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ibanez sr 305, buying without trying!

thehangingmist

thehangingmist

Dec 14, 2007
6,367
302
New Delhi, India
#1
so do the ibanez SR basses have any known issues like the fender deadspot between 4-7 frets on the 1st string?
how is the B string on those instruments?
or anything i should be aware/careful about before i order one online without trying?

there is a return policy but its somewhat of a PITA to deal with it honestly, packing and shipping the bass back and all. ofcourse i'll return it if there any unacceptable flaws with it but i'd like to avoid it by not going to for something dicey in the first place

thank you, i may have something very exciting news to share soon!:bassist:
 
#2
The only bass I would every buy without giving it a go would be your first bass, if it was your first stringed instrument.. You'd know nothing about it and wouldn't be fussed/wouldn't know any of the faults.

How many basses have you had previously? Ever had an Ibanez?
 
#3
ibanez has a pretty consistent quality from their low end lines to there high end ones. the only real differences you'll find are a lower quality of wood in the lower end models and "budget" pickups. if it's anything like the sr505 then I'm sure you'll be happy with it as long as you like slimmer then normal necks
 
#4
tfernandez said:
ibanez has a pretty consistent quality from their low end lines to there high end ones. the only real differences you'll find are a lower quality of wood in the lower end models and "budget" pickups. if it's anything like the sr505 then I'm sure you'll be happy with it as long as you like slimmer then normal necks
Click to expand...

yeah i dig the slimmer neck and am planning on changing the pu's and pre later.
 
#6
I've played a 305; if you like the Ibanez style and build it's an excellent buy.

All basses have dead spots; I notice them on my Fender P and my Ibanez alike. None of mine are bothersome, but you might get one that is worse than usual. Sometimes a string change and a setup can mitigate the issue.

My Ibanez 5 has a good B string on it; if yours feels too floppy you can look for a stiffer gauge or string wind.

As for buying without trying, good luck; but Ibanez basses seem pretty consistent to me, and every time I go into a store I pick a couple up and play them for comparison. You'll need a setup, almost certainly, no matter how good the item is. :)
 
#10
varunkapahi said:
hmm so i did manage to find a place where i could try it, woah it really sounds so mid scoopy and glassy that its un natural :eek:
its great playing wise but tone is meh am glad i tried it out, maybe i should save up for a higher end sr
Click to expand...

If you liked the SR feel but didn't dig the sound, ill recommend you try something off their SRX line, I got my SRX500 for 150$ used on craigslist, has all the nice SR feel with a very punchy mid sound, not scooped at all.
SR500.jpg
 
#11
I have owned a couple of their low end basses and honestly they were well built. They absolutely go cheap on hardware, electronics, and wood selections but the quality is solid. I put some active EMG PJ p'ups in one of these really cheap Gio basses and it sounded huge!! I recorded two metal albums with that bass because it sounded so good in the studio and was very easy to play. Wish I still had it, maybe I'll build another. :D
 
#12
The SR300 is among my fave basses. The 5 stringer Id think is same bass just fiver. The only issue I know of is the brdige saddle adjustment screws on the 300 series are overly narrow. Causeing fairly frequent complaints of the bridge saddles working their way down (lowering) from playing the bass. If yours does that, once your certain of best action for you. A bit of elmers glue or similiar on the screw shat. Left to dry after readjusting action. Can fix that. Some have said they use locktite to fix it instead. Other then that the SR300's are excellent. The style sweeper mid shift is vaery useful imo. Even though once dialed in to taste it stayed there and I just used pup blend along with the bass and treble controls for sound variations. Theres a sweet spot for me with the mid sweep tha I just left it in. But I doubt Id of gotten as good a sound without it. Excellent necks on the 4 string. Fiver 305 is probably one of the slimmer five string necks. I think youll be happy with yours once you adjust pups to taste along with action and find your fave areas for the active tone controls.
 
#13
I compared the sr305,505 and 705 at a GC and liked the sound of the 305 the best. I didn't find it scoopy or that modern to my ears. The tone was what I prefer. The 505 and 705 sounded more aggressive which is not what I'm after. They all felt about the same to me. For me, they all could stand to be upgraded in pickups and preamp so why buy the more expensive one?
 
#14
darkstorm said:
The SR300 is among my fave basses. The 5 stringer Id think is same bass just fiver. The only issue I know of is the brdige saddle adjustment screws on the 300 series are overly narrow. Causeing fairly frequent complaints of the bridge saddles working their way down (lowering) from playing the bass. If yours does that, once your certain of best action for you. A bit of elmers glue or similiar on the screw shat. Left to dry after readjusting action. Can fix that. Some have said they use locktite to fix it instead.
Click to expand...

Clear (acrylic!) nail polish works too, if you can't find Loctite in a store.
 

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