• 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 really?

#81
Some of the Ibanez basses I've owned and still own over the last 3 or so years. All have been exceptional basses in build and tone.

From Top to bottom:
My twin Ibanez BTB 1405 Premium
My Current Ibanez BTB1605 DTF Premium
Ibanez 1605 Poplar Burl
Ibanez SR4005 Prestige (Amazing bass)
Ibanez SR4505 Prestige (Bought off a collector) Amazing Bass
My Current Ibanez SR5005OL (Just purchased brand new and simply the best I've owned)
Ibanez SR5BBLTD Buckeye Burl
Ibanez SR1805 Premium (Best Gigging bass I had for 2 years)



New Image.JPG
Screen Shot 2016-03-30 at 12.08.02 PM.png
Ibanez 1605 front.jpeg
SR4005.jpg
photo 1.JPG
photo 3.JPG
2442879_b4922476df357108828e385e761447ad.JPG
2438595_aa130af04f6f6f0e5f89f5c8adc366ab.jpg
 
  • Like
Reactions: andronik, Juan Lauda, bassbooty and 3 others
#82
upload_2016-4-25_12-20-26.png
Link Removed

Neither my go-to bass nor rig anymore but my SR305 has done well by me. It's still stock, besides me changing the rounds for some Rotosound TruBass 88s. Black Nylon Flatwounds.

Normally get a compliment from a random audience member every I play it. I enjoy playing the headless more, but she only gets compliments for the looks haha. I guess the Ibanez got that sound.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Bluefusion and J.D. Detroit
#85
Also- have to add that my ancient Ibby 5 string basses always get comments regarding the sound/tone, and always favorable.
Across several bands, from band mates and audience alike, always favorable.

Also, also adding that the fretted one w/ Kahler bridge has a killer B string, and the fretless is pretty good with the stock bridge. Really good basses, would be great if not for the narrow string spacing.
 
#86
Eilif said:
Glad you enjoy your new bass. Looks like you were operating from some shakey presupositions.

1)Not sure why you thought all Ibanez stuff was junk. I'm not a fan of most of their designs, but they've always made good basses at a variety of price points. I've got an artcore that I've upgraded a bit, but it's a great player and has performed well for me onstage.

2)The bass you bought originally retailed for around 1k right? That's pretty far from an "inexpensive" bass. As for whether a cheap bass can sound like an expensive bass. Sometimes they can. I've heard some great sounding cheapies. However, I've found that:
-This is less common than some would have you believe.
-The sound might be there, but usually there are alot of other areas where the cheapie falls short. (construction, fretwork, appearance, weight, etc)
-By the time a cheapie is made to sound and function as well as a more expensive bass, enough $ and time has been invested to bring their overall costs much closer.
Click to expand...


The model the OP has was made in 1991 (retail $1299.00) and 1992 (retail $1399.00). In 1992, the model was offered with a Paduak or Bubinga body as an option and at the same price. 1993 saw the model renamed (numbered) the SR1300. The subsequent year saw the SR1300 change to the Mahogany,Padauk front and back laminate as made well-known by Fieldy's choice of an SR1305...

Those prices, adjusted for inflation to today's dollar would be:
$2271.00, $2374.00, and $2305, respectively... These are not inexpensive basses and are venerable bargains owing, as much as anything, to the vacillation of model numbers and orientation. Hard as crap to keep up with!:) Hey, out of chaos springs order!!
 
  • Like
Reactions: J.D. Detroit
#87
123321 said:
The model the OP has was made in 1991 (retail $1299.00) and 1992 (retail $1399.00). In 1992, the model was offered with a Paduak or Bubinga body as an option and at the same price. 1993 saw the model renamed (numbered) the SR1300. The subsequent year saw the SR1300 change to the Mahogany,Padauk front and back laminate as made well-known by Fieldy's choice of an SR1305...

Those prices, adjusted for inflation to today's dollar would be:
$2271.00, $2374.00, and $2305, respectively... These are not inexpensive basses and are venerable bargains owing, as much as anything, to the vacillation of model numbers and orientation. Hard as crap to keep up with!:) Hey, out of chaos springs order!!
Click to expand...

Good to know. I would however, take the inflation numbers/values with a grain of salt for two reasons.
1. The price of Ibanez basses (and most -though not all- basses for that matter) has not tracked inflation. They've actually stayed relatively close to the original numbers so the sticker on an equivalent bass today is not much more than it was in the 90's.
2. Ibanez basses have improved and refined quite a bit in the last 20 years so today's Ibby's are often better basses at lower prices.

Still, the 1500 looks like a great bass. You'd certainly have to spend over 1k (possibly around 1500) to get an equivalent model new today and you would not be getting it Made in Japan (I assume the 1500 is MIJ?).
 
