses. It IS on the heavy side, so a small person might have a problem playing standing up for long periods of time. This is a very well built bass. I think it will last lifetimes with regular maintanace. It is very solid, so it can be manhandled with little worry of damage. It is made of very strong material. I often come across cracked basses in pawn shops. Usually where the neck meets the body, I dont think it's really a problem for this bass though. SOUNDS This bass is capable of producing a very wide range of tones. The pickups are great because they are noisy like Fenders. It is an active bass with 3 eq knobs for LOWS MIDS and HIGHs, so the sonic possibilities are limitless. It is however a relatively modern sounding bass, but can recreate vintage tones with the proper processing. The edb600 is made out of a man made material created for bass guitars, I think thats what gives it the distinctive tone. OVERALL OPINION I LOVE this bass. Not only does it have everything I need to play a wide variety of genres, but the fact that its so comfortable to play makes it my favorite bass. I think I would buy another one if i ever lost this one. I call it the Giger, it reminds me of some of his paintings. It has a really modern look, and sounds incredible. Originally posted on FutureProducers.com Posted by: blue_lines ( 7-, 2005)

Figured I'd write a review for the used market since this bass is discontinued. This bass is bigger than the normal SDGR, so the neck feels more Fender than Ibanez, feels great and easy to play yet not as thin as the normal SDGR. The body has a nice feel to it, heavy enough without being super heavy and is a nice size. Keep in mind that when this bass came out the music scene was into bands like Korn and other bands of that such and heres where the problem lays with it's versatility or lack there of. The high output humbuckers along with the preamp make it harder to draw the sound back to play more mellow stuff without having to adjust amp setting and whatnot due to the harshness once at a volume to cut through the mix. Definitely not as versatile as say a PJ set up. I remedied this by ripping the EQ/preamp out and wiring it like a jazz bass but with a pickup selector 3 way toggle and the passive pickups are not as harsh. The mod added versatility and made the bass have more bottom end and the passive pickups are plenty loud enough to cut through and sound like a bass should. The electronics and hardware are really the only downfall to this bass. The hardware discolored rather quickly, but I think it gives it character now, but was bummed about it back in the day. The knobs would fall off and had to replace them with better. It sounds like I'm bashing this bass but this is all within 15 years. The bass gets its 4 stars due to its playability and feel. The neck is great and I've never had to adjust it, the tuners are still original and stays in tune. The mod was like $50 for everything and made the bass my go to for everything. The SRX truly does play like a dream and looks awesome while doing it.

So look here....this is not an expensive bass guitar. What it is is a very nice inexpensive bass guitar. UTILIZATION I put some high quality strings on mine and it is sweet. After I set it up and adjusted everything it plays great. SOUNDS With the tone controls and the bass boost it can get lots of tones. OVERALL OPINION I bought mine used for $130 with no case. That may be the best $130 I've ever spent. This guitar is fantastic for the money. I also have an Ibanez AS73 6 string that is a wonderful guitar too. Ibanez just knows how to make good guitars that are not expensive............and they do it well!

This is a review of the Paul Gray signature bass put out by Ibanez. Paul Gray was the late great bassist for Slipknot. First impressions where this bass reminds me much of the ATK series basses by Ibanez. It has the same body and headstock design. Chances are if you liked the ATKs you'll like this bass I tested this bass out at my local music shop. I have probably 2 hours under is but decided it was not for me. The cost of this bass is $299.99. There are some basses you pick up and say 'This bass feels cheap' the Paul Gray signature was not. It feels like a solid bass and gets a nice bite to it. If you are looking for something to get you a modern Musicman bass tone with a twist I'd look into this. The hardware on the one I played was cool looking. Not completely black, more of a smoked grey. Very cool. The finish is what made me ultimately say, 'No Thanks' to purchasing this bass. It has a huge Slipknot logo on the front. If you are a fan of Slipknot's music OK this is for you, but if you are just a bassist looking for a cool bass this finish isn't so appealing. Feels great. This bass came shipped to the store in perfect playable shape. The hardware was cool looking as mentioned above, but also heavy duty. The instrument held tune and played good up and down the entire neck. Bottom Line this bass is a great bass for metal or hard rock and it is not too hard on your wallet. The only downside I see is the finish. Maybe a more subtle tribute to Slipknot would have been better? This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

This is a bass that will make you tilt your head like a dog that so badly wants to say, 'Huh?' The SR2010ASC Ashula Limited Edition by Ibanez takes their popular 4-string fretted SR series and tacks on to additional strings over a fretless section of the fretboard. Essentially it is like being able to have a fretless and a fretted bass in one bass on one neck. It is tuned E A D G then repeats D and G for the fretless end of the fretboard. I did not buy this bass but I spent a decent amount of time demoing it for people in a local shop. The bass can be had for right around $1000 Surprisingly the neck is bearable. It is a bit daunting at first, but you will get the hang of it in a few minutes. A really cool feature is you have two separate volumes for the fretted and fretless pickups. The preamp is the familiar volume, blend and bass and treble boost. The overall electric tone of Ibanez never really excited me. I have played and owned a few, but never get a tone I'm in love with. The instruments play and feel great, just hard for me to dial in a sound. 5 piece neck and an Ash body which is reasonably light for Ash. Rosewood fretboard, Chrome hardware and a very cool natural finish. The most innovative bass I think I have ever seen. If George Jetson were to buy a bass it would be the Ibanez SR2010ASC This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com