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What actually is the "Ibanez sound"?

#41
Admiral Akbar said:
That said - I cannot identify the "Ibanez sound."
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I get that you're talking about the Soundgear series, but they've made a ton of different models:

SR
ATK
Roadstar
Roadstar II
Musician
Mikro

And a bunch more. So there really isn't going to be an "Ibanez" sound. As to the Soundgear series, they sound good with not a lot of identifiable characteristics. Like my Corts. Also like my Corts, the active preamps tend to be pretty janky and should probably just be removed.

Yamaha guitars/basses tend to suffer from the same issue. Sound GREAT, nothing stands out. Both very Japanese in that way. I like that, myself, lets my fingers do the talking and shape the tone. Definitely not going to be everyone's cup of tea.
 
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#44
Admiral Akbar said:
That said - I cannot identify the "Ibanez sound." Im mostly talking about those very nice looking, light weight feeling, skinny necked, active electronics with soapbar pickups, Japanese made Ibanez Soundgear family of basses. I can't hear their sonic "signature."
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most japanese made soundgears are the older PJ configuration. during the PJ days, a larger percentage of the lineup were still made in japan.
most soapbar soundgears are from indonesia and korea. the soapbar models that are made in japan are only the highest models and those are less common now than then.
 
#45
Tbh, they have made so many different models and series over the years, with different models and specs that change every year or two, that pinning down an exact tone would seem to be fruitless.
Early on they were aping Fender of course. Nowadays they seem to have tried to reach their own identity.
What exactly that is I dunno, but it probably depends on what series the particular bass is in. As always,there is no substitute for trying yourself and formulating your own opinion.
I pretty much feel the same way about Yamaha except they have seemingly tried to be less experimental and steadier going than Ibanez.
 
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#47
Michael Jewels said:
I bought my first Ibanez, a Musician in 1981 for two reasons: sound and looks.

Nothing Fender or anyone else was putting out at the time looked or sounded like a Musician for the price.

I'm not saying it was the best-sounding bass ever, but it sounded noticeably different enough from everything else that was out there to make it stand out. Then, there were its looks. You decide if you like it.
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I love Musician basses. But I'm fairly confident that Ibanez was trying to imply "Alembic" in every way they could on those without infringing upon any IP.
 
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#48
I've been playing Ibanez since the early 80's when i got tired of dead spots and having to continually upgrade parts to my P and J basses. The Ibanez Roadstar sounded to my ears similar to a growly Ric but with much more sustain. Very strong mids and crisp high end. For all the talk about "generic" this much I know. People who I play with know my sound and other musicians can tell it's me playing before coming in the club, and it's because of my bass and my straight ahead style.

If many people don't "get" the Ibanez "thing" that's fine. Those of us who have enjoyed them for years will continue to buy them and keep working with them.
 
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#49
They were really popular with metal bands in the 90's. Well-made and "modern" looking. For everyone saying that they were nu-metal basses, the Stingray was also very popular in the butt metal genre(s).

I don't remember much about KoRn, but the whole band played Ibanez, if my old Guitar World memory serves me right.
 
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#51
From what I've experienced, and that would be 2000 on Soundgear instruments is that they are mid to high focused, not to say they can't bring the lows. Not that they're one trick Ponies, but they always sounded great playing rock/metal. All mine sounded great with any high gain distortion/fuzz pedal i threw at it.
 
#52
I play an Ibby Volo. I use no effects, and do almost nothing to EQ it besides scoop out the midrange to get a great sound. I play it though an Acoustic Image, a very neutral amp. The Volo has a clear, ringing tone, lots of sustain, and a solid fundamental on each note. It's a specialized bass in some ways -- a 33" scale 5-string strung with a high C, but I've played all kinds of gigs with it, because the controls allow for huge changes in the timbre.

Although a great bass can have a distinctive sound, some basses have LOTS of them. That allows the player to find a unique voice. There's more to life than a Fenders, and I say that as someone who played one for decades. I don't even own one now! When I want a Fenderish sound, I use an MTD Heir. I've had no complaints.
 
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#54
Admiral Akbar said:
Im mostly talking about those very nice looking, light weight feeling, skinny necked, active electronics with soapbar pickups, Japanese made Ibanez Soundgear family of basses.
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lots of people disregarding this part of the op.

Papazita said:
relatively thin and "HiFi on a budget" neutral, with harsh hissy highs with treble boosted, muddy boomy lows with bass boosted, and a rather annoying dark boxy blurry mid-range honk that can't be dialed out.
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^this mostly. How nobody hears this, especially when an I-SR player comes up before or after a Fender player, a Ric player, an EBMM SR player is beyond me. I have heard some really good R&B players lean to the bridge pickup, kill the highs, dial back the bass, and hit the mids just right so as to make an SR sound less like a livingroom bass and more like something to actually perform live with, but it's rare.

Rib 13 said:
Thinking back there were many Warwicks coming out in this era and they were more copping the Ibby Soundgear thing than its own thing.
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I thought Spector was Warwick's primary idea generator?
 
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#57
I can't say that I've ever noticed a prototypical "Ibanez sound", but my RB-800 doesn't sound like any other Ibby I've heard, or what one would expect a P/J to sound like, and EVERY RB-800 I've heard sounds the same. It's got a fair bit of growl, not quite the same as a 4001/4003, but in the same vein. I can also get a lot of Fieldy-ish "click" out of it too if I pound on it hard enough - with Blue Steels on it, it doesn't lose very much top end as the strings age. Very nice and distinctive tone for slap, but also fits in well for a lot of other stuff.
 

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