What's with Ibby?

[subtlestew]

I just acquired one of these. I've owned and moved along both classic and newer Ibanez basses, but this one is feeling like a keeper. Quality is very high, and while I'm no Adam Nitti, if I were to design a signature bass of my own it would have pretty much these exact specs.

 

[Jeff Hughes]

I just never liked the way they looked. The modern look just didn’t grab me. Also, we sold lots of Ibanez basses at my store, and the only one I ever picked up and felt inspired by was a six-string.

All of the knobs turned me off too. I prefer minimal entry ways for dust and dirt. A Precision has two. All I ever needed.

 

[Relayer71]

Nothing's with Ibby. They make excellent basses at different price points and like every other brand, some love em, some hate em, and some don't give them any thought at all.

If they have any "stains" on their reputation it's that their most visible bass line (SR) is a modern bass and many bassists into Fender and vintage gear want nothing to do with those (Ibanez or any other modern bass). And that they make some really low cost basses as we'll as mid priced.

But Ibanez, and Yamaha which was mentioned, are also known for some classic models like the Musician and BB series, respectively.

And Ibanez gets credit from me for continuing to put out new and fresh designs aside from the SR line. I really liked the Grooveline from a few years back and the current AFR.

 

[Relayer71]

I prefer minimal entry ways for dust and dirt. A Precision has two. All I ever needed.

Junkyard gig, eh?

 

[jbhaugh]

My current favorite bass I own is a 1984 Ibanez Roadstar II, but it is a P-bass clone so we can set that aside for now, except to say it is absolutely extraordinary for what I paid for it. I hated the stock pickup, but I switched it for something more to my taste and whoa - truly exceptional instrument.

Anyway, I tend to think the electronics in the basses at the low end of Ibanez's range sound awful. They do, however, tend to be very well made instruments. The feel is very particular, and I can understand people who grew up playing Stingrays or P-basses or whatever with wider, thicker necks hating the feel of an Ibanez. I haven't played a lot of higher-end basses from Ibanez, though, so I have no idea if the electronics improve as you go up the range (I tend to they they probably do).

Second thing: The feel is very particular, and I can understand people who grew up playing Stingrays or P-basses or whatever with wider, thicker necks hating the feel of an Ibanez. In fact, I myself do not love the thin feel of the SR necks. I could get used to it, though, if I found a bass that sounded great to my ear.

I have no prejudice against Ibanez as a brand and I would absolutely buy one of their modern offerings if it struck my fancy.

 

[jbhaugh]

What's interesting about that is that some of the basslines (no one knows how many for sure) attributed to James Jamerson were actually played by Carol Kaye, and she has absolutely no problem rocking an Ibanez.

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Yes, but Carol Kaye played all those classic bass lines from back in the day on a P-bass, just like everyone else.

 

[Tom Gallo]

Carol Kaye is lying when she says she played on classic Jamerson tracks. She played a P with flats for most of those tracks, too.

 

[HearNoStevil]

Yes, but Carol Kaye played all those classic bass lines from back in the day on a P-bass, just like everyone else.

Not the point.

 

[HearNoStevil]

Carol Kaye is lying when she says she played on classic Jamerson tracks.

Perry, where's Paul and Della?

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Welcome to TalkBass!

I have played a zillion gigs with both Fender (and clones) and Ibanez basses.

They are two different tools for two different sound to my ears. Yes, they CAN be interchanged. But, to my sensitive ears with 35 years of playing experience, they are two different versions of good.

Short version: There are plenty of situations when an Ibanez is right at home. There are plenty of situations when a Fender (or clone) is right at home. There are a few situations where (in my opinion) a P bass simply shines and no other tool will do the job.

Good post. Don’t try to shove a round peg in a square hole. Your instrument should complement the music you play. In my case, most of what I play is complemented with a Fender Bass, and more than likely, the covers we play were done with a fender bass.

That said, I am intrigued buy a high end Yamaha 5 string for playing more modern music.

 

[kevindahl]

My main bass for the last 30 years has been a Soundgear 1000. I did replace the pups right away and replaced them with EMGs. The stock pups sounded way too "farty" to me. The neck was the most attractive feature to me.

 

[Paul New]

Ibanez has plenty of credibility in the guitar market, I guess because they have a few famous endorsers. Pat Metheny has a signature model, so do Scofield, and George Benson.

