The Soundgear Club

[David Vector]

That is one sharp looking bass - many congrats!!! I like it!

You don't like Elixirs? I think they're beautiful sounding strings, but they cost too much IMO even though they do last longer than uncoated rounds. All my SR's have Prosteels on them, and they are fairly inexpensive strings, but they start going dead after 2-3 months. I love bright strings on Ibby SR!


The only thing I don't really care for in the Premium SR5 series basses are the 2x3 headstocks ... I wish they had 3x2 like the standard models.

You know, I seemed to like the Elixirs when they came on the first ATK I bought back around 2008, though it was partly because I'd been using steels prior to that and the coated Elixirs felt smoother on the fingers by comparison. I guess I just felt like some of the basses that I had Elixirs on seemed to come to life a tad more and sounded a little less subdued when I swapped them for non-coated strings. But I've become rather fond of the tension and feel of Sunbeams the last couple of years, so it may be partly that I'm biased towards the familiar now. We do get set in our ways about certain things sometimes.

I've really become fond of this bass after recording with it some, btw. So comfy to play. In terms of the intersection of feel, sound and looks, it may be my favorite bass that I've ever owned.

 

[Solarmist]

^ I almost wish they didn't come with that gorgeous ocean blue SR1400 because now I have GAS again!

& I just recently got my 2012' SR705 paid off.

 

[lesliegl]

Hi might be a bit of confusion going on there with the SR1305..the specs with AFR pick ups are for the original 1305 bas which originates from the early 90's

 

[mitchjonbass]

I played a 505 today that had Ibanez CAP pups. Brand new at GC..is this new or am I late to the party? I also played an 1800 and holy moly what a bass...

 

[Bassworship1]

My 1805 is the best bass I've ever played.

 

[bigcatJC]

Request time - sorry I haven't read the entire 48 page thread.

Does anyone have a fretless SR1200 from the early 90's? They were 3 or 5 piece neck-through (all-maple?) and I think the body wings were lightly figured maple. With their PJ pickups and finished fingerboard, I felt like they were a poor man's Pedulla. Not that they were second rate, they were great basses - but they were about 1/3 the price of a Pedulla Buzz, at least at the time. If it matters, the only finish I saw them in was transparent blue.

So does anybody own/play one? I'm on a nostalgia trip tonight

 

[Bassworship1]

I don't understand how they are doing the above SR1305 bass with new color and electronics. Is it a remake or what? I'm intrigued by it but don't know really what I'm looking at.

 

[lesliegl]

Hi it might be a case of Ibanez re using old model numbers like with the current SR800 and the list of features of the original 90's SR1305 got mixed up in the process..hopefully there should be some more info on the bass soon..

Leslie

 

[lovethegrowl]

It took a while to find the sound gear club, so I am happy to be here. I'm curious how people deal with the same problem.

My SR 406 has two very obvious problems:

The neck won't stay put for long. The action is set med-high (so my tech tells me.) On humid days it does nothing but fret buzz. Given that my actions not low, & the neck has 2 truss rods, I shouldn't encounter this. Because there are two truss rods, I'm reluctant to fix it myself, as I don't want to impart an s shaped twist.

The other issue is the onboard EQ. Really dull, not open or neutral at all. How they could put that in a fairly pricey bass.
I should bypass it.

Can anyone recommend cheap but decent pickup replacements?

 

[Moving Pictures]

Lovethegrowl, there are many options for pickups you could investigate. My preferences would Nordstrand Big Singles or Fat Stacks, Bartolini MK4s or a set of EMGs. However I would also change the preamp in that bass and put an active/passive switch in to give me other options.

Before doing all that I would take the bass to reputable luthier to have the neck checked. It could be a simple matter or something more and someone giving it hands on attention would provide better feedback than what you may get here. That would allow you to decide on what path to take with this bass.

