It's been a while since I could post one of these, my work schedule (and exhaustion) have prevented me from doing so, but I have time to go over it now!
-The Backstory-
In the process of helping a co-worker shop for and learn guitar (plus Talkbass being my browsing pastime at work), I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and procure another bass model that was near and dear...and I SORELY regret selling. May wanna jump down to the review portion if this isn't your thing.
I played my first REAL gig with an Ibanez SR500, the brown mahogany model with MK1's and the 3-band preamp. I had gone through a few basses prior and the SR500 was my attainable dream bass. I sold some old gear and saved up to buy one brand new, needless to say I was beyond stoked to finally get such a cool bass after 5 years of playing. So why did I sell this thing eventually? I believe it was to fund the acquisition of a Warwick Rockbass Corvette (active model).
Eventually I had the itch to get an SR500 a few years (3 or 4) later, since the Warwick neck made my hands ache. I found a used SR500 that was the newer model, with the mid frequency switch, seemed like a smart bet since the added versatility would make it better right? Ehhhh....
Don't know what it was about that bass, but it seemed like NOTHING I did would get it to sound decent. String swaps, pickup height adjustment, various EQ settings, multiple amps/cabs, swapping to full-on Bartolini electronics and pickups...it was just cursed for some reason. The mojo just wasn't there, but I wasn't sure if it was the bass or just my memory and ear for my original that was skewed. I wrote the SR500 off as something I just had no love for anymore.
Fast forward SEVERAL years later (about 8 or 9) and that thought kept stewing in my mind over and over again. Maybe there was something different about the original and the one with the mid switch? Either way, I figured I'd take another shot at one, my ear having matured a lot and acquiring some more versatile gear. By now the newest model came with a mid-switch, EQ bypass, and the Bartolini BH2 pickups instead of the old MK1s. If I remember correctly, these ones were blade instead of pole pieces...maybe that would make a difference?
NO WAY I was going to spend the $700 on a new one, hoping this thing was decent, ESPECIALLY after the SR300e that I bought was absolutely nauseating (in quality and tone). I then happened across an eBay listing with a "Great condition" SR500e used for....$350. Since that was the price of most older ones on Guitar Center, I figured that was worth gambling on.
And NOW for the review!!
-First Impressions-
As stated above, I got this used from eBay and was fully expecting something that was jacked up and needed work. Well, holy crap...I couldn't find a scratch ANYWHERE on this thing and all the electronics worked perfectly. Not sure why it got returned, but hey I could use a few bouts of fortune these days.
Neck and finish is just like I remembered. Very smooth and comfy to the touch, the body was also light and easy on the shoulders. Same uber slim neck with a nicely colored fretboard and smooth finish. This REALLY took me back, brought quite the grin to my face in mere seconds. I did notice the action was kinda high, but figured it was just the factory setup still applied to the bass...another sign this was very lightly used.
I absolutely love the casing on these pickups, they are nice and sturdy just like the old MK1s and make for a great thumb rest. Plenty of room to slap and pop like crazy, hard to complain about the feel of it since the dimensions are like my old one. Glad to see (and feel) it was going to be a familiar experience, just what I was after.
-Craftsmanship-
The bass felt pretty good, but for a lightly used $700 bass I would have expected no less. After some playing an attempt at adjustment I noticed a few things that cause me to raise an eyebrow...
Bridge:
This bridge is different from the previous two SR500 models, the type Ibanez has been using on their basses for a LONG time. I don't think the bridge makes a marked difference in tone, but adjustibility and string stability (side to side) are definite factors IME. While this bridge was fine, I could tell it was much lighter and less sturdy than all my other Ibanez bridges. Metal was most definitely thinner and almost felt like it was part plastic. Had the ability to adjust, but the whole thing just felt less "locked in" while adjusting. Screw saddle grooves weren't as deep for making contact with the bridge plate. Also felt like the intonation screws were less stable too....it was functional enough, but felt like a corner was cut IMO and I wish the old bridges were still on there.
