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It appears Ibanez got it right with this one....
Much better pick guard
Yep.
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I love the the ergonimics and playability of the sr's have had a 1405 and 5005 ,but found both of them lacking in sustain probably due to the reduced body mass...... maybee a graphite neck would improve that
I really like Ibanez basses. I must say that my favorites fall in the early to mid 80s era. I have a RB630, RB820 and RB920. All are really, really great basses. The 630 and 820 are pretty well played in and look a little beat, but that's the glory: they kill.
The 920 is very clean looking, it needs a few hundred hours of play still.
I would like to add a RB680 to the mix.
The 920 is very clean looking, it needs a few hundred hours of play still.
I would like to add a RB680 to the mix.
Lots of love here. not many brands offer as much variety ibanez.
Would love to pick up a nordstrand equipped Talman sometime soon.
I had 3 Ibanezes over the years and all were consistent dependable quality, except for my first (the then entry level CTB 5 string) which had the onboard EQ fried for some reason (then again, after 7 years of intense use). Had it repaired for cheap so no biggie. Then had a SDGR 5 stringer (don't remember de model number), one of the best necks I ever had. Also had an ATK 305 in 2010-2012 (heavy and a thick neck for my taste, still a consistent, reliable and sweet sounding instrument). With Ibanez, as with Musicman (my instruments of choice these days), you can buy an instrument sight unseen (key thing in these internet days), something you definitely cannot do i.e. with Fender (personally I have a hard time figuring out how is it possible that they're still unable to get the QC thing right -MIJ is probably the exception-).
I hadn't played much for decades, but wanted something that played well, but not heavy like my P and Ripper were. I tried all the $250 ish basses and settled on an SR300 and am not disappointed at all. Of course I had Eric Chaz set it up for me, and it was much better after that.
I have had a couple over the years, I picked up a SRX 705 around 2003-04 which I absolutely loved but I flipped it a couple of years later. I had been lusting (still am) over trying to find SRX 705 again only for my wife, last X-mas, to buy me a SRFF805, which has been my go-to since.
It appears Ibanez got it right with this one....
I think I just found my next bass...
I agree wholeheartedly. I have had a bunch of ibanez basses, and they've all been great. Fast easy necks, great tone, very good prices. I recently picked up the super inexpensive ($200) gsrm 25 mikro bass and it is really mind blowing how good it is for such an inexpensive instrument. Sure the frets are sharp enough to grate cheese, but it plays and sounds great and I use it all the time in lieu of much more expensive basses.
I'm old enough to remember in the late 70's when Ibanez came out with the Musician series basses. Those were really nice bases. I played Fenders and Musicman basses in those days but I do remember that as the first time I began to take Japanese manufactured instruments seriously (Aria also came out with the Pro series basses and those were really nice).
During the years that followed I eventually got into boutique basses and never even considered checking out the higher end instruments that Ibanez made. I did instrument setups and modifications for several local music stores so I got my hands on lots of the less expensive SR series basses, and I always thought those were very good beginner/intermediate basses for players on a limited budget, but I never considered that they might make anything that I wanted.
Over the last year though, a long time TB buddy of mine (Jason; lsu921) purchased a new Ibanez SR5BBLTD and he had nothing but great things to say about that bass. I was so impressed with his comments (and the look of that bass) that I eventually worked a trade with him for it. I wasn't disappointed when it arrived. Great sound, play-ability and overall quality! That bass started a chain reaction (GAS; totally driven by 6 string basses that Jason was purchasing) that led to me getting a new SR1806 and ultimately my current Ibanez SR5006 (Thanks Jason!).
I've had it for a couple months now and couldn't be happier. I can honestly say that the overall build quality of the Prestige SR5006 bass is as good as any boutique bass that I've owned.
And that's saying something!
During the years that followed I eventually got into boutique basses and never even considered checking out the higher end instruments that Ibanez made. I did instrument setups and modifications for several local music stores so I got my hands on lots of the less expensive SR series basses, and I always thought those were very good beginner/intermediate basses for players on a limited budget, but I never considered that they might make anything that I wanted.
Over the last year though, a long time TB buddy of mine (Jason; lsu921) purchased a new Ibanez SR5BBLTD and he had nothing but great things to say about that bass. I was so impressed with his comments (and the look of that bass) that I eventually worked a trade with him for it. I wasn't disappointed when it arrived. Great sound, play-ability and overall quality! That bass started a chain reaction (GAS; totally driven by 6 string basses that Jason was purchasing) that led to me getting a new SR1806 and ultimately my current Ibanez SR5006 (Thanks Jason!).
I've had it for a couple months now and couldn't be happier. I can honestly say that the overall build quality of the Prestige SR5006 bass is as good as any boutique bass that I've owned.
And that's saying something!
I had a Korean BTB455, and it was a great bass, however I didn't like the preamp much. I replaced it with an active/passive bassmods preamp, and then the pickups really kicked butt.
It's the neck - sustain probs are always in the neck. The thinner the neck, the less stiff, and therefore higher ability for it to vibrate. Their newer prestige models have stiffening rods in the neck, but then they tend to be heavy-ish.
My SR400 has some issue with A notes across the whole neck, but that's an OK trade-off for the weight. OTOH, I just built an even lighter 6.5 lb bass with a Mighty Mite neck that sustains better than any Fender, so it can be done.
Still like my SR 400 mucho. Killer tone.
+1. My first Ibanez was a Musician that I got in the early 80s to replace my stolen Gibson Grabber. It was superior to the Gibson and got lots of compliments for its tone. It also has the distinction of being the bass I owned the longest - 20 years! My friend now owns it, I think it's time for a visit...
I had an ATK, my first "solid bass" after an started pack.
It souded good, was solid and well made. However it was too heavy for 2 h or longer rehearsals, and the neck was too thick for my hands. I was feeling some issues both in my shouldder adn in my wrist after long rehearsals. So I sold it.
The SR series look nicer in the ergonomics, but I never tried one.
I had also a short scale, semihollow ABF200. It was good, but due to feedback issues it was not appropiate for my loud rock band. I changed for a gigging bass combo.
I had also 2 Ibanez guitars. An starters acoustic, which I had to left behind when I relocated myself from one country to another. And a semihollow electric guitar I received in a swapt and which I sold because I was looking for money more than another guitar. Both of them great instruments for their price.
Is really funny, I had 4 Ibanez instruments, all of them were OK, I got rid of them all.
It souded good, was solid and well made. However it was too heavy for 2 h or longer rehearsals, and the neck was too thick for my hands. I was feeling some issues both in my shouldder adn in my wrist after long rehearsals. So I sold it.
The SR series look nicer in the ergonomics, but I never tried one.
I had also a short scale, semihollow ABF200. It was good, but due to feedback issues it was not appropiate for my loud rock band. I changed for a gigging bass combo.
I had also 2 Ibanez guitars. An starters acoustic, which I had to left behind when I relocated myself from one country to another. And a semihollow electric guitar I received in a swapt and which I sold because I was looking for money more than another guitar. Both of them great instruments for their price.
Is really funny, I had 4 Ibanez instruments, all of them were OK, I got rid of them all.
I is just the company philosophy, i have a first year Musician and a ten year old SR 505. Both basses have incredible sustain and play great, both are totally different designs.
funkybassplayer
Commercial User
I saw one other person that's a fan of the old TR series jazz style basses. Is it just the two of us that are fans of the TR's?!
