I've always liked my Ibanezes. I have owned and played quite a few different basses but I always come back to my Ibanez. The thing I like most is the versitilty. I play everything from blues to hard rock to country to christian hyms and I can always find the tone I need. I love the fast necks and quality workmanship. I just found a used SR1205 in mint condition for $450. I am in heaven with this bass!
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Ibanez - Opinions & Experinces
- Thread starter ny_chan
- Start date
Most real players will tell you there is no better base than the SR800. They will also tell you the customer service sucks. But a good 800 will last a life time. There is also a sweetness and spirit in those basses others just don't have. I have played and owned many basses over the last 20+ years but always compare every thing to my pair of SR800s. They will never leave my collection. You can certainly spend more money but you can't get more bass. People who have spent the big bucks may try to do some mental gymnastics and name dropping to justify spending thousands of dollars on an instrument, don't buy it. And there is no comparison to any fender, it is a toss up between washburn and fender for the poorest build quality, stay far away from both of those brands.
I bought an ibanez sr, second hand from a pawn shop when i was 16. It had some issues, pots were cracklin, action was bad, one of the strap screws was gone. But It was CHEAP and there wasn't alot of other option's for me at the time. After a few nights of being perfectly happy with it, I took it to an older freinds rehearsal studio,. The bass player was absolutely brutal about ibanez and said some pretty bad things about ibanez along with the guitar player who gave me the ol "ibeenhad" line. Somehow those guys opinions changed the way i felt about my bass, I stopped playing it and eventually traded it for a REAL "peice of crap", a fender squier.
I played that bass for a long time, replaced pu's etc. And i was convinced that ibanez was crap. A couple of years ago a friend of mine bought a btb 400 with stock ibanez pu's. I assured him he made a huge mistake, But, I finally picked the thing up and played it and, All i can say is I had too eat my words. ANYway, I went to the GC the next day and played just about everey ibanez bass they had there and found out for myself that, Ibanez really wasn't "crap", Only i had been thinking they were crap based on a second hand experience, and a few opinionated musicians.
I bought an ibanez BTB 406 that day, and another ibanez shortly after and have been very happy with both. I wish I had the $$ to buy a warwick, or a custom job but fact is I don't. Some of the Ibanez basses being made recently are pretty nice even compared to those higher priced basses(prestige/BTB). I guess my point is, for the money, you can't go wrong with Ibanez. IMO
Peace.
I played that bass for a long time, replaced pu's etc. And i was convinced that ibanez was crap. A couple of years ago a friend of mine bought a btb 400 with stock ibanez pu's. I assured him he made a huge mistake, But, I finally picked the thing up and played it and, All i can say is I had too eat my words. ANYway, I went to the GC the next day and played just about everey ibanez bass they had there and found out for myself that, Ibanez really wasn't "crap", Only i had been thinking they were crap based on a second hand experience, and a few opinionated musicians.
I bought an ibanez BTB 406 that day, and another ibanez shortly after and have been very happy with both. I wish I had the $$ to buy a warwick, or a custom job but fact is I don't. Some of the Ibanez basses being made recently are pretty nice even compared to those higher priced basses(prestige/BTB). I guess my point is, for the money, you can't go wrong with Ibanez. IMO
Peace.
I own a BTB at the moment, but it's being held pending sale.
I really like the tone alot. In fact, I like the tone so much I convinced myself to buy one even though I wasn't so comfortable with the neck size and 35" scale.
So eventually I recognized that I was a little impulsive in buying it. But what are you supposed to do when GAS takes hold of your very soul?
But the BTB was the nices Ibanez I ever played.
I really like the tone alot. In fact, I like the tone so much I convinced myself to buy one even though I wasn't so comfortable with the neck size and 35" scale.
So eventually I recognized that I was a little impulsive in buying it. But what are you supposed to do when GAS takes hold of your very soul?
But the BTB was the nices Ibanez I ever played.
