Ibanez SR1200e Slightly Modded...(pic heavy)

TK4261 · #1 10-02-2011, 11:48 AM

I scored last week on getting this Ibanez SR1200e from a buddy of mine. He got this when they first came out not to long ago and he really liked it but he is more use to playing Warwick's and he never got use to the thin profile. I on the other hand loved the way this bass feels from the time he first got it and let me try it out. The Nordy Big Singles in it sound great to me also and are a big plus.
I got this Bass for only $375 plus traded him my Hartke HyDrive 1x12 cab

The only thing wrong with it was a tiny ding on the back and he started to buff out the matte finish on the headstock. I wasn't to keen on the Gold hardware either so I ordered some Cosmo Black Chrome hardware for it.

BEFORE:

Since he started buffing out the matte finish on the headstock and I am replacing all the gold hardware I decided to sand off the matte finish and remove the gold SDgr logo. The finish on the headstock was so dark you couldn't see the Rosewood grain underneath it. I started with 60 grit then 100, 320 and then 0000 steel wool. Then I finished it with some Warwick Surface Finisher Wax & some Howard's Feed-N-Wax..Turned out nice

I got the Black chrome Monorail 4 bridges from the Ibanez online store, the Black chrome tuners from GPD USA and the Black chrome strap pegs from ebay.

I also got an Abalone truss cover and a Abalone standard Bass clef inlay for cheap online..Now I need to find someone locally that could put the inlay in for not to much $$...

Got her all finished up yesterday and strung up with some R. Cocco Nickels 45-405. I Just need to get the inlay done. This Bass plays and sounds GREAT!

AFTER:

It was a fun Saturday project...

sickest beast · #2 10-02-2011, 12:50 PM

very cool bass man. I used to own an SR800 and loved the super thin profile when I was younger. I regret selling it.

I bet that bass plays like a dream.

IngerAlb · #3 10-02-2011, 06:52 PM

I dig the black hardware; the sanded headstock and the abalone cap...not at all. But since it's your bass, not mine, it's pointless

All in all thanks for the pics! I'm considering getting the 1205E and now I know how it would look with black tuners & bridge (if I do manage to get it, I will probably do the same).

You have a very nice bass, gratz!

TK4261 · #4 10-02-2011, 08:23 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by sickest beast

very cool bass man. I used to own an SR800 and loved the super thin profile when I was younger. I regret selling it.

I bet that bass plays like a dream.

Thanks! I really like the neck on mine alot..

Quote:

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

I dig the black hardware; the sanded headstock and the abalone cap...not at all. But since it's your bass, not mine, it's pointless

All in all thanks for the pics! I'm considering getting the 1205E and now I know how it would look with black tuners & bridge (if I do manage to get it, I will probably do the same).

You have a very nice bass, gratz!

Thank you, If you do get a 1205e I'm sure you wont be disappointed...The SR Premiums are great playing, great sounding and light Basses

The Black Chrome hardware does look better than the Gold in my opinion to..But its still strange to me that the pics on the Ibanez website of both the 1200e & the 1205e show a nice wood grain for the headstock. The matte finish on my SR1200e was almost black...Very interesting cause the Rosewood grain on mine turned out to be very nice

As for the Abalone...I am partial to it and I was just trying to match it up with the Abalone inlays on the fretboard.

Here are the pics off the Ibanez site of the headstocks that they show...

IngerAlb · #5 10-04-2011, 07:22 AM

The local store has now one of these babies in stock; it's a killer bass, for sure!

The tone is muscular and crystal clear, with all the strings sounding perfectly even (unlike most SR 5ers that tend to have a muddy & boomy "B"). And best of all: the growl! Oh, man!

It's a surprisingly light bass (I was expecting it to have about the same weight as my SRT905DX, but in fact is way lighter, almost like a standard SR). The neck felt pretty close to a regular SR neck, flattened a bit on the middle.

The headstock finish was a bit mate indeed, but you could still see the grain underneath very well - and that was in a room with poor light. So I don't know why yours looked almost black - maybe the previous owner waxed the heck out of it... It's cool though that the grain is an actual 2 - 3mm thick top, and not just a veneer. And I also liked the oversized fretboard inlays

Overall a damn fine bass, that really looks and sounds like a genuine Prestige; (in fact I've seen older Prestige models that looked and sounded a lot worse); this is a bass that's worth every penny.

