Ibanez SR500

[spego]

I was away this past weekend and stopped in a Sam Ash in my travels. They didn't have too many things I was interested in when I browsed the wall (being mostly a Warwick player). I figured I'd waste a little time and try a few things out I never played before......grabbed a few "higher priced" basses off the wall and wasn't too impressed UNTIL I tried the SR500 (lower priced than some of the others). The feel of the neck and the 3 band preamp/Bart electronics seemed to really make that bass sing. The neck was so fast and easy to play I was shocked I liked it as much as I did. It just seemed to flow.

Anyway I ALMOST walked out of there with it but decided to hold off. I found one used around home at a local shop but it is an older one.....no mid switch and to me the neck felt different......needless to say I didn't buy it. Wasn't feeling the tone or the neck....plus it was banged up for $350.

So from what I have dug around on here and other forums I understand the preamps are different in the older/newer ones and the necks may (have seen mixed info) have been constructed out of different materials. I see the finish is bad on all of these 500s......thumb/slap wear on most that have been actually used.

So can anyone tell me anything I don't already know about the SR500? I'm still considering buying one. My local GC has a NEW one.....I have a $100 off coupon.....and now an itch to own one. I like the neck, weight and thump......dislike the finish wearing quickly and the resale value of buying new.

Decisions decisions

[Wallace320]

I'm suggestin' you a maple fingerboard one too, but I really think it's not the one you tried out and I don't wanna let you lose your opportunity

I don't wanna displease you but... don't you have tried it in a full band rehersal, is that right?!

Bartolini mk1 are not all that, compared to USA Bartolini (I got them on my Cort Artisan Custom) and they fatigue a lot facin' a whole lotta wall of sound.

Cheers,
Wallace

[comicbookguy95]

I have the SR506 - the 6 string version of what you're looking at - and I love it to death. I've had it for about 8 months now and never had a problem with it. The finish hasn't worn on me at all and I love the tone. As far as resale value, I can't see myself ever selling it so it's not a concern.

[spego]

I typically listen to how much "honk" I can get out of a bass when figuring out if it would cut in a mix.....to me this bass had a good amount of it when I cranked on the mids.....plus that mid switch I could move that mid hump and push more lows in there to pull up the entire bottom end if needed. To me it seemed like it would cut but the only way to know for sure is to try it. :/

I have a spector zebop that doesn't (to my ears) sound as good as this bass does. I might be nuts though.

[Wallace320]

Originally Posted by spego

I typically listen to how much "honk" I can get out of a bass when figuring out if it would cut in a mix.....to me this bass had a good amount of it when I cranked on the mids.....plus that mid switch I could move that mid hump and push more lows in there to pull up the entire bottom end if needed. To me it seemed like it would cut but the only way to know for sure is to try it. :/

I have a spector zebop that doesn't (to my ears) sound as good as this bass does. I might be nuts though.

I really think THAT ONE Spector you mentioned to be among the most beautifully soundin' instrument in their price range

Cheers,
Wallace

[spego]

Originally Posted by Wallace320

I really think THAT ONE Spector you mentioned to be among the most beautifully soundin' instrument in their price range

Cheers,
Wallace

No doubt it sounds good.......and LOVE the look of the thing.....just not totally in love with the tone. Swapped pups in it which was an improvement but still not 100% happy with it. The neck is just a tad wider (across the fretboard) than any of my Warwicks which makes it a little odd of a player too.

[Wallace320]

Originally Posted by spego

No doubt it sounds good.......and LOVE the look of the thing.....just not totally in love with the tone. Swapped pups in it which was an improvement but still not 100% happy with it. The neck is just a tad wider (across the fretboard) than any of my Warwicks which makes it a little odd of a player too.

But man: the sound of it was amazing

A few years ago I was lookin' for a new 5er. A resaler friend of mine told me, among 5ers, he had this Mike Kroeger (from Nickelback) signature neckthru model
It was impossible!
EMGhz with no life (the bass, with full volume and tone up, sounded dull, to say the least) and I knew them 'cause I appreciated them on Cort Tribe (I'm no Cort representative: it's just that they share same pickups)
I was lookin' for a 5er, yet that guy invited me to try out the ReBop 4er hangin' side to side to the Mike Kroeger
Bolt on with active EMGs and zebrawood (and, yes, a broad neck, but I love 'em)... wasn't what I was lookin' for, but that one killed