Nut:
After attempting to do a setup, I kept feeling like something was holding it back. Wasn't sure if it was the truss rod or if the neck needed shimming. At a glance I noticed the nut was PRETTY high, even though the grooves were well cut and deep enough. While I wasn't getting any fret buzz, at this height it was easy to mask any issue with the neck. I don't know if the bass was returned simply because of this, but I couldn't get the same action I did with my other 4 Ibanez basses for this reason.
Those gripes aside, the bass still felt reasonably good. I THINK the originals were made in Korea, while the new ones are made in Indonesia. Country of origin isn't always an indicator of quality, buuuut....it was a few of these things that made me realize my judgement may not have been THAT off with my original SR500.
-Tone/Electronics-
Here's where I wasn't expecting to be impressed, but resoundingly was. The bass felt good enough, but the last one stunk on tone so I prepared myself for a similar experience on this one. I was highly pleased to be wrong!! Here was the process!!
*First Test Config*
+ Bass stock with (assuming) D'Addario Nickel rounds
+ Straight into my Ampeg B-50R combo, set flat
I run things flat first now and don't get too crazy with EQ. Right out the box it sounded pretty great, I'm not a fan of D'Addario strings at ALL, so I figured a string change would help a lot. Right off the bat the pickups sounded pretty great, definitely more modern than the previous MK1s to my ears. String balance was very good and the notes all seemed to be well-represented. I suppose you could say they were a more polite version of EMGs, the clarity reminded me of those.
Fiddled around with the controls and noticed dialing in more mids gave some pretty aggressive tone. Fingerstyle and pick, both yielded great results tonally. I switched off the preamp and promptly turned it back on. The preamp actually does a lot (even set flat) to get these pickups really cooking, it was a pretty solid pairing IMO. You loose that airy, clear top end with the preamp off...things get kinda muddy once you go totally passive. Just my opinion though...
**EDIT**: I forgot to mention, I am aware that the treble EQ knob functions as passive tone control when the EQ is bypassed. This was adjusted when testing it out.
*Second Test Config*
+ Bass, now strung with Elixir coated Nickels
+ Ampeg B-50r and then Fender Rumble 15 v1 combo
+ Clean and then with Idiotbox Blower Box, Blackout, and EHX Nano Clone
The basses used to come stock with Elixir coated strings (not sure if they were nickel or steels), so I wanted to get as close to that original feel and ordered a pair of nickels and steels. I went with the nickels first, since the bass was plenty clear and I wanted to hear what warmer strings would sound like. On a related note, those Elixirs are FAR less slick than I remember, not sure if they are cutting back or that was the desired result with a new formula. That slick feeling wasn't on them anymore though.
I started off with the Ampeg run clean again. Similar results rendered in terms of tone. I'd call them slightly warmer with more bass and mids, but the clear high end was still present. I didn't feel like this would change my initial tonal benchmark too much. After this I decided to throw some of my effects in there. It could definitely use a mid boost to get more bark out of the distortion pedals, but it still sounded good. Since I'm not too experienced with these strings, I'm not sure how much can be chalked up to them. I usually go for DR Lo-Riders or Hi Beams, so I'm wondering how drastic the tone will change with them on. As for these, the pedals still blended well and had good response with the hi-mid boost dialed in.
Using it on the couch with my old Fender Rumble 15 v1 combo was also a pleasant experience. Didn't come off muddy, had nice articulation but an EQ boost did kick in the compression on that combo. Not hard to do with a 1x8 speaker, but it still didn't end up muddy when playing. I'm obviously not recording or gigging with this amp, but I feel like my best basses even sound good through it too, one of my litmus tests for any of my basses. I only did it clean, no effects through the Fender combo.
*Third Test Config*
+ Bass with Elixir nickels
+ Focusrite Scarlett Solo
+ Amplitude 5 MAX
+ Shure SRH440A headphones
This wasn't really new territory for me, I've used Line 6 Pod Farm for YEARS to record and practice. I've used these Shure headphones for no less than 6 years and I'm pretty familiar with their sound profile too. Amplitube 5 was new territory, but trying it with multiple basses gave me a decent idea of how to discern through what the software was doing and what the bass was doing.
