Moving to a 5er... Ibanez SR 505 vs. Warwick Pro Series Corvette 5

[Sharknose79]

Discuss.

[MoscowRadio]

I'd go with Ibanez since it's your first 5er, unless you have money to spare.

SR necks are super fast and comfortable, but I find the electronics somewhat lacking, but it's great for it's price range.

As for the Corvette, it's more expensive and I haven't played one, but I have heard a bunch of sound clips and it sound great.

[Solarmist]

Those are two very different basses - try both before you buy. I'd go with the SR505 because it has a much smaller neck, it's lighter, it has an active 3band EQ that has a very wide range, and it costs about half as much. Quality basses.

No dis meant to Warwick - just my 2 cents.

[stepswork4me]

Originally Posted by Solarmist

Those are two very different basses - try both before you buy. I'd go with the SR505 because it has a much smaller neck, it's lighter, it has an active 3band EQ that has a very wide range, and it costs about half as much. Quality basses.

No dis meant to Warwick - just my 2 cents.

+1

[fivestringgecko]

+1 to money being a consideration.

I'm opposite of Solarmist though...

Easy (for me anyway)... The Warwick. But I'm a little biased, the very first bass I ever played was a Warwick (Dolphin Pro ) for about a year on tour with a bassist who was kind enough to take me under his wing (I was a sax player at the time). I've also played a Corvette and Thumb. On the Ibanez side, I still own my first bass, an SR400 and owned an SR535 for a while. I keep the 400 because it was my first bass, I haven't played it really at all since moving to 5's about 10 years ago.

I personally like the sound of the Warwicks better, but that's purely subjective of course. I do think the electronics in the Ibanez basses weren't as good and for me, the more organic warmer tone of the Warwicks were more usable. The SR's, particularly the 535, had a more modern tone that was too bright for my applications. I often found myself dialing the treble way back, and in some cases not being able to dial enough out.

Another thing I didn't like about the SR535 was the inset input jack. I use straight/right angle cables with all my other basses, but the 535 required me to flip the cables around. Not a big deal. However, there isn't much space between the bass and the cable, so I always had a little trouble pulling the cable (Monster Bass, with somewhat chunky plugs) out by the plug rather than having to use the cable itself. Course, I don't exactly have delicate hands.

Necks are also definitely a consideration... The SR's have a fairly fast, thin neck where the Warwicks are a little thicker. Both feel nice, but I prefer the Warwick necks.

As with all any gear choice, the best suggestion is to play both and decide for yourself if you can. What someone else loves, you may hate.

5sg.

[Solarmist]

^ Great Post, and you said it yourself; you like the "warmer tone of the Warwicks". Warwick makes some really nice basses no doubt, but I do like "modern tone" (i.e. bright highs/deep tight lows) that Ibby's are known for, and that's just my personal pref.

You didn't like the inset jack? I thought that was one of its plus's.

[fivestringgecko]

Originally Posted by Solarmist

^ Great Post, and you said it yourself; you like the "warmer tone of the Warwicks". Warwick makes some really nice basses no doubt, but I do like "modern tone" (i.e. bright highs/deep tight lows) that Ibby's are known for, and that's just my personal pref.

You didn't like the inset jack? I thought that was one of its plus's.

Thanks! It all comes down to what we're each looking for. I tried to be objective, but comparing any gear is hard because so much of it is personal choice.

I didn't like inset jack, because I use a Monster Bass as my main cable and I found the cable's plug to be a little chunky for the space that was there for the jack. It was a small quibble, though. The SR535 really was a pretty good bass and it did sounded quite good, just didn't fit my needs.

Same reason I sold my Modulus and switched from a Hartke aluminum cone 4x10 (Pro 4200) to paper cone cabs. Now one of my main players is a Pbass V with D'Addario Chromes. So take my post for what it's worth.

5sg.

[beatdatthang]

As others have said, play them both before you decide if possible. I own an SR505 and I love it. I think it's one of the most underrated instruments on the market. It's kind of spoiled me a little, not just on the thinness of the neck but the raw jatoba/bubinga is awesome. I almost don't want to play my other basses with finished maple (even satin) necks anymore. I don't have any problems getting the tone I want out of it but it probably doesn't have the "power" of a Warwick. Truth be told, there really isn't much difference (other than finish options) between the SR505, 605, and 705 (I've played all three and they are essentially identical).

I do have the desire to get a German made Warwick with an ovangkol or wenge neck. IIRC, the newer PRO series Warwicks have maple necks so it's not quite the same as the German made ones (more like a high-end Rockbass). The Corvette will probably sound a little better than the Ibby right out of the box but, depending on your preference, you'll probably like the Ibanez neck better.

If you decide on the 'Wick, I'd look at grabbing a used German Corvette LX with the ovangkol neck vice the new Korean made pro LX series with the maple neck. You can easily find a used German made Corvette LX for the same price (or lower) as one of the newer Korean PRO series ones. I recommend checking the classifieds here for some great deals on used 'Wicks. If you've never played a bass with anything other than a maple neck, it's an eye-opening experience!

[Solarmist]

Originally Posted by fivestringgecko

Thanks! It all comes down to what we're each look for. I tried to be objective, but comparing any gear is hard because so much of it is personal choice.
5sg.

Yes, and that's what it's all about my friend.