How Ibanez got it right.

[Antisyzygy]

I don't like Ibanez basses. Well, let me rephrase that. I don't like them for me. Nothing wrong with their quality or sound, but I personally prefer the feel of a Fender type instrument. I do have an Ibanez acoustic guitar that gets a lot of gig time though.

You might try a Talman just to make sure. They're Fender-like.

 

[RyanJD]

I've owned an SR700 that was great, but I wasn't a big fan of the Mk1's and/or the preamp.
I recently acquired both an SR1205e and an SR4XXV (basically a SR1200e with a different finish) and the difference is night and day in my mind. These things sound and play fantastic.
While I'm a big fan of passive Fender simplicity, the SR1205e is becoming my go-to.

 

[pica]

I don't like Ibanez basses. Well, let me rephrase that. I don't like them for me. Nothing wrong with their quality or sound, but I personally prefer the feel of a Fender type instrument. I do have an Ibanez acoustic guitar that gets a lot of gig time though.

That's cool. Like I said, Ibanez basses are not for everybody. I have a Fender Jazz that I love too.

 

[rojo412]

I think Ibanez really had a fantastic thing going for their time in Japan. Some of the finest basses I've ever enjoyed in the category of "Affordable and good" were 80s Ibbys. In fact, my latest go-to bass is an 85 MC824, keeping my Stingrays in their cases.
The 90s MIJ stuff was killer as well. I had an SR800 for a spell that was one of the fastest playing, best sounding basses I've owned.
The TR600 is still on my GAS list and that was a super J before the super J became a big thing.
And the ATKs, BTBs, those MIJ versions were serious stuff.

I personally don't GAS for much of the newer ones, but I like the fact that they started using Nordy pickups in the high end models.

 

[Blaargh]

I have a 5-string electro-acoustic of theirs, it's a great bass. The one thing I consistently find with Ibanez is that the build quality is on par with basses two, three times the price.

They always play well, sound good and are built well, but I find them hard to love. There's just something characterless about most of them (a Talman might change my mind on that one though) that turns me off. It's the opposite of my Thunderbird, which is deeply, deeply flawed, but has bags of character, and nothing else sounds quite like a Thunderbird.

 

[wintremute]

I'm an Ibanez fanboy. I love the looks, the feel, the styles, the choices...drool

 

[wvbass]

So, with that logic all instruments made in those countries and factories are all made by an entity that remains nameless and companies like Fender, Ibanez and Lakland are only putting their name on it. Therefore my Lakland 55-01, my MTD Z5, my Ibanez RD900 and my Sterling by Music Man basses are actually not made by those companies. So my Chinese Dr. Marten's aren't Doc Marten's. I think that logic is understandable but not correct, if it has an Ibanez logo on it and it's official it's an Ibanez.

It is an Ibanez, but it wasn't built by Ibanez. You are correct about those basses not actually being made by those companies. It doesn't make them less of an instrument. I don't like my BTB33 any less because it came out of presumably the same factory that my Spector, Lakland, and G&L did.

This strategy works well for Ibanez; I think Dave Bunker built the original ATK basses?

 

[lixisoft]

Actually those basses don't have Bartolini pickups. They are MK1's which are Korean made G&B pickups. They have nothing in common with Bartolini's, other than licensing the name.

Is'nt the MK1 a "P" bass style pickup in a Soapbar case ? The MK1 combined with a good pre sounds fine, it's the cheap pre's most companies pair it with that gives the MK1 such a bad rap.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

In the 70's I owned Fender J's, P's, and Gibson EBO's and EB3's. Owned a Hofner for a short time by way of a fluke cheap sale. In 1981 I tried an Ibanez Roadstar. I was playing my beloved Pbass at the time. The store owner let me buy it on time for the 2 month gig I was doing in Ketchikan. I had it paid off six weeks into the gig. I still own it to this day, it's a mock cherryburst Ric shaped Roadstar II. As it's now 35 years old the wood is like petrified rock solid. It's semi-retired because I now play an SR500 lefty that I love.

