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Ibanez stigma... is it just me?
- Thread starter rojo412
- Start date
I always liked the look of the Soundgear basses specially the ones with oil finish, but never owned one until recently.
I bought a used SR506 with a wenge/bubinga neck and it looks and feels like much more expensive bass.
The bartolini mk1 pups and electronics are not that good but they do their job.
I bought a used SR506 with a wenge/bubinga neck and it looks and feels like much more expensive bass.
The bartolini mk1 pups and electronics are not that good but they do their job.
My first bass (Christmas 1971) was a Ibanez EB copy. I really can't remember anything about it's quality (or lack thereof), as it was stolen when I was in HS, but it was fun to play and apparently had no issues that kept me from using it. I bought a used (don't know the model) P bass copy of one in the late 70's and it worked well enough, though the output was a little weak. I traded it in for a brand new Musician and that was a very nice guitar, though a bit heavy. Nice hardware, beefy bridge, and lots of tonal combinations.
It's easy to harbor hard feelings on things when your first experience is negative, or people you trust say something bad about a company or a product. Happened to me with Peavey, but I own a Peavey bass now and I think it's fine. I have no problem now changing my mind if I try something and it counters my other experience. Any company that consistently put out unusable/crap products all the time wouldn't stay in business long. Even the folks who make things we love to hate get lucky and make something that has enough quality to appeal to someone.
Like 'em or hate 'em, you have to admit that Ibanez has come a long way since they started.
It's easy to harbor hard feelings on things when your first experience is negative, or people you trust say something bad about a company or a product. Happened to me with Peavey, but I own a Peavey bass now and I think it's fine. I have no problem now changing my mind if I try something and it counters my other experience. Any company that consistently put out unusable/crap products all the time wouldn't stay in business long. Even the folks who make things we love to hate get lucky and make something that has enough quality to appeal to someone.
Like 'em or hate 'em, you have to admit that Ibanez has come a long way since they started.
I owned a Roadstar II in the 80s. In a word, junk. Bought it cheap. Sold it cheaper. Granted, it is completely unreasonable to judge the brand by that one experience, but I doubt I would ever buy Ibanez again. It has no relation to the current basses they produce, only to what the brand represents in my imagination. But I don't find myself "wanting" with the gear that I use, so I have no burning desire to hunt down a new bass.
A good example of why Ibanez is a superior brand(yes I mean that) is the Ibanez ATK.
You will simply not find a better a better bass in its price range in terms of sound, feel and quality.
That's what I love about Ibanez; they make quite original, great instruments beyond just "great for the price". if I had a 1000$ to spend I would most likely get an Ibanez.(and I'm snobbish when it comes to bass).
You will simply not find a better a better bass in its price range in terms of sound, feel and quality.
That's what I love about Ibanez; they make quite original, great instruments beyond just "great for the price". if I had a 1000$ to spend I would most likely get an Ibanez.(and I'm snobbish when it comes to bass).
I'm in the same boat - I always wanted to do things at least just a LITTLE differently than everyone else. And growing up, everyone was playing guitar - so I chose bass. Then, I found out every local bassist had an Ibanez...so I went with a Fender Jazz (I didn't realize how popular Fenders were/are at the time but no one else I knew had one).
I've played a small handful which always sounded good and played well but I could never get past that stigma. Maybe in the future though...
I've played a small handful which always sounded good and played well but I could never get past that stigma. Maybe in the future though...
Well, I'm eying a few that I can find on the web...
An 84 Roadstar is on ebay, cheap. It has big ol' buckers that you can push/pull them for variable tones. That's pretty awesome. Not bad looking either! It's a 4 though...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-RB-850-D...4-/220671023847?pt=Guitar&hash=item3361049ae7
Roadstar II 5er, don't know if it has the same capabilities, but it doesn't look half bad. Bit higher of a price, but closer to what I'd want to check out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-Roadstar-II-5-string-bass-/170542465706?pt=Guitar&hash=item27b51f82aa
TR600, looks hot, but is still a 4 banger.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390240776271
An 84 Roadstar is on ebay, cheap. It has big ol' buckers that you can push/pull them for variable tones. That's pretty awesome. Not bad looking either! It's a 4 though...
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-RB-850-D...4-/220671023847?pt=Guitar&hash=item3361049ae7
Roadstar II 5er, don't know if it has the same capabilities, but it doesn't look half bad. Bit higher of a price, but closer to what I'd want to check out.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Ibanez-Roadstar-II-5-string-bass-/170542465706?pt=Guitar&hash=item27b51f82aa
TR600, looks hot, but is still a 4 banger.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=390240776271
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Owned a SR 1206 or 1306 from the early nineties. Loved it. Owned a SR 506 from the early 2000s. Really liked it. Still own a 1982 Musician and you will have to pry it outta my cold, dead hands.
