Next Step up after Ibanez SR305?

[Challanger2]

The quality difference may be negligible depending on the individual bass and one's attention to detail but the sr1300 has the Atlas-4 5pc Wenge/Bubinga neck w/KTS™ TITANIUM rods and premium fret edge treatment. It comes with a gig bag too. The bridges are different as well.

SR1300 specs
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SR650 specs
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If that's the case, I'll probably just save up a bit and grab the premium. The sr700 above looked good, but factoring in the cost of getting nordy's and preamp to bring it on par with the premiums, and it ends up being around the same ballpark as a used sr1200-sr1400, depending on the quality and seller.

 

[skeeler]

As an aside, what is the overall difference between something like the sr650 and sr1300 besides preamp/pickups? Is fancy top woods the only difference? Or is there some substantial quality differences between the mid and high range ibanez's? At the store, I was struggling to find a difference besides the electronics and fancy top wood covers.

These are the major features of the recent Premium SRs compared to the recent Standards:

• KTS titanium stiffening rods in the neck. This is important, IMO, because the SR necks are so slender.
• Individual monorail bridge for each string.
• The Premiums get the "premium fret treatment" at the factory. This means the fret ends are sanded to be smooth and rounded and to end perfectly at the edge of the fretboard. This is obviously not necessary, but it does make the bass feel much nicer in hand.
• Nordstrand Big Singles and fancier pre-amp with active/passive switch. I don't believe the standard SRs have the A/P switch.
• Fancier woods, for whatever that's worth.
• Usually gold hardware. (Sweetwater has SR130* basses with black hardware, and that's how I got mine.)
• Includes a gig bag.
• Includes a nice guitar-specific multi-tool:

 

[skeeler]

If I end up getting an SR650, I might have to do something about that hum. Not sure what exactly yet though.

You can get US-made Nordstrand Big Split innards to put inside the CND single-coil cases:

Nordstrand CND Replacements for Ibanez - Best Bass Gear