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Ibanez SR Series

#22
MacaroniShrek said:
Thanks everyone who mentioned the issues with the finish on the SR500's I have my eyes on the other models now, specifically the ones with Nordstrand pickups.

Anyone have experience with the SR650?
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I have the SR755NTF (the extra 5 denotes it as a 5 string) and played the SR650NTF when I tried mine out. I didn't like the "antique" finish at all and that was enough to put me off. If we had the light coloured ones available I probably would have bought it instead. In the passive setting the P pickup sounds great and very authentic but the J pickup is a single coil and can hum - some louder than others apparently. Use together you can get a very passable jazz bass sound out of them but you also have the active setting too. The SR650 was designed specifically for people who wanted "Fender" tones in a different ergonomic package. The SR755NTF was the same electronics package with higher quality woods and whilst I prefer mine to the SR655NTF I played it was really all about the looks (and mine was massively reduced at the time:cool:).

The latest worthy consideration is the SR600e which has humbucking Nordstrand Big Breaks, so no noise regardless of how your pickups are selected. These have replaced the 500 and 650 i think (ask for a discount if you're going to go that way?) and I have read here that they have a great P bass tone, a very passable Jazz bass tone and many others to be unlocked in there too because of the versatility of the preamp and active electronics. Good luck.
 
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#23
I've always been able to get anything I needed from the ICE pre on my SRs. But the 600e is Precision city on the neck pup with some twiddling. Does a decent Jazz tone too. The split coils are dead quiet, also.
 
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#26
Quick search on this serial number seems to indicate its a made in Indonesia Premium SR from 2014...
Photo indeed looks like a Premium SR...
Not 100% sure, but I think the characteristics were the same as current Premium SR (with Big Singles pickups)...
Hope it helps ...
 
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#29
AlanT1959 said:
Whoops sorry, try this one: (14673) Ibanez SDGR Premium F0340E Bass Guitar | Reverb

Also I downloaded the 2014 Ibanez catalogue and it doesn't show this bass
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DOF (deep ocean flat) was 2015 only
E35B811C-B388-427D-8AD1-718A101A82A3.jpeg
 
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#31
Snert said:
The SR500s come in a horrible brown mahogany finish that is prone to wearing through to the base timber. Many of the other models use different body woods and finishes so without a specific model and year it's hard to be more specific.
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Gilmourisgod said:
+1 on the "Brown Mahogany" finish, perhaps the least durable finish on any recent production bass, which is inexplicable on an otherwise superb bass. I've long schemed to buy buy an SR500 and strip that crap finish off and re-do it as Tru -Oil or wipe on poly, hundreds of them for sale on Ebay and Reverb, all with finish wear in the same spots. The ergonomics and super slim neck just fit my hands. Personally I like how the Barts sound, but a lot of people like the Nordstrom. A bewildering number of models to choose from kind of "dilutes" the brand IMO, they ought to pare down the product line to essentials. The Prestige series are truly boutique level basses.
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Vodyanoi said:
I'll join the folks above and I'll agree that the brown finish of the older (and the newer too, if they still have it) SR500 models is something to be avoided at all costs, except if you enjoy that kind of distressed look.

In any case, every SR that I've played--from the budget GSR200 to the more expensive models--were flawless when it comes to QC.
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Cloris.gif
Really don't know why the can't use a naturally "brown"wood for these basses.
 
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#32
Thing is , the older SR500 ARE "naturally brown wood", mahogany, which makes the " brown mahogany" finish all the more dreadful. Its an industrial version of Minwax Polyshades, which is just stain mixed into poly. The stain stays in suspension, so it never really penetrates into the wood. When it inevitably chips, it goes right back to bare wood. Its a cheap one-step finish, but it doesnt hold up at all. About the only positive: Its easy to strip for a refin.
 
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#33
I'm sure this must have been discussed before but why in the world would they would have a nice body finish like the one shown above in post #29 (Deep Ocean Flat) and pair it with a brown headstock on a premium series while lesser versions like the SR300 series have many color choices/durable finishes with matching headstocks???
 
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#34
AlanT1959 said:
I'm sure this must have been discussed before but why in the world would they would have a nice body finish like the one shown above in post #29 (Deep Ocean Flat) and pair it with a brown headstock on a premium series while lesser versions like the SR300 series have many color choices/durable finishes with matching headstocks???
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I'm of the sneaking suspicion the Premium series assembly line has a huge-a** bin full of KTS necks..it's a shared design among the various models. The only things that change are the pick-ups, preamp, and top woods. I imagine it would extend build-time and production costs to divert a finite number of premium necks for alternative face veneers and/or finishes...the bodies not so much as folks are willing to pay more for the fancier finishes and tops.

Riis
 
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#35
Gilmourisgod said:
Thing is , the older SR500 ARE "naturally brown wood", mahogany, which makes the " brown mahogany" finish all the more dreadful. Its an industrial version of Minwax Polyshades, which is just stain mixed into poly. The stain stays in suspension, so it never really penetrates into the wood. When it inevitably chips, it goes right back to bare wood. Its a cheap one-step finish, but it doesnt hold up at all. About the only positive: Its easy to strip for a refin.
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Yes!!It's mixed into the poly.
It should be rubbed into the bare wood.
And then,if needed,a poly coat added.
 
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#36
Gilmourisgod said:
Thing is , the older SR500 ARE "naturally brown wood", mahogany, which makes the " brown mahogany" finish all the more dreadful. Its an industrial version of Minwax Polyshades, which is just stain mixed into poly. The stain stays in suspension, so it never really penetrates into the wood. When it inevitably chips, it goes right back to bare wood. Its a cheap one-step finish, but it doesnt hold up at all. About the only positive: Its easy to strip for a refin.
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One reason why I stayed away from the SR series is that the brown stain is too even.It shows no grain features.
It just looks like brown paint.
I prefer the BTB series.
 
#38
Look into a used 650 or one of the premium basses. Both my SR’s have Nordstrands. They are killer. The 650 is a p/j set up and the sr1800 has soap bars. Both are killer. I couldn’t bond with the barts when I had the sr500.
 
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