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Ibanez stigma... is it just me?
- Thread starter rojo412
- Start date
I have never played an Ibanez bass that I liked, and I've played plenty. I guess if I had no other option I'd pick one up. to me they all sound nasally, thin, hollow, and generic.
I like there guitars tho.. go figure
I like there guitars tho.. go figure
RaginRog
Last guy you want to see is Employee Relations guy
I notice a lot of the latest generation of young musicians playing SR basses. The cheaper models...SR200 and 300's, and the new SRX basses. To me...they sound thin, and when these kids try to compensate for it, they must crank the bass, which doesn't offer a good sound at all.
I've personally purchased a couple of the SR500/SR530 models, but could get past how thin they sounded in the mix....despite having Barts and an active eq. This could be due to the extremely thin necks and bodies. I even tried strings that aren't as bright as the Elixers they use, and still didn't cut it for me.
The one bass I tried, that I though was very well built...but didn't like the neck profile, was the BTB.
I've personally purchased a couple of the SR500/SR530 models, but could get past how thin they sounded in the mix....despite having Barts and an active eq. This could be due to the extremely thin necks and bodies. I even tried strings that aren't as bright as the Elixers they use, and still didn't cut it for me.
The one bass I tried, that I though was very well built...but didn't like the neck profile, was the BTB.
RaginRog
Last guy you want to see is Employee Relations guy
Gibson fits the "I hate their basses but love their guitars" mold for me. And I really did like a lot of the Ibanez guitars I played/saw over the years.
I'm a little late to this party, but I thought I'd share something with you. I'm a classically trained cellist who traded his cello in for an Electra SG bass clone back in the late 60's. Yes, I still play cello too. That was my first bass. My second bass was a 60's model Fender Precision. (Beat to **** when I bought it in '72). Up until about 15 years ago I had never owned anything but Fenders. BTW, the Japs made some nice playing and sounding "Fenders". One day I'm in a music store and lo and behold, this strange shape catches my eye. I picked it up, put it in my lap, and started to play. Thus began my love affair with Ibanez. Specifically, the Ergodyne EDC700. Its all I will play now. Went to Guitar Center a couple weeks back and thought maybe I'd trade up one of my 700's to the higher end SR or BTB stuff. Well, money was no object to me. They didn't have the high end Ibanez stuff in stock, so I played all the high end basses in the store...Fender, Music Man, Schecter, Epi's...didn't matter. There wasn't a single bass in that store I'd trade an EDC700 for and I left the store with my bass. And BTW, there are some quirks that you have to know about to get the most out of those basses and the sustain won't ring to infinity like some heavier wood basses will, but the plusses far outweigh the minuses in my book. Just my 2 cents from a not quite burned out yet old rocker and blues man.
I don't get it - nor do I agree (ain't it nice to be doing this from far away?).
The Elixirs have never sounded 'bright' to me at all - quite the contrary. I even put Elixirs on many of my Squiers and Fenders for the very reason that they aren't sharp, brassy, tinny or are overabundant in Highs or Mids. They don't string-zing and there's little noise from a slide with a callus either.
For punch, the Ibby has it in quarts! I can tweak a tone that cuts, makes body parts flap in the audience or just fills the room with creamy bass. I use it for jazz ensembles when I play to the old folk on Wine Tours and they love it too.
Yup - approved by the Blue Hair Wine-O Society and also by Shred Metal Players all over! Anywhere in between too.
At first I tried to love a Fender - but the SR500 just worked, fit me and felt great. I was in love at first contact and wouldn't put that one down, even when the bass expert recommended that I try a few 'other' basses out first. I just KNEW that THIS SR500 was the one going home with me that hour!
I was returning from 47+ years off bass playing (feed the family, keep the house payments current, pay the taxes sorta thing, ya know?) and then I retired and came into the world of Ibanez.
I still have that SR and it's gonna be in my sarcophagus with me when I am buried - right next to my Fenders and Squiers.
Yes, I am not passing these on to anyone else.
Anyone have a triple-wide sarcophagus for sale - pref: unused and NOT RW! ?
- Jul 20, 2005
- 881
- 76
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist: Samuel Shen Basses, NS Design, D'Addario Strings
I'm a long-time Fender man, but I love my SR 506. All the punch, bottom, and clarity I could ask for. Never tried Elixirs on it, but the nickel D'Addario EXL 170's sound great. Also have some Dadd flats that sound pretty nice, but the roundwound nickels are the ticket.