Personally I have never had that issue with my SRs but I did with a Fender And it was a matter of going to lighter strings. I eventually sold that bass and moved on to a higher end model which had graphite reinforcement in the neck and no more problems related to the neck. I also have not played an SR below the SR505 so that be a factor in my experiences.

 

[lovethegrowl]

My preferences would Nordstrand Big Singles or Fat Stacks,
.

Funny you should mention Nordstrand's as a chief option. Mo, their most popular tech, works on all my basses. He has offed to custom wind any pickup for any of my basses at a price that's competitive with good mass produced hi-end pickups.

Because I recently bought a Marcus Miller bass & will be paying it off (PayPal) for the next 6 months it's too cost prohibitive to get pricey pickups now. I was looking for a quick fix bandaid to carry me over. The only good pickup is a split coil stock DX6 neck pickup. It is very robust & sounds like a Precision.

Because the active electronics are so veiled you can't tell if the DX6 are capable of getting a growl or not. (Humbuckers can growl, not as much as single coils though.)

I do know that ceramic magnet pickups tend to be light & brittle sounding, but when used with a good strong hex cored string can still be punchy.

I thought maybe of using a cheap ceramic magnet pickup in that bridge position can impart some brightness & growl. Lots on e ebay.

 

[Moving Pictures]

I do know that ceramic magnet pickups tend to be light & brittle sounding, but when used with a good strong hex cored string can still be punchy.

I thought maybe of using a cheap ceramic magnet pickup in that bridge position can impart some brightness & growl. Lots on e ebay.

That is one option. Will you be happy with it that is the question. It may be worth waiting until you can get what you really want.

 

[lovethegrowl]

. However I would also change the preamp in that bass and put an active/passive switch in to give me other options .

I find that combination of external EQ units (such as the 10 band MXR M108) & pedals three band EQs can do the job adequately & also work for multiple basses.

Since my DX6 pups are passive, the onboard preamp can be bypassed, while keeping the same volume balance pots. (Though the existing single neck pup & EQ are working with well my TI strings, & don't need to be altered until I change strings.)

 

[lovethegrowl]

Before doing all that I would take the bass to reputable luthier to have the neck checked.

.

In May, Mo (@ Nordstrands) put on a smoked chrome Kahler bridge (now matching the rest of the hardware) & new nut, thereby making the spacing narrower & getting both the C & B strings away from the edges so they are not pulled/pushed off the neck when playing. (Another Ibanez peeve!)

A few days later when the humidity went up, I had 10 or 11 fret buzzes! When the humidity went down I had only one fret buzz! BTW, according to Mo, my action is set medium high (!!!!) (I thought it was low.)

My other six string is a wide necked 5 string Squier (2" @ nut) that I converted to a 6 string via a Wammi bridge (money down the drain.) I was thinking of having the neck's radius changed to 47"* (like Warwick) & I told Mo that it would be better to have one good 6 stringer than 2 mediocre ones. He felt the Ibanez had WAY more potential because of the solid 5 piece laminated neck & double truss rods. He told me all Fender products have about an 80% chance of developing a an s-shaped twist in time.

Ironic, because now the Squier is way more stable from day to day! (Problem with the Squier now? Basswood & ebanol soak up the sound & aren't the best tone woods. Another pricey miscalculation on my part!)

I started a TB post, & one user told me that Ibanez neck's are "noodley" & require frequent adjustments. Given that there are 2 rods, over adjusting one or under adjusting another will cause an unnecessary twist. I am not going to touch it myself!


*another peeve about all 6 stringers. A flatter neck helps!

 

[Moving Pictures]

I find that combination of external EQ units (such as the 10 band MXR M108) & pedals three band EQs can do the job adequately & also work for multiple basses.

Since my DX6 pups are passive, the onboard preamp can be bypassed, while keeping the same volume balance pots. (Though the existing single neck pup & EQ are working with well my TI strings, & don't need to be altered until I change strings.)

