• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Is this to be expected from a "900 dollar" instrument?

Keep it or send it back?

  • Keep it, deal with the flaws and eventually upgrade the electronics

    Votes: 7 11.5%

  • Send it back and get something cheaper from a different brand

    Votes: 54 88.5%
  • Total voters
    61
#21
Never been an Ibanez owner but I've played a few friends Ibbys and have set up a number of them. All were better than the picks you're showing of the finish and control cavity.

Drop the pickup slant complaint, that's a total non issue and corrected with 10 cents of foam in ten minutes. But the cavity "rework" is hideous and possibly even keeping the shielding on the inside of the cover from contacting the shielding in the cavity. And a body finish with "dents, pits and cracks" may or may not be normal for this bass, but unless it's advertised this way it isn't the expectation of a typical buyer.

Return it for a full refund and take your money elsewhere. There are plenty of great new bass buys out there for $600 or less (Squier, Epiphone, Spector, Ibanez to name a few).
 
  • Like
Reactions: Dieboy and Spidey2112
#22
Sorry to hear of your predicament. Don't know about the model in question, but if you're unhappy with it, either get a partial refund or get another bass. For as long as you own this one you'll always have the "what if" in the back of your mind and a bit of disappointment and resentment. That may lead you to not enjoy playing this particular instrument. Then the hatred sets in, dooming the Ibby to solitary confinement in its case. A hefty financial reward or an unblemished bass with higher output will mitigate the current situation. Hope this helps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: mikewalker, BobaSeth and Spidey2112
#33
If it played great, I’d probably keep it. The marks on the body are going to be there in 3 months anyway. The pickup is only a problem if it affects the sound. But, I’m not loving that control box. That should not have passed qc.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobaSeth
#34
BobaSeth said:
Maybe I'm just being picky, but this looks pretty gruesome to me. Just got this bass yesterday, brand new. I put 900 in quotes because I got it cheaper since it was an older model.
Anyway, its an Ibanez SR805, I LOVE the neck. I'm concerned about a few quality issues.
Also, while I love playing it, and I like the bedroom tone (haven't had a chance to play in a group setting yet), the output is EXTREMELY low and I THINK it's getting quieter, despite a new battery.
What do you guys think, would you keep it or take it back?
For the price I paid for it (600), I'm not going to find much else, but even at the price I paid, I would hope for better quality control than this. Or is this just how it is with Ibanez these days?
pic doesn't show well, neck pickup is level, bridge pickup is heavily canted back toward bridge. no adjustment for angle
View attachment 2824126
they say the finish is supposed to have these dents, the description doesn't tell you that, but the follow up emails said that all of them come like that
View attachment 2824127
View attachment 2824128
and this doesn't make me very happy either for an instrument at that price
View attachment 2824129
so am I just nitpicking, or for the price, should I expect more at that price point?
Financially I'm very limited, I have no cash to spare, and the only way I got this was on my credit card that I can only use at that dealer. So if I return it, I have to pick something for 600 or less.
Click to expand...

Since 1993 I have owned I think 6 or 7 Ibanez Soundgear basses. I still own my 94’ and 95’ SR 500’s that I bought brand new and I am very familiar with these basses. To answer your questions, no, none of the issues you have pointed out should be on that bass. Especially a SR 805. None of the 3 SR 500 basses 1 SR 400 bass and 1 SR 800 bass had any of the issues you pictured and they were models that were less expensive.

I have seen a few models with dents in the wood but they should not be coming to the stores from the factory like that. I had a 2007 20th Anniversary and a SR 500 that I think was at least a 2012 or 2014 model bought new and none of them had any dents in the wood.

You have a few options you can do. Return the bass for a refund, exchange the bass for a different one or contact Ibanez customer service about sending the bass to them. Although you won’t be able to fix the crooked pickup so maybe the first two options are your best shot. If you can live with the crooked pickup, Ibanez is pretty good with their customer service. My 20th Anniversary had a horrible hum in it. I sent it in and they reshielded the electronics and pickup cavities and I think rewired and May have even put new factory pickups in it to stop the hum. When I got it back the bass was wired wrong so they paid to have the bass shipped back to them and re wired a second time. After that, I never had any more issues again.

Sorry to hear you got a bad one but hopefully the matter gets rectified soon.
 
  • Like
Reactions: Spidey2112 and BobaSeth
#35
BobaSeth said:
Maybe I'm just being picky, but this looks pretty gruesome to me. Just got this bass yesterday, brand new. I put 900 in quotes because I got it cheaper since it was an older model.
Anyway, its an Ibanez SR805, I LOVE the neck. I'm concerned about a few quality issues.
Also, while I love playing it, and I like the bedroom tone (haven't had a chance to play in a group setting yet), the output is EXTREMELY low and I THINK it's getting quieter, despite a new battery.
What do you guys think, would you keep it or take it back?
For the price I paid for it (600), I'm not going to find much else, but even at the price I paid, I would hope for better quality control than this. Or is this just how it is with Ibanez these days?
pic doesn't show well, neck pickup is level, bridge pickup is heavily canted back toward bridge. no adjustment for angle
View attachment 2824126
they say the finish is supposed to have these dents, the description doesn't tell you that, but the follow up emails said that all of them come like that
View attachment 2824127
View attachment 2824128
and this doesn't make me very happy either for an instrument at that price
View attachment 2824129
so am I just nitpicking, or for the price, should I expect more at that price point?
Financially I'm very limited, I have no cash to spare, and the only way I got this was on my credit card that I can only use at that dealer. So if I return it, I have to pick something for 600 or less.
Click to expand...
Send it back, I think you just got one that slipped through QC. For $600 you should be able to get a nicer used bass by Ibanez, Yamaha, or any number of companies that have slim necks and active preamps.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobaSeth
#36
No that’s not right the bass looks like it’s been used and it’s actually a little beat up you do not want to keep it for sure.

I have several Ibanez basses SR300 (painted finish) SR650 (natural ash) and just picked up an SRFF806 (gray ash). None of them have any of the issues you’re showing... at this time of year there’s enough great deals out there to be had at good retailers like Sweetwater that I would return this and purchase another bass.
 
  • Like
Reactions: BobaSeth

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back