My first "real" bass was an SR800 which I got at 17. I was always heard with it despite playing through a POS KMD head & Peavey 15. It saw a lot of gig time in my late 80's hair band to euro goth phase. I ended up selling it in favor of a Kawai F2B after discovering Stanley & Mark King. I occasionally regretted it's passing vowing someday to get another one. Three years ago I got my hands on a BTB405QM & I've been playing it 90% of the time ever since. Last month I got a 400QM which will be seeing alot of action as well. It really blew me away how at home I feel w/these. I've got long arms & big hands so these basses are perfect. The neck shape, balance, aesthetics are totally ideal for me & they're built like an Abrams tank which is fitting since I play alot of hard/heavy music. I get some good usable tones w/the stock setup, but it's the eq that saves the BTB's day. Both basses will be undergoing EMG installment surgery around Christmas time. I sacrificed my Roadstar II (single humbucker) bass to the selling block in order to get the 400QM. After playing 5 string for a few years, the neck on the Roadstar felt like a dowel, so it wasn't hard to let go. I recently tried a TR(?) model which was really reminiscent of a Jazz, but even crisper in the tone dept. That'll be another one of my "someday" basses for sure. I still haven't tried an ATK and I'm dying to. So overall, my Ibanez experience has been real positive. Despite vomiting out alot of inferior entry level/mid product, the gems aren't that difficult to find and that's what I think endears alot of people to Ibanez. I see a Prestige series in my future. 
I have a BTB405Qm and it is a really good bass, I love it. Sadly though, I'm in the process of selling it to fund my next bass, a Yamaha AttitudeII. It has to go, it's not being used now thet Kubicki is here. Still though, ibanez do some good basses, and their guitars (the Jem, Universe, Gilbert and Gamble models) are awesome!
I've been a player for over 40 years and never thought that I would ever own a Ibanez instrument. Like many things Japanese-Korean there was a time (many years ago) when anything made in these countries was crap.
So being a good old boy, i've always played an American made neck through instrument.
Last February I was in a music store and happened upon a demo Ibanez SR905NTF. I had to admit it had great lines and the neck through is what I prefer. Picked it up and played it for 15 mins. It was a great experience, I knew right then that my old way of thinking about Japanese-Korean made instruments was a thing of the past. The quality of the hardware, fit and finish, and the grain in the wood was outstanding. The Bartolini Mk-1 electronics was putting out some serious sound, but the neck on this bass was the icing on the cake!
It took me until last week when I finally tracked down a new SR905CNF. It has become my main bass and will be for many years to come. I have no regrets buy this bass and I'm proud to tell anyone that I own an Ibanez.
This is not a photo of my bass, but it's identical to it.
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TD
So being a good old boy, i've always played an American made neck through instrument.
Last February I was in a music store and happened upon a demo Ibanez SR905NTF. I had to admit it had great lines and the neck through is what I prefer. Picked it up and played it for 15 mins. It was a great experience, I knew right then that my old way of thinking about Japanese-Korean made instruments was a thing of the past. The quality of the hardware, fit and finish, and the grain in the wood was outstanding. The Bartolini Mk-1 electronics was putting out some serious sound, but the neck on this bass was the icing on the cake!
It took me until last week when I finally tracked down a new SR905CNF. It has become my main bass and will be for many years to come. I have no regrets buy this bass and I'm proud to tell anyone that I own an Ibanez.
This is not a photo of my bass, but it's identical to it.
Invalid Link Removed
TD
have a few ibby's exb404's though they both
seem to have issue with the rosewood separating.. anyone know where to get exb404 type neck (or maybe a MIJ tr neck would fit and be better)? my 300dx pj seems to hold up pretty good so far. p here the white one i prolly paid too much for.. (had to reglue the rosewood fretboard veneer) but i had to have it to match my black one,, and yes the nut fell out of my black one.. lol they are light too
I've played Ibanez basses for a long time and I do enjoy these basses for it's smooth punchy sound quality. I currently own an Ibanez sr305b in a navy metallic finish. it's a great sounding bass. I do plan to modify this bass with a new preamp. I was thinking of getting either a darkglass tone capsule(if it's in stock) or an aguilar obp-3.
