Ibanez SR500

been playing guitar for 25 years.just switch to bass for a change.

paid $500 for an upgrade.i was looking for a decent bass guitar.

the unit is very light.and the price is very much reasonable. of course its not a warwick.but i'd take and will probably keep it for good.

the quality of the finish was not as impressive but again it's not a warwick.

the guitar sounds really good for my taste. I play rock and country.the pick ups are excellent.very quiet.

this guitar is a versatile performer.I'm gonna take care of it.

This review was originally published on http://www.musicgearreview.com

I picked this baby up at Guitar Center for $549 list price.

I love the 3 band active eq, the skinny neck, the low action, and the overall look of the dark mahogany finish and bubinga fretboard is breathtaking!

There really isnt anything i dont like about it. You can get so many different sounds out of the EQ that if you dont like the way something is sounding all you have to do is tweak the knobs a little bit.

Its very well put together and the matching of the wood tones between the body and fret board make it look more expensive that it really is. Its also not too heavy... ive played other Ibanez Soundgears and felt like i had a rock pinned to my shoulder, but not this one... its extremely light and comfortable, without suffering from the drooping head from the body being too light.

I love this bass! It really makes me feel like Ibanez did something great this time and for the price you cant beat it... i would really compare it to a lower level Warwick, but even lower level Warwicks sound great. If you have less than $600 to spend I cant see you making a different choice. Go to your local Music shop and test one out Im sure you will be moved like i have been.

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

The Ibanez SR500 4-String bass features:

- 5-piece wenge/bubinga SR4 neck
- Mahogany body
- Rosewood fretboard
- Oval abalone markers
- 24 medium frets
- Accu-Cast B20 bridge
- Bartolini MK1-4 neck pickup
- Bartolini MK1-4 bridge pickup
- Black chrome hardware with black pickups
- Bartonini MK1 active 3-band EQ

Made in Korea

UTILIZATION

This thing bass has a very comfortable neck with an oil finish on it that's fast and smooth. I've always been a huge Ibanez fan and though I'm used to playing the BTBs, which feel like they have a slightly thinner neck to me, this one is much more comfortable, and because of the more rounded neck it feels solid in your hands. If you're someone who likes slower bass lines, and not tons of speed, this one is definitely a better choice over the BTB series, as it also has a fuller, deeper tone.

The upper fret access on this guitar is pretty nice because of the cutaway (though it's not like most bass players play high up there anyway).

The fretboard itself is pretty skinny to what I'm used to. Most basses are a bit flatter on the neck and have a wider board, but this one is thicker on the neck, with a thinner board. Makes changing strings easy, but can also jumble up your sound, if you're not a very clean player.

SOUNDS

This bass has a huge, fat tone, very full with tons of lowend. My only complaint is it can get a bit boomy in the lowend for my tastes, but with the 3-Band EQ, you can dial it in to taste.

Speaking of the EQ, that is a major factor in the tone shaping of this bass, without it, the bass wouldn't be nearly as good. With the EQ, you can go to a punch slap tone to an aggressive picked tone, to a giant fingered tone with the turn of a few dials.

Also, the strings that come stock on these wear out REALLY fast for some reason. Invest in some new strings ASAP and you'll have a much better sounding bass. The stock strings on mine had some kind of weird plastic coating that started peeling off after a few hours of play, making the strings look like they were fuzzy. Changing the strings will result in a much fatter and defined tone.

OVERALL OPINION

Overall, this is a cool bass. Inexpensive and sounds great. While it's maybe not the best choice for any player, it's certainly capable of some great tones for almost any genre.

For the price, it's hard to beat if you're looking for a big, full tone. If you're playing slap, this is one of the best sounding basses I've heard, especially at this price range!