playability of a fender oppose to a ibanez

ibanezshredder · #1 02-04-2008, 02:37 PM

I am a long time Ibanez owner and I recently just switched over to fender, because I wanted something with a more warmer tone. Now both makes r great but my last ibanez was the srx590 right now I have a fender jazz bass and I noticed that playability wise the ibanez was a lil easyer to play then the fender, also I stood it straight up against my music man and its alot longer too... Now I am in love with this bass believe me but is the playability on a ibanez realy better or is it I just got to get use to this bass????

SlapMeBaby! · #2 02-04-2008, 02:52 PM

I too am a long time Ibanez owner. It's almost like we're at a disadvantage because Ibanez typically have smaller necks and we are spoiled with their nice action and their quickness. But the tone difference between Fender and Ibanez is monumental in comparison. I've been playing for about 12 years now and I'll never purchase another Ibanez again. Even if you get an Ibanez to sound good it still sounds thin. The transition to a Fender from the Ibanez is a difficult one. The necks are huge especially on the P-bass. I've played a couple of different Jazz bass models that were closer though to your average Ibanez. 1975 Jazz (re-issue included), Marcus Miller, and Geddy Lee models all have great necks and should solve your problem. Geddy Lee's are noisy and poppy... almost like the strings are getting shocked by the pick ups. The newer American Jazz bass models seem like they have bigger necks than the one's I mentioned but they're still smaller than the P-bass models. P-basses... sound great man but jeez those necks are monsters.

Or... you can go with a Music Man Sterling. Always hated Music Man basses, once again, because of their ginormous necks but those are the Sting Rays. As an Ibanez player you will fall in love with the Sterling. Guarenteed.

jschwalls · #3 02-04-2008, 05:44 PM

I agree the Sterling series are really comfortable and sound great.. I call them a mini-P Bass.... had one years ago sold it... now I regret it. I used to play a Ric alot, then i moved to the Yamaha Attitude series.... GIANT necks... it was weird at first now it doesnt bother me.. I switch between alot of different basses on a weekly basis. I basically just made myself switch all the time, now I cant really tell a difference in what bass i play.... except my upright geezzz what a difference in feel.

hunta · #4 02-05-2008, 08:16 AM

I've never had an Ibanez, but I used to be a big Carvin player. I had 2 different Carvin's, a 6 string with a pretty thin neck, and a 5 string with wider string spacing but also a fairly thin neck. I play a Fender Jazz now and it actually wasn't that bad of a transition. If I go back and play on a Carvin now it feels kind of weird. I've tried playing Ibanez basses and they never felt good to me mostly because my right hand technique was not compatible with the positioning of the pickups on them. I don't know if I could ever really get into a P-Bass, that neck is like holding a baseball bat.

Deacon_Blues · #5 02-05-2008, 08:54 AM

I switched from Warwick to Fender last year. I always loved the playability of the Warwick and all fenders I've tested have actually been worse in that aspect. However, the Jazz Bass tone was what I wanted so I switched. I took the bass to a local JB guru who helped me adjust it properly. Most Fenders are IMO terribly set-up at the factory although this one was decent. Anyway, the playability of the bass got very much better thanks to that. I was just a bit disappointed about the 7,25" radius that I had some problems to adjust myself to in the beginning.

I don't know how carefully you have adjusted the bass to your liking, perhaps you have it setup perfectly. But if not, I've recommend to get it done properly.

ibanezshredder · #6 02-05-2008, 09:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Deacon_Blues

I switched from Warwick to Fender last year. I always loved the playability of the Warwick and all fenders I've tested have actually been worse in that aspect. However, the Jazz Bass tone was what I wanted so I switched. I took the bass to a local JB guru who helped me adjust it properly. Most Fenders are IMO terribly set-up at the factory although this one was decent. Anyway, the playability of the bass got very much better thanks to that. I was just a bit disappointed about the 7,25" radius that I had some problems to adjust myself to in the beginning.

I don't know how carefully you have adjusted the bass to your liking, perhaps you have it setup perfectly. But if not, I've recommend to get it done properly.

Thats exactly why I switched from ibanez to fender was cause I like the tone better. As for the set up thats the first thing I had done, I think its just a matter of me getting use to it..

JustOpenYourMind · #7 02-05-2008, 10:10 AM

It is not really a playability issue since any good bass can be setup with any action, fender or ibanez, it's more a matter of wether you like bigger necks or thinner ones, P-basses have a chunky neck, ibanez soundgears have a ridiculously thin one compared to other brands (not dissing ibanez it's stricly a preference issue).

You will get used to fender necks. I am a fender player and everytime I pick an Ibanez the neck feels way too thin and its uncomfortable to me.

So in the end, if you like the tone of fenders, give your hands some time to get used to it

spindizzy · #8 02-05-2008, 11:08 AM

Spend an hour on my seven and you will think both Ibenez and Fender are basically toothpicks.

Spin

FuturePrimitive · #9 02-05-2008, 01:25 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ibanezshredder

I noticed that playability wise the ibanez was a lil easyer to play then the fender

Man I thought it was just me! I thought I was losing my mind or was just too noobish to know any better but when I was searching for my "One True Bass" I was actually close to flipping a coin between an Ibanez (can't remember which one) and a Jazz. The Ibanez felt SO GOOD in my hands, very smooth, fast, easy to play. The Jazz was a relative tank, I couldn't move around fast and my fingers seemed to trip up on the strings a lot more. Anyway, I ended up with an American Jazz because I liked the way it sounded better but it was actually a tough call for me.

Anyway, after 5 years I still think my Jazz plays "slow".

And now I can expect to get flamed for having the nerve to compare Ibanez and a Jazz!

CrazyArcher · #10 02-05-2008, 02:20 PM

I had a chance to play a MIJ Jazz - it really needed to be set-up, but had a pretty sweet neck! At the other hand, when I switched from a P-clone to a Schecter (which is pretty similar to Ibanez in terms of neck dimensions) I saw that it was much faster due to lower action and tighter string spacing. Bottom line - IMO the difference ain't critical, the wider neck is worth the Fender sound.