tried an ibanez SRH500 today...

[pcake]

i never got into hollow bodies that much even though i owned a violin bass for a while, but while i was messing with a bass at west l.a. guitar center, my husband handed me a brown ibanez with an f hole and said "try this!"

the first one had one string that had no volume at all, so he handed me a second one. the second one was a huge WOW! it sounded great - really great. it was comfortable to hold, the neck was comfortable and the strings, after doing a little research, seem to be chromes. and the sound is different than any of my current stable.

Electric Basses SR - SRH500 Bass Workshop | Ibanez guitars

and now i'm that state - you know the one - where i really really REALLY want that bass. it's really not in the budget, but let me tell you, it rocked my world...

 

[Sleeko]

There's no turning back now . . .

 

[nonohmic]

Get it.

 

[bassbenj]

I hope you let GAS take its proper course...

Electric Basses SR - SRH500 Bass Workshop | Ibanez guitars

and now i'm that state - you know the one - where i really really REALLY want that bass. it's really not in the budget, but let me tell you, it rocked my world...

I have the Carvin semi-hollow body version of that and everything you say is true. Super light weight. Excellent different but killer tone perfect for certain things. And if you think it sounding good as is, wait until you jam a piece of foam under the strings down at the bridge!

You know what you must do!

 

[Aidil]

Love the SRH. I got the 5 string version. I've only gigged with it once and it was very comfort to have it on shoulder as it only weighed 3 kg. It's the lightest bass in my collections right now.

It has warm tone that goes very well with easy listening musics that we play, which lately are office lunch time gigs. I even consider getting the fretless SRH505F also.

 

[Son of Wobble]

Interesting! But Pcake, I thought you played shorties cuz of your shoulder or rotator cuff or some such.

Those strings look d'addario chromes....

 

[Watchootognbout]

Wish they'd make this in a six.

 

[Aidil]

Oh yeah I forgot about the strings.

The SRH do come with D'Addario Chromes ECB81 (or ECB81-5 for the 5 string version) from factory.

@pcake, if you eventually get one, for even more comfortable playing, change the stock strings with Chromes ECB80 Super Light Gauge set. I've swapped the EADG strings on mine with them (I keep on using the stock Chromes low-B since it matches the ECB80, tension wise). The tone that I get is still warm despite thinner strings due to the SRH semi-hollow body construction and the usage of piezo pickups.

 

[Whippet]

Wish they'd make this in a six.

I was told it would neck dive.

 

[Aidil]

I was told it would neck dive.

Good point. But it would depend on one's definition of neck dive.

If you categorised neck dive as must have the bass in balance when putting it on your lap while sitting without holding the neck and without putting on the strap, then any Ibanez SR series basses, especially the 6 string ones, would fall into neck dive category.

I regard a bass suffering from neck dive if the neck sunk when the left hand isn't holding the neck while the strap is on. My 2001 built Curbow 6 precisely fell into this category.

The SRH does have a very lightweight body which even lighter than any SR series bodies that most couldn't counter balanced the necks. But since any SR series basses have their top horn strap pin parallel to the 12th fret, thus even the 6 string version doesn't suffer from neck dive as long as it's being played with the strap on.

Yes, it would be a challenge to make a 6 string version of the SRH, especially to make it balanced with its wider and heavier neck despite lightweight body. But with correctly positioning the top horn strap pin, it shouldn't have neck dive. Ibanez have done it with the Ashula SRAS7, which is essentially an SR bass with 7 strings. They counter balanced the heavier neck by moving the top horn strap pin position even further away from the bridge. IIRC, the SRAS7 has its top horn strap pin parallel to the middle of 10th and 11th frets.

 

[pcake]

you are very bad influences! i'm trying NOT to buy it... well, sorta...

Interesting! But Pcake, I thought you played shorties cuz of your shoulder or rotator cuff or some such.

Those strings look d'addario chromes....

that is usually the case, but there is an occasional 34" scale bass that i can play without pain. at home i play sitting down, so i expect it's where the waist is on the body. i can actually play my dimension for longer than my mustang without pain, so go figure.

ibanez says they are chromes. i haven't tried them before, but they're the easiest to play flats i've tried.

