I love how we can get in a pasta analogy. What's even better, once you get past your stomach growling, you realize the analogy makes perfect sense!!!
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What actually is the "Ibanez sound"?
- Thread starter Admiral Akbar
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- #ibanez #livemusic #soundgear #tone
I love how we can get in a pasta analogy. What's even better, once you get past your stomach growling, you realize the analogy makes perfect sense!!!
When I finally decided to give up my 5 string flirtation (the first time) I sold a SR405QM on consignment at the local music store. It's a reputable store, been in business for awhile. I had flats on it and the guy handling the paperwork simply could not wrap his head around why anyone would put flats on an Ibanez. His assumption of me was that I was a metal bassist, simply because well it's an Ibanez so he must play metal. At the testing phase when he plugged it in to the standard Fender Rumble combo amp he played it for about 15 mins while I browsed around. He couldn't believe how it sounded. And variations of that experience has been the norm in almost every situation regarding Ibanez I've ever been in.
And then there's that one guy like my friends bass player. He buys it because he loves that neck and the light weight, plays with it long enough to find the sound he needs, and now will probably never play anything else as a main bass. I know if I were to get rid of my Mustang and EB0 SS and go back to 34" there's no other bass I'd even consider then a SR500 or up.
What's funny is it's not just the basses. Guitarists scoff at the RG...until they spend some time actually playing one outside GC.
The Ibanez stigma is strong, especially where I live. You try selling an Ibanez here you're gonna lose a lot of money.
Perhaps people just need to spend more time with the higher end instruments? Or maybe Ibanez should copy Yamaha's TRBX30x with their EQ preset switch so that the low end SRs have better plug and play compatability.
Thinking about it now that's probably why Yamaha used that only on that bass. Gives you all the flexibility of actives but the accessibility of just plugging it in, flipping a switch, and grooving. Where as with a higher end instrument chances are those buyers know what they're getting into.
I had a Brice once that you could switch back and forth from passive to active. I sold it with the same battery in it that came with the bass. Ibanez would be smart to adopt something similar maybe, although perhaps they think that it would adversely effect their price points. Or maybe the Talmen series is designed to fill that demand and they don't want to cut into it's sales.
Agree that Soundgears don't have a signature sound. But that's not a bad thing. It's a good sounding all round active bass. At least the mid and high range soundgears. Most custom basses and many other high end don't have a signature sound. Does Fodera have a signature sound for example? Think I couldn't regognize it in a blind test.
That shouldn't cut Talman sales. Those are also active, and they'd have to actually make it to retailers to have possible sales to canabilize.
My guess is it has to do with cost, as the SR605 has an active/passive switch. And adding EQ presets like what Yamaha does with the TRBX305 would involve spending even more money.
With the SR300E being one of the best selling basses out there they probably feel like they don't need to spend more cash just to try and win over some nay-sayers.
By older, I'm talking >55 yo....
But - I do have a buddy who's 45 and loves his SG since the day he got it in 1995.
I'm thinking older (>55) players may gravitate to the thin necks and lightweight bodies.
As far as whether I like Ibanez Soundgears - well, I tried to be as open and neutral of opinion as possible. I find their build quality excellent for the money, and they sound... well... good enough for any situation.
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Just three days ago I played a matte black stained sr200b (I think that was the model) in a pawn shop. I could not believe how incredibly comfortable, ergonomic, light, and well set up that bass was! To be fair, our town has a great tech and more than likely this bass was set up by a pro. It played that well!
It was hard to judge the sound because I was playing through a budget brand 15 watt bass amp that was probably 20 years old. That being said, the sound was still pretty nice. And this is coming from a guy that plays P basses and jazz basses.
They wanted close to what they sell for new, so I didn't buy it. But it got me thinking: would one of the PJ configured SR's work as a super comfortable platform for upgraded pick ups and electronics… Or possibly even passive tone controls.?.?
For instance, how would a set of EMG Geezer Butler PJ's sound in an SR with passive tone controls?
