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NBD: ibanez fan fret

magyk8ball

magyk8ball

Jan 27, 2009
181
313
Des Moines, Iowa
#1
picked this up at the local GC. Ibanez SRMS805
Havent had an ibanez bass in about 15 yrs, last one was an ergodyne that i sold almost right away.

The srms805 Definitely has a very refined low b that im digging so far.
Sounds massive in passive, the eq is ok but not my thing at the moment
It needs a bit of fretwork, but thats all ive noticed so far. Seems like a good bass so far.

Will play it for a couple weeks and post an update review on this post.

Is anyone else rocking one of these? Didnt see much activity on this model.

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#5
That's a beauty! I played one at a local shop recently (the 5 string model) and though it took a couple of minutes to get the feel for the fanned frets, I enjoyed playing it. Actually considered it as a potential addition to my collection. Agreed with your comments on the passive sound. I was not a huge fan of the active EQ, but didnt spend much time playing around with it.
 
#6
Aidil said:
congrats...

uneven fret heights? or protruding fret edges?
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That would be interesting if this is the situation with your bass, as I tried one of these new models (can’t remember if it was the 5 or 6 string model) and some of the frets were protruding past the edge of the neck. Wonder if it is common with these models for some reason.
 
#7
srayb said:
That would be interesting if this is the situation with your bass, as I tried one of these new models (can’t remember if it was the 5 or 6 string model) and some of the frets were protruding past the edge of the neck. Wonder if it is common with these models for some reason.
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Yes, I've had sharp fret edges on a few Ibanez (and also non-Ibanez) Indonesian made basses. All standard series/none belongs to the Premium line which they say gets extra fret edges treatment in the factory. Although, I don't recall having this issue on my Ibanez multi-scale (mine is the previous model SRFF806).

I wouldn't make a big deal out of it. Cause these basses came out from a factory located in a tropical place which climate has high humidity throughout the years. So, when they finally meet their owners throughout the globe, where the climate varies, it would be obvious if fret edges ever protruded in places where the humidity has gone quite low. But actually, it doesn't necessarily have to be in drier places like the subtropics or temperate zone of the globe. Cause even in Indonesia itself, there are some areas where the humidity is relatively drier such as the highlands or where these basses would be placed in an airconditioned room all times, thus sharp fret edges problem could also occur.

So, I see this as an obvious thing. When it finally happened to any bass of mine, it only meant that it was time for me to visit a guitar tech friend and had my bass professionally set up. Having a bass professionally set up, at least once, is a good thing in my vocabulary.
 
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#8
My main bass is the SRMS806. Great bass - it’s the one in my avatar.

Done a couple of mods; scalloped the fretboard and yes, I used a foam sanding block to clean up the edges of the frets.

400 grit at a 45 degree angle. Took about 5 minutes and it’s a thing of beauty.

I didn’t think I would, but I prefer tighter spacing, so I adjusted it to its most narrow. Literally the fastest instrument I own now.
 
#10
Aidil said:
So my calculation is, it went from Ibanez standard 16.5 mm to 15.9 mm spacing. Very tight indeed.
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I’m not sure - I’ve never measured it. I should probably grab a digital calliper from work...

I brought the B and C strings in as tight as possible, then made the E, A, D and G strings match it. My fingers aren’t particularly wide, but they are long-ish. Very comfortable.

Raking is ridiculously simple now though!
 
#12
Thanks for the kind words.
Still getting this thing dialed in to my liking.
It plays great, and sounds fantastic. Thick low end, punchy, but not overly bright.
The frets, i think ive been spoiled with some great frets on some other things lately (taylor acoustic, cij/mij bass and guitar) These frets just arent quite as nice in comparison. Think they need a bevel placed on the outside. No buzzing that i can detect on any notes, no dead spots.

So far id recommend this bass to anyone wanting to dive into multiscale, but not shell out for a dingwall.
 
#18
I have purchased one online and it is one its way to me. So now I need to work out what strings to use. I like the Dunlop Superbrights on most basses these days. My Warmoth 34" scale has a 6 string set using the B-G (130-45). My next question is will a 125 B string work well on the longer scale ? That seems to be the standard gauge for the B on a lot of sets.
 
#19
bass_69 said:
I have purchased one online and it is one its way to me. So now I need to work out what strings to use. I like the Dunlop Superbrights on most basses these days. My Warmoth 34" scale has a 6 string set using the B-G (130-45). My next question is will a 125 B string work well on the longer scale ? That seems to be the standard gauge for the B on a lot of sets.
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Dunlop Strings might not have long enough winding length, in particular, the low-B (no matter 125 nor 130). It needs string winding length of 38" to clear pass the nut. Might just make if it has the string winding length of 37.75", but doubt the Dunlop winding length of 37.25" would suffice.
 
#20
I got one of these basses about 1 month ago. This is my first 5 string bass so I don't have anything to compare it to. Having said that, I have D'Addario EXP170-5SL (Regular Light Gauge, Super Long) and it has a 125 B string. It works well for me.
 

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