I tried several bass amp/cab configs on there and did notice a more pronounced mid scoop when run flat on the bass. Not sure if that's down to strings or not, but it's there. The mid bump did help, but I found myself getting lost in the mix a little easier than I'd like when playing along with a song. Tone was still nice though, plenty of lows and the highs were well intact.
**Value/Conclusion**
While a welcome surprise and a (sort of) nostalgia trip, I think the tonal improvements on this bass make it a worthy successor to my bass of olden times. DEFINITELY better than my previous "cursed" SR500, that's for sure! The preamp and pickups complement each other very well, and a little goes a long way when it comes to adjustments. The EQ bypass doesn't render better tone IMO, but it's there for emergencies when a battery decides to die on you. Given my previous experience with the SR300e I didn't expect much, but this is a formidable bass.
If possible, try one out in store and make sure the nut and action are set well. The bridge wasn't to my liking, but that may not bother other players. Would I pay $700 for this bass, brand new? Not a chance...this would be a fine bass at $500 or $550, but I think the quality of the pickups and electronics would make a $600 price tag still reasonable. $700 seems a bit steep for a bass with the issues I cited. If I didn't have this killer deal pop up, I probably would have gone for an older SR500 with the basic preamp and possibly did a pickup swap to USA Barts with the money saved. I always try to be objective, even when it's a brand/model I really love....I didn't want this to come off like a "Stepford Wife" review, and while the issues may seem like nitpicking, they are points I felt were worth mentioning.
If all you have available is this bass at full price, I'd go for an old SR500 (without the mid switch) and plop the extra money into some USA Barts or maybe a replacement preamp. If the aesthetic and soapbars aren't that big of a deal to you, I'd recommend looking at an older SR500 with the P/J pickup config. Slap in some DiMarzios or EMGs and it will be a killer bass with excellent workmanship. I feel pretty lucky to come across this deal, but if you find one on sale at $600 or less, I'd definitely snag it up!
-The Backstory-
In the process of helping a co-worker shop for and learn guitar (plus Talkbass being my browsing pastime at work), I thought I'd take a trip down memory lane and procure another bass model that was near and dear...and I SORELY regret selling. May wanna jump down to the review portion if this isn't your thing.
I played my first REAL gig with an Ibanez SR500, the brown mahogany model with MK1's and the 3-band preamp. I had gone through a few basses prior and the SR500 was my attainable dream bass. I sold some old gear and saved up to buy one brand new, needless to say I was beyond stoked to finally get such a cool bass after 5 years of playing. So why did I sell this thing eventually? I believe it was to fund the acquisition of a Warwick Rockbass Corvette (active model).
Eventually I had the itch to get an SR500 a few years (3 or 4) later, since the Warwick neck made my hands ache. I found a used SR500 that was the newer model, with the mid frequency switch, seemed like a smart bet since the added versatility would make it better right? Ehhhh....
Don't know what it was about that bass, but it seemed like NOTHING I did would get it to sound decent. String swaps, pickup height adjustment, various EQ settings, multiple amps/cabs, swapping to full-on Bartolini electronics and pickups...it was just cursed for some reason. The mojo just wasn't there, but I wasn't sure if it was the bass or just my memory and ear for my original that was skewed. I wrote the SR500 off as something I just had no love for anymore.
Fast forward SEVERAL years later (about 8 or 9) and that thought kept stewing in my mind over and over again. Maybe there was something different about the original and the one with the mid switch? Either way, I figured I'd take another shot at one, my ear having matured a lot and acquiring some more versatile gear. By now the newest model came with a mid-switch, EQ bypass, and the Bartolini BH2 pickups instead of the old MK1s. If I remember correctly, these ones were blade instead of pole pieces...maybe that would make a difference?
NO WAY I was going to spend the $700 on a new one, hoping this thing was decent, ESPECIALLY after the SR300e that I bought was absolutely nauseating (in quality and tone). I then happened across an eBay listing with a "Great condition" SR500e used for....$350. Since that was the price of most older ones on Guitar Center, I figured that was worth gambling on.
