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Ibanez really?

#101
Herrick said:
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.
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Herrick, is it the sound/tone/frequencies of the preamp EQ or just the fact that it actually has an active preamp that you think is the issue? I ask that because you said you were strictly passive before.
 
#102
imho, most of the time active preamp on flat sounds like passive bass. it may perhaps widen the bass response but those changes are miniscule. i think most of the time it's prejudice against acitve electronics. from my experience, tone and volume pots change sound more than active electronics on flat settings.
 
#103
bassbooty said:
Herrick, is it the sound/tone/frequencies of the preamp EQ or just the fact that it actually has an active preamp that you think is the issue? I ask that because you said you were strictly passive before.
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I think the issue is that I'm not used to tweaking the preamp controls...or even the controls on my amp for that matter. I've mostly played single-pickup P basses before and I would just plug those in and like how they sounded.

I've tried Chromes, Carvin Flatwounds, and the stock Elixirs. The lower notes on the B string were a bit muddy with Carvin Flats so I think I'm going to stick with the Elixirs but the G string is very "plingy" and bright which I'm not a fan of.
 
#104
ROGI said:
imho, most of the time active preamp on flat sounds like passive bass. it may perhaps widen the bass response but those changes are miniscule. i think most of the time it's prejudice against acitve electronics. from my experience, tone and volume pots change sound more than active electronics on flat settings.
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Yeah there's very little (if any) difference in tone or volume when I go from passive to active with everything set flat.
 
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#105
Herrick said:
I think the issue is that I'm not used to tweaking the preamp controls...or even the controls on my amp for that matter. I've mostly played single-pickup P basses before and I would just plug those in and like how they sounded.

I've tried Chromes, Carvin Flatwounds, and the stock Elixirs. The lower notes on the B string were a bit muddy with Carvin Flats so I think I'm going to stick with the Elixirs but the G string is very "plingy" and bright which I'm not a fan of.
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Interesting, I didn't like the Elixirs because of the G string and I thought they were a bit too tame in the low end. I found the Dean Markley Helix nickels suited my Ibby 5-strings (and I normally like steels!).
 
#107
Herrick said:
How is the G string on those?
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I find them to be fairly well balanced compared to other sets I have tried on my Ibbys (SR1205e and SRSC805). The only other set I liked were Hi Beams but I wasn't totally happy with the B string tonally despite the fact that the set was fairly well balanced tension wise. The Helix set was a better fit for me tonally even though the D has a bit more tension than the rest of the set (but not as much as you find with D'Addario XLs).
 
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#110
I used to really like Ibanez back in the day. Ive owned a Roadstar and a Musician. I wish I still had my fretless musician. Sold it to pay the rent. I can't keep up with their modern basses. They all have names like BTD163942-X3RTDi. I'm sure some of them are great.
 
#112
Kukulkan61 said:
IMO The ATK 300 was the best bass Ibanez ever put out...
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edencab said:
I'd love an ATK , but they weigh a ton!
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I have a red sparkle ATK300. I've thought about selling it a few times but can't bring myself to. It's very funky/cool - but the neck is like a baseball bat and it is the heaviest I currently (or have ever) owned - like 11 lbs, even heavier than any 5's I have. I actually traded a SR 5 string of some sort plus some cash for it - and I got the SR for 50 bucks! Usually when I go into Guitar Center the cheap Ibanez basses play better than any of the high end stuff on the wall. I went to a blues jam once where one of the top guys in town was playing - just awesome tone. I figured he had some exotic bass - nope, Ibanez Soundgear.

ATK300-2_zps0155ef64.jpg
 
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#114
Nice! I really, really want one of these...

tbirdsp said:
I have a red sparkle ATK300. I've thought about selling it a few times but can't bring myself to. It's very funky/cool - but the neck is like a baseball bat and it is the heaviest I currently (or have ever) owned - like 11 lbs, even heavier than any 5's I have. I actually traded a SR 5 string of some sort plus some cash for it - and I got the SR for 50 bucks! Usually when I go into Guitar Center the cheap Ibanez basses play better than any of the high end stuff on the wall. I went to a blues jam once where one of the top guys in town was playing - just awesome tone. I figured he had some exotic bass - nope, Ibanez Soundgear.

ATK300-2_zps0155ef64.jpg
Click to expand...
 
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#115
tbirdsp said:
I have a red sparkle ATK300. I've thought about selling it a few times but can't bring myself to. It's very funky/cool - but the neck is like a baseball bat and it is the heaviest I currently (or have ever) owned - like 11 lbs, even heavier than any 5's I have. I actually traded a SR 5 string of some sort plus some cash for it - and I got the SR for 50 bucks! Usually when I go into Guitar Center the cheap Ibanez basses play better than any of the high end stuff on the wall. I went to a blues jam once where one of the top guys in town was playing - just awesome tone. I figured he had some exotic bass - nope, Ibanez Soundgear.

ATK300-2_zps0155ef64.jpg
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here's mine, a Bass instructor in Korea bought it for a student, so it's back where it came from...miss it tho...0115151314a.jpg
 
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#116
Ibanez certainly isn't a "junk" brand by any means. Like almost every brand now, they make instruments at many price points. Why would they solely sell "junk"? Some companies do, yes, but Ibanez, Yamaha, Fender, G&L, etc. etc. all make lower end models and high end models. I'm sure they wouldn't want to give up on missing a market segment. Besides, Gary Willis, John Wetton, Sting, so many pros have at some point or still do play Ibanez basses (among other instruments).

LL
 
#119
Mike.C. said:
The perfect fits are MK4CBC-B & MK4CBC-T. I cannot emphasize enough how much of an improvement this is. I don't even need to replace the pre-amp - the pickups were all it needed.
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So true. I put those MK4CBCs in my SR700 along with an Audere preamp and the results are amazing. Despite my ongoing G&L addiction, my ears tell me that this Ibanez is the best sounding bass (of 16) that I own.
 
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#120
I played an SR405 since the 90's. Up until 3 years ago. I can no longer play it as I can't get used to that small string spacing anymore. It was almost all I've ever known since I was a teenager. I bought an Elrick E-volition 5 string and the SR just doesn't feel right anymore. It sits in the closet and I comes out every once in a while, but doesn't get played all that often anymore.
 

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