I was told it would neck dive.

you were told correctly. i've played worse - the worst was either my schecter AB1+ or my husband's victory bass, but when i let go of the neck it definitely started heading for the floor.

 

[ThinCrappyTone]

You know what you must do!

yesssssssss

 

[Spidey2112]

... the first one had one string that had no volume at all...

Looking at the website, each string has a trim pot... I'm thinking for string volume balance, so it may just need adjusted. If it was the better overall finish of the two, maybe get a tech to look at it... take all of 5 minutes, I bet...

These are nice, though... I bet a fretless would be cool, but that's another thread, for sure.

 

[pcake]

i wanted to mention that i played this bass through a couple amps including a rumble 25, and surprisingly the SRH500 and the rumble 25 sounded like they were made for each other.

Looking at the website, each string has a trim pot... I'm thinking for string volume balance, so it may just need adjusted. If it was the better overall finish of the two, maybe get a tech to look at it... take all of 5 minutes, I bet...

These are nice, though... I bet a fretless would be cool, but that's another thread, for sure.

i feel sure you're right about that. i didn't really feel like troubleshooting a bass on the floor - i'm not picky when it comes to finishes, btw.

haven't played a fretless in years. if i pull the trigger, i'd get the fretted for now, but i'll bet the fretless IS amazing...

 

[RobTheRiot]

Thanks! (Haha!) I've seen these in passing and never really gave them a second thought besides thinking were nice looking.

Now, after reading this thread & Ibanez's website, I'm really intrigued and quite interested in playing and really checking one out... not really the time for a new bass for me, but damn, if that sounds half as sweet as it seems it should, I'll have another serious case of gas.... ugh!


Also, I am really impressed with Ibanez's willingness to consistently bring unique & creative Basses to market. For a large company that can probably just sit on their popular models and continue to be successful, they don't. Instead they offer instruments like this semi-hollow bodied spruce topped piezo bass, multiple extended range Basses fretted & fanned & fretless, and even the half fretted/half fretless Ashula(???) I believe.
I give them credit for offering a number of choices outside of the norm.

I respect them for it but don't have any, altho this one is calling to me.

Thanks for sharing your experience!

 

[SirMjac28]

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

i never got into hollow bodies that much even though i owned a violin bass for a while, but while i was messing with a bass at west l.a. guitar center, my husband handed me a brown ibanez with an f hole and said "try this!"

the first one had one string that had no volume at all, so he handed me a second one. the second one was a huge WOW! it sounded great - really great. it was comfortable to hold, the neck was comfortable and the strings, after doing a little research, seem to be chromes. and the sound is different than any of my current stable.

Electric Basses SR - SRH500 Bass Workshop | Ibanez guitars

and now i'm that state - you know the one - where i really really REALLY want that bass. it's really not in the budget, but let me tell you, it rocked my world...

Oh yeah! I played one of those those in the Hollywood GC about a year ago. It was dope as hell! I actually played on 2 of them, the fretted and the fretless. The fretless model was exceptional. But yeah, I've been wanting one since. Just haven't found the justification yet. I can't see it being an everyday player. One of those, "perfect for this" basses, instead of a "never leave home without it" bass. But, I'd love to have one on my wall when the need arises.

 

[Border]

I think Rob's comments are right on point. Ibanez continues to come out with new and interesting basses. I have had my eye on an Artcore for some time, after playing one at the GC in Seattle not long ago. Still have an old Iceman I bought years ago buried in a closet around here somewhere. Might be a good day to get it out and dust it off.

 

[GwenOnBass]

Sweet bass there. Seriously digging mine with tapes.

:: ducks, runs, hides ::

 

[pcake]

View attachment 3097272

must buy... it... now...

no, no - must be strong!

don't... miss... out...

i don't want to miss out... i mean must hold out!

confound you and your hypnotic frog!

buy... it... now...

Sweet bass there. Seriously digging mine with tapes.

:: ducks, runs, hides ::

tapes, huh? i can't imagine how it could be improved on with those flats. they were scrumdidiliocious!

no sense in hiding - i already don't know where you are