#91
petrus61 said:
Can anyone speak the Nordy pickups in some of the mid-priced Ibby's? Are these made by Nordstrand or are they an offshore made version?
Click to expand...

The pickups on the SR Standard series basses are "Nordstrand designed" and have a "CND" logo on the pickups. The SR Premium series have "actual Nordstrand Big Single" pickups in them.
 
#93
Eilif said:
Good to know. I would however, take the inflation numbers/values with a grain of salt for two reasons.
1. The price of Ibanez basses (and most -though not all- basses for that matter) has not tracked inflation. They've actually stayed relatively close to the original numbers so the sticker on an equivalent bass today is not much more than it was in the 90's.
2. Ibanez basses have improved and refined quite a bit in the last 20 years so today's Ibby's are often better basses at lower prices.

Still, the 1500 looks like a great bass. You'd certainly have to spend over 1k (possibly around 1500) to get an equivalent model new today and you would not be getting it Made in Japan (I assume the 1500 is MIJ?).
Click to expand...


Yes... They started Korean manufacture around 1994 on "lesser" models with an eventual transference of all models both and now- beyond...

There are people, like me, that feel as if the real gems are in the random Japan ones. I'm sure there are fantastic instruments in the bunch at random now... Leo Fender said (loosely): "I can't tell God how to grow a tree"... The woods used back then were cured and picked from a more ready stockpile... I spoke with John Buscarino on the phone around that time (Nova Guitars, Buscarino Guitars) and he said the Japanese were buying the best woods making it harder for him as a builder... This would have been in the late 1980's when he was still heading his company Nova Guitars and Basses.

As to how they've "managed" to keep prices about the same, here is an interesting read:

Guitaronomics: How Much Does it Actually Cost to Build a Guitar? | Reverb
 
  • Like
Reactions: tfer
#94
I have owned and played almost exclusively Ibanez SRs for my entire bass playing life so far. I've had an SR505, a fretless SR300, an SRX500, and I currently have an SRF705 Portamento fretless and I'm GASing pretty hard for one of the new SR305s with mahogany body and upgraded pickups. None of those are what I would call high end (its not an American Fender, a Wal, US Spector or whatever), but they are solidly made, versatile instruments that are consistently the best bang for your buck in pretty much any price bracket. It's mainly just because every aspect of the design just works for me. I don't like big, heavy slab bodied basses with thick chunky necks. The Soundgear is a bass I can pick up and not even have to think about whether it'll work for me or not, because it just will.

My only complaint is the horrendous resale value! Urgh.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Mike.C. and Herrick
#95
123321 said:
Yes... They started Korean manufacture around 1994 on "lesser" models with an eventual transference of all models both and now- beyond...

There are people, like me, that feel as if the real gems are in the random Japan ones. I'm sure there are fantastic instruments in the bunch at random now... Leo Fender said (loosely): "I can't tell God how to grow a tree"... The woods used back then were cured and picked from a more ready stockpile... I spoke with John Buscarino on the phone around that time (Nova Guitars, Buscarino Guitars) and he said the Japanese were buying the best woods making it harder for him as a builder... This would have been in the late 1980's when he was still heading his company Nova Guitars and Basses.

As to how they've "managed" to keep prices about the same, here is an interesting read:

Guitaronomics: How Much Does it Actually Cost to Build a Guitar? | Reverb
Click to expand...

With modern refinements I wouldn't necessarily take the 90's MIJ Ibanez, but I'd certainly want to give it a try if possible before buying the current Indonesian model.

Very interesting article. I wonder if anyone has done an article that sheds some light on the costs of building instruments in various countries as the cost of labor has increased in more expensive countries just as the expertise/infrastrucure/investment has grown in countries with lower cost of labor. Japan to Korea, to China/Indonesia/Vietnam/Thailand.etc...
 
#99
R.I.P. said:
I sold a SR506 a few months back......missed it so much, I had to get another one

This one is not so pretty, but a great bass

Hard to go wrong with any Ibanez

Edit: I wish I never sold my MIJ Roadstar either

View attachment 852241
Click to expand...

I have that same bass, and like you, I've owned 2 of them because I regretted selling it the first time! I also have an Ibanez SRX400 and it's a great bass as well.

Jacob
 
  • Like
Reactions: Helix
#100
MethodsofDance said:
I don't like big, heavy slab bodied basses with thick chunky necks. The Soundgear is a bass I can pick up and not even have to think about whether it'll work for me or not, because it just will.
Click to expand...

This is the point I'm at right now. I really like the sound of my Carvin PB5 but the weight & body size are just not my thing anymore. Even the lightweight Gibson EB5 doesn't do it for me because of the body size. My SR655 is like a sleek beast. The problem I have is trying to get a sound I like out of the active electronics. I was strictly a passive mang before.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back