getting an Ibanez SRX to sound (somewhat) like a rick?

TreetarDed · #1 09-19-2009, 03:46 PM

I really love the way my Ibanez SRX2EX2 looks and plays, but i'm not getting the sound I'm looking for from it. I'm sure the crappy peavey practice amp I'm playing through doesn't help me out at all, but is there any way to get any tone similar to a rickenbacker 4001/4003 from this bass? I'm only 16 with no job so there's no way possible I could get a ric any time soon and I just bought my Ibanez, now saving up money for a decent amp. What could I possibly do to make my bass sound somewhat similar to a rick tone sort of like geddy lee gets from his?

ksandvik · #2 09-19-2009, 03:52 PM

My best bet is to get a used Zoom B2 or shop around for a cheap price. You can *never* get it to sound exactly like a Rickenbacker, but with various amp simulations you could get close to the sixties twang sound if needed. If you are looking for the classic Geddy Lee Rush/Rickenbacker sound, the SansAmp simulation is your friend.

I have a 'beater' Ibanez SRX2EX2, B-stock, works just fine. And it's a very playable bass, biggest problem is that the humbuckers tend to be too hot most of the time ,but Ibanez SRX basses were designed for metal and heavy rock music, anyway.

cassanova · #3 09-19-2009, 04:05 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TreetarDed

I really love the way my Ibanez SRX2EX2 looks and plays, but i'm not getting the sound I'm looking for from it.

Why would you buy a bass that doesn't get the sound you're looking for? That makes no sense to me.

TreetarDed · #4 09-19-2009, 04:14 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by cassanova

Why would you buy a bass that doesn't get the sound you're looking for? That makes no sense to me.

That was bad on my part, I made a rushed decision based on looks and feel and should've probably spent more time in the store trying other options. I also thing it might be my crap amp and stock strings that are giving me a bad sound.

cassanova · #5 09-19-2009, 08:47 PM

What type of amp are you using? If its one of those tiny ones with an 8" speaker and 15 watts, then no you won't get it to sound like a Ric.

My advice to you (and you probably won't like it) is to be patient and save up enough money to buy yourself a good amp/cab or even a power amp/preamp/cab, or even a good combo amp. Doing this will help maximize the potential of your Ibanez and make it sound good. Once you have a good amp then you can focus more on trying to obtain a Ric type tone from it. Who knows, if you buy a good amp then you might actually love the tone of your Ibanez.

Worst case scenario is you'll have a good amp so you can always turn around and sell your Ibanez and then buy a different bass that has a tone you do want. But I would definitely do an amp upgrade before doing anything else.

MarkTAW · #6 09-19-2009, 09:32 PM

Some sort of effects pedal could help a bit. Something like the Zoom B2 mentioned above or a Pandora's Box (which would have a bunch of other useful tools for a beginner bass player) may be a good option.