NBD! Cool older Ibanez SR905, with contoured body!

[Reedt2000]

Just picked this up (literally last night) in a trade. Thanks @Erik herman for the swap and making it an easy process

It's a mid 2000s Ibanez SR905. Neck through maple and bubinga Neck, figured maple wings, Bart MK1 soapbars and 3-band pre, contoured (concave on the back) body shape!

I spent some time cleaning it up today (to be fair it was in solid condition to begin with). I just conditioned the fretboard, wiped off all the surfaces with very mild cleaner, and polished it out with Ken Smith Wax and Polish (pretty wonderful stuff). It came out great

It's a little more of a warmer brown in person, looks really red in the pics

Speaking of:

It's really light at just over 8 lbs. I didn't do any setup work to it because it plays perfectly acceptably as it is. When I first change out the strings (current set is fresh, another thing to thank @Erik herman for ) I'll tweak it.

If it weren't for the contouring I would have passed, but first impressions of this bass are pretty positive. I have to play it a bit and see what I think. If the playability is good enough to hold on to it I'll look at some upgrades, maybe Nordy splits and an OPB3? Gotta spend some time with the MK1 stuff first. I don't love the funky finish on the hardware (black chrome I think?) It always wears weird. I'd look at a new or at least cleaner ibanez direct replacement and new knobs and tuners (in black most likey).

If it doesn't click I'll put it up
in the TB classifieds

I found the model in a 2005 catalog (pg 54-57):

2005 USA catalog

 

[Reedt2000]

Trying to figure out what the finish is, doesn't feel like poly, oil maybe? Gonna look through the catalog a bit more, I think there's usually a finishes page. Side note, Ibanez was killing it in 05' check out how huge their catalog was!

 

[ruju]

Nice! I had a 900 in flamed maple. Still neck through and contoured body. Still regret selling it in 2011.

 

[Reedt2000]

Found out the finish is called charcoal brown flat, but can't find which material was used. Korean made and a C to start the serial I think means made by Cort? Any insights welcome

 

[Dincrest]

These neck-through Soundgears with the concave bodies are basses I would love to see Ibanez resurrect. These and the SRX series (which many of us on TB know as "Carol Kaye bass").

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Wow, you got that thing BEAMING!
Also just want to pass on my favorite settings for the EQ, I enjoyed the most was treble about flat to 75 boost, mid flat or cut 100, and Bass about 50 boost, it gets mean sounding with the mids scooped.
I'm enjoying the L2500 so far, they are very different basses, I think the B on that SR905 is pretty killer with the bass boosted

 

[Dincrest]

@Erik herman

As of last week, I own this bass now and absolutely LOVE it! Quick question- do you remember what strings you put on it? I ask because it still has those strings and they complement the bass really well, tonally.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

@Erik herman

As of last week, I own this bass now and absolutely LOVE it! Quick question- do you remember what strings you put on it? I ask because it still has those strings and they complement the bass really well, tonally.

Unless they were changed should be DR Fat Beams!

 

[Dincrest]

Thanks. Reed told me they were still the strings you had on them.

Go figure, I'd always wanted to try Fat Beams. Over the years, I've tried Hi-Beams (one of my all time faves), steel and nickel Lo-Riders (both excellent), Sunbeams (too spongy feeling for my tastes, but a very good string), and Pure Blues (they felt and sounded fantastic for a long time, but then died abruptly).

 

[Foxprowl]

My 905 was my main bass for 14 years until I got a 2605...still pick up the 905 regularly, you just can't beat the feel of it. The 2605 sounds much better, but it doesn't have the feel of the 905.