• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Ibanez GSR200 tone too rumbly

Z

zakwolf

Aug 3, 2013
16
2
#1
Hello everyone, first post here but lurked for a while now ;)
Used search, found nothing, so I ask: I have bought an Ibanez GSR200 as my first bass, with an Ashdown Tourbus 10 amp.
I had already been playing guitar for 2 years, so my left hand, after a day of adapting to the bigger bass fretboard, played good and it didn't take me much to learn right hand technique. The problem is: the tone is too rumbly. It has too much low end(low mids?) and the notes can barely be distinguished, even using only the bridge pickup and playing near the bridge.
It hurts my head if I play like that.
I played a MIM Jazz Bass in a store a few days ago and it has no sort of problem like this, the tone is crisp and clear.
I can get a clearer tone by cutting all the bass on the amp, boosting the treble and putting the bass' EQ at about 5, but you know, amps are all different and I don't get the same effect with the big fat Markbass and Ashdown amps at reharsals.
Is it the wood, the pickups, what?
Can I do something or do I have to resort to cutting all the bass from the amp or getting an EQ pedal?
No, I don't want to play with a pick. It feels unplayable.
 
#4
Have you played other basses through the same amp for comparison? It could be the natural sound of that combo amp rather than anything to do with your bass.

Also, if you haven't already tried this, I would start with all EQ on both the bass and amp flat as a starting point, then work toward the tone you are looking for.
 
#5
It's strung with D'Addario stainless steel .100 strings, I usually play with the J pickup at 10, tone at 10, P at 0 and bass boost at 0. I tried it with 4 amps: my little combo, an Ashdown at a store, another Ashdown at rehearsals and a Markbass at another rehearsal. The Markbass seemed to eliminate some of that rumble, but only some and it was a 3x12 or something like that...the rumble anyway was always there.
 
#7
First off- do you know what each of knobs do? You have 2 volume controls, a tone and a "Phat II EQ". ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed])

That "Phat" control looks to be more than a simple bass boost. It looks like you'll get the clearest (least bassy) tone with Phat at 0. If you have Phat and Tone confused, then you might be running Tone at 0 and Phat at 10 which would definitely give you too much low end.
 
#9
I own one and have had the problem of serious amp distortion with my Phat Boost on full and my amp EQ not adjusted to compensate.

Another thing to consider... is your bass properly set up? You could be getting fret buzz or your strings might be too close to the pickups.

Hopefully you can get it worked out. I absolutely love mine and would replace it if something happened to it. I put tape wounds on it and its got great tone.
 
#10
bjelkeman said:
Sorry for the basic questions. Do the tone pots have effect when you turn them? I have had pots gone bad and the tone would get terribly rumbly. Turning the pot gave no effect, swapped it and all was good.
Click to expand...

The one tone pots has effect, the sound gets darker and loses even more treble when I turn it down.

n1as said:
First off- do you know what each of knobs do? You have 2 volume controls, a tone and a "Phat II EQ". ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed])

That "Phat" control looks to be more than a simple bass boost. It looks like you'll get the clearest (least bassy) tone with Phat at 0. If you have Phat and Tone confused, then you might be running Tone at 0 and Phat at 10 which would definitely give you too much low end.
Click to expand...

No, I know that the Phat is the small one, and I always run it at 0 ;)

Red_Merkin said:
I had one of those as a beginner too, just make sure the bass boost knob is turned down. Also, if you've been leaving it plugged in, the battery may be dying.
Click to expand...

Knob at 0, battery brand new.

Diesel Kilgore said:
I own one and have had the problem of serious amp distortion with my Phat Boost on full and my amp EQ not adjusted to compensate.

Another thing to consider... is your bass properly set up? You could be getting fret buzz or your strings might be too close to the pickups.

Hopefully you can get it worked out. I absolutely love mine and would replace it if something happened to it. I put tape wounds on it and its got great tone.
Click to expand...

Yeah, I also get lots of farty distortion when I crank the Phat up. The bass was setup by myself, I changed the action and played with it very high in the first month, today I have lowered it a lot and tested every note for buzz...i have a very light touch when fingering so I can keep it nice and low. (BTW, does anybody know a way to slap quieter so I don't have to turn down the volume drastically when slapping?) The pickups, I also lowered them, even though I had to use some brute force to lower the J pickup because a screw was badly positioned and kept it very high. The bass now plays like a dream because I was used to playing with very high strings, however nothing changed in terms of tone. I just get a bit more sustain because of the lower pickups not dampening strings' vibration, but it's still rumbly :(
 
#11
Maybe you just like guitar better than bass?

If you're only using the bridge pickup with tone dimed and its too "rumbly" then either the bass or amp has a serious issue or you do. That should be a super thin nasally sound that no bass player would like.

It is nice to know that you have bass playing figured out in a day and this is only an equipment issue. Lol
 
#17
The active electronics may be busted. Or your strings may be dead, the amp works funny, something else. It's really hard to guess without hearing what's going on. Can you record the bass when plugged straight into computer (if you have an audio interface with instrument input)?

And just for reference, I found this video and if your tone isn't even close to this, there's definitely something very, very wrong:
 
#18
That's exactly why I don't like the lower end Ibanezes. You can throw a ton of mods/effects at it, but ultimately you should consider a different bass. Not necessarily more expensive; ESP and Schecter make basses that feel very similar and may have the tone you are looking for.
 
#19
macrocheesium said:
That's exactly why I don't like the lower end Ibanezes. You can throw a ton of mods/effects at it, but ultimately you should consider a different bass. Not necessarily more expensive; ESP and Schecter make basses that feel very similar and may have the tone you are looking for.
Click to expand...

I dunno, they don't sound like expensive Ibanezes but rumbly doesn't seem to be the normal complaint to the cheap pickups. I would rate the current $200 ESP-LTDs more inherently rumbly than a GSR200. My issue when I've tried out GSR200s is that they don't sound full enough unless I mix in a little of the boost.
 
#20
Might be chasing the wrong dog, but what kind of battery did you use? Ibanez manual says alkaline only, not lithium, 'heavy duty' (zinc-carbon cheapo) or otherwise.

I am not sure if the Phat II boost is the type of wiring that will pass signal with no battery but I think it is not, even if you don't use the boost you need the circuit complete with appropriate battery, no?
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back