Few other times I've been suprised by an instrument that I didn't buy in a hurry (just because I ain't needin' it)

You even said you swapped pickups out
You must be in love with that Ibanez Sr500

Cheers,
Wallace

[spego]

Originally Posted by Wallace320

Bolt on with active EMGs and zebrawood (and, yes, a broad neck, but I love 'em)... wasn't what I was lookin' for, but that one killed

The one you played wasn't stock if it had active emgs.....the zebop comes with hzs in it too. I put a 35dc in the bridge and a 35cs in the neck and wired the tonepump 18v. It no doubt sounds good but just doesn't have that mid bark I'm looking for. I though about putting 35P and 35J set in it and a Aguilar obp-3 but I still don't care for the neck profile that much so I guess I'd still have that to deal with.

So yeah......loving the 500 neck profile and mid range capabilities I suppose. Though honestly not much of an ibby guy......owned a 300 series in the past and sold it.....nothing really wrong with it.....just upgraded I suppose.

[thehangingmist]

its an awesome bass for the price. i really dig the playability on it and the new pre is also super nice

[VanillaThundah]

Originally Posted by spego

I typically listen to how much "honk" I can get out of a bass when figuring out if it would cut in a mix.....to me this bass had a good amount of it when I cranked on the mids.....plus that mid switch I could move that mid hump and push more lows in there to pull up the entire bottom end if needed. To me it seemed like it would cut but the only way to know for sure is to try it. :/

Trust me, it will definitely cut. With GHS bass boomers that were dead and the OLD electronics, I cut like a hot knife through butter when I played. My guitarist had a 150w tube amp with 4x12s and the other had 100w tube with 4x12's...you'll do fine with the new one. If you are having problems cutting, try some SS strings like DR lo-riders or hi-beams...those are like a dang katana in a full band setting.

The only problem you're going to have now, is that every other bass is going to feel like crap since that Ibanez neck was crafted by the gods. I also would take the MK1 dissent with a grain of salt, those MK1s are great pickups for stock basses under $1k. The custom barts in the prestige models are nice, but they tend to have a less aggressive, flat tone to them...excellent if you love smooth, even sounding pickups but kind of anemic if you like balls-to-the-walls tone. If you like the sound of them, don't let anyone talk you out of them

[DiabolusInMusic]

I had an SR506 and I hated it with a passion for a number of reasons, but that is besides the point. The only part I personally liked was the weight.

The bass will lose it's finish really quickly but that will be backseat to the body getting extremely dented and dinged, it is super soft (basswood I think) and will dent at a hard thumb push. If you are worried about re-sale value do not buy a new SR500 series, they can be found all day long for $300 with a case if not less. They are extremely common and come up on the classifieds so often people cannot sell them. They are also extremely common on my local kijiji and sell for the same range. If you want one just get a used one so you don't lose half your cash on it.

[Wallace320]

Originally Posted by DiabolusInMusic

I had an SR506 and I hated it with a passion for a number of reasons, but that is besides the point. The only part I personally liked was the weight.

The bass will lose it's finish really quickly but that will be backseat to the body getting extremely dented and dinged, it is super soft (basswood I think) and will dent at a hard thumb push. If you are worried about re-sale value do not buy a new SR500 series, they can be found all day long for $300 with a case if not less. They are extremely common and come up on the classifieds so often people cannot sell them. They are also extremely common on my local kijiji and sell for the same range. If you want one just get a used one so you don't lose half your cash on it.

+1
soft indeed as well BTW

Cheers,
Wallace

[spego]

Good info guys thanks. I thought the body was supposed to be mahogany but then I picked it up and was like.....what the hell? (Coming from the owner of a Traben Phoenix which was mahogany and the HEAVIEST bass I've ever played......not to mention the les paul guitars I've played) the banged up used one I saw last night had a crap ton of dents in it and wood was actually splintered above the neck pup.....which I though was odd.

[stingray69]

The SR-500 is a monster of a bass for not much cash. You are correct, from what I can tell the mid-switch is a relatively new addition only in the last 2yrs or so.

I have also noticed thumb wear on a lot of used SR-500's I've seen online. Not all, but some. Enough to make me want to believe this may occur over time if you are prone to using a fair amount of slap technique with this particular finish.