They just need a few more famous bass players on their list, the instruments are excellent. I noticed just yesterday day that Andrea, touring with J D Simo is playing some 5 string Ibanez model.

 

[Nuage420]

Ibanez has plenty of credibility in the guitar market, I guess because they have a few famous endorsers. Pat Metheny has a signature model, so do Scofield, and George Benson.

They just need a few more famous bass players on their list, the instruments are excellent. I noticed just yesterday day that Andrea, touring with J D Simo is playing some 5 string Ibanez model.

Lol... a few famous? They have Vai. That's enough in its own. Also they owned Numetal which is the buyers demographic right now.

 

[JimmyM]

- This is a kinda generic topic (no trolls plz) - but
I am a beginner/intermediate player (4 years of bass studies, long time ago) and I have begun playing the bass again during quarantine.

I've just exchanged a very good lookin and sounding fender jazz mex (2008) with an Ibanez sr1300.

I don't want to disappoint all the Fender adherents here but these are instruments at different levels.
Even though the Jazz sounds great, it is just that, and that's it. Ok, long life to simplicity but once I came across this Ibanez (fine wooded, NS pickupped, multidimensionally equalised, agile and good looking). I thougth: 'how it is possible that people do not even take into consideration this bass, if not for live performance, at least for studio recs or experimentation?'.

'Ibanez sounds poopie' is the most common thing I hear from people in general who probably are not used to different and more articulated sounds. - Have u ever played a high-end ibanez?

I can partly say the same thing for Yamaha,
Is it because they r Japanese and not American?
Has it something to do with tradition and visual customs? Powerful branding and marketing?
Is it because most of bass playing and sounding has been very standard since the beginning of rock-blues and the bass is still forced within these limits?

Ok, these questions are provocative but what are your thoughts about Ibanez' ostracising?

Ostracizing??? They're one of the more popular brands in the world. And if you like your bass, who gives a crap what anyone else thinks?

 

[nutdog]

Love my Ibby. But it does sound less beastly since the ostracism.

 

[RabidMusic]

My only complaint with my SR's is the look. Dark wood in layers. Looks nice up close, but on stage it just looks brown. Dark brown. Who wants to play a dark brown instrument? At least from the player perspective, most basses look alike. When looking from top down all you see is the edge of the bass and you hardly pay attention. I spend my time looking at the neck.

 

[cmcbass]

I like Ibanez basses. I just like Warwicks more, so I have those instead. If I didn't own a bass and needed something affordable I would grab a 5 string Ibanez SR bass in a heartbeat. I do own an Ibanez rg guitar that was very affordable and plays great.

 

[bobba66]

No.

 

[RogerTheAlien]

- This is a kinda generic topic (no trolls plz) - but
I am a beginner/intermediate player (4 years of bass studies, long time ago) and I have begun playing the bass again during quarantine.

I've just exchanged a very good lookin and sounding fender jazz mex (2008) with an Ibanez sr1300.

I don't want to disappoint all the Fender adherents here but these are instruments at different levels.
Even though the Jazz sounds great, it is just that, and that's it. Ok, long life to simplicity but once I came across this Ibanez (fine wooded, NS pickupped, multidimensionally equalised, agile and good looking). I thougth: 'how it is possible that people do not even take into consideration this bass, if not for live performance, at least for studio recs or experimentation?'.

'Ibanez sounds poopie' is the most common thing I hear from people in general who probably are not used to different and more articulated sounds. - Have u ever played a high-end ibanez?

I can partly say the same thing for Yamaha,
Is it because they r Japanese and not American?
Has it something to do with tradition and visual customs? Powerful branding and marketing?
Is it because most of bass playing and sounding has been very standard since the beginning of rock-blues and the bass is still forced within these limits?

Ok, these questions are provocative but what are your thoughts about Ibanez' ostracising?

Ibanez basses are great, Fender goes with their classics and proprietary stuff and that is fine, I recently messed around with one of their sig models ( I believe a Gary Willis) and they are as good as anything out there. My only issue is Necks I tried were on the flatter side than what I am used to BUT it's an adaptation and that's that ...

Great company, great instruments, epic quality on most of the stuff I played

 

[Paul New]

Lol... a few famous? They have Vai. That's enough in its own. Also they owned Numetal which is the buyers demographic right now.

Uh, what is Numetal? Also, I buy many, many, instruments and wonder if the buyer’s demographic has not shifted a few decades. Young upstart George Benson is not turning the cool kid’s heads anymore?