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Stay with Ibanez or go to...?

My apologize for being rude. If I may ask, what is your budget? :)

Thanks everyone, next time I'm in a music store, I'll definitely check out your suggestions^^

@Christle: I'd never sell my 505, not a day goes by that I don't play it :D Was merely asking opinions of fellow bassplayers^^ as you said, to add to my collection :)

And up yours Mr_Music90 :p When I bought the 505 I was a student with no job so at that time, it was impressively expensive :p
 
Interesting. I didn't see where the OP listed a price range. For all we know, he won Powerball. ;)

I advise against anything below a 505. Anything below that is a beginner bass. The two 405s I had were absolute junk but the 535 was decent. At best. If I ever buy another Ibby SR, it won't be below the 700 series.

Other than body wood, is there any difference between the current 505-805 series soundgears? They all have the same listed specs otherwise.
 
@OP: sorry to burst your bubble, but the only bass that would feel the same as your current bass (and prolly sound fairly close - depending on the model) is another SR. There's no other instrument that comes close to it. Of course there are tons of awesome sounding basses and maybe some do feel great, but nothing like an Ibby SR. Even the other Ibbys are completely different animals (like the BTBs & ATKs).

I completely agree! My SR506 is the bees knees. I keep trying BTBs and ATKs that cost a fortune and I don't like them nearly as well as my cheap used SR506. In fact, I like the tone and feel of my SR206 better in spite of it's couple of "beginner bass" issues.

And I've got tons of other basses that do their thing just fine, but none do the Ibby SR thing. Period.
 
@Mr_Music90: I have a job so it's not really a matter of budget. If I want I could order the SR prestige right now, I was just wondering if those more expensive models are worth the money 'cause no matter how small/big your budget is.. 2k is a lot of money when you have a perfectly good SR505^^
 
True! But remember : The Prestige basses and guitars are hand build in Japan, the SR 505 is just a cheap mass production bass that's from Korea (if I'm correct).

Anyhow, depending on what you want, you could take a look at the more affordable Premium series, both SR and BTB.

The BTB 1400 series only comes in 5 and 6 string version, so if you want a second 5 stringer, you could try the new BTB 1405e. Great looking bass with NT construction and 2 Nordstrand Big Single pickups. Price is about 1500 bucks.

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If you prefer a bolt-on construction, go for the SR Premium 1205 / 1405 / 1605, depending on which exotic wood top you like

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@Mr_Music90: I have a job so it's not really a matter of budget. If I want I could order the SR prestige right now, I was just wondering if those more expensive models are worth the money 'cause no matter how small/big your budget is.. 2k is a lot of money when you have a perfectly good SR505^^
 
Try out a 1205 or a 1405. They are every single bit as good as prestige models and an upgrade from the 5/6/700's. You may still prefer your 505 at the end of the day but IMO a 1205 would be the best place to start if you want to look at other Ibanez models.
 
Can I ask a quick question? What does everyone think about the ibanez' B string?

I started a thread about the GIO, and everyone stated that ibanez have a rubbish B string. I found that the old SR I tried had a floppy string, but it felt more like the string was the problem, not the bass. Any thoughts?
 
Ibanez basses have good sounding B string. The GIO is about the cheapest line they have, so not really a ''wonder'' that the Low B on those aren't that great.

If you go for some more expensive stuff, you'll notice the B's are good. Especially for the BTB series, which all come with neck through construction and 35 inch scale lenght! :hyper:

Can I ask a quick question? What does everyone think about the ibanez' B string?

I started a thread about the GIO, and everyone stated that ibanez have a rubbish B string. I found that the old SR I tried had a floppy string, but it felt more like the string was the problem, not the bass. Any thoughts?
 
I found an SR1000EFM Prestige that is killer. They made them about 6 years ago and they are neck through and come with the US Barts, 35" scale, 24 frets. Really sweet. If you need a 5er, look for Ibanez SR1005EFM. I bet you can find one used for pretty cheap ($600-$700) and they really cant be beat.
 
+1 to that, StangerDanger. I picked up a used 2005 SR1000EWN Prestige for $750 and love it. Great finish on the frets and other details all around.

Here's a wacky idea... Since you like your SR505, why not get another one and use it to experiment? Change strings, preamp, or even pickups to customize it to be your ultimate bass. I'm doing that with an SR900FM right now, and each change gets me closer to my ultimate tone. Although, my guess is that quest never ends...
 
I've had all kinds of Ibanezes... a Roadstar II, an SR400, an SR500 and an SR900 that I never, ever, ever should have sold. But I got a Carvin IC4P for my 50th birthday three years ago... awesome, awesome, awesome bass. An LB70 and an IC5P later, I can safely say I don't miss the SR900 so much...
 
Some people sounds like they can't control themselves and fall easily into consumerism for the sake of it.

OP : I still use the same two basses that I bought 7 years ago, I still have my 3rd bass and she is with me for the past 12 years and I still have my first and only amp for the past 14 years.

Nothing wrong with sticking to what works, maybe one day I'll feel like I need to upgrade or change the style of basses to reflect where I am at this point... until then !