It was also the reason I decided to opt for an SR-705 rather than the SR-500. I figured the 705's finish would prove more durable against slap technique than the SR-500 and perhaps just in general over the long haul. Electronics are exactly the same (Bartolini MK1's) and Ibanez' EQB-IIIs w/mid-frequency switch preamp in both models. Same neck profile and woods (5-piece Jatoba & Bubinga) - Mahogany body. Although the body on the SR-705 is 5-piece and has Mahogany body wings, Maple center block and a Flame Maple cap.


EDIT: Sorry, these below are 5-strings, not 4-strings:

For the price of a new SR-500, you could also purchase one of these SR-705's on E-bay so that they'll quit haunting my daydreams (and my wallet) :

http://www.ebay.com/itm/NOS-Ibanez-S...item337f8b7638

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Ibanez-Sr-70...item3cce743776

[Maz]

I think you guys may have your models confused. The SR500's are made of mahogany, not basswood.

[VanillaThundah]

I guess some people just don't take care of their stuff or wash their hands or something lol. I played the heck out of my SR500 for years and had no issues except for a little ding from dropping it on a wooden bed frame corner. Maybe other people sweat more than I do or slap harder, but I did pop/slap pretty frequently on my SR500 and had no issues with it whatsoever.

I might also add, it was a VERY quick sell when I sold it off to get a replacement amp head. I got a good price for it as well, just depends on how well you take care of your stuff.

Originally Posted by Maz

I think you guys may have your models confused. The SR500's are made of mahogany, not basswood.

That's what I was thinking too. The cheaper sub-500 series is basswood, but not the SR500's and up.

[spego]

Well that didn't take too long to find a decent deal on one. I found a SR600 (ash body) with an Ibanez case for $369. It's got some rash on the back that looks like a cowboy used it......but it's a player anyway so I'm not too worried. I gave it a VERY good once over this morning and it's shined up nice now. Those furniture markers work nice on deep scratches to fill them in.

Anyway it will be gigged tonight to get an idea how it fits in full band......I suspect it will be no issue. I was able to get the action lower than what it was after I adjusted the truss rod too (after the string change). It plays SWEET with this little neck. I'm digging it so far. I'm a freak so electronics will get changed eventually. lol

[stingray69]

Originally Posted by spego

Well that didn't take too long to find a decent deal on one. I found a SR600 (ash body) with an Ibanez case for $369. It's got some rash on the back that looks like a cowboy used it......but it's a player anyway so I'm not too worried. I gave it a VERY good once over this morning and it's shined up nice now. Those furniture markers work nice on deep scratches to fill them in.

Anyway it will be gigged tonight to get an idea how it fits in full band......I suspect it will be no issue. I was able to get the action lower than what it was after I adjusted the truss rod too (after the string change). It plays SWEET with this little neck. I'm digging it so far. I'm a freak so electronics will get changed eventually. lol

Wow - that is gorgeous! And what a great price too! Congrats!

[Maz]

Beautiful. awesome price too. Congrats!

[IngerAlb]

Congratz for the 600 BUT...you might find out that it doesn't have the exact same voice as the 500 The ash SR sounds mellower, bassier with a massive wooly bottom, while the 500 has a more aggressive tone with (to my ears at least) more note clarity/definition. The 600 sits better in the mix because it fills more sonic space, while the 500 tends to stand out.

As for the differences, you're right, they're real:
- up to 2007, the neck was wenge/bubinga; from 2008 to now, the neck is made of jatoba/bubinga. Wenge feels dry and stiff, while jatoba has an oil feel to it (like it's waxed).
- the older models have a chunkier neck; the newer ones (especially the 2009 models) feel like a D flat in the middle (close to Warwick's current neck profile), while the current models have (again) a slightly chunkier neck and a notch wider.
- the SRs with the mid switch have an overall more open tone (ppl used to complain about them sounding 'too dark'). The 50XM being the brightest sounding SR.
- the older models have a different finish that chips off with a touch of your fingernails; the new models have some sort of extra thin semitransparent oil finish (you can see the grain through it). It doesn't seem to peel off that easily, but it doesn't feel like it would endure the test of time either.
- also the body was reshaved a bit during the past years: up until 2008 they used to have normal rounded edges; now the lower body and the upper horn are shaved to an almost triangular profile (the body tends to dig in a bit when played seated). This also means reduced body mass - so the older models are heavier weight wise.
- there are a couple of other minor changes (like the new truss rod cover which I think was changed in 2008 - 2009) but overall, these are the main differences.

And yes, they do sound different depending on the production year.