Ibanez from GC...

[alex1fly]

I got a SR305EDX from Guitar Center last week. Spent 2 hours playing about 20 basses, narrowed it down, and this one won. By all my accounts it's a good instrument... straight neck, no fret buzz, nut is glued on well, nut slots are proper height and width, no crackly electronics, feels good in my hands, tone is stupendous and exactly what I was looking for, hardware is snug, intonation is pretty dang solid across the neck, no cracking, no obvious damage (some minor finishing things but I don't care about those). Serial number dates it to May 2022 for manufacture. BUT... it's from Guitar Center, so I know full well that the instrument could have been knocked into repeatedly, shipped around the country, returned several times, or subjected to other kinds of abuses. So what gives? What else should I check before deciding to keep it?

I wasn't even looking for this style of bass and I haven't had an Ibanez since I was a teenager (many years ago). I was looking for a cheap P to replace my other cheap P (Dean) that bit the dust. But this thing nails the P-with-rounds tone I was looking for, has all kinds of cool switching, looks amazing, feels great... just naturally skeptical because its from GC and it cost a few hundred bucks more than I was planning to spend so its getting a little extra scrutiny.

 

[Greenlion]

If it works it works, no matter where you bought it. I have found several really good guitars used at guitar center over the years. I have also had to return a couple, but that has been true of brand new guitars I have bought at Sweetwater as well.

 

[vindibona1]

Did you check the neck relief and string height? How are the fret ends?
The thing with GC is that they pretty much take the guitars and basses that come in and just hang them up on the walls. I've played some instruments that were set up pretty well and those that needed a ton of work just to make the playable. Perhaps you've gotten lucky.

Your signature doesn't provide any clues to where you live. But if there is a local GC, then I'd be pretty sure there would be a local professional guitar/bass technician nearby. You can bring it to them to have them inspect it with a professional eye.

Here is a video I saw for your model. Hopefully your bass won't need this much work. It's obvious that the guy in the video works on a lot of instruments. I'm surprised he didn't restring it and check the nut slots and readjust the neck relief.

 

[Snert]

By all my accounts it's a good instrument... straight neck, no fret buzz, nut is glued on well, nut slots are proper height and width, no crackly electronics, feels good in my hands, tone is stupendous and exactly what I was looking for, hardware is snug, intonation is pretty dang solid across the neck, no cracking, no obvious damage (some minor finishing things but I don't care about those). Serial number dates it to May 2022 for manufacture. BUT... it's from Guitar Center, so I know full well that the instrument could have been knocked into repeatedly, shipped around the country, returned several times, or subjected to other kinds of abuses. So what gives? What else should I check before deciding to keep it?

But this thing nails the P-with-rounds tone I was looking for, has all kinds of cool switching, looks amazing, feels great...

Good grief, what more do you want?

You've even got a nice gloss finish, not the poo brown or black chip off finishes that are only available in some parts of the world. I like the colour too.

I love SRs (I own 6) so take anything I say positive about them with a large grain of salt.

 

[vindibona1]

Good grief, what more do you want?

You've even got a nice gloss finish, not the poo brown or black chip off finishes that are only available in some parts of the world. I like the colour too.

I love SRs (I own 6) so take anything I say positive about them with a large grain of salt.

I agree with you. I like the SR's too and came close to buying one. But the scratch and sniff finishes are here too. There was a SR505 (I think) hanging on the wall at the local GC for years that sounded great but looked a lot like the example photo below. I wonder how they got rid of it? I stole this Gio 206B from them for $100 (with padded case) because of the damage and scrathy pots. Luckily, as a kid I worked part time at a furniture store and learned a little bit about wood retouching (and had a 3 band preamp in my bin). If it weren't for the beat up condition of the SR505 that might have been my first 5 string purchase. Perhaps my only 5 string purchase? I don't know.

Ibanez makes great basses. At this point my go-to bass might just be a BTB675 (maple).

 

[alex1fly]

Did you check the neck relief and string height? How are the fret ends?
The thing with GC is that they pretty much take the guitars and basses that come in and just hang them up on the walls. I've played some instruments that were set up pretty well and those that needed a ton of work just to make the playable. Perhaps you've gotten lucky.

Yes. Fret ends are good. Action is good. Fret wear is even. It was hanging on the wall with the setup the way I like it. At this point in my life I'm not going to bring home a fixer-upper... been there, done that a couple dozen times over.

Good grief, what more do you want?

VALIDATION haha. That's what I want. From strangers who can't play my bass Really though money is tight and I have enough personal experience with purchasing instruments to know I should be extra skeptical of instruments from GC - which is why I've only ever purchased low end stuff there that I can knock around and not care about. This bass really seems like a good one though, quality craftsmanship and setup and either received less abuse from the carousel of GC customers or held it off quite well.

 

[HMZ]

I wouldn't worry much about the setup. I usually do a string change a complete setup on any new instrument I purchases. As long as the electronics are good and turners are stable I think you're good to go. Plus you can take it home and if you don't like it I think GC gives you 45 days to return.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

So you tried 20 basses at GC and then are worried that someone else may have tried it?

 

[skycruiser]

I agree with you. I like the SR's too and came close to buying one. But the scratch and sniff finishes are here too. There was a SR505 (I think) hanging on the wall at the local GC for years that sounded great but looked a lot like the example photo below. I wonder how they got rid of it? I stole this Gio 206B from them for $100 (with padded case) because of the damage and scrathy pots. Luckily, as a kid I worked part time at a furniture store and learned a little bit about wood retouching (and had a 3 band preamp in my bin). If it weren't for the beat up condition of the SR505 that might have been my first 5 string purchase. Perhaps my only 5 string purchase? I don't know.