And NOW for the review!!
-First Impressions-
As stated above, I got this used from eBay and was fully expecting something that was jacked up and needed work. Well, holy crap...I couldn't find a scratch ANYWHERE on this thing and all the electronics worked perfectly. Not sure why it got returned, but hey I could use a few bouts of fortune these days.
Neck and finish is just like I remembered. Very smooth and comfy to the touch, the body was also light and easy on the shoulders. Same uber slim neck with a nicely colored fretboard and smooth finish. This REALLY took me back, brought quite the grin to my face in mere seconds. I did notice the action was kinda high, but figured it was just the factory setup still applied to the bass...another sign this was very lightly used.
I absolutely love the casing on these pickups, they are nice and sturdy just like the old MK1s and make for a great thumb rest. Plenty of room to slap and pop like crazy, hard to complain about the feel of it since the dimensions are like my old one. Glad to see (and feel) it was going to be a familiar experience, just what I was after.
-Craftsmanship-
The bass felt pretty good, but for a lightly used $700 bass I would have expected no less. After some playing an attempt at adjustment I noticed a few things that cause me to raise an eyebrow...
Bridge:
This bridge is different from the previous two SR500 models, the type Ibanez has been using on their basses for a LONG time. I don't think the bridge makes a marked difference in tone, but adjustibility and string stability (side to side) are definite factors IME. While this bridge was fine, I could tell it was much lighter and less sturdy than all my other Ibanez bridges. Metal was most definitely thinner and almost felt like it was part plastic. Had the ability to adjust, but the whole thing just felt less "locked in" while adjusting. Screw saddle grooves weren't as deep for making contact with the bridge plate. Also felt like the intonation screws were less stable too....it was functional enough, but felt like a corner was cut IMO and I wish the old bridges were still on there.
Nut:
After attempting to do a setup, I kept feeling like something was holding it back. Wasn't sure if it was the truss rod or if the neck needed shimming. At a glance I noticed the nut was PRETTY high, even though the grooves were well cut and deep enough. While I wasn't getting any fret buzz, at this height it was easy to mask any issue with the neck. I don't know if the bass was returned simply because of this, but I couldn't get the same action I did with my other 4 Ibanez basses for this reason.
Those gripes aside, the bass still felt reasonably good. I THINK the originals were made in Korea, while the new ones are made in Indonesia. Country of origin isn't always an indicator of quality, buuuut....it was a few of these things that made me realize my judgement may not have been THAT off with my original SR500.
-Tone/Electronics-
Here's where I wasn't expecting to be impressed, but resoundingly was. The bass felt good enough, but the last one stunk on tone so I prepared myself for a similar experience on this one. I was highly pleased to be wrong!! Here was the process!!
*First Test Config*
+ Bass stock with (assuming) D'Addario Nickel rounds
+ Straight into my Ampeg B-50R combo, set flat
I run things flat first now and don't get too crazy with EQ. Right out the box it sounded pretty great, I'm not a fan of D'Addario strings at ALL, so I figured a string change would help a lot. Right off the bat the pickups sounded pretty great, definitely more modern than the previous MK1s to my ears. String balance was very good and the notes all seemed to be well-represented. I suppose you could say they were a more polite version of EMGs, the clarity reminded me of those.
Fiddled around with the controls and noticed dialing in more mids gave some pretty aggressive tone. Fingerstyle and pick, both yielded great results tonally. I switched off the preamp and promptly turned it back on. The preamp actually does a lot (even set flat) to get these pickups really cooking, it was a pretty solid pairing IMO. You loose that airy, clear top end with the preamp off...things get kinda muddy once you go totally passive. Just my opinion though...
**EDIT**: I forgot to mention, I am aware that the treble EQ knob functions as passive tone control when the EQ is bypassed. This was adjusted when testing it out.