I started my non-paid return to bass playing with an SR500 without the MID-CUT switch and I loved it at first thump.
It's rather strange that when I put it in my hands that I never let it go out of sight again until I left the store with it, even though I tried a LOT of other basses at that same time.
I was in a HATE/HATE relationship with Fender at the time from another ongoing bad experience, so I just passed them by.
The SR500 (active) had so much character and 'niceness' to it that it became my #1 bass for a long time.
I still play it - but I now reserve it for those classier gigs where I actually get to sit down with the other performers and we play jazz or smooth pop-stuff. The Ibby is kinda my Strad, as it exudes Country Club Class and Stuffed Shirt People just seem to warm to it better than the Fenders I now also have.
Quality-wise, the SR is clean and a no-nonsense bass that just does IT well and does it consistently. The actives are clean and can be tweaked to sharp, brilliant and brassy all the way down to Motown deep and about every step in between.
Studio engineers, are an odd-duck story all together as they refuse to even let me bring it out of the case and insist that I play one of my Fenders when I do back-up session work for them. I find that kinda insulting and yet I can understand that they want to record a known entity instead of an 'oddball bass'.
All in all - I take the SR500 with me for many of the gigs where there isn't likely to be a fight breaking out or we have to run from the authorities. I guess that speaks volumes of the places where I play - huh?
What I like to do is get the gig to the third set and then take the SR out and play it when I'm tired and can't hold the Fenders up any more.
The SR is only 8lbs, and although it may not have the bling and grillwork of a Fender, it rocks - and besides by that time the crowd is pretty mellow and their beer goggles are all fogged over.
The neck of my SR is the same width as my Js and my Jaguar, so I don't see what all the fuss is about - unless you're trying to jam more strings on it.
It's rather strange that when I put it in my hands that I never let it go out of sight again until I left the store with it, even though I tried a LOT of other basses at that same time.
I was in a HATE/HATE relationship with Fender at the time from another ongoing bad experience, so I just passed them by.
The SR500 (active) had so much character and 'niceness' to it that it became my #1 bass for a long time.
I still play it - but I now reserve it for those classier gigs where I actually get to sit down with the other performers and we play jazz or smooth pop-stuff. The Ibby is kinda my Strad, as it exudes Country Club Class and Stuffed Shirt People just seem to warm to it better than the Fenders I now also have.
Quality-wise, the SR is clean and a no-nonsense bass that just does IT well and does it consistently. The actives are clean and can be tweaked to sharp, brilliant and brassy all the way down to Motown deep and about every step in between.
Studio engineers, are an odd-duck story all together as they refuse to even let me bring it out of the case and insist that I play one of my Fenders when I do back-up session work for them. I find that kinda insulting and yet I can understand that they want to record a known entity instead of an 'oddball bass'.
All in all - I take the SR500 with me for many of the gigs where there isn't likely to be a fight breaking out or we have to run from the authorities. I guess that speaks volumes of the places where I play - huh?
What I like to do is get the gig to the third set and then take the SR out and play it when I'm tired and can't hold the Fenders up any more.
The SR is only 8lbs, and although it may not have the bling and grillwork of a Fender, it rocks - and besides by that time the crowd is pretty mellow and their beer goggles are all fogged over.
The neck of my SR is the same width as my Js and my Jaguar, so I don't see what all the fuss is about - unless you're trying to jam more strings on it.
Yeah, I'd say I agree with you. Every Ibanez I've played (including the GSR200 I owned for a while) has felt pretty excellent. Sounded great, too. Heck, most even look really nice! But I just can't bring myself to own another one.. I play a Squier P-Bass now. Sure, it's the tone and look I'm going for. But, I do like Ibanez. I just don't think I would want to own one. Weird.
In the spirit of keeping an open mind, as well as vicious apetite for spending my money on basses, I decided to give this a shot.
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220671023847&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123
Full report to come, but I figured this would be a decent way to start, after the high praise of its model, as well as the potential it has for easy customization.
(Series/parallel switch, full shield, repaint/restore?)
http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewItem&item=220671023847&ssPageName=ADME:X:AAQ:US:1123
Full report to come, but I figured this would be a decent way to start, after the high praise of its model, as well as the potential it has for easy customization.
(Series/parallel switch, full shield, repaint/restore?)
As an eBay Associate, TalkBass may earn a commission from qualifying purchases.
Congrats- I have messed around with a handful of older Ibanez's, and the only thing that's sometimes turned me off has been the weight (though there are cerainly exceptions to that). The older active models I've played/owned also did not have what I would call a very modern/bright active tone by today's standards, but that is a plus in my book!
