Hey guys and gals. I bought a 2013 Ibanez Sr-1205L about a month ago and I thought I should post some pictures and share my thoughts for any curious minds. Basic info first: 5 string, active electronics with pickup pan, master volume, bass, mid, treble boast/cut, mid-range select switch, and a by-pass switch, 5 piece bolt on neck, two Nordstrand "big singles," angled headstock, gold hardware, five piece bridge. (Thumb nails while I am writing, full photos at the end).
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Let's Start with the body:
The body is made out of mahogany with an Ovangkol (African Rosewood) top. The photo does not quiet capture the amber quality of the wood when the Ovangkol catches the light but the photo is decent:
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The way they tapper the top wood into the body wood is stunning as can be seen on the top horn:
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The 1/4" input is on the face of the bass, but at an angle; its kind of unique. Some people love it, some hate it. I have found that this design make it is easy for me to mistakenly think the 1/4 is in all the way when in fact it is not. But, that is an easy problem to fix, I just have to press firmly until it clicks in all the way.
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The big singles are amazing pickups. Norstrand took the traditional single coil jazz pickup and offset the poles by 45 degrees so that the pickup has wider field. It beautifully blends "beefiness" of the soap bar/humbucker pickup with the clarity and fullness of the single coil.
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I find the string spacing to be perfect for me. I can play fingerstyle, plectrom, or slap very easily.
Here are photos of the back, the bolts, and the neck pocket:
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If I had to find something to complain about for this bass it would be that the battery is located behind the back plate which must be unscrewed when it comes time to replace the 9 volt.
Moving on to the neck:
The neck is wonderful, it is narrow for a five sting, which is perfect for me because, although I have long fingers, I have small palms/hands. The neck is made out of a five piece sandwich of wenge and bubinga. The fingerboard is made out of rosewood. The frets are mediums and feature "hidden ends" for an ultra-smooth feel. There are dot inlays on the edge and colorful abalone inlays in the fingerboard.
The radius is flat,and the action is great for fast playing.
Here is a photo of the back of the headstock:
Now that I've hit on the hardware, here are a few thoughts on the tone:
As I briefly mentioned early, the tone is very middle of the road. With a flat EQ, it is big, bright, round and clear.
If you like the dark or heavier tones from the thunderbird or a p-bass, this may not be the beast for you, although it is possible to get a low fat tone out of the preamp. The eq covers a great range, but if you are after something very specific, buy a more specific bass. If you like the McCartney's tone on Abbey Road, buy a beatle bass, don't buy an active bass and try to EQ the snot out of it to make it sound like a beatle bass. If you like Jone's tone on LZII, buy a vintage jazz. First wave punk rock, but a old passive P-bass. As my electric guitarist often says, "Ya got to let it do what it does." Meaning, let the instrument sound as it wants, and if it is not what you were looking for, move along to something else, don't try to fix it with some enormous pedal loop/amp rig. But if you are after a full tone with plenty of options, this is a great bass for you. I play in a worship band and having plenty of options serves us well depending upon the style of music we are playing. In short, this bass is closer to a jack of all trades than a master of one.
Hope this helps someone! Cheers!
Link Removed
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Let's Start with the body:
The body is made out of mahogany with an Ovangkol (African Rosewood) top. The photo does not quiet capture the amber quality of the wood when the Ovangkol catches the light but the photo is decent:
Link Removed
The way they tapper the top wood into the body wood is stunning as can be seen on the top horn:
Link Removed
The 1/4" input is on the face of the bass, but at an angle; its kind of unique. Some people love it, some hate it. I have found that this design make it is easy for me to mistakenly think the 1/4 is in all the way when in fact it is not. But, that is an easy problem to fix, I just have to press firmly until it clicks in all the way.
Link Removed
The big singles are amazing pickups. Norstrand took the traditional single coil jazz pickup and offset the poles by 45 degrees so that the pickup has wider field. It beautifully blends "beefiness" of the soap bar/humbucker pickup with the clarity and fullness of the single coil.
Link Removed
I find the string spacing to be perfect for me. I can play fingerstyle, plectrom, or slap very easily.
Here are photos of the back, the bolts, and the neck pocket:
Link Removed
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If I had to find something to complain about for this bass it would be that the battery is located behind the back plate which must be unscrewed when it comes time to replace the 9 volt.
Moving on to the neck:
The neck is wonderful, it is narrow for a five sting, which is perfect for me because, although I have long fingers, I have small palms/hands. The neck is made out of a five piece sandwich of wenge and bubinga. The fingerboard is made out of rosewood. The frets are mediums and feature "hidden ends" for an ultra-smooth feel. There are dot inlays on the edge and colorful abalone inlays in the fingerboard.
The radius is flat,and the action is great for fast playing.
Here is a photo of the back of the headstock:
Now that I've hit on the hardware, here are a few thoughts on the tone:
As I briefly mentioned early, the tone is very middle of the road. With a flat EQ, it is big, bright, round and clear.
If you like the dark or heavier tones from the thunderbird or a p-bass, this may not be the beast for you, although it is possible to get a low fat tone out of the preamp. The eq covers a great range, but if you are after something very specific, buy a more specific bass. If you like the McCartney's tone on Abbey Road, buy a beatle bass, don't buy an active bass and try to EQ the snot out of it to make it sound like a beatle bass. If you like Jone's tone on LZII, buy a vintage jazz. First wave punk rock, but a old passive P-bass. As my electric guitarist often says, "Ya got to let it do what it does." Meaning, let the instrument sound as it wants, and if it is not what you were looking for, move along to something else, don't try to fix it with some enormous pedal loop/amp rig. But if you are after a full tone with plenty of options, this is a great bass for you. I play in a worship band and having plenty of options serves us well depending upon the style of music we are playing. In short, this bass is closer to a jack of all trades than a master of one.
Hope this helps someone! Cheers!