I'm not selling my Precision, and I intend to get another Jazz, plus a JO5 (or DJ5), but the 506 serves me well when I need it.
I'm not selling my Precision, and I intend to get another Jazz, plus a JO5 (or DJ5), but the 506 serves me well when I need it.
I've been thru an assload of basses trying to find "my tone".
I found it with an Ibanez bass ... the ATK ... It's all I'll play now.
I used to be caught up in the "image" thang when I was a young buck ... I grew up.
Ibanez makes a damned fine bass
I found it with an Ibanez bass ... the ATK ... It's all I'll play now.
I used to be caught up in the "image" thang when I was a young buck ... I grew up.
Ibanez makes a damned fine bass
I've played and owned more than a few Ibanez basses over the years, and they've always struck me as "good for the money"... Well, I bought an sr3005 SOL Prestige about a month ago, and it's one heckuva bass - I'd say it's as good as any $2k bass you'll play... I have an sr905 on the way that I'll use as a backup to the Prestige - I probably won't need it, but you never know...
- georgestrings
- georgestrings
Bongolation said:Why? Do dumb people have a right to thought-conformity and consensus just because in their insecurity they crave it?
See tagline. Smart people like different views to consider, even if they don't think they agree with them up front. Dumb people are threatened and enraged by different views, and that's one major reason why they stay dumb.
Think about it.
Not usually, no. But even when he is, he can't allow bad presentation to fight him.
Well, that's true, but as I mentioned to an enraged bubba elsewhere last night, consider that my "opinions" about what worked and didn't in music once meant millions of dollars to the broadcast and recording industries.
How much have your musical "opinions" mattered to anyone's bottom line?
The main moderator here told me about a year back that I should give more advice as it would be helpful to people here. He's right, they certainly need it, but they don't want it. They don't want education, they want reassurance.
I'm absolutely positive that's true -- but it doesn't make them right, does it?
This isn't personal. I'm not here to hurt anyone's feelings, because in this business, feelings don't matter -- what matters are being a pro, being serious and getting with the program.
In the unlikely event you ever get a major signing, you'll probably accrue an inflated chunk of recoupable debt to your act when your label hires an artist development coach to tell you pretty much the same stuff I do here and all the bubbas hate so much.
What I'm telling you usually isn't my "opinion," but rather what I've observed firsthand with artist development incidental to my past work (I'm retired). Not only is it common sense, it's pretty much The Rules.
I'd say maybe 5% of the people on TalkBass would agree with me. What I say discomfits the rest, and for good reason.
Whenever there are these "show your act" photo/video threads, you just don't know whether to laugh or cry at 90% of them. They're just sad. People just haven't a clue how to present themselves as serious, professional performers. They just look like the first five guys someone kidnapped coming out of Home Depot on a Saturday afternoon, stuffed them in a big box full of random gear from a pawnshop, shook it hard and dumped the resulting mess out on a stage somewhere.
Dude...you have eyes, you know I'm not lying. It's just pathetic.
It's not "about the music." It's never been "about the music." That's a myth, something you're coached to say in interviews, like ball players "giving 110%." You're not supposed to talk about what misery it was to learn proper stage posture or having to lose forty pounds so you didn't look like a pig on camera.
It's only "about the music" to some loser who thinks that if he can just play more nit notes on his fugly green bass with too many strings, the world will overlook the fact that he's a lazy, unattractive, insecure slob who can't get out of the bedroom and into a viable, serious act, and he'll by some feat of pure magic be taken seriously by someone besides his dog.
Wait! You don't care if you ever go pro or anyone takes you seriously?
Great, and God bless you for accepting your fate gracefully -- but don't give me a bunch of crap when I'm trying to help people who do care.
When young acts used to ask me for quick soundbite advice, one of the things I always told them was:
Never let anything second-rate be associated with your act.
That means your material, graphics, webpage, stage presentation, management. legal representation, band members, tech crew, your freaking haircut...everything and anything...and certainly your gear.
Of course, you can't have first-rate professional everything, but you work to present the best you have, and it's a constant struggle to keep bettering things and developing coherent branding for you and your act.
