Anyone else think Ibanez should change their SR body?

[Bret Music]

I've had in my lifetime a Sr 400, SR 800, SR 500 and a SR 750. I personally think they were gorgeous and comfortable. I say keep the SR as is and maybe come up with some other models. Im not a big fan of their other models they have as far as looks goes, but i'm an 80's kinda guy and the SR always attracted to me.

 

[minimalist freedom]

Older Ibanez had nicer shapes, Had a few , I recently sold an SRH 500 nice small, light chambered body. Very nice bass.
Not unusual shape more traditional, better looking than the SR’s, (IMO).
the necks on the SR’s take me some getting used to.

 

[AdamR]

I bought a Soundgear new in 93. It was the first nice bass I bought myself. I picked it because it was the closest looking bass to a Spector I could afford.

 

[EchoEcho]

No because a bass is meant to be played. Unless you want to display it on the mantelpiece it doesn't need to look like Miss World.
Fair price, comfortable to hold and play, and sounds decent are more than enough to care about anything else. The current SR range is fine as it is.

 

[Medicine Man]

Love the body shape, but the neck is too thin for me to hamfist.

 

[BD Jones]

No. That is like asking "Should Fender change their Precision body?" or "Should Gibson change their Les Paul bodies?*" The SR is the body shape. If you change the body shape is it an SR anymore? To those "in the know" it is as recognizable as any other bas shape out there. Has it bee around for a long time? Sure, but not as long as some others. If you don't like the shape, buy a different bass. I like the shape. It's comfortable. I just bought an SR Mezzo and it is the more comfortable bass I've ever owned.

*there are two - single cut and double cut - but they have been around forever

 

[MYLOWFREQ]

Then someone would post: "Why did Ibanez changed their SR body?"

 

[PaulKaplan]

The SRs are comfortable standing or sitting, near perfect balance, slim neck, super easy to play. Not sure how you’d change the design to make it better.

 

[Vodyanoi]

Damn these are some boring looking basses.

I beg to differ; i've always found them slick and gorgeous, which is why i own two (non prestige models). Other than SRs, BTBs are a close second choice along with Gary Willis signature model(s).

But yeah, tastes differ and if i'd tell you what basses i don't like, you'd grab pitchforks or hang me upside-down.

 

[electracoyote]

I'm still playing my Roadstar II basses, so my opinion may be biased, somewhat.

That's the last Ibanez body shape I liked. I played a Roadstar II Deluxe RB850, the one with two passive humbuckers and coil tapping, in fire engine red metallic, throughout the 80's. The poor man's Spector, awesome bass, regret selling it.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Why you dint ask " Anyone else think Fender should change their Jazz bass body ? "
It has body shape since 60's .......

I never found SR body shape boring myself.

They have done some minor changes over the years. But the original is what sells.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

The most successful and iconic basses, among them the J, the P, the Ric, the Stingray, the Höfner and many others have not changed their body shape because someone thought that after a couple of years of repeating the same thing, it's time for something new. They kept going because they were successful.

IMO Ibanez is one of those few companies that relentlessly comes out with new design ideas, not afraid to leave the trodden path and trying something new. Fender currently offers 4 models in total. P, J, Jag and Mustang.
Ibanez has 9 'standard' models plus several pro models that are not just an upgraded version of their standard line but something else entirely.

Should I point out that they also tried copying Fender’s design?

 

[Alivefor5]

please no - it’s the most comfortable bass I’ve yet played!

This.

 

[arbiterusa]

Ibanez has plenty of other body designs, if you need something different. No need to mess with the SR.

 

[Nuage420]

I remembered this thread in the Morph of the Ibanez Musician to Soundgear. Too bad most of the image links aren’t working. At the time, we were still using Photobucket for our image links; this was before they changed their terms.

https://www.talkbass.com/threads/the-slow-but-deliberate-morph-of-the-ibanez-musician-into-the-ibanez-soundgear.676900/

I'll take a Caribbean Blue please!

 

[Maynard46]

I like the SR shape. The neck is like a twigg and way to small. For me the ugliest bass in the world is the Musicman 4 string. The body shape is cool, but the pickguard and half crooked smile around the electronics makes this thing look like it should be in the back of the short bus. the 5 string MM looks great

 

[Dincrest]

Soundgear shape is a modern classic and timeless design that looked cool then, still looks cool now, and will continue to look cool in the future. It's comfy and ergonomic. Unlike other compact-bodied basses with 24 fret necks, first position on a Soundgear doesn't feel like a miles-away stretch. (I'm giving you the stink-eye Warwick and Spector!)

And for those of us with smaller hands, the slender Soundgear necks are super fast; you can just shred/rip on them.

I'd like to see Ibanez bring back those Soundgears that had a curved back, kinda like Spector. That plus the classic Soundgear shape would be heavenly!

 

[Dean N]

At some point, evolution will slow down when a species becomes successful and gets things right (size, shape, weight, ergonomics). Like an alligator, or a Porsche 911, or a Soundgear.

I'd like to see one- or two-piece SR bodies, no top, clear durable finish, in several different woods like maple, ash, and exotics like wenge or bloodwood or canarywood.

 

[BarfanyShart]

I really hated the SR's back in the 90's, but now they've been around so long, it's impossible to get mad at them. And, of course, Ibby actually makes a good variety of shapes compared to other makers - and, unlike Gibson, their variety of shapes and specs is mostly available and in production.

 

[Cut the middle]

Yep. Having said that, of the subtle differences I like the gsr.