Epiphone or Ibanez?

[frogpond1]

Ok so I'm really new here. I did the searches here and didn't come up with much. Long story short I was a drummer/trumpet player, went off to college, got married, new jobs and now in my thirties had to sell my drum set but got turned onto bass. So I went and bought the Epiphone Les Paul Classic
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So here I am learning and picking it up relatively fast and I go back to GC and see this Ibanez SR300 and pick that up and start playing it and now I'm torn. Straight through neck vs. bolted on, passive vs. active, Epiphone=pretty heavy vs. Ibanez=light, passive=some good sound vs. active=really punchy, more control. One thing I did notice on both is that most here are right build quality is inconsistant. Any insight on whether I should exchange my Epiphone for the Ibanez?

 

[Solarmist]

If it was me - I'd already be back ... with the SR

 

[Bassslayer69]

IBANEZ ....silly.

epiphone?
LMAO!

 

[jdieh1]

I like my Epi, Ibanez basses don't really appeal to me at all

 

[frogpond1]

@Solarmist, I've noticed your partial to the SR series

I've also noticed that people aren't too attached to the Epiphones around here. Why is that?

 

[HEADLE]

Better Yet, make me an offer I can't refuse on my almost new SR300 that is in the classifieds and have both!

H

P.S. I love the look of an LP but the SR is a lot easier to play.

H

 

[cassanova]

I prefer the Sr over the Epi for tone, playability, and quality reasons.

Do yourself a few favors though.

1. Go with a 5 string. IMO/IME they're more practical to have now a days than a 4 string. The added depth IMO is invaluable.

2. Shop around for a used Sr model. I've seen older Sr506's for the same price that the new Sr300's are selling for. So I know you can find a better Sr than the Sr300 within the same price range.

3. If you refuse to buy something used then seriously consider saving up the addition $150 - $200 and go with the Sr400 or Sr405 if you go with a 5 string. The Sr400 is overall a better bass. It has a better tone wood for the body, better fretboard wood, and sturdier bridge than the Sr300.

4. Go with a 5 string.

For a side by side comparison of the two basses go to www.ibanez.com.

 

[DRafalske]

I have two Epi basses and love them both. I have a Thunderbird and a Les Paul STD. Personally, I prefer them over any Ibanez I've ever picked up. YMMV
To me, if it sounds good and feels right, then it's a winner.

D

 

[Demonator]

You gotta go with Ibanez.... or Dean

 

[Jojoe972]

What in the world is a Epiphone? Ibanez!

 

[Kevinmach]

Ok, I hope your kidding on not knowing what an Epiphone is before giving that advice.

That aside, Ibanez makes some solid entry level guitars. What I think you might like about the Ibanez is both their guitars and basses are known for having good action and fast (thin) necks, which make them ideal for beginners who don't have the massive finger strength yet that you will develop over time. So that will let you focus more on playing and not so much developing agility and stamina, which I've seen with higher end basses more focused on tone. Consequently, that's the price you'll pay though- the two or three models I've played (one which I own) suffer a bit from the ability to get a good sound, IMO. But I am not sure if I have played the 300 yet, so take that with a grain of salt.

Also, I agree with Cassanova- buy a used one. I got my first bass on Craigslist for $100- a ESP LTD B-250- built like a tank, and a very solid entry level bass. If you stick with it, graduating to a better bass will give you more appreciation for the quality and something to look forward to...

 

[Zureta]

I dig my new Epiphone EB-0. Feels right, sounds fine, looks great, decent build quality, short scale and super-cheap. What's not to like?

And it seems to be solid asian-grade "mahogany" instead of the plywood some people's Epis seem to be made from. I keep being surprised at the very decent level of quality the "budget" brands like Epi, Squier, Cort and SX are coming up with lately.

I'd say Epiphone basses (and their Gibson siblings) are a bit of an acquired taste as they're so different from the Fender standard in almost every way. And in this case, not the most versatile with just the one big humbucker pickup. But I like it just fine.

If I could I'd probably trade it for one of those sweet Ibanez Artcores semi-hollows, though. They look great but are a bit pricey for me. Anyone up for it?

 

[cassanova]

You gotta go with Ibanez.... or Dean

Perhaps you might want provide a few reasons to back up why he's "gotta" go with Ibanez or Dean.

What in the world is a Epiphone? Ibanez!

If you're serious and don't know what an Epiphone is then you should not be providing advice.

 

[frogpond1]

I'll have to try the SR400 which with the coupons I have I might be able to swing. I do like having the control with the SR300, almost got it to sound like my Epiphone. If I can get it to do that plus everything else I think I'm sold.

 

[Relayer71]

You want to go with the SR300, specifically this one with the Maple board.

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I got the Roadster Metallic Orange. It's actually a nice looking finish, not bright or flashy, not even really Metallic but more of a muted Orange. But wish I had seen the White one before. Love maple boards.

New on the bass bandwagon here after 20 years of 6-string guitar and tried a bunch of $300 and below bases at a couple of GCs including that Epiphone, some VM Modified Squiers and a couple of Yamahas.

Didn't like any of them for one reason or another. Some of the Yamaha RBXs were actually pretty decent, just didn't like the look. Had I been willing to spend $100 more I would probably have gone with Yamaha BB414 (definitely on my TO BUY list).

Anyway, I fell in love with the SR300 immediately. Body was light, had a fast neck, balanced nicely, action was set up nicely off the rack (unlike EVERY other bass I tried), tuners felt solid, finish was good, fretwork was excellent.

For it's featherweight body and skinny neck, it still didn't scream "cheap" like the other bases in the same price range (I came across a lot of sharp fret edges, loose feeling tuners/hardware, buzzing, etc., on the other basses I tried). I'm thinking I was either really lucky with this one or unlucky with the other bases I tried (especially after reading all the accolades showered on the Squier VMs).

But now I'm really gassing for one of the higher end SR models.

 

[Relayer71]

Correction: the Epiphone I tried was the EB-0 above and the Explorer one.

 

[Zureta]

From what I've heard the Ibanez SR300 series is a fine "budget" instrument.

Fast neck, modern sound and feel, looks good in a sleek, nontraditional way.

If you've tried it and liked it, I don't see what's keeping you from just getting one and being happy with it.

 

[frogpond1]

See thats thing; if I go with the sr300 then I'm thinking 'why not the sr400?' Problem is the GC here doesn't have one to try. Anyone in the Manchester area tomorrow with an sr400?

 

[Zureta]

See thats thing; if I go with the sr300 then I'm thinking 'why not the sr400?' Problem is the GC here doesn't have one to try. Anyone in the Manchester area tomorrow with an sr400?

From what I've seen in Ibanez's website, the difference between the 300 and the 400 is pretty small: Basswood instead of Agathis, nice quilted maple top with transparent finish instead of metallic paint, different bridge, very very slightly thicker neck. That's it, apparently.

Since overall the body, neck, pickups and electronics look identical, I don't consider the 400 to be much of an upgrade. I doubt you'd regret getting the 300, unless you hate the color or something.

See for yourself:

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[madbassplaya]

i like ibanez.