Contrary to other opinions here, I've never had a quality issue with the many Ibby's I've owned. Never came across a "soft bridge."
I love the fast action and light weight of the Ibanez basses. They are forward-thinking and very innovative. For the price I love the low end Ibanez basses. I finally just bought a Mikro bass for home practice and am amazed at how well it's made for Two Bills.

My complaints with Ibanez? I wish they made more left handed bass styles. I wish the left handed basses were in other colors besides black!
I wish they would make their highest end basses available in left handed. I would buy one in a minute.
Basses are like cars. Different strokes for different folks. If my bass was a car, it would probably be my Toyota Corolla. It needs very little gas, never been in the shop for anything major, Never dropped any oil on the ground. Sure, it's plain, but it performs its mission well.

 

[Liam Wald]

The SR series bridges were made out of a soft metal and would get bent out of shape. It was an ongoing problem for some time and, as far as I know, still is.

I have owned several Ibanez SR basses over the years and had never experienced or heard of this "problem".

 

[RiZzBot]

The SR series bridges were made out of a soft metal and would get bent out of shape. It was an ongoing problem for some time and, as far as I know, still is.

This is a post currently trending on FB bass group.

 

[el_Bajo_Verde]

My only complaint is that some Ibanez basses have an extremely soft finish. You'd think they were made of room-temperature chocolate or something...I had an SR505 as my first bass and even in the store the finish was just WRECKED. Like it has got into a fight with a cat and lost. So I asked for one that was in the back that didn't have all the dents. My fingernail (which is already short as I bite them so much) put a dent in the finish immediately. I just felt that it was too fragile. But it was an amazing bass otherwise.

 

[Aberdumbie]

My only complaint is that some Ibanez basses have an extremely soft finish. You'd think they were made of room-temperature chocolate or something...I had an SR505 as my first bass and even in the store the finish was just WRECKED. Like it has got into a fight with a cat and lost. So I asked for one that was in the back that didn't have all the dents. My fingernail (which is already short as I bite them so much) put a dent in the finish immediately. I just felt that it was too fragile. But it was an amazing bass otherwise.

That's funny. That divot above the pickup is where my thumb rested. The whole end of my thumb fits in it.

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

Now I know not everybody likes Ibanez basses and Ibanez basses are not for everybody but you have to give the Japanese credit for this one. Ibanez basses are fantastic. I play the SR models usually the 500 and higher because I like the Bartolini pickups so I can't really speak for the other models. But even the lower number SR's with the stock Ibanez pickups sound good.

I have not played one bad Ibanez bass. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing about other basses I've played. The Ibanez brand name has been around since 1929, 17 years before Leo Fender founded the Fender Musical Instrument Corporation. Whatever Ibanez is doing I'd say their doing it right.

I've been fiddling with Ibanez basses since the '70s, when they were just considered cheap Fender knock-offs (Because, let's be honest - they were). What was interesting to me was back then, the basses were just knock-offs, but they really put some effort into making unique guitars - and so their guitars got pretty popular. My guess is that someone at the company said "look, we need to step it up on the bass front!" and lo, they did. So good on them.

I have two gripes about Ibby: Their have so many models that look so similar that it's hard to know what you're looking at without picking it up, taking a good long look, do your reading and then deciding. I'd be happier if they made it more clear about their product categories (beginner / intermediate / pro) but I suppose the price is usually the hint...

And their necks. Almost always too narrow for me. Some guys love that - really tight string spacing - not I.

Otherwise - I agree. They do a really nice job making basses. Thought the name has always cracked me up (Japanese company, making basses in Indonesia, with a Spanish name, sold in America - no chance for confusion there!)

 

[twinjet]

I bought an SR305F. Fretless five string bass. It played great but had shoddy electronics out of the box. Otherwise, a comfortable bass to play.

