Ibanez SR Basses, are the high end models worth the $$$?

[drewonedge]

I own an older cheap SR 4 string and an SR 756 6 string. I really like the feel of the SR bodies and necks. I mainly play my SR 756, which I love the feel of the neck and also the fact that it is a relatively lite 6 string bass. So I am beginning to contemplate purchasing a better SR 6 string model, looking at the 5006 line of SR basses, which I think are called the prestige line, are these instruments worth the extra coin over the 506 base models?
I guess what I’m getting at here is, is it worth buying a top shelf Ibanez?

 

[hypercarrots]

it's worth looking for an older japanese made soundgear. they aren't that expensive and are built well.

 

[Bassclef46]

i bought and returned a $2000 SR5000. I only returned it because the Ibanez neck is just to thin with a 1.5" nut. That just felt way to small. I might have gotten used to it, but for 2k i didnt want to risk it turning into wall art. So i returned it.

The bass was a work of art. the wood grain, the wenge fingerboard. The flawless fret work. The tone and versatility. The bart pups are custom USA made. the bridge has adjustments for fine tuning your string spacing. this one is made in Japan and they really know how to make something to perfection.

Yes i would absolutely recommend looking into buying a high end model.
I mean look at this thing.

 

[ClusterFlux]

is it worth buying a top shelf Ibanez?

Variations of this come up all the time.

IMO, there isn't a single note you can only play on a high-end instrument.

In terms of tone, not much will really differ. You can always swap pickups, on-board preamps, pots, strings etc. It is mostly the woods that can't be changed, and I don't think that always makes a huge difference in tone. And of course, not all high-end instruments have a tone you want, and many low-end instruments can have a tone you prefer.

Thus when you pay more, you are generally paying for:
• Higher quality craftsmanship
• Higher quality components or tonewoods
• Aesthetics
• The perception of status

Whether that matters is up to you, and your budget.

 

[A9X]

I can only answer from my perspective.

I guess what I’m getting at here is, is it worth buying a top shelf Ibanez?

They are very well made, use nice quality hardware and pickups and are a joy to play. Looking at the SR756, I'm wondering what you expect to get out of say an SR5006 over it. I've not played the SR756, but own an SR706 and though I now have a new BTB846v, I can't bring myself to sell it as it's a lovely bass. Is the change really going to be worth the cost difference? Or is it that you simply have some money burning a hole in your pocket and want a change?

My personal answer; keep what you have.

 

[drewonedge]

I can only answer from my perspective.


They are very well made, use nice quality hardware and pickups and are a joy to play. Looking at the SR756, I'm wondering what you expect to get out of say an SR5006 over it. I've not played the SR756, but own an SR706 and though I now have a new BTB846v, I can't bring myself to sell it as it's a lovely bass. Is the change really going to be worth the cost difference? Or is it that you simply have some money burning a hole in your pocket and want a change?

My personal answer; keep what you have.

The overall sound characteristics of the SR 756 are good, but not to my likings. I have considered buying a SR 506 because I know that I appreciate the Bart pickups more than the Nordstrom setup. I guess my real question is, if I know I would like a SR 506, would spending 3 x’s more on a SR 5006 be that much better of an instrument? Or would the answer be, if I am willing to spend $2000 on an Ibanez, maybe that money would be better spent going with a custom build, Warwick, or something like a Dingwall etc.?

 

[IronSean]

Well, I can guarantee it would have at least one more 0

The high end ones are a noticeable step up in materials, and you should feel it in the quality some too. But for 5x the price, it might be worth testing with an SR506 first. I feel like on any given day there should be some SR506's around used that you could buy and sell without losing money.

The pickups on the 5006 also aren't the exact same model as far as I can tell.

I do hear you on the Nordstom pickups though, I had an SR1205 that I just didn't quite get along with he sound of so I let it go. Sometimes I regret it though.