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Ibanez SR300E

K

ksandvik

Dec 10, 2007
3,414
46
SF Bay Area North CA
www.kentsandvik.com
#1
I saw both the SR305E and SR300E at the local GC store last weekend so I tried them out. Wow. Great bass guitars, if the SR line was a good choice for easy playability, the Indonesian quality is even better with the SR300E ones. I was interested in the 305E but the 300E is so lightweight and ergonomically excellent -- it's most likely the bass I will get. However... See later. Meanwhile, the pickup system is great (single coil to humbucker, 3-way EQ) and the bridge is now really solid. These are perfect for my kind of gigs where I'm a sub for various bands playing in odd locations where I don't want to bring in a 1k instrument.

However.

The USA imported SR300E colors are the most bizarre I've ever seen for someone importing bass guitars to this country where black and white rules: Seashore metallic burst, ugh, Champaigne gold, good grief, Charred Champaigne Burst, uh huh, Root beer metallic, what are they thinking, Iron Pewter, take black and make it look really bland. The metallic gray kind of reminds me of a EBMM Luke so that's the only nice one amongst those strange colors imported to USA. Compare this with the rest of the world that gets nice Pearl white ones, really nice metallic black, wood stained blue ones and so forth. Good grief.

My guess GC will get the gray ones and just 'forget' to order the other colors...
 
#2
I have the SR300E, in gray. I love it. The new pickups are a vast improvement, and the build quality is superb. I think you may be at least partially correct on the colors, and GC. :)
I got mine at GC, and they only had one 300..in gray.
I was glad, because I really like the color. They did have one 305 , in "Root beer"..which isn't a bad color, really, but I have to agree about the somewhat odd color choices. Some of those new bursts just look wrong. Lol
 
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#3
tim68 said:
I have the SR300E, in gray. I love it. The new pickups are a vast improvement, and the build quality is superb. I think you may be at least partially correct on the colors, and GC. :)
I got mine at GC, and they only had one 300..in gray.
I was glad, because I really like the color. They did have one 305 , in "Root beer"..which isn't a bad color, really, but I have to agree about the somewhat odd color choices. Some of those new bursts just look wrong. Lol
Click to expand...

Yes it would be a shame if SR300Es were not sold that much due to the strange color options provided here in USA as the build quality and electronics are great -- or if nothing else, those odd colors show up nine months later on Musicians Friend as Deal of the Day....

There's a famous bass company in central California that actually stopped providing more odd color schemes this year-- basically as the founder said those don't sell. Or, you can't go wrong by making (shiny) black and (shiny) white basses, or wood color bass guitar.
 
#5
It is usually one of the differentiators between the 300 and the 375 and up. Bright colors.

The last SR300 with the agathis body and CAP soap bars never quite sounded up to snuff to me. The new pickups as well as mahogany body are certainly an improvement.
 
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#6
I would get a SR375E if those were available and with decent color models, however not around here in USA and as I said, those SR300Es look dreadful which is sad as they are really nice playable bass guitars. I just need to sit and wait until someone inside Ibanez realizes that normal colored bass guitars, normal black, normal white, sell... This summer, next year...
 
#8
ERIC31 said:
I do like strange colored basses and love Ibanez in particular.

I'll just wait for the inevitable price drop and score one for a smaller price! :)
Click to expand...

Yes, I would not be surprised those weird colored ones show up on sale as Deal of the day at Musicians Friend this summer... You could also get them cheap as used as weird-colored bass guitars are hard to sell.
 
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#9
SR300E_SMB_1P_01.png


This one here in particular. :)
 
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#11
Especially with the lower-priced ranges of a particular brand, you have to understand that they do focus groups with the targeted demographic.
These colors tested well with beginners. It's also logical that they aren't using the biggest and best hunks of mahogany (saving them for SR500s) so paint is a must.

The better wood and better pickups are for us older folks.
 
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#12
KeithAlanK said:
Especially with the lower-priced ranges of a particular brand, you have to understand that they do focus groups with the targeted demographic.
These colors tested well with beginners. It's also logical that they aren't using the biggest and best hunks of mahogany (saving them for SR500s) so paint is a must.

The better wood and better pickups are for us older folks.
Click to expand...

Yes, I would like to know what kind of target group liked Charred Champagne Burst, Champagne Gold, or Seashore Metallic Burst, 10 year olds? Even the plain colors are so painfully-hip they don't make sense like the Metallic Gray (looks like my Mazda CX-5.) I can't think using white or normal shiny black is more expensive than those wacko colors. Anyway, its Ibanez USA, the rest of the world has more normal colors. And if they go for the entry level target, GSR and SR250s are plenty good enough for beginners (and heh, SR250 comes in white :-) )
 
#15
I've got one coming in candy apple later this week, I'll let you know what I think. I played one at GC also, and also metallic gray, lol, and reallllly liked it. As a long time guitar player moving to bass, I ended up choosing it over the LTD B-205sm, which felt noticably slower and took more effort. (Actually played a B-205 and 206, both beautiful instruments, but not a good first step from guitar.)
 
#18
I am about to order a SR300E, and I am even more limited as to color choice, because a left handed one comes in one color..iron pewter. It is a great sounding bass though for the price, so I will just have to overlook the dull black color.
 
#19
I have a Ric, 2017 Gibson EB, Fender Jazz and a beautiful Iby 1005 Prestige, all of which I love dearly. However where I live and some of the gigs I see coming with the kinda people that live around here I am afraid to bring the Gibby or the Ric to. My jazz is kinda heavy and the Iby, well I don't play much 5 string, I just have one for that rare occasion where I can't get away from having one, plus I never played a 5 with a nicer neck :)

Now I had a 300 and a 305 a couple years ago and traded them in partly due to distorting in the preamp. However I am now rethinking this idea and getting another one for these seedier venues that have a low stage where my equipment is closer to the drunks and thieves, so I can use my nicer gear in higher end shows like festivals and the like! I am even starting to think Im nuts now!!:whistle:
 
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#20
Regarding the pre-amp: I cannot get my SR300EL to distort by itself no matter how aggressively I'm playing.

Granted, it's my first bass, but aside from the slightly muddy E string I think its neutral tone is a killer for its price, since I got around to playing a few other similarly priced basses since purchasing it. Add the option to split and blend the pick-ups and the 3 channel EQ (which I frankly seldom utilize other than as a tone roll-off) and Ibanez really have packed quite a bit into the newer version of this model. Bar stumbling on a dud, you won't be disappointed.
 

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