TK4261 · #6 10-05-2011, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

The local store has now one of these babies in stock; it's a killer bass, for sure!

The headstock finish was a bit mate indeed, but you could still see the grain underneath very well - and that was in a room with poor light. So I don't know why yours looked almost black - maybe the previous owner waxed the heck out of it... It's cool though that the grain is an actual 2 - 3mm thick top, and not just a veneer. And I also liked the oversized fretboard inlays

This is a bass that's worth every penny.

They are Killer! For the $$$...
I was happy that the Rosewood top on the headstock was thick..nice touch..don't know why mine was so dark..I even tried buffing a little before sanding and was able to get part of it glossy and still the wood wasn't visible. Guess they are all going to be different anyway..

Glad you got to play one.

IngerAlb · #7 10-05-2011, 01:25 PM

Yup

Thing is...now I really really have to get one

I'm hooked

LilloEsquilo · #8 10-05-2011, 06:26 PM

Not to pour gas on the fire, but yeah, they are excellent basses. Looks, sound, playability, these have it all.

Dean N · #9 10-05-2011, 06:37 PM

I think this killer Ibby shouldn't have a blank headstock. If it were mine, I'd find someone to cut an abalone SDGR logo just like the original and put it on there.

Regardless, that bass is nice!

azfryguy · #10 10-05-2011, 07:00 PM

This bass is straight boss!

Ava Starfire · #11 10-05-2011, 07:01 PM

The next bass I hope to own is one of these, I played one and it is simply an amazing instrument. And yes, I will likely do the same thing with the black hardware. Gorgeous bass!

TK4261 · #12 10-06-2011, 12:58 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Dean N

I think this killer Ibby shouldn't have a blank headstock. If it were mine, I'd find someone to cut an abalone SDGR logo just like the original and put it on there.

Regardless, that bass is nice!

I would really have liked to get a custom Abalone SDgr inlay but the price would be a bit to much. Thats why I got this Abalone Bass clef inlay. It is nice and simple and was only $15 with the order of my Abalone truss cover..I'm trying to find someone locally to install it. Should look good.

Quote:

Originally Posted by azfryguy

This bass is straight boss!

Thank you

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ava Starfire

The next bass I hope to own is one of these, I played one and it is simply an amazing instrument. And yes, I will likely do the same thing with the black hardware. Gorgeous bass!

Thanks, I recommend these new line of 1200e's highly

Sonicdecay · #13 10-06-2011, 11:45 AM

Sweet mods, sir. Dig the black mono rail.

TK4261 · #14 10-06-2011, 10:52 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Sonicdecay

Sweet mods, sir. Dig the black mono rail.

Thank you

squiresuzuki · #15 10-14-2011, 11:29 AM

Wow, that bass' top is a lot darker than in the stock photos.

TK4261 · #16 10-14-2011, 12:03 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by squiresuzuki

Wow, that bass' top is a lot darker than in the stock photos.

Yeah, it seem that most of them out there now for sale are quite a bit darker than the Ibanez website pics. I really like my grain though

This 1200e that Sweetwater has instock right now is a bit darker too...

Toastfuzz · #17 10-14-2011, 12:10 PM

Day-am!

miltong565 · #18 10-14-2011, 12:18 PM

i saw one of these on gumtree a few days ago. i think it was only £200, but i dont have that much, so i asked if he would trade for a few things. he hasnt replied, dont think its looking good. lol. am i right in saying that these models were made to a better standard than their cheaper basses?

IngerAlb · #19 10-14-2011, 01:40 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by miltong565

am i right in saying that these models were made to a better standard than their cheaper basses?

They're built to Prestige standards but offered at a budget price. You can really feel the difference the second you pick it up. I've seen older Prestige models that were inferior to these. It's really incredible how Ibanez managed to deliver so much quality for little under 1K.

churchpark · #20 11-24-2012, 07:31 PM

I have the 6 string model SR1206e and cannot conclude how great this thing sounds. THe only set back is that stupid string placement. 16mm, "Jesus!" These thing could
possibly out run all of their sales quickly, if they only made it a 17 or an 18mm string spacing. I'm searching the web now to see if there is a blank wood adapter of some sort to fill in those incarved slots for all this unecessary monos and slap
a Hipshot A" bridge in it.
If anyone got any ideas, I would appreciate it. And if not, I'm shippingit back ASAP.