New SR370EF fretless?

[Orpheus55]

Just wondering if anyone has tried the new Ibanez fretless and successor to the older SR370F; I see it has pole pieces and generally looks pretty nice. I'm a big fan of my fretted SR600 in ash, and was thinking of adding the fretless to my arsenal. I am an experienced fretless player, but am without one at the present

Ibanez SR370EF 4-String Fretless Electric Bass

 

[Orpheus55]

Actually, it appears the entire SR line will have exposed pole pieces on their pickups. Not sure if this will make much of a difference. I, for one, think the Bartolini designed pups for Ibanez sound fine.

 

[Orpheus55]

Anyone?

 

[Eilif]

Seeing how MF has it listed for release the 13th of May, I don't think you'll find many folks with first-hand experience. I'm not a fan of lined fretlesses or Ibanez' skinny necks, but at $400 it does look like a great deal on a very well-featured bass. If you already like the SR series and then this is probably your best bet at the price point. The Portamento looks awesome too, but it's over twice the price.

I think that the exposed pole pieces are meant to evoke the Nordstrand look which is gaining in popularity and Nordys are showing up on more and more higher end Ibanez basses.

 

[Orpheus55]

I do like the SR necks; the SR600 is my main player right now. I wonder if these ship with flatwounds. I recall the old ones having some kind of ebonal fretboard. As for lines, I have had only the Fender J fretless in the past and the lines or lack thereof don't bother me either way. I actually have played the Portamento and found it very mellow and nearly perfect for smooth jazz and the like. I may just give it a try. I believe its predecessor, the SR370F was similar without the pole pieces, and thought a few of those owners might chime in.

 

[Shooz]

I've picked one up and love it. I had a Squier VM fretless and this bass is better in every way. I put black Nylon strings on it because I did not like the stock strings. The neck is very straight and I'm amazed at how low I can get the action and how great this bass sounds for $400. I actually prefer the tone of these picks more than the Bart's that were on my 505, which I sold. If you like Ibanez basses, don't want to spend a lot but still want a well made bass with great tone, this bass will fit the bill nicely.

 

[JP Poulin]

I just bought one and gave it a good workout last night when I got it home. It came with a Jatoba fret board which is very hard. The fret line spacing is dead on all the way up the neck. The action is very low without buzz. With the active controls I can get almost any sound I want. I leave the Tap switch in the middle and just mix the EQ knobs with PU balancer knob and that gives all the Jaco mid growl, bottom end or treble boost I want. Lighter than any Fender I've had and I do like thin necks to move fast with. Only had to adjust the truss rod a little, intonation was spot on, PUPS height adjusted perfectly and action lower than 1/8" at 12th fret from the factory. Everything is tight and excellent quality control. Can't say the same for all the MIM Fenders I've owned.
I really like this bass a lot. Maybe mine was just built on a good day, but it's a keeper for me and the price is unbeatable. I played with this bass at the dealer for over an hour and couldn't believe how much I liked it. I'm not usually that impressed.