Ibanez stigma... is it just me?

[THand]

Hey Thand - nice solo dude. Nice sounding bass ... chrome & all! Yeah I was a little out of line with the chrome, boat paddle thing. Sorry to all you out there that play one. Nothing against them. I get aggressive sometimes defending Ibby's from unjustifed remarks.

Peace

I figured you were just enthusiastic so no harm done and apology accepted!

So nobody gets misled, that was Eric Czar's solo.

 

[Sundogue]

I owned and gigged with an Ibanez Musician way back in the late 80's. I loved it.

Now? For whatever reason all I think when I see an Ibanez is SG and I almost instantly think the bass player is a metalhead, no matter what band he is playing in.

Doesn't mean I won't check out the band anyway and get over my initial reaction, but yeah I kind of have the same feeling about Ibanez...right or wrong.

 

[Anthbass]

I have a soft spot for Ibanez basses. I have a 4-string from 1989 (RD 707) that was my first 'good' bass. I replaced the pickups with an EMG set and played that bass for 15 years before I ever looked at another. Because of that experience, my first 5 string was a BTB. I really dig that instrument too, and after a preamp swap, I wouldn't sell it for the world. I have other basses now, some much more costly, but I still like a good deal of Ibanez's offerings. If they'd make a 6-string BTB with wider spacing, I would order one tomorrow.

 

[Samsound]

My #1 is a 2004 SR400. It precedes the current basswood super contoured bodies. It's a reasonably thick slab of maple with a nice neck, P/J and active 3 band EQ, strung with Chromes. I picked it off eBay for $180. Before buying I spent an afternoon playing a bunch of basses out of my budget to see what I liked, then played a bunch of $300 and under basses to see what was comparable. I played some Yamahas and Peaveys, which felt uninspiring, but the SR300 and up just really felt superb. My SR400 just sounds magical to my ears and feels great.

#2 is a newer SR405QM. While I really dig the new body style (similar to 540R and JS guitars), I still prefer the older 400. This was also an eBay procurement, $265 shipped.

 

[Double Agent]

I have been guilty of this too. My first two basses were both Ibanez, an SR406 and an Ergodyne 5-string. I remember being very frustrated by them, everything higher than the A string seemed to disappear in the mix. Of course, I know this was user-error, they were my first basses and I did what a lot of newbs do...boost the lows and highs and cut the mids. But, for some reason, even though I knew it was my fault, it still turned me off to Ibanez basses for the last 10-12 years.

Now, there have been a couple Ibanez basses that have made me reconsider them over the years, but not enough to actually buy one. But, recently, I have been looking for a light, comfortable, inexpensive 5-string bass to play in some of the dive bars I play in where I don't want to worry about something happening to me gear, or for the marathon gigs where I play for 4-5 hours or longer. Because of that situation, I was forced to give Ibanez a second look. I don't like the bare mahogany look of the SR505, but yesterday at GC, I stumbled upon a SR535 ([Invalid or Expired Link Removed]) that was on clearance. I gave it a chance and liked it so much I wound up taking it home with me. The B string is impressively taut for a 34" scale bass, the string spacing didn't bother me as much as I though it might (though I've been playing Spector and EBMM 5ers for years, so its not like I am a diehard 19mm guy), and it is light as a feather. It's exactly what I was looking for.

The Mk1 preamp has an artifically bright high end that is a little cheesy, but I cut the highs a little and it was fine. I'll probably replace the preamp with a Bart NTMB at some point anyways, but it still sounds good even with the stock pre. The tone is definitely on the modern side, but that was what I wanted anyways. I'm very impressed with the build quality and playability of such an inexpensive bass. And the tone is much better than it was on the SDGR I had when I first started. I think anyone who has this stigma attached to Ibanez owes it to themselves to give them a fair shot. Obviously, they make a lot of cheap junk for beginners, but once you get past the starter sets, Ibanez stuff has proven to be durable and versatile over the years and they make enough different instruments that there is probably something in their line for everyone.

 

[Mikio]

Ibanez tends to be good, you get what you pay for

BUT DON'T EVER consider a Gio Ibanez a real ibanez, a Gio is like... Squier California Series for Ibanez or something like that (the lowest crap xP)

 

[Engine207]

I was killing some time at my son's drum lesson this afternoon and found this hanging on the wall (sorry about the crappy cell phone photo)...

Best feeling Ibby I've ever touched...including the BTB I referenced earlier. Nice chunky neck, familiar Fenderish body style....kinda got me GASsy...

