I will buy: Ibanez SR- ... what?

[Dee_thirteen]

I try to keep this short.
I used to have Ibanez SR300 and I really liked the neck and weight.. What I didn't like is preamp and being forced to use battery. I hate battery.
My next SR should have black color, neck width 38mm/thickness 19,5mm , passive pickups, no battery needed.
When looking at current models on market, I see my first problem. Only Gios have total passive system, up from sr200 all have preamps.
So, my current plan is to buy older version of SR300 used, and have that re-wired as full passive.

Is this my only option to get what I need, or are there maybe some older models that have all my requirements?

Thanks in advance.

 

[Warpeg]

There's nothing wrong with converting a bass from active to passive. If you found a bass model that you like, then go ahead and modify the electronics to your liking.

 

[Matt Liebenau]

You could get the model you want and replace the electronics with passive. You might be able to sell the stock stuff and recoup some of the costs. Obviously, this will be cheaper if you can take care of the soldering yourself. Depending on the stock electronics you also might be able to install a preamp bypass switch so you can select active or passive.

 

[wolfkeller]

I've seen the old SR 400s and 800s go really cheap used. Those are awsome basses, really simple to remove the pickups and preamp and install passive, then sell the parts to cover the cost.

My first bass was an SR 300. I put dimarzio model PJs in there, awsome.

 

[timothy1207]

I try to keep this short.
I used to have Ibanez SR300 and I really liked the neck and weight.. What I didn't like is preamp and being forced to use battery. I hate battery.
My next SR should have black color, neck width 38mm/thickness 19,5mm , passive pickups, no battery needed.
When looking at current models on market, I see my first problem. Only Gios have total passive system, up from sr200 all have preamps.
So, my current plan is to buy older version of SR300 used, and have that re-wired as full passive.

Is this my only option to get what I need, or are there maybe some older models that have all my requirements?

Thanks in advance.

The Ibanez Talman series might be what you want, similar to SR but passive and P/J style like the Gio

 

[thisheregiraffe]

How about the Yamaha TRBX504? I think it checks all of your requirements for colour and neck specs. There is a 3-band preamp, but there is a bypass switch so you can use it without a battery (the treble control becomes the master tone control when bypassing the preamp).

 

[Rocket Queen]

Depending on the stock electronics you also might be able to install a preamp bypass switch so you can select active or passive.

I believe that most of the active Soundgears come with a preamp bypass switch by default. Just confirm by looking at the specs at the Ibanez website.

 

[Sushi Box FX]

I have a SR500, it has the active/passive switch. Also love the neck and the feel of the body, killer bass.

 

[JW56789]

D13, I would simply look for a SDGR that fit your color and dimensional targets, for the simple fact is that over the years, they have made so, so many different models. I'd watch out for one that has the right size pickup routs (soapbars, double Jazz, PJ, whatever you'd prefer), than buy one like that for what you want, along with your weight and other targets.

Another thing to consider: Especially on less expensive models, these are not 'true' active layouts. I.E., they are often passive pickups hooked up to active tone controls, instead of a real active layout like a full EMG, low-impedance system. This could mean you're halfway there in that you'd only really need to lose the battery lead and add appropriate passive pots and you'd be in business if it really has passive pickups. IF the OEM pickups would suit with passive wiring, we've suddenly lowered the cost of the mods by a lot: A few passive pots and installation is not much money. A good guitar repairman could quickly tell you what you've got, and work out from there.

Good Luck !

JW

 

[ardgedee]

For a lot of the SRs (not all of them, you have to check), you can make it passive just by taking the battery out.

 

[KeepItMoving]

For a lot of the SRs (not all of them, you have to check), you can make it passive just by taking the battery out.

Yes - this is definitely the case on the SR650/655 with the Nordstrand Design pickups. As @jwilson says above, the pickups are passive; the battery is only powering the active tone control. I took the battery out of my 650 a few weeks after getting it and have lived very happily without it ever since!

 

[Unmost]

The Ibanez Talman series might be what you want, similar to SR but passive and P/J style like the Gio

Only the short scale TMB30 and TMB35 are passive, all the other models are active.

 

[who]

I believe that most of the active Soundgears come with a preamp bypass switch by default. Just confirm by looking at the specs at the Ibanez website.

This is true. I believe as of 2019, all SRs from 500 up can be operated fully passively. So @Dee_thirteen, if you were to go out and buy a brand new SR, you could just take out the battery and you'd be good.

 

[micguy]

There's nothing wrong with converting a bass from active to passive. If you found a bass model that you like, then go ahead and modify the electronics to your liking.

I’ve passified a few basses, and always been happier with the result. Besides the battery thing, most active basses cheap out on the circuitry - choosing noisy op amps to save a few pennies, and gain on battery life (low current draw op amps are noisier than ones that draw more current.

 

[iiipopes]

OK, for the less expensive SR models, a bit of clarification is in order. On the 4-knob models, you have V-V-T-Phat. The pickups and the V-V-T are all passive. Only the Phat control is active. It is Ibanez' version of the EMG EXB; the earliest ones were EMG. So all you have to do is remove the Phat control from the circuit and run the "in" wire to the Phat control to the jack tip instead. Then you have essentially passive J-bass wiring: V-V-T, and you can always re-wire the Phat control later if you want it. Personally, I have a 2011 SRA305, and I find the EMG EXB to be a really versatile control: trad to modern, straight to scoop, etc.

 

[andrus108]

Try to hunt down late 80's-early 90's models. I have two, one is I believe SR600, the other SR800, both from 1987, and they will be routed for PJ. Mine came with stock pickups (one was passive, other active), and in both cases replaced with Dimarzio Model PJ sets.

 

[OldSchoolFlats]

How about the Yamaha TRBX504? I think it checks all of your requirements for colour and neck specs. There is a 3-band preamp, but there is a bypass switch so you can use it without a battery (the treble control becomes the master tone control when bypassing the preamp).

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View attachment 4398194

+1

I actually went with the TRBX304 - no passive switch - but for something SR-like, the 504 should please.

The 504 has mid-EQ and better pickups than the 304, though I am very happy with the 304. Even the 304 has a 5-piece neck, with dual-action truss-rod.

 

[ejaggers]

Dee_One_Three,
I'm glad you made this post, other than "Black Color",
I'm in the market for the same thing.

I don't want to spend extra money on a conversion,
so I'm keeping my eye on this subject....057912

 

[cassanova]

If you look around on the used market, you can sometimes find the old mid 90's SR400's. It should be everything you're describing.

 

[BAG]

I believe that most of the active Soundgears come with a preamp bypass switch by default.

My SR1200 Premium has a passive setting, but doesn't have any passive tone pot. Not a big deal but it would have been nice to have some tone adjustment in passive mode.

In saying that, I believe that many of the newer SR's when switched to passive use one of the tone pots as a passive tone adjustment.