Ibanez makes great basses. At this point my go-to bass might just be a BTB675 (maple).

View attachment 4845607

Before photoshopping and after photoshopping? What are you showing here?

 

[Wilmingtonian]

Don't overthink the Guitar Center thing too much. If it looks and plays fine, it probably is. I'd make sure the truss rod was good and there was no unpleasant mods (assuming used) and not worry any more. I've bought enough from GC to know you know pretty much right away if it has been abused or anything undisclosed.

I've had surprises range from guitars being poorly packed and damaged in shipping to terrible, undisclosed routing (when buying used, online) to being quite happy and pleasantly surprised with how really nice the purchases were. One constant is being confident in the return policy if anything was amiss.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I got a SR305EDX from Guitar Center last week. Spent 2 hours playing about 20 basses, narrowed it down, and this one won. By all my accounts it's a good instrument... straight neck, no fret buzz, nut is glued on well, nut slots are proper height and width, no crackly electronics, feels good in my hands, tone is stupendous and exactly what I was looking for, hardware is snug, intonation is pretty dang solid across the neck, no cracking, no obvious damage (some minor finishing things but I don't care about those). Serial number dates it to May 2022 for manufacture. BUT... it's from Guitar Center, so I know full well that the instrument could have been knocked into repeatedly, shipped around the country, returned several times, or subjected to other kinds of abuses. So what gives? What else should I check before deciding to keep it?

I wasn't even looking for this style of bass and I haven't had an Ibanez since I was a teenager (many years ago). I was looking for a cheap P to replace my other cheap P (Dean) that bit the dust. But this thing nails the P-with-rounds tone I was looking for, has all kinds of cool switching, looks amazing, feels great... just naturally skeptical because its from GC and it cost a few hundred bucks more than I was planning to spend so its getting a little extra scrutiny.

If you are worried about it's durability, buy the extended warranty. I will say this, that is a lot of bass for the money regardless. Enjoy.

 

[MotorCityMinion]

Good grief, what more do you want?

Not that my opinion matters but I'm with you on this one. Sounds like a winner @ $450.. If you look at most instruments long enough, you'll find something that isn't perfect or to your liking. My breaking point is perfection that cost more than 2K but I also get that high end basses can't be made at that cost. You are then paying for art & cosmetics.

 

[vindibona1]

Before photoshopping and after photoshopping? What are you showing here?

I'm showing the ACTUAL PHYSICAL WOOD RETOUCHING I did with furniture touch-up markers. Also in the "after" photo there is now a 3 band EQ.

 

[KevInDaBassment]

Staying in tune and electronics getting noisy with different variables are all it seems you'd need to check at this point. Maybe see if it handles a different string gauge/tension + adjustment with finesse? Other than that, enjoy it....Ibbys are great basses when you get a solid one.

 

[alex1fly]

So you tried 20 basses at GC and then are worried that someone else may have tried it?

Not at all.

Not that my opinion matters but I'm with you on this one. Sounds like a winner @ $450.. If you look at most instruments long enough, you'll find something that isn't perfect or to your liking. My breaking point is perfection that cost more than 2K but I also get that high end basses can't be made at that cost. You are then paying for art & cosmetics.

I think so too! And funnily enough if it was from any other store I wouldn't have shared this niggling doubt.

 

[skycruiser]

I'm showing the ACTUAL PHYSICAL WOOD RETOUCHING I did with furniture touch-up markers. Also in the "after" photo there is now a 3 band EQ.

View attachment 4846189

The positioning, lighting and even wrinkles on the furniture the bass is laying on is so close to identical in the two photos that I thought it was Photoshopped.

 

[alex1fly]

Staying in tune and electronics getting noisy with different variables are all it seems you'd need to check at this point. Maybe see if it handles a different string gauge/tension + adjustment with finesse? Other than that, enjoy it....Ibbys are great basses when you get a solid one.

Good call. I haven't touched the relief or action at all because it's already how I like it. But I could throw some freshies on there just to give it one more chance to show some fatal flaw.

 

[vindibona1]

The positioning, lighting and even wrinkles on the furniture the bass is laying on is so close to identical in the two photos that I thought it was Photoshopped.

I can see how you might think that. As I look at it now, how did I lay it in the same exact spot? Never thought about it. I'm shocked myself as I look at the side-by-side photos. Right now the Gio is on loan to a buddy, otherwise I'd photograph it again and you'd see no difference from the "after" photo.

 

[arbiterusa]

just naturally skeptical because its from GC

Irrelevant. take off the old strings, clean it, put on new ones. Does it play nice? Can you set it up to play nice?

Those are the only two post-purchase questions that matter. You already like the looks and the sound.

My entire amp rig, save for one cab, is from GC. So are most of my basses. Say what you will about them, they're more convenient to deal with than Craigslist, a lot less scary than Craigslist, and the gear is usually in much better shape than that found on Craigslist. And you can return stuff without all the drama and lunacy that one runs into on Reverb.

 

[Snert]

I'm showing the ACTUAL PHYSICAL WOOD RETOUCHING I did with furniture touch-up markers.

Thanks. I was going to ask how you touched it up as I have 3 with that finish. The 6 has a mild surface gouge after the move (it fell and slid against something) but the finish is intact. I'm gentle on instruments and don't rest my hand on the body so it might not be an issue, but it's nice to know how to before I decide a radical repaint job is to be undertaken.