 

[Greevus]

I love the old models from the '80s. First bass was a Blazer and now I own 5. Also Roadstars, Destroyer, and a few of the newer ones, ie Iceman, Gio, and an ATK. I really hated the whole shift into the GSR, Ergodynes, etc, that the OP mentioned. I really haven't dug much in the last 20 years from them, although the oldies are my faves. The ATK is decent enough, but it's a P with a MM pup. I like the bigger spacing 4's over the newer stuff any day. Bring 'em back already.

 

[Samsound]

I was falling asleep last night while posting about the SR405, so ended kind of abruptly.
I'm not a fan of the Style Sweeper EQ on this bass. It's essentially a fixed amount of boost that you sweep from lo-mids to high mids. I find it trickier to dial in the right tone than the older one with a static mid control. Either extreme sounds off to me, and anything in between runs the risk of sounding hollow or comb-filtered. May replace all electronics soon, as I believe original owner may have spilled something on it.

 

[rojo412]

I love the old models from the '80s. First bass was a Blazer and now I own 5. Also Roadstars, Destroyer, and a few of the newer ones, ie Iceman, Gio, and an ATK. I really hated the whole shift into the GSR, Ergodynes, etc, that the OP mentioned. I really haven't dug much in the last 20 years from them, although the oldies are my faves. The ATK is decent enough, but it's a P with a MM pup. I like the bigger spacing 4's over the newer stuff any day. Bring 'em back already.

This basically sums up the reason I had (have?) the stigma. What I saw as a GC employee in the early part of the millennium did absolutely nothing for me to bring a GAS attack. No matter what they'd march out there, it didn't do much to impress.

Well, rewind 15-20 years. Ibanez was shooting for more of a workingman's high end bass of the day...
Good example, the Musician... kind of budget Alembic. That trickled slightly to the Roadstar, which was the basic Musician in essence. That's the bass I bought and am VERY impressed with it.

Back to the present... when I think IBANEZ, traditionally the SDGR stuff comes to mind. Not the ATK... Not the Musician... Not the Roadstar... their calling card has moved to a different bass than what they used to be. That's where it mostly stems from.
And I'm not knocking the SDGR basses, I'm just saying that they were never an instrument which I lusted after.

 

[IngerAlb]

Back to the present... when I think IBANEZ, traditionally the SDGR stuff comes to mind. Not the ATK... Not the Musician... Not the Roadstar...

SR basses have always been the Ibanez flagship line. That's why they still strongly support those models, while most of the other lines were cut down or discontinued completely.

And that's also why it's very difficult to find a better bass than a SR500 - and up - in that price range. Their entry level models might be hit or miss, but their mid to high end level models rock - they manage to offer more "goodies" for a decent price than most of the competition. Might not be for everyone's taste, but the quality is there.

TBH I actually like that many ppl prefer to be a snob and judge an instrument by the logo on the headstock instead of the actual tone - that way I can score a cheap Ibby anytime I need to It's a known fact that Ibby basses have a horrible resale rate, but if you're the buyer, chances to score an awesome bass for peanuts are high - and you don't need to hunt for months, there are plenty of offers all the time

 

[ih8law]

Back in 1995, when I was in high school and in a heavy metal band, I bought this Ibanez Soundgear 505:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

This was the first bass I'd ever bought brand new, and it was also the most expensive thing that I'd ever bought (about $450, IIRC). Back then, at least in my local scene, the only basses that had credibility in the metal world were Rickenbackers (because of Cliff Burton) and Ibanezes. Stupid, I know!

I thought this bass was the best thing ever back then, and used it for years exclusively. I didn't have the slightest desire to try another brand until maybe 8 years later when I picked up a Fender P Bass for the first time. I was immediately converted to Fender and have never looked back since. I still keep the soundgear around...I could never dream of selling it. It was a solidly constructed bass, perfectly balanced with a thin, fast neck. I just wish it had a brighter tone. Anyone have any good pickup suggestions? The existing ones say "ADX" on them, for what it's worth (not like the current line that has Bartolinis in them).

I also have an Ibanez acoustic/electric bass, which I love in every way:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[m_bisson]

the thing I like most about Ibanez is the skinny necks! I am a shorter guy with small hands, and when I went shopping for my first bass, the GSR200 was the only one that "felt" right in my price range.

 

[HaMMerHeD]

In my opinion, it is more than a little ridiculous to judge the quality of an instrument based on your opinion of people you see playing them. I hate punk rock, and every punk bass player I see is playing a Fender P. Does that mean anything? No it does not. It is a tool for whoever picks it up.

 

[GregDunn]

the thing I like most about Ibanez is the skinny necks! I am a shorter guy with small hands, and when I went shopping for my first bass, the GSR200 was the only one that "felt" right in my price range.

Funny thing, the GSR200 neck is very close to a P-bass neck in shape. It's much wider and thicker than the SR series. I know because I have all of the above, and sat down to measure them one afternoon. My '94 Fender P neck is almost identical to the GSR200. my SRs ('94 SR400, '01 SR690) have much thinner, narrower necks.