Musicians, Roadstars, ATKs I all love. I love the Gary Willis model as well, but the narrow string spacing at the bridge prevents me from buying one. Or I definitely would have one. I nearly pulled the trigger on one anyways.
I love my '83 Destroyer. It's a well built instrument for sure and has stood the test of time. As far as anything (atleast that I'm aware of) that they've built in the last 20 years or so, not so interesting to me. I'd love to have a Musician, another Destroyer, a Roadstar. The GSRs, SRs and ATKs just don't do it for me...
Well, I'm not a weight issue person. So unless this thing tips the scales upward of 15 lbs (which would be incredibly heavy for any bass), it wouldn't bother me.
This looked like it had a ton of features for the money and whatever I do to it can only make it better (setup and restring, or modify and redo).
This looked like it had a ton of features for the money and whatever I do to it can only make it better (setup and restring, or modify and redo).
I have played many Ibanez guitars and basses over the years and yes they seem to get a bum wrap for some reason that I still can't figure out. Maybe it's because they are seen as a "metal" brand when the fact of the matter is they also make some pretty incredible jazz boxes as well as acoustics.
They were the first company to make a bass that could give Fender a run for their money and last I heard were out selling them. The SR line in particular has a lot to offer from 4 string passive models to 6 strings active tone monsters, including the new limited edition Ashula I just ordered which sports a 6 string neck with 4 fretted and 2 fretless strings, each with their own pickups and EQ! [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've had the debate countless times with a collector I work with that argues that Ibanez doesn't make a "REAL" guitar. Seems to have been working for George Benson and Gary Willis.
Ibanez makes probably the most complete line of guitars and basses you'll find anywhere, and they make em for a fair price. Give them a shot and don't let the GC programming of "only a Fender is a real bass" mentality take over your common sense. Try them you may like it.
They were the first company to make a bass that could give Fender a run for their money and last I heard were out selling them. The SR line in particular has a lot to offer from 4 string passive models to 6 strings active tone monsters, including the new limited edition Ashula I just ordered which sports a 6 string neck with 4 fretted and 2 fretless strings, each with their own pickups and EQ! [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I've had the debate countless times with a collector I work with that argues that Ibanez doesn't make a "REAL" guitar. Seems to have been working for George Benson and Gary Willis.
Ibanez makes probably the most complete line of guitars and basses you'll find anywhere, and they make em for a fair price. Give them a shot and don't let the GC programming of "only a Fender is a real bass" mentality take over your common sense. Try them you may like it.
Ibbys are not for everyone - in the sense the current models are catered to a crowd that likes specific features (that others hate). I'm talking about very thin necks and very lightweight bodies. Plus they have a more generic sound.
I can see why someone that's been playing heavyweight basses might feel an Ibby feels "toyish" or why a W player might consider the Ibby necks are "pencil thin", I do. But these are basses built specifically for the folks that love these features. Not all ppl have big hands, not all bassists can play a heavy bass for hours, and so on.
The good things about Ibbys:
- fairly well constructed;
- perfectly balanced;
- good modern tones;
- convenient prices (I'm not talking about the Prestige line and the JP made basses though).
IMO Ibanez makes good basses for the ppl that want a cheap working horse; take SR500 for example - that is a moster of a bass for its price (and it's not the only good bass they're making, I liked the EDB550 even more); I find the Prestige line too pricey though and a bit short on delivering something actually worth buying - in that price range there are many better options.
I can see why someone that's been playing heavyweight basses might feel an Ibby feels "toyish" or why a W player might consider the Ibby necks are "pencil thin", I do. But these are basses built specifically for the folks that love these features. Not all ppl have big hands, not all bassists can play a heavy bass for hours, and so on.
The good things about Ibbys:
- fairly well constructed;
- perfectly balanced;
- good modern tones;
- convenient prices (I'm not talking about the Prestige line and the JP made basses though).
IMO Ibanez makes good basses for the ppl that want a cheap working horse; take SR500 for example - that is a moster of a bass for its price (and it's not the only good bass they're making, I liked the EDB550 even more); I find the Prestige line too pricey though and a bit short on delivering something actually worth buying - in that price range there are many better options.
I tested a lot of Ibbys and in my opinion they are good Basses but not for me.
The Roadsters, the ATK's and the Musicians are my favs but dont' have that special thing I'm looking for when I play Bass. Especially i do't like the SR and GSR. I mean they don't give me that feeling when I pick up my Ripper or my P-Bass. It's not only about how they sound (they got a really good sound) it's just the whole thing.
The Roadsters, the ATK's and the Musicians are my favs but dont' have that special thing I'm looking for when I play Bass. Especially i do't like the SR and GSR. I mean they don't give me that feeling when I pick up my Ripper or my P-Bass. It's not only about how they sound (they got a really good sound) it's just the whole thing.
