Why do people bash ibanez basses?

People bash EVERYTHING... You've got the right idea. Buy what you like...

-robert

 

This topic has come up 34153314 times before, and I could care less about what people say about Ibanez or those play them. I love my BTB. Soundgears aren't my forte', mainly because of the thin neck, tiny body, and the floppy b-string. Whatever floats your boat.

 

everyone bashes something. personally (curling up in tiny ball in corner) i bash fender. just not my cup of tea. i really like the style and feel of the soundgear line, i have one, and it will always be one of my favorites. it just seemed right to me.

 

I LOVE IT!!! I was going to say something like "I play Fenders and love 'em, but somebody'll just start bashing them", but decided not to... Thanks for the straight line SRS

-robert

 

I wouldn't bash them, but I wouldn't recommend them either. It has nothing to do with their endorsers. I personally feel that from the entry level to the top of the line Soundgears, there is always another bass that has more to offer.

However, no matter what my or anyone else's view is, it should be your opinion that matters most to you.

 

If you bash them, it's easier to get them into the fireplace.









oooooo that felt good.

 

-robert

 

Ever try to light an Ergodyne?

 

I didn't like them. I tried quite a few over a period of a few weeks. Just didn't give me the sounds I liked. But the playability was nice on many of them.

 

man, that cheap metallic finish really gets you high.

 

I've always loved Soundgears -- bought the first one, the RB(now SR)800 when they first came out. As long as you stick to the 800 or above in the series, I think they're great. I've owned a few of the 400 series & didn't care for the pickups & electronics -- I think they need swapping, & by the time you pay for that, you could've bought an SR3000. Ignore the bashers. I've seen people bash Fender, Gibson and Ric for years, and guess who's still going strong?

 

I dont particularly care for the tone of Ibanez Soundgears, the BTB's is OK, much better than the Sr series is, but Ill give Ibanez props on the necks, they are some of the slimest and easiest to play that ive ever put my hands around, now if they would just improve that tone and give it a little bit more umph.

 

Here's why a lot of people think that Ibanez are bad. Note that all of these are problems with Soundgears. As I said earlier, the BTB and ATK series are good basses. But most of the Soundgears are not, and the Soundgear line has ruined the Ibanez name among bass players.

• Necks like spaghetti, as far as stiffness goes. I have not had this problem with my SR506, but a lot of 4 and 5 string Soundgears that I have played in stores have very springy necks, which causes tuning problems. You shouldn't be able to bend a note down 1 1/2 steps.
  
  
• Tight string spacing. A lot of players like wide spacing at the bridge, me included. Makes slap easier, and double thumb technique as well. Some guys with large hand also have problems with narrow spacing at the nut, and Ibanez is one of the narrowest at that end.
  
  
• Cost. A lot of people give Ibanez a thumbs up because of the low price, but the fact is that at every price point there is a bass with a more stable neck and more even tone. The least expensive Yamahas and Peaveys are better than the cheapest Ibanez models. MTD Kingston's, Cort Artisans, Yamaha RBX, Jacksons, Warwick Streamer Standards and Korean Spectors(to name a few) are better than the mid priced Soundgears. MIA Fenders, Warwick Corvettes, Czech Spectors, Musicmans, etc are better than the comparably priced Soundgear models. Bottom line, for almost every price point, there are better basses available for the same price as a Soundgear, TR, etc that you are looking at.

Bottom line?

I like my Soundgear 6 string. Has a fast neck, and great unplugged tone. But the preamp in it is junk. I am considering either replacing the preamp or selling the bass.

All 6 of my other basses sound much better than the ibanez. That's to be expected of Pedulla and Zon, and a Peavey Cirrus, but what about Fender, Electra-Westone and a cheapo Peavey?

 

I bash soundgears because I think they are crap. I don't bash BTBs because I like them.

 

this is due to the high numbers of production at ibanez. i don't like soundgear basses for the same reasons posted by embellisher. i prefer the atk which for me is the best bass produced by ibanez. the btb is quite good too, but you have to check the bass before buying. just to tell you my experience yesterday i was in a shop and tried 2 6 strings basses. a btb and a used cort artisan 6 with mightymite pickups, not bartolini. trust me, the old model cort sounded much better than the btb and the ibanez had a really bad neck. with the thumb i was able to feel the junction of the 2 different woods. this happened only with the 6 stringed model, the 5 stringed btb had a flawless neck, even if it had a cheapo feeling that i didn'y like in this kind of bass. another reason that can make people "upset" with ibanez is their aggressive commercial strategy. the have a lot of endosers they buy a lot of magazines pages and this make people expect excellent instruments. i dislike soundgear, never played a signature, say that btb is a quite good bass and atk is a good bass. even if in their price range i can find basses that suits my style better. i have never bought an ibanez and to be honest the only ibanez i could buy now is one of their old rickenbacker knockoff.

 

Love the tubescreamer, though!!

 

because they are ignorant fools that deserve a good spanking !

And perhaps the fact that it's not made in USA has something to do with it ( patriotism.. bah ).. dunno

 

I don't "bash" Ibanez but that doesn't mean I'm drooling over your SR400, either.

To put it in perspective:

A few years ago I went to a dealer who had the SR1000 and the SR400 in stock. I played both. Of course they look real similar but there were significant differences: the 1000 was neck through, had maple and mahogany in the body, EMG electronics and the 400 had cheaper Korean electronics, bolt on neck and basswood body.

Both had a similar feel but the 1000 did play much better. It wasn't just the setup, both had real low action, the 1000 just felt better. Soundwise, no comparison, the 1000 was a serious pro bass and the 400 was a decent intermediate axe at 1/3 the price.

The problem with Ibanez is no different than the problem with Fender. You can buy a Jazz Bass anywhere from $200 to $3000 and guess what, the $3000 one sounds and plays better than the $200 one.

Ibanez makes some very nice basses, they make good basses and they make OK basses. Once you've had the chance to play a bass that's a lot better than your SR-400 (and probably more $$$) you'll see why people might pooh-pooh it.

By the way, people bash everything I could start a thread on any brand of bass in here and there would soon be bashers. In an open forum like this a lot of people shoot from the hip and few give any background for their opinions (embellisher is a good example of someone who did try to carefully back up his point). For instance, would you take my opinion lightly if I told you I was a bedroom player who had been playing only six months? How about if I told you I had been gigging for over 20 years and used a lot of different gear over that period? What if I told you I used to play in GWAR?

 

Yeah, I think I've heard that before. It must be deja-vu all over again!