Here's my sr500. Just pulled the trigger on a sr1205e!! Hope it gets here possibly tommorrow, but may be monday. I'll make sure to let yall know all about. I'll try and post a pretty in depth review.
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The Soundgear Club
- Thread starter THE DANiMAL
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Be surprised if you didn't. Heard nothing but good things about those. Please post pics when you get it. The tops on those seem to vary but they all end up looking cool.
Eublet said:
I admit, when I bought it, it didn't look like any pictures I've seen. Even so, I loved it. I think my pictures show how it really looks; the finish anyway. As for pickups, I have only one gripe: they're too short to put my thumb on them. Otherwise, love 'em. Really versatile sound. Pretty good for slap, great for finger style. One thing you should be aware of though is just how sensitive the pickups are. You hear everything, more or less. It's kind of forcing me to improve my technique on both hands, which ultimately I call a good thing, so I don't think that's a disadvantage. If you want to hear it, I can record a couple clips for you if you want. PM me if so. Requests welcome!
I'm looking at snagging an SR706. It'll be my first 6er, first Ibanez and first ERB.
Any reviews? Any soy have one and love it?
Just looking for something to compliment all my smooth talking 4 string Precisions.
Thanks,
J.
Any reviews? Any soy have one and love it?
Just looking for something to compliment all my smooth talking 4 string Precisions.
Thanks,
J.
That would be an interesting 'jump' from the 4 string basses in your collection.
Let us know if you go for it!
I've already got a number, here is a pic of my beaut (SR800LE) 1989 MIJ, just put DR Black Beauties on her.
Invalid Link Removed
Sorry about the big pic.
I have the exact same bass...same year and all....just has silver shinny strings on it. I truly love that bass......got it thrown in a 3 for one trade deal. It was totally a pearl of a steal!
- Jan 21, 2012
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- endorsing artist hard luck king guitars and knuckle head strings
The other bassist at my church had a SR706 and to my ears it sounded rather sterile. It looked nice and was super comfortable but if I wanted a more modern sounding bass with organic low end I would opt more towards the Warwick, Spector, EBMM Bongo route.
Its not a bad bass by any means the only problem he had was with his bridge. His bridge saddle screws constantly came loose.
He tried loctite and that failed. He returned it for another SR706 and THAT one also failed in the bridge.
He got fed up with it and got a full refund and got himself a EBMM Bongo.
Im not knocking on Ibbys in any way I happen to like the sound from the ATK and BTB models but to me the SR series while ground breaking sounds a little too thin for me
Its not a bad bass by any means the only problem he had was with his bridge. His bridge saddle screws constantly came loose.
He tried loctite and that failed. He returned it for another SR706 and THAT one also failed in the bridge.
He got fed up with it and got a full refund and got himself a EBMM Bongo.
Im not knocking on Ibbys in any way I happen to like the sound from the ATK and BTB models but to me the SR series while ground breaking sounds a little too thin for me
The 706 looks like the 6 string version of my 700. The 700 is very modern sounding - almost too much so. Tons of sustain which I find works well in most things except old school. Beautiful tone. Doesn't sit as easily in the mix as some basses, but when it's right it's so right. I can't speak for the 6 string version.
A friend of mine owns an Ergodyne EDB 555 and he can get a P bass tone by rolling off the bass a bit. I'm willing to bet you can get a slightly more "vintage" tone with some creative EQ adjustment with the onboard pre.
Assuming you want that at all.
Hi KingRazor. By they way, I always enjoy your posts.
In this case, I've tried every combination of EQ, amplification, finger placement, cabinets, and pickup selection and I can't get anything close to a P bass out of the 700. Maybe if I put foam under the strings at the bridge that would help, but honestly there's no need. I've got a really nice old P bass. The SRX comes much closer than the 700 at fitting into the old school style imho.
The treble on the 700 is set extremely high, almost in the fret rattle range. On my P bass, it's much lower than that. The other challenge is the sustain, and then there's just the basic tone is different. I'm not complaining - I love both for what they are. And I have learned that if I turn the treble of the 700 almost completely off on the bass and then bring it back a smidge on the amp with either the treble or high mids, that comes closer.
Also, I admit that I'm trying to match a vintage P which is far different from the ones I hear being built now. My P bass is ultra mellow and I don't always keep fresh strings on it which adds to the softness of the highs. It's warm, woody, not super deep, not very bright - just sits in the middle and blends with everything. Doesn't cut through a mix live as well as either Ibby which is why I bought the Peavey speakers listed in my signature. They're perfect for the Fender and a really bad choice for the Ibbys. The Ibbys sound better through the Berg or XLT (or both).
The basses are worlds apart, but each has its place. When I buy a new bass, I look for something very different from what I already have. I want my collection to be like an artist's palette of colors - different things to choose from.
In this case, I've tried every combination of EQ, amplification, finger placement, cabinets, and pickup selection and I can't get anything close to a P bass out of the 700. Maybe if I put foam under the strings at the bridge that would help, but honestly there's no need. I've got a really nice old P bass. The SRX comes much closer than the 700 at fitting into the old school style imho.
The treble on the 700 is set extremely high, almost in the fret rattle range. On my P bass, it's much lower than that. The other challenge is the sustain, and then there's just the basic tone is different. I'm not complaining - I love both for what they are. And I have learned that if I turn the treble of the 700 almost completely off on the bass and then bring it back a smidge on the amp with either the treble or high mids, that comes closer.
