The Soundgear Club

[Technotitclan]

There will be a nice difference between your 300 and a 500 but not that huge.
If you look out for the 1200 you will see a much bigger improvement in the bass. Especially the pickups are really better, electronics are the same, but switch it off and you have an awesome passive bass !
And also it looks way better
Good luck
Ciao !

Agreed

 

[Solarmist]

Enjoying these two today:
View attachment 3191880

Those are so beautiful together, just love the teal one with the Ash body!

 

[Outbush]

Mine. A 2016-2017 (not really sure) SR755NTF.

 

[pbass74]

View attachment 3212984Mine. A 2016-2017 (not really sure) SR755NTF.

I have the SR750 NTF--four stringer. Amazingly versatile and fun to play.

 

[Outbush]

I have the SR750 NTF--four stringer. Amazingly versatile and fun to play.

Totally agree. I'm really surprised they were discontinued being an upper level traditional PJ, but perhaps they just weren't marketed enough. Love mine and reckon I was lucky to get it.

 

[Papuzzo]

Here's a stupid idea...

On the 5 string SR basses the G string gets wound and at angle from the nut, but if we were to wind it the opposite way from the other strings it would be more straight. Look at the picture of the SR755NTF above. Technically it is better to go straight from the nut to winding and helps with staying in tune. (This is why Les Pauls have terrible tuning problems.) What say you?

 

[RandM]

This is why Les Pauls have terrible tuning problems.

Don't want to make a big thing of it, but really? I've owned one since 1971 and
I've never had that problem.

Strats on the other hand? You only had to touch that wammy and you'd be out, and yeh I played one of them for years too : )

 

[Papuzzo]

That is what my luthier tells me about some of the problems with Les Pauls, I think it also has to do with a wider nut and the angle of the headstock too. He purposely designs all his instruments with strings going straight to the tuning peg. Anyway, I don't have tuning problems with the G string of my SR375E but it is the only string that goes off at an angle and technically if it were wound in reverse it would be almost straight. Just wondering...

 

[Killed_by_Death]

The local Ibanez dealer is also a Fender dealer & he was arguing that a 4-inline headstock is better because the strings go straight to the machine-heads.
I didn't think to look in the store, but looked when I got home & the strings on my SR1800E go straight to the machine-heads as well.

It could be an issue with a 5-string, but not with 4.

 

[Papuzzo]

I looked on the Ibanez site and some 5 strings and even 6 strings are straight and others have an angle. I think before I change the strings on the 5 string I will first wind it the other way and see and hear if there is any difference. I doubt it.

 

[PDGood]

I have tried winding strings on a cigar box guitar in both directions. That's actually a pretty good test because those guitars don't have great tuners on them and if there's a problem, it shows right away. If you're holding a guitar by the neck and looking straight at the front of the head, what I found is that the greater the angle (going left or right) from the nut to the tuning peg, the more challenging it is to tune.

It's easiest to understand why if you imagine that scenario exaggerated. You'd have a steep angle going down and a steep angle going left or right. It's just not going to pull smoothly over the nut.

The result on a cigar box guitar with a fairly steep angle is that when you turn the key it binds and the string doesn't move much, so you turn it some more....and more....and more. Then finally it jumps all at once.

I think this problem exists to a lot smaller degree when the angles are less. And if you have good tuning keys (which most basses due in comparison to cigar box guitars) it really helps mask the problem. But Leo had it right. Straighter is better.

 

[RandM]

Straight from Bridge to Peg yeh, but an angled Head Stock has it's uses. Flat, stepped Headstocks are a mass production answer that leaves a bit to be desired - that's why string trees exhist.

Again, no biggy, they both work and have advantages and disadvantages.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

you turn it some more....and more....and more. Then finally it jumps all at once.

Even if you lube the nut slots?
I always write in mine with a pencil when changing strings, graphite lubrication.