The good thing is that the GSR200 is way lighter than the P.

Oh, and it just puzzles me when I see people down the GSR models. I own several, and the quality of the instrument is first rate; fit and finish are extraordinary for an instrument, especially one under $200. I wonder sometimes if people don't subconsciously equate mass with quality, or feel that a bass this light and comfortable to play must be inferior in some way...

 

[yeggi]

i disagree with you completely i still use my first bass (GSR200 BABY) and i love it, still havent found a bass with better playability, maybe cuz i never touch the ones i cant afford but still this bass is my favorite.

 

[m_bisson]

I just traded my GSR200 in and got $115 back towards my new bass... Going for an SR700. I didn't try the P bass when I was shopping the first time, because I just wanted something cheap to see if I'd like playing bass. This time, I played it a bit at the store, but it didn't grab me and say "hi i'm awesome buy me" the way the SR did.

 

[Bongolation]

No, it's not just you and no, it's not just Ibanez.

Bottom line: I'm never going to go onstage with a Cor-Tek or Chinese instrument (or any brand that predominantly sells them) unless I'm being paid to, and neither is any adult charting artist. I don't want to present myself with a brand of instrument that bigger names have to be paid to be seen with.

That these brands can fake-up a handful of pricey custom models for their endorsees doesn't change who they are.

I'm not devaluing my image with offshore guitar-mill contract product without monetary compensation.

Enda story.

This includes Schecter, Ibanez, Yamaha, Traben, Squier, Epiphone, Dean, Fernandes, etc., etc, etc.

Are these necessarily bad instruments? No, of course not. I own and use a bunch of these instruments and enjoy them for recording or messing around with. I like some of them very much and admire some of their technical innovations.

They just don't have any professional cachet. They are, as one guy I know incisively puts it, "kid stuff." Cruel but accurate.

Presentation is everything. Don't gar yours up with the wrong gear.

 

[m_bisson]

No, it's not just you and no, it's not just Ibanez.

Bottom line: I'm never going to go onstage with a Cor-Tek or Chinese instrument (or any brand that predominantly sells them) unless I'm being paid to, and neither is any adult charting artist. I don't want to present myself with a brand of instrument that bigger names have to be paid to be seen with.

That these brands can fake-up a handful of pricey custom models for their endorsees doesn't change who they are.

I'm not devaluing my image with offshore guitar-mill contract product without monetary compensation.

Enda story.

This includes Schecter, Ibanez, Yamaha, Traben, Squier, Epiphone, Dean, Fernandes, etc., etc, etc.

Are these necessarily bad instruments? No, of course not. I own and use a bunch of these instruments and enjoy them for recording or messing around with. I like some of them very much and admire some of their technical innovations.

They just don't have any professional cachet. They are, as one guy I know incisively puts it, "kid stuff." Cruel but accurate.

Presentation is everything. Don't gar yours up with the wrong gear.

If this was a drummer forum you'd be IP banned for saying something like that. The MUSICIAN is the most important part of the presentation. Just because you take the time to bold some sentences that doesn't mean your opinion is correct. I bet most people on here would disagree with you.

No offense to anyone else on these forums, but I see mindless nonsense here that drummers are never concerned about. For example, there was a thread awhile back about a guy asking for advice on how to CUT himself on stage. Blah... I'm gonna go make coffee.

 

[IngerAlb]

Bottom line: I'm never going to go onstage with a Cor-Tek or Chinese instrument (or any brand that predominantly sells them) unless I'm being paid to, and neither is any adult charting artist. I don't want to present myself with a brand of instrument that bigger names have to be paid to be seen with.

They just don't have any professional cachet. They are, as one guy I know incisively puts it, "kid stuff." Cruel but accurate.

Presentation is everything. Don't gar yours up with the wrong gear.

You - pardon my French - are a snob!

1. even kids know nowadays the tone is a combo of man and instrument, and between these 2, the player is the most important. There are countless of bassists than can dig up an awesome tone out of an ordinary (and sometimes even entry level) bass. That shows that knowing your thing is more important than playing the right brands.

2. judging an instrument by the name on the headstock instead of the actual tone, and even worse, thinking that name is an actual guarantee of the high quality of that intrument is...well....stupid.

3. I couldn't care less for presentation. You could look "just right" and sound like ****, while the next guy rocking a mid entry level bass would kill with a good tone. I've seen it happening.

I would never strap a bass on and go on stage with it only because the headstock bears a name that most ppl consider to be cool; I will always take the bass that sounds the best to my ears and fits the playlist and to hell with the rest! I don't care about ppl's opinions regarding my instrument and rig choices, I know why I play them and that's enough.