The Soundgear Club

[Papuzzo]

I would say save the money and invest it in another bass that would benefit more. I'm not sure the SR300E can be hot-rodded to sound any better than it currently does just due to how it's constructed. I'm not coming down on the bass at all; I'm just realizing its limitations and accepting it for what it is: a comfortable, easy to play practice bass.

 

[hypercarrots]

im surprised the accu-cast B IV bridge weighs so much.
11.5 oz.

badass II only weighs 7.75 oz.

i should've weighed the omni adjust when i had it off.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I think the SR300E would sound better w/o that thick poly finish on it & some good Nordstrand pickups would also probably bring new life into it.

It could be a great-sounding monster bass, but obviously not raise the value of it. (except to the player)

The construction is just like any other bass, although I would prefer a neck-thru. Not looking at other basses, because it's always a gamble with the weight. (this one is just over 7-1/2 lbs.)

I'd probably have a SR5000 right now if they didn't actually weight about 1 lb. more than my SR Premium. (also turned off by the more polite Bartolini pickups)

Also, keep in mind this SR300E I've got right now sounds unlike the others. (It sounds a lot better than others I've tried or owned)
I'm blaming it on the wood, because all the electronic components should be the same as other SR300E.

OTOH, maybe I'd ruin the magic by changing the pickups, because these are somehow better through a happy manufacturer's accident...

 

[PDGood]

I know there's a perceived bass boost in the incorrectly labeled "Power Tap" switch position, but it's completely passive. There's nothing on that switch that goes straight to the preamp.

Here's how G&L did it with their OMG mode, with capacitors:

View attachment 3187952
View attachment 3187951

The important part of the schematic is in the upper left corner, where the switch controls how the caps interact with the pickups.
Unfortunately I cannot find a demo video of what the OMG mode sounds like, but it's been described as a bass boost, & on the G&L it's a completely passive addendum.

I'm also unsure of what the resistors are for on the "Power Tap" switch PCB, but there are caps on there also.

By pure coincidence, this is also a map of the highway system in Atlanta.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

surprised the accu-cast B IV bridge weighs so much.
11.5 oz.

badass II only weighs 7.75 oz.

So I could save almost a 1/4 lb. by changing the bridge, but I love the Accu-Cast bridges.
The local luthier says the best thing Ibanez ever did for their cheap basses was bury the bridge under the finish & mount it directly to the body wood.

To install a BAII I'd probably need to remove the finish & TBH I've become quite accustomed to the quick release feature of Ibanez bridges.

 

[Solarmist]

Hello all - new to the group (pretty new to the bass tbh) and this looks like the place for an answer - I'm sure it's been discussed before, but I can't readily find it. Anyway, just got an '08 sr300 and I'm interested in exactly what the "style sweeper" knob does. obviously the difference is easy enough to hear, but I'm not sure specifically what it's doing... anybody want to share some insight on this?

I've got that setup on my 07' SR400 & 08' SR405, and don't like it whatsoever. The standard 3-band EQ is superior IMO, and I could never get the sound I liked with the sweeper. I purchased the SR400 because I really liked the cherry burst finish and still do.

 

[Solarmist]

So I could save almost a 1/4 lb. by changing the bridge, but I love the Accu-Cast bridges.
The local luthier says the best thing Ibanez ever did for their cheap basses was bury the bridge under the finish & mount it directly to the body wood.

To install a BAII I'd probably need to remove the finish & TBH I've become quite accustomed to the quick release feature of Ibanez bridges.

I'm a huge fan of their stock Accu-Cast bridges too having the hinged plate under each saddle so only one set screw for action height is required.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Not a fan of that. I've had two SRX with those saddles & they were bent so badly they almost didn't function. The side w/o the screw bent down to the bridge plate.
I was able to bend them back on the limited edition H.R. Giger one, but I'm sure they will just sink back down over time.

 

[hypercarrots]

So I could save almost a 1/4 lb. by changing the bridge, but I love the Accu-Cast bridges.
The local luthier says the best thing Ibanez ever did for their cheap basses was bury the bridge under the finish & mount it directly to the body wood.

To install a BAII I'd probably need to remove the finish & TBH I've become quite accustomed to the quick release feature of Ibanez bridges.

the saddles on the accu-cast B IV sit on a separate heavy brass block and that block sits on another brass plate/block that is screwed into the wood.

 

[PawleeP]

does anyone know if an sr1200 has a mr4 or mr5 saddle array?
not sure if the difference is note worthy or not..
but, i found one locally and want to go ck it out, to see what all the hype is about big singles.. p

my L-2000 (approx 83 or 84) is much to sentimentally valuable to me, in need of minor wiring correction & a bit worn in the neck/frets (recently did amatuer harry bass owner fret dressing) to be taking out very much.. need something a little lighter, worth less and with easier play-ability, but with piano-like, thunderous tone, like i suspect the sr premium line may be able to accomplish.. thanx p

 

[Killed_by_Death]

IV on those
I've read that the V version lets the string spin independently, which the IV does not.
Once you lock the string in position on the IV, it can't spin.

What I do is get some windings on the capstan & then slack them enough to be able to pull the ball-end out of the saddle.
Then I let the ball-end spin, if it can or will, and pop it back into the saddle.

This is a precaution against twisting a string, which will kill them prematurely.

 

[fretter]

I will hopefully be joining this club very soon, as I have an SRX 400 on order.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

SR eXtreme are hidden gems, but did you know Carol Kaye plays one?

 

[fretter]

I did not know that. It looks like hers has 2 humbuckers. The 400 only has one.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

I'd still have my SRX2EX2 if the pickups had 4 wires, but they're permanently wired in series.

 

[fretter]

I'm hoping that the active boost circuitry is in full working order.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

TBH I never found a use for the Phat boost:

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If it didn't work I'd just make it passive, with a standard treble cut pot.

 

[Solarmist]

You've had these bend? Never heard of that problem before.

 

[B-Mac]

SR eXtreme are hidden gems, but did you know Carol Kaye plays one?

jumping in here.

In the vid she's playing the Ibby SRX 700?


Carol Kaye

She says this in the article:
What's your current instrument?

The only bass I love to play is the Steve Bailey-designed Aria Pro II with the Seymour Duncan Basslines active pickups. It's a four-string, and plays just great. It has both the Fender P-Bass sounds, as well as the feel and some of the sounds of the Ripper bass. It's finely engineered, with fine response and warm tones, but it responds when you want to dig in hard, too. It's the very first small-necked bass I've loved to play. I've had the same set of Thomastik jazz flats on it for almost three years; they still sound like new, and record the best.

But notice she doesn't say what bass she actually has or uses or owns for that matter.
In many vids she has that orange-ish Ibby (SRX 700?) in the above video.

I don't know how old this article is as I couldn't find a copyright date.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Yeah, that's a SRX700, neck-thru.
I saw a recent video of her giving guitar instruction on Skype & the SRX700 was on a stand directly behind her.

You've had these bend?

Yes, it's a common problem with the one bridge design:

The break angle is so sharp that it causes the saddles to fold in on one side.