 

[PDGood]

Yeah, graphite helps some, but isn't a total solution. Better keys and straighter strings create the best case scenario. That's why I changed the direction they were wound - to get a straighter pull. That helped a lot. Of course, the pegs don't turn the normal direction now and I have several guitars wound differently so it gets confusing. I'll take the confusion to get better tuning, but I'd really like to redesign the head.

I never really have had any problems on bass. String angles are not that great and tuning machines are plenty strong. I just think the cigar box guitar helps to visualize what's taking place because sometimes they can have less than ideal scenarios.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

Could you swap the machine-heads side-for-side & get them rotating in the right direction again?

 

[PDGood]

Interesting thought! I'm trying to picture it in my head without having them with me (and I'm not very good at that) , but it seems like it would put the keys too close together. Not sure though.

 

[stingray69]

I looked on the Ibanez site and some 5 strings and even 6 strings are straight and others have an angle. I think before I change the strings on the 5 string I will first wind it the other way and see and hear if there is any difference. I doubt it.

I never really paid much attention, but yeah - it really does seem to come down to a per-model basis.

I went through my pics of past & current Ibanez basses & there really does seem to be no definite rhyme or reason other than sheer, per-instrument design, as to which strings do or don't have a straight-pull beyond the nut.

Pretty wild once you start to really notice it.

ATK-805E:

SR-705:

SR-1305E:

Talman TMB-605:

For what it's worth, I've never had any trouble or felt any tangible difference between tuning gear stiffness on any of these models, which is good I suppose.

 

[Clark W]

Didn't know there was a Soundgear club here, so anyway, I'm the proud owner of an Ibanez SR400EQM Purple Space Burst. It's my first Ibanez, and the first bass I ever bought new. Bought it back in August when I got a promotion at work that netted me 6 grand more a year in pay. And it won't be my last Ibanez I buy brand new either. Already have my eye on an Ibanez Bass Workshop SRMS800 Multi scale / fan fretted bass. I think I'm suffering from an Ibanez addiction now. I play it weekly at a small gig and have had several "guitarist friends" try it out and they all think it's an awesome playing bass too. Currently playing through a GK MB210 II.

My pics, and Sweetwater's pic of my bass. Lighting is everything and my fingerprints all over it aren't helping any either.

 

[Wicked G]

Didn't know there was a Soundgear club here, so anyway, I'm the proud owner of a an Ibanez SR400EQM Purple Space Burst. It's my first Ibanez, and the first bass I ever bought new. Bought it back in August when I got a promotion at work that netted me 6 grand more a year in pay. And it won't be my last Ibanez I buy brand new either. Already have my eye on an Ibanez Bass Workshop SRMS800 Multi scale / fan fretted bass. I think I'm suffering from an Ibanez addiction now. I play it weekly at a small gig and have had several "guitarist friends" try it out and they all think it's an awesome playing bass too. Currently playing through a GK MB210 II.

My pics, and Sweetwater's pic of my bass. Lighting is everything and my fingerprints all over it aren't helping any either.
View attachment 3215030 View attachment 3215031 View attachment 3215032

I was just playing one of these today at GC. It is a very nice sounding and looking bass.

I was there to pick up my new Ibanez bass. Since I don't have pics of it at the moment I will post up tomorrow. Anyway I like that Purple Space Burst, it looks really cool up close.

 

[Clark W]

I was just playing one of these today at GC. It is a very nice sounding and looking bass.

I was there to pick up my new Ibanez bass. Since I don't have pics of it at the moment I will post up tomorrow. Anyway I like that Purple Space Burst, it looks really cool up close.

I forgot to mention it's also my first quilted top bass.

I've really been impressed with the build and sound quality of the guitar overall. And I used to swear by Carvin, but always bought used because the ones I always wanted were like 1200 new. My last Carvin was a LB70 active with stained Koa wood, gold hardware and Sperzel speed locks.

Now I find myself plotting my next Ibanez purchase every other day.