*Second Test Config*
+ Bass, now strung with Elixir coated Nickels
+ Ampeg B-50r and then Fender Rumble 15 v1 combo
+ Clean and then with Idiotbox Blower Box, Blackout, and EHX Nano Clone
The basses used to come stock with Elixir coated strings (not sure if they were nickel or steels), so I wanted to get as close to that original feel and ordered a pair of nickels and steels. I went with the nickels first, since the bass was plenty clear and I wanted to hear what warmer strings would sound like. On a related note, those Elixirs are FAR less slick than I remember, not sure if they are cutting back or that was the desired result with a new formula. That slick feeling wasn't on them anymore though.
I started off with the Ampeg run clean again. Similar results rendered in terms of tone. I'd call them slightly warmer with more bass and mids, but the clear high end was still present. I didn't feel like this would change my initial tonal benchmark too much. After this I decided to throw some of my effects in there. It could definitely use a mid boost to get more bark out of the distortion pedals, but it still sounded good. Since I'm not too experienced with these strings, I'm not sure how much can be chalked up to them. I usually go for DR Lo-Riders or Hi Beams, so I'm wondering how drastic the tone will change with them on. As for these, the pedals still blended well and had good response with the hi-mid boost dialed in.
Using it on the couch with my old Fender Rumble 15 v1 combo was also a pleasant experience. Didn't come off muddy, had nice articulation but an EQ boost did kick in the compression on that combo. Not hard to do with a 1x8 speaker, but it still didn't end up muddy when playing. I'm obviously not recording or gigging with this amp, but I feel like my best basses even sound good through it too, one of my litmus tests for any of my basses. I only did it clean, no effects through the Fender combo.
*Third Test Config*
+ Bass with Elixir nickels
+ Focusrite Scarlett Solo
+ Amplitude 5 MAX
+ Shure SRH440A headphones
This wasn't really new territory for me, I've used Line 6 Pod Farm for YEARS to record and practice. I've used these Shure headphones for no less than 6 years and I'm pretty familiar with their sound profile too. Amplitube 5 was new territory, but trying it with multiple basses gave me a decent idea of how to discern through what the software was doing and what the bass was doing.
I tried several bass amp/cab configs on there and did notice a more pronounced mid scoop when run flat on the bass. Not sure if that's down to strings or not, but it's there. The mid bump did help, but I found myself getting lost in the mix a little easier than I'd like when playing along with a song. Tone was still nice though, plenty of lows and the highs were well intact.
**Value/Conclusion**
While a welcome surprise and a (sort of) nostalgia trip, I think the tonal improvements on this bass make it a worthy successor to my bass of olden times. DEFINITELY better than my previous "cursed" SR500, that's for sure! The preamp and pickups complement each other very well, and a little goes a long way when it comes to adjustments. The EQ bypass doesn't render better tone IMO, but it's there for emergencies when a battery decides to die on you. Given my previous experience with the SR300e I didn't expect much, but this is a formidable bass.
If possible, try one out in store and make sure the nut and action are set well. The bridge wasn't to my liking, but that may not bother other players. Would I pay $700 for this bass, brand new? Not a chance...this would be a fine bass at $500 or $550, but I think the quality of the pickups and electronics would make a $600 price tag still reasonable. $700 seems a bit steep for a bass with the issues I cited. If I didn't have this killer deal pop up, I probably would have gone for an older SR500 with the basic preamp and possibly did a pickup swap to USA Barts with the money saved. I always try to be objective, even when it's a brand/model I really love....I didn't want this to come off like a "Stepford Wife" review, and while the issues may seem like nitpicking, they are points I felt were worth mentioning.
If all you have available is this bass at full price, I'd go for an old SR500 (without the mid switch) and plop the extra money into some USA Barts or maybe a replacement preamp. If the aesthetic and soapbars aren't that big of a deal to you, I'd recommend looking at an older SR500 with the P/J pickup config. Slap in some DiMarzios or EMGs and it will be a killer bass with excellent workmanship. I feel pretty lucky to come across this deal, but if you find one on sale at $600 or less, I'd definitely snag it up!
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