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cort artisan a4 vs ibanez sr500 (who can help here ?)

iuserneim

iuserneim

Feb 7, 2009
344
30
germany
#1
hi

has someone owned or played both basses ?

i know the differences on paper, but how do they compare in sound ?

what sound i'm looking for ?
well, i really dig the sound of my warwick streamer stage II.
it's very snappy, has that high end edge to it, and quite some deep growl. that combination is very nice...
what i like very much is the fact, that i can get a slap-like sound just by digging in harder when i play finger-style. it has a very nice direct response on the high frequencies.
check the soundclips of the streamer:
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the clips were recorded with eq set flat, no eq-ing afterwards, no compression, no effects, and it was recorded directly to the soundcard.

which bass comes close you think ?
or doesn't any of the 2 mentioned ??

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#2
I had a B4, played an A4 a lot (corts are easy to find here), and I have the Ibanez SR506. These basses are pretty much the same (I believe they're even made in the same factory - correct me if I'm wrong), and sound very similar. Differences are the obvious neck-through and the bridge on the Cort, and the different woods, which, for me, didn't make that much of a difference in their sound, since they both have the same preamp and pickups (Bart MK1). The Cort had a much "woodier" tone, as opposed to the Ibanez, who was a bit more "hi-fi", plus the Ibanez favors the treble side. Furthermore, the Cort has a rounder, more comfortable (to me) neck, while the Ibanez has a thin slice of wood under the (really slim, as well) board. Both are great choices, and you can't really go wrong with either.

I chose the Ibanez, but solely because it was a sixer that I needed at that time (I'd already sold the Cort), and I couldn't afford the Cort 6'er. If I could, I'd go for the Cort, personally, but the Ibanez is every bit as good. It's really a matter of preference, so try both before you buy.



P.S.: You can get pretty close to a SS with those, considering the flexibility of the preamps and pickups, but don't expect a full on SS tone. We're talking about apples and horses here. IMO. :ninja:
 
#5
well, do they really sound that close ?
i mean, one has a mahogany body, and the other one has swamp ash...

but yes, they are made in the same factory. cort makes the ibanez basses, too.

is the neck of the sr500 stable ?

which one gets closer to the SSII, the cort or the ibanez ?
 
#6
Both can get close to that tone, but it seems to me the Ibanez does that kinda thing better. Plus, I experienced slight noise when I turned up the treble (not full up, even slightly above middle) on the Cort. Still, my major qualm about the Ibanez was the intolerably thin neck, so if you're not into that, maybe check the Cort out. Bear in mind, though, that, while both can produce similar tones to the SS (--similar--), they don't have that warwick growl.

By the way, the A4 has a mahogany body option, as well. I played that one, not the swamp ash. I've only tried the fretless B4 swamp ash, and it was pretty close to the mahogany, no major differences. Maybe little nuances only, but that was it.

Allow me a question; Why are you interested solely on these two instruments? In my experience, there are other basses in that price range that may be able to come even closer to that growl. Hell, if you're buying used, you can even find a Spector in that price. Don't get me wrong, both are good instruments, I'm just curious.
 
#7
well, i just thought, that high end snap that my warwick SSII has comes from the wenge neck. it's my first bass with wenge neck, and the first one to have that attack in the high frequencies that i never experienced before.

you think a spector can do that as well ?

i think, if i had to choose between the deep growl and the snap, i would go for the snap...

i like the look of the ibanez. and the cort seems to be a fine instrument. i know that cort makes quality instruments for little money. i had a cort before.

but i'm open for whatever there is to give me a tone similar to the one you hear in the soundclips.

so, which spector comes close you think ?
 
#8
I do believe a Spector can do that, those are serious tools! As for the snap between the two, I'd say Ibanez hands down. My SR506 beat the Cort in that aspect, no doubt. Still, I think you should check it out yourself, if you can.
 
#9
well, in the music store nearby, there is no sr500, and no artisan.
and i noticed that other basses sound very weird, because the strings are dull, or the setup is not so good.
you know, the typical music store situation...

which spector do you think is the one for my needs ?
 

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