 

[cdef]

While the successful SR styles are too dinky for me, I'd say Ibanez (= Hoshino) got it right around 1980 with lines like the Musician, Studio and others. Great quality over 35 years, give or take.

 

[JGbassman]

I have a sr 305 and a 505. The 305 was my first Ibanez bass and I was really impressed on the quality vs. the cost. It's maple neck has a nice feel and I really enjoy the sound, something like a thicker growly jazz. While impressive, the 505 really was a step up.

The 505 has a darker sound, but it really has a cool sound once you get it dialed in. I like the sound of the split coil mk1's with the soap bar covers, it the pre amp I'm not a fan of. I find dialing the treble back, boosting the mids and a touch of bass gives it a nice sound that sits very well in the mix. The string spacing is a little tight, and it's not set up well for slapping, due to the placement of the neck pickup, but really shines playing finger style, which is mostly how I play.

The neck feels slim, and is very fast playing for me. There are no balance issues, and I had little issues with the neck moving while I used this as a secondary bass touring. These basses fit me ergonomically, and are very comfortable to play. I suffer from carpal tunnel, and will switch to this bass when my hands get to hurting. It helps. The basses are 34" scale where I prefer a 35" scale, so they feel a little small to me, fast and nimble.

There were issues with the design of the bridge on earlier sr models, but that has been addressed by the company, where the effected area has been beefed up. Ibby was replacing the defective bridges and taking care of their customers. If that isn't a sign of excellence in customer service, I don't know what is. So while this isn't my first choice in basses, I do find myself playing the 505 quite often, it feels like a broken in pair of jeans that fit me well.

For the money, these basses are an amazing value, especially if you buy used. Even though they are not built in Japan, they are built under the specs Ibanez is placing on these basses, and their quality control is superb. Little innovative things, such as the the sliding truss rod cover (so you don't have to take it off) the battery box on the back, or the bridge with a single screw for setting action or the strings that don't go through the bridge, making it fast to change the strings, make it easy for the gigging musician to do quick fixes and maintenance on these basses. I had a bone nut put on mine, but that is simply because I prefer how bone makes the bass sound. I had no issues with either the tuners or how they went into the nut. Like I said, these are great basses for the money. I'd be hard pressed to find another company that puts as much into their basses for the price they charge for them.

 

[awilkie84]

Now I know not everybody likes Ibanez basses and Ibanez basses are not for everybody but you have to give the Japanese credit for this one. Ibanez basses are fantastic. I play the SR models usually the 500 and higher because I like the Bartolini pickups so I can't really speak for the other models. But even the lower number SR's with the stock Ibanez pickups sound good.

I have not played one bad Ibanez bass. Unfortunately I can't say the same thing about other basses I've played. The Ibanez brand name has been around since 1929, 17 years before Leo Fender founded the Fender Musical Instrument Corporation. Whatever Ibanez is doing I'd say their doing it right.

FWIW, I have yet to meet an Ibanez SR series (other than the SRFF) that has a B string I can consider playable.

 

[onlyclave]

The SR series bridges were made out of a soft metal and would get bent out of shape. It was an ongoing problem for some time and, as far as I know, still is.

SR885

• onlyclave
• Nov 29, 2015

Dude, I've played that Blue SR885 (Japanese made) since 1992 and there has NEVER been a bridge problem.

As far as you know you're making crap up.

 

[JGbassman]

SR885

• onlyclave
• Nov 29, 2015

Dude, I've played that Blue SR885 (Japanese made) since 1992 and there has NEVER been a bridge problem.

As far as you know you're making crap up.

There was a period where there was some issues with the sr bridges. If I remember correctly, there was an issue with where the string end attached that was pulling out or deforming. This was addressed by redesigning the bridge, adding more metal in that area. Ibanez made it right with the owners of the effected basses. It has been fixed, and there hasn't been any issues for a few years now.