It was hard to judge the sound because I was playing through a budget brand 15 watt bass amp that was probably 20 years old. That being said, the sound was still pretty nice. And this is coming from a guy that plays P basses and jazz basses.
They wanted close to what they sell for new, so I didn't buy it. But it got me thinking: would one of the PJ configured SR's work as a super comfortable platform for upgraded pick ups and electronics… Or possibly even passive tone controls.?.?
For instance, how would a set of EMG Geezer Butler PJ's sound in an SR with passive tone controls?
Just like the Squier Affinity PJ I'm dropping those pickups into later when my new bridge arrives. So yeah I think they'd make a fine platform for a mod bass. Nothing about it should be too hard to find a replacement for.
This is a perfect description. I have an Ibanez SR405 that I use as a backup 5-string. Fit and finish is good, there's obviously excellent quality control in the manufacturing process. It feels ok, and the sound is...ok. "Thin" is always the first word that comes to mind. I'm never inspired to actually pick it up and play it.
I'm looking to replace it with a Jazz soon.
That's my affinity Strat on the left. Bought it new for $99... would NOT stay in tune lol. Added a bone nut and some Gotoh tuners along with a pro setup and it's great! Still under $200 invested. The P bass on the right was $93. Geezer Butler pickup is on order...
I think Ibanez is known for experimenting a lot, at least for a big established company that makes mass produced instruments, as a consequence coming out with a wide variety of different basses with different characteristics, tone wise as well, both across the current product line and seen across time.
In my book that is a good thing that more big companies ought to do.
In my book that is a good thing that more big companies ought to do.
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My Bullet strat never stayed in tune well, but is the best playing guitar I've ever held. Slapped some $20 no name locking tuners on and a no name hotrails loaded pickgaurd and bam! Dream guitar right there. lol
You'll love the GZR pickup for the P bass. Sounds incredible and is stupid easy to install.
IME Ibanezes don't have a signature "sound." Rather, because of their electronics they're more of a chameleon bass that can cover a wide range of sounds. From what I've seen and also IME, you buy an Ibanez for the small body, light weight, and slim neck.
OK, here's a few others:
Adam Nitti:
Gerald Veasley:
and of course (OK, it's a fretless) Gary Willis:
What this tells me is that Fieldy's signature clickety-clack is not an "Ibanez thing", it's a "Fieldy thing".
All great musicans, but I'm not hearing Ibanez.
Perhaps the Ibanez sound is near-complete transparency: "my hands, only louder"?
It's refreshing to hear a tune like Alone Together posted on TB. There are a lot of arrangements of this on youtube and elsewhere but for us bass nerds he nailed it as a solo.
So is that the answer - there isn't even a Soundgear sound, let alone an Ibanez sound? If Fieldy, Nitti, Veasley and Willis all sound so different on variations of just the SR series, how different do players of BTB, Talman or Artcore sound? Or old Musicians, Roadsters and Blazers? Then Roadgear basses and the AFR series. And the ATK. The Ergodyne and EDC that weren't even made of wood. The SRX which was very different from the SR. And the GAXB - anyone remember those?
How can there possibly be one Ibanez sound? [/thread]
Your post made me think of all the threads I've read where people argue about how a jazz bass and a precision bass are "two completely different instruments", but then those same people come to an Ibanez thread and talk about the fender sound and how iconic it is… I wish they would make up their mind!
I can't say I disagree with anything that you said in your post. I will say this though: as a multi instrumentalist, I have to laugh sometimes when bass players get so hung up scrutinizing the subtle differences in the "thumpity bumpity" tones that audience members will never discern, especially once the sound guy gets a hold of your tone. I can promise you guys that if they don't care about the difference between a Strat and a Les Paul, they sure as hell don't care about the difference between a jazz bass and a P bass.
I was watching a rig rundown with Todd Rundgren...anyway, after they finished with him they moved on to Kasim Sultan...he is sitting there holding a soundgear 5 string bass....he started playing something and I thought...yup, its the Ibanez sound...lol...I think if you play one or have you can recognize the sound...ymmv