Also, I admit that I'm trying to match a vintage P which is far different from the ones I hear being built now. My P bass is ultra mellow and I don't always keep fresh strings on it which adds to the softness of the highs. It's warm, woody, not super deep, not very bright - just sits in the middle and blends with everything. Doesn't cut through a mix live as well as either Ibby which is why I bought the Peavey speakers listed in my signature. They're perfect for the Fender and a really bad choice for the Ibbys. The Ibbys sound better through the Berg or XLT (or both).
The basses are worlds apart, but each has its place. When I buy a new bass, I look for something very different from what I already have. I want my collection to be like an artist's palette of colors - different things to choose from.
Just because some folks can't get a good tone out of the SRs it doesn't mean the basses are not great - they are. Of course, some lemons might still end up in the shops from time to time, but I've said this before: I've seen a constant improvement in the QC during these past years that it's really shocking...my old Ibbys were MIK; my current ones are MII and yet they're better built. No sharp frets, no finish flaws, even the setup is top notch out of the box - insane low action btw.
But you can't expect them to sound different from what they've been designed to do. SRs are modern sounding basses. The EQ is very versatile, but no matter the settings, they will still sound modern.
On the other hand I don't find the EBMMs modern sounding at all.
As for the rest...I've owned a Spector Legend and in all honesty it was crap compared to a SR500 - in fact I sold the poor thing the day I've bought my first SR, because the signal/tone coming from that Spector was so weak and dead compared to the roaring power of the Ibby...so in the mid priced instruments zone IMO Spector fall flat. Their high end basses are killer, but those will cost more than any Ibby.
Warwicks...the only good thing about 'em is the tone; everything else is crap: heavy, necks need a lot of tweaking and much to my surprise, a lot of finish flaws (sharp fretboards, peeling paint off bridge, deep fretwear after very brief & limited playing, and so on). They're going down the hill and their QC is sadly very poor these days. In fact after a few years of struggling with their basses I decided to sell them all and return to Ibanez, simply because the playability & ergonomics of the Ibbys is still unmatched - at least not in their price range.
The thing with Ibbys is that they don't sound at their best on any rig; sometimes you might end up with a bad combination of bass/amp/cab and jump to the wrong conclusion.
PS: EDB550/555 are very nice basses; not so "in your face" like a SR500 and up, but their tone is warm and it blends better in the mix.
Regarding the SR's sounding sterile, I disagree completely. They do have their own tone though it seems. I've owned SR's and a BTB with the MK1 pickups, and much of the tone comes from those electronics, which can easily be replaced if someone wants a more aggressive tone. I'm surprised more folks don't do this considering how comfy the SR's are. I had an SRX that wasn't sterile sounding at all, but it was it's own thing also. I had a Willis GWB1 which was absolutely killer for a fretless bass. None of the Ibanez basses I've owned sounded anything like a jazz or precision by any stretch. One of the reasons I'm so intrigued by the 1200 and 1400 series is the Nordy Big Singles. I had Nordy Fat Stacks in a Valenti bass once that I ran in single coil mode, and it was an absolute hammer of a bass. The only reason I sold it was because it was because it had a stealth theme going on which I didn't care for. I'm really hoping the 1405 has that aggressive tone also because I'll be a happy camper if it does.
I've got an SR500 here, which is a fantastic bass; I upgraded the MK1s to US MK4CBCs a year back and it sounds even better. This past summer I picked up a modded GSR206 to see how I'd like 6 strings, and needless to say it got me hooked. But the SR500 is definitely miles ahead in quality and tone, so now I'm GASing for a 506 and up. Anybody want to sell one? 
Will get pics up later!
Will get pics up later!
To be fair, Yellofury didn't state that SRs were sterile, only that the 706 he heard sounded that way. And given a particular player, amp, and EQ that is entirely possible.
Otherwise, I'd agree with much of what Eublet says.
I don't think you'll find the models with the big Single aggressive sounding though - I'd call them versatile and not prone to one extreme or the other.
SRXs are more aggressive, and to correct something I said earlier, it's a more powerful bass volume wise than the 700. (I took the advice given here and put fresh batteries in each to make the comparison).
Otherwise, I'd agree with much of what Eublet says.
I don't think you'll find the models with the big Single aggressive sounding though - I'd call them versatile and not prone to one extreme or the other.
SRXs are more aggressive, and to correct something I said earlier, it's a more powerful bass volume wise than the 700. (I took the advice given here and put fresh batteries in each to make the comparison).
Ah I see.
I can understand the Ergodyne getting a slightly more old school tone. Ash body, jazz pickups, and I think the preamp is probably voiced for a slightly more old school tone.
What I'd like to know - and maybe someone can chime in here - is what causes the treble frequency on the 700 to be so high? Is it the pickups, the preamp or what?
I hear people talking about swapping out their preamps and I wonder how they know what the result will be before they make the change. I can't drop a couple hundred bucks on a mod without knowing for sure that it's going to go in the direction I want it to go. Maybe money is not as tight for others, but I think you'd have to have an idea where the change will take you.
I hear people talking about swapping out their preamps and I wonder how they know what the result will be before they make the change. I can't drop a couple hundred bucks on a mod without knowing for sure that it's going to go in the direction I want it to go. Maybe money is not as tight for others, but I think you'd have to have an idea where the change will take you.
