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The Soundgear Club

#3,661
I completely forgot that Ibanez paints pup cavities. That makes it a little harder to diagnose. However, it does look like that on the bit closer to the neck the rosewood may have actually partially separated from the walnut veneer on the maple, but looks like it has a solid hold of the walnut that it sits on top of which is glued to a bigger piece of mahogany that spans over both the walnut and maple. Looking at this my guess is that someone forgot to add a dab of glue between the rosewood and that thin walnut veneer. With the number of glue joints on this bass it doesn't shock me that it has occurred, especially on such a tiny section since that rosewood is only about a 1/4 inch thick it looks like.

My honest assessment of this is that with the quantity of lams and that every lamination is a different size, the top should be stable. the walnut and mahogany underneath the rosewood will keep it in place, however, it will need a touch of very thing (as in watery) superglue to keep moisture from exacerbating the issue.

My recommendation is to return it. While I believe a luthier will be able to apply glue to make it safe for the ages, I feel like the 'what if's' will gnaw at you for as long as you own this bass.

I hope this helps :)
 
#3,662
Thanks Technotitclan for your advices. I think indeed it will trouble me too much. I'll go tomorrow to the shop and ask for an exchange, and to keep this one waiting for the replacement. Hope they will accept that.

It saddens me however, for I know now this one, and don't know how will be the next one, that's always a source of anxiety for me... Damn, I need my shrink back from holiday :-).
 
#3,664
If it helps your anxiety any... I replaced 2 different SR500 models in the span of a couple of months. The first had a minor flaw on the back of the neck that could be felt when moving along the neck. The 2nd one had no such flaws but the electronics crapped out after about a week. I finally ended up with a SR500ZW which to me looks much nicer than the regular SR500s. My point in all of this is that I could not tell one bit of difference between the feel (other than the one neck flaw) and tone of these 3 Ibanez basses. So if Ibanez has its manufacturing repeatability this decent for my much lower end bass (if not perhaps their quality control), they should have pretty decent repeatability for your much better model (I really like the SR1800 model too, btw).

Either that, I just really suck at noticing the differences between individual bass instruments. :laugh:
 
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#3,666
Technotitclan said:
How long on your return policy do you have left? If your really sweating it then ask for a replacement. I still can't recommend the upgrade to prestige if you really love the sound of this one.
Click to expand...

I'm going to agree with Technotitclan. If it were me - I'd probably look into a replacement based on the pics you've shown, and especially the crack down into the pickup cavity. For that much money - I'd want 100% perfection that one usually gets from Ibanez QC.

Let us know what you choose to do.
 
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#3,667
Thanks Solarmist for your advice.

I settled my mind, I go to the shop tomorrow to ask for an exchange for another SR1805. I like its sound, and the rosewood/maple/walnut top was what sold it to me, so I'm still not into the Prestige one, even if wenge is an amazingly good-looking wood.

I think, like you, that for a Premium SR, and for that amount of money (it's the most expensive Premium bass, so...), everything should be perfect (I know about handwork being all the time different, wood being a living material and so on, but I expected better than this, QA should have noticed and discarded this body).

Anyway, if I add a strap button on the horn which is not exactly placed where it should, and something in the jatoba piece in the neck around 12th and 15th fret that I feel each time I'm around there, that's it, I think I harvested enough arguments to get rid of it for a new one. Too bad, but I prefer to clean it now than later.

I'll try and find an second hand SR1015/1305/3005 in between if the shop refuses I keep the current one until the exchange is available. What should I pay for a 1998 SR1015 for example?

Anyway, thanks a lot for all your help and advices, it helped me settle for the best solution maybe I was reluctant to take, because I do not want to part with it.

All the best,

Greg
 
#3,671
I'm happy to hear that the shop was willing to work with you. As far as getting another dud, If it were a standard issue SR I would say you have a higher chance of that. I have heard of a couple of returns with premium models but do not recall more than one person having to return more than one.
 
#3,674
gregvds said:
I hope the new one won't be faulty either. Usually, it always happens to me this kind of problems...
Click to expand...

I hope you like the wood grain on the next one as much if not better!

I've went through Sweetwater for my last 3 basses because they let you pick (out of a lineup) which bass you want, and show the actual photo's & serial number. I also have to buy on credit with my Sweetwater card, and take advantage of the 24 month - no interest plan, but I did pay off my SR705 in 12 months even though I had 24 to do it in.

Looking forward to seeing the pics - good luck!
 
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#3,676
Can I join? Just started playing bass last Friday. Last Friday I bought the 4 string and picked up the 5 string today. Both were smoking good Craigslist deals.

frrr_zpsee4ffa56-1.jpg
 
#3,679
Solarmist said:
^^^ Which models/year are those? Congrats on choosing Ibby SR - the necks are die for, and the pu's/electronics offer a wide range of sound.

Great choice! :thumbsup:
Click to expand...

I'll check on the years when I can. I am going to post some pics later from the silver 5 banger. Took a lot of cleaning up to get it right. I bought it from a minister who posted it as being in mint condition. As soon as he asked me to meet him at his church I should have said no LOL. That way I would have felt really bad about cussing him for lying about his bass. Instead I bought it and cleaned it up. I gotta say, it plays like a beast. Even though I am a bass noob, it is easy to see the 5 plays better than the 4.
 
#3,680
Here are some before pics of the SR305. Fret board was so dirty I thought I was going to need to wear condoms on my fingers to play it.

ffret_zps042cbc5a.jpg


i
fretttt_zps84dec06a.jpg


But after some steel wool and elbow grease, it came out really nice.

fret_zps282c6ad4.jpg


I'm not a germ-o-phobe, but the gunk falling off the frets and the board was so nasty I wanted some anti-biotics and a tetanus shot when I finished with it.

Anyways, I'm really proud of the job I did cleaning it up, and I think it will do nicely to continue to learn how to play on.
 

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