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Ibanez or Fender?

#21
I have both a SR 500 and a Fretless MIJ Jazz PJ and I have to say when ever I am going to gig or rehearse I grab the sr500. The Fender just does not get the play time. That might partially be due to the fact it is fretless. Get both. Right now I am saving for the 51 RI P bass.
 
#31
Picking a bass for yourself is a very personal subjective decision that requires you to know what sound you are looking for(which has a lot to do with skull anatomy and your own hearing-physiology-mechism... which may make a bass sound different from one person to the next) ,your anatomical contraints(hand/finger size and strength),the amplifier and speakers that you play thru and the type of music that you play,and the amount of money that you're willing to spend. It has NOTHING to do with the type of bass anyone else plays("I want to play the same bass as my favorite Bassist"),the color, the brand, etc...What's good for one bassist would be a lousy choice for the next...conversely, a really good bassist can make a very cheap bass sound like one of the best basses made, with his finger work alone!! Keeping all this in mind-we, on TB, can give you our biased or "unbiased" opinions ,or we can help you become more knowledgable about certain basses ....but then you have to do the fun part-TRY OUT A LOT OF BASSES. First ask specific questions on TB, and then, take your amp (or play thru one like it) to the music store and start to try lots of basses....its often good to take notes as you try them out becouse you'll forget a lot by the end of a few weeks of testing... and then decide... after all the suggestions on TB, and your experiences playing the basses...when you feel you've found 1-3 basses that you really like-which sound good to you, and feel good (that is-for your finger length etc, you feel its easy to play compared to the other basses...if it sounds good but you can't play it -it won't do you much good) and that dont break the bank...Obviously if you want the "best", or, most expensive bass built on the planet, (whichever one that is), go ahead and spend bookoo bucks...but if you most likely won't have to spend more than 700.00 Max. on an extremely good bass(there are soo many fine basses under this price-new and used) at this point in your carreer. Then, after you've narrowed it down to 1-3 basses, keep playing them till its obvious which one you like best using all the criteria above and making your final choice will (usually)eventually become easy and obvious!! May your search be a fun (the search for the "right" bass can be a never-ending one, but its a lot of fun) and fruitful one...Peace...DAcat :cool:
 
#32
I couldn't play an Ibanez with a skinny neck. Just me, I guess, but that's a deal breaker.

OTOH, a good friend, who is a bassist much superior to myself, finally got an Ibanez after years of playing Ric, Fender, Hofner, and trash such as that, and he LOVES his Ibanez...the skinny neck was what made it for him.

So play 'em and make up your mind. Pictures in a catalog or online aren't basses.
 

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