If you have the option to use serious pro standard gear, do it.
Cool, don't hurt yourself.
On the one hand, you are right about the business, in my experience. "Nothing second rate" is good advice.
On the other hand, Sting played Ibanez, McCartney played Hofner and Yamaha for a while, and so on.
And on the third hand I decided not to chase the bright lights because to me it really was all about the music, and my friends who stayed full-time missed out on as many great experiences as they had.
I have an Ibanez musician that shares the stage with a Ric and a MIA Precision, and in my judgement is worthy to do so.
But I am old. I remember the seventies as Ibanez clawed their way up from clones to GOOD clones then good originals with a distinctive character. Most of the newer Ibanez basses I play don't speak to me in the same way.
My first 5 string was an Ibanez.. so I will always have somewhat of a soft spot for them.. I gained a certain amount of respect for them through that bass.. an SR505. I still have it... I let my son use it.. but ifg he doesnt claim it as his it will stay mine.. Not a bad bass at all. I remember when Ibanez meant junk.. The SR505 is a decent bass.. not great... but decent... I am at the point in my life and in my playing where for me it is all about the bass itself I have tried out $$$ basses that I didn't care for.. and some that I did.. the same thing with the off brands.. I always kind of turned my nose up at Squire... but I played a Squire that wasn't bad... I wouldn't buy one... but the one I played wasn't bad. For me it is more the individual bass.
I really like the feel of my MII sr505. Whenever I get a chance to browse through a store with a big selection of basses, I try several and they almost never feel as easy to play. Most basses seem heavier, thicker, wider... not better. I did go through period where I thought the tone was a bit clanky, but this was easily fixed with flatwounds (Labella FM760). It's not just good for the money, it's just good.
Ibanez was the first bass that I had many of. Mainly because they were cheap and I was a broke high-schooler, hehe. But I always liked the way they sounded and played.
My main bass for a long time was a mid-90's SR506 that I actually had up until about a year and a half ago. Then I got my first Warwick and is was all over after that, so I thought. I have since gotten rid of the Warwicks and am now playing Peaveys, but I still wish I had my old SR506. I have a feeling I'll be seeking one of those out again soon. Plus I'm getting the itch to play 6 strings again and that's still the best 6 string I've ever played.
My main bass for a long time was a mid-90's SR506 that I actually had up until about a year and a half ago. Then I got my first Warwick and is was all over after that, so I thought. I have since gotten rid of the Warwicks and am now playing Peaveys, but I still wish I had my old SR506. I have a feeling I'll be seeking one of those out again soon. Plus I'm getting the itch to play 6 strings again and that's still the best 6 string I've ever played.
I played an Ibanez in GC several months ago, for about 20 seconds. It was so light and the neck was so thin I felt like I was playing a toy bass. I can't remember the model, but the cost was something like $400 - $500. I thought the tone was lacking too. To each his own, but Ibanez is definitely not for me.
Just read the first couple posts, and I had the same impression of Ibanez.
I wonder if theyd have done the Fender/Squire Gibson/Epiphone thing, the name would have had credibility, but they have the high-end being dismissed because of the low-end offerings.
I took advantage of the recent ATK deal (triburst 305 for me) and Ive been gigging this thing since. Ive done a bit more research on Ibanez and gained more respect for them, but the stigma still sits in my gut. (Plus, I simply dont like narrow-necked fivers.)
Its a shame, but thats how it is.
I wonder if theyd have done the Fender/Squire Gibson/Epiphone thing, the name would have had credibility, but they have the high-end being dismissed because of the low-end offerings.
I took advantage of the recent ATK deal (triburst 305 for me) and Ive been gigging this thing since. Ive done a bit more research on Ibanez and gained more respect for them, but the stigma still sits in my gut. (Plus, I simply dont like narrow-necked fivers.)
Its a shame, but thats how it is.
I bought an SR505 last summer and the more I play it the more I love it. Fits me like a glove and I've gotten nothing but compliments on the sound I get from it when I play it at church, which is my only gig. Hey, either something works for you or it doesn't.
I recently fell in love with the SRA500, while checking out a local (non-GC) store's offerings (also tried the Fender Kingman). For pure looks and feel, it was joy. I would have to play a few gigs through my various amp rigs before arriving at a conclusion about the sound. Thus far, the GAS pains have been manageable.