I am a big proponent of outboard preamps and such, given you statement above, it would work well. I was more concerned about you spending the money twice

 

[lovethegrowl]

Personally I have never had that issue with my SRs but I did with a Fender And it was a matter of going to lighter strings. .

The strings I am using now on the SR 406 are Thomastik Infeld Jazz Rounds. The lowest tension strings in existence. For the type of music I am playing live now (Folk, light Jazz) they "work" OK. My band mates like them more than I do, but they are light sounding, quirky & need EQing.. The low strings are dead, the high strings are twangy. Ironically, the single neck pickup & smooth, veiled active electronics work to the advantage of the strings. And fretbuzzes aren't too audible with those veiled, warm & fuzzy electronics & dead strings.

I am totally rethinking the TI strings & round core strings in general. (My other basses have Hibeams.) I assumed that the low tension strings facilitate faster technique & I assumed wrong. Not enough bounce! Hex core strings can be played faster, and they sound full & punchy.

What I had on mind when purchasing the bass used was a poor man's John Patatucci bass. Also, there's a studio bassist named Hussein Jiffry who plays and distributes 6 string Bossa basses, a Japanese boutique bass, and he gets a wonderful sound using Elixir strings. I'd be happy with something that approaches that, a "poor man's" Bossa bass.

In '99 my bass sold new for $900 or so. (About $1200 in today's dollars?) I shouldn't be having these problems. My Marcus Miller bass came needing virtually nothing, & it makes all my other basses look like toys. It's price? $1200.

 

[Moving Pictures]

@lovethegrowl, I moved away from TIs and on to GHS Precision Flats and LaBella DTF and like them quite a bit more. Similar reasons I think. Right now I have Hi-Beams on my SR1205 and they will come off when I order my next set of strings from BSO. I think I will go back to Dean Markley SS Helix strings. Much better for me.

As for the noodlely neck thing, I've seen that on many different brands. With Ibanez on the 50x series and above I haven't experienced it yet. However my son tells me his old SR300 was like that. All I can say is wood does stuff until it settles. Maybe ask Mo again what he thinks.

 

[lovethegrowl]

My Marcus Miller bass came with what looks & sounds exactly like Hibeams, but they feel hex cored. I replaced them with Fatbeams, & the existing hex cored strings did a better job doing the Marcus Miller thing than the Marcus Millers did! (Signature strings--too light & metallic with those bright tonewoods!)

Those strings can only be Low Riders. Hex cored Hibeams. I don't have absolute confirmation, but WOW......what a smokin' bass/string combo. Jesus that bass is just right!

In theory, using those same strings with the Ibanez' maple body & ebony neck, I could get a darker, more versatile, less slap oriented sound, that still jumps growls nicely when played aggressively. But that would take new pickups & a stable neck.

 

[Moving Pictures]

I'm hoping it works out with that bass and the neck stabilizes. They are nice basses and I almost bought the same 6-string a while back. I backed away when I injured my shoulder.

In any case start with strings and maybe those pickups. See where it goes.

 

[dewbass4]

................ He told me all Fender products have about an 80% chance of developing a an s-shaped twist in time....................

Really??????? This is news to me. I have used Fender basses since mid-60's (too many to count) and I have NEVER experienced (or know anyone who has) this "s-shaped twist in time" phenomenon. Too much or too little relief, broken / stripped truss rods... sure, but no s-shaped twist to the neck. Currently my oldest Fender is a '79 P with tons of use and the neck is still straight as the day it came home with me. I literally cannot remember the last time it needed adjusting. I live in the mid-west and gig year round in everything from 100+ degree summers through below zero winters.
Oh, I also have a '06 SR505 with low action that hasn't had the neck touched since switching the factory strings to chromes shortly after the initial purchase, it has absolutely no buzz (ever).

You haven't mentioned what environment you store you bass in or how you transport it. I'm thinking something more than just environmental or weather changes may be the cause of your fret buzzing issues. You might want to seek out a different luthier for a second opinion.

If you are the original owner you might want to contact Ibanez about the instability of the neck.