View other reviews for this product:
MatrixClaw « Cool Bass for the Price »
Published on 03/28/11 at 17:26The Ibanez SR500 4-String bass features:
- 5-piece wenge/bubinga SR4 neck
- Mahogany body
- Rosewood fretboard
- Oval abalone markers
- 24 medium frets
- Accu-Cast B20 bridge
- Bartolini MK1-4 neck pickup
- Bartolini MK1-4 bridge pickup
- Black chrome hardware with black pickups
- Bartonini MK1 active 3-band EQ
Made in Korea
UTILIZATION
This thing bass has a very comfortable neck with an oil finish on it that's fast and smooth. I've always been a huge Ibanez fan and though I'm used to playing the BTBs, which feel like they have a slightly thinner neck to me, this one is much more comfortable, and because of the more rounded neck it feels solid in your hands. If you're someone who likes slower bass lines, and not tons of speed, this one is definitely a better choice over the BTB series, as it also has a fuller, deeper tone.
The upper fret access on this guitar is pretty nice because of the cutaway (though it's not like most bass players play high up there anyway).
The fretboard itself is pretty skinny to what I'm used to. Most basses are a bit flatter on the neck and have a wider board, but this one is thicker on the neck, with a thinner board. Makes changing strings easy, but can also jumble up your sound, if you're not a very clean player.
SOUNDS
This bass has a huge, fat tone, very full with tons of lowend. My only complaint is it can get a bit boomy in the lowend for my tastes, but with the 3-Band EQ, you can dial it in to taste.
Speaking of the EQ, that is a major factor in the tone shaping of this bass, without it, the bass wouldn't be nearly as good. With the EQ, you can go to a punch slap tone to an aggressive picked tone, to a giant fingered tone with the turn of a few dials.
Also, the strings that come stock on these wear out REALLY fast for some reason. Invest in some new strings ASAP and you'll have a much better sounding bass. The stock strings on mine had some kind of weird plastic coating that started peeling off after a few hours of play, making the strings look like they were fuzzy. Changing the strings will result in a much fatter and defined tone.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, this is a cool bass. Inexpensive and sounds great. While it's maybe not the best choice for any player, it's certainly capable of some great tones for almost any genre.
For the price, it's hard to beat if you're looking for a big, full tone. If you're playing slap, this is one of the best sounding basses I've heard, especially at this price range!
- 5-piece wenge/bubinga SR4 neck
- Mahogany body
- Rosewood fretboard
- Oval abalone markers
- 24 medium frets
- Accu-Cast B20 bridge
- Bartolini MK1-4 neck pickup
- Bartolini MK1-4 bridge pickup
- Black chrome hardware with black pickups
- Bartonini MK1 active 3-band EQ
Made in Korea
UTILIZATION
This thing bass has a very comfortable neck with an oil finish on it that's fast and smooth. I've always been a huge Ibanez fan and though I'm used to playing the BTBs, which feel like they have a slightly thinner neck to me, this one is much more comfortable, and because of the more rounded neck it feels solid in your hands. If you're someone who likes slower bass lines, and not tons of speed, this one is definitely a better choice over the BTB series, as it also has a fuller, deeper tone.
The upper fret access on this guitar is pretty nice because of the cutaway (though it's not like most bass players play high up there anyway).
The fretboard itself is pretty skinny to what I'm used to. Most basses are a bit flatter on the neck and have a wider board, but this one is thicker on the neck, with a thinner board. Makes changing strings easy, but can also jumble up your sound, if you're not a very clean player.
SOUNDS
This bass has a huge, fat tone, very full with tons of lowend. My only complaint is it can get a bit boomy in the lowend for my tastes, but with the 3-Band EQ, you can dial it in to taste.
Speaking of the EQ, that is a major factor in the tone shaping of this bass, without it, the bass wouldn't be nearly as good. With the EQ, you can go to a punch slap tone to an aggressive picked tone, to a giant fingered tone with the turn of a few dials.
Also, the strings that come stock on these wear out REALLY fast for some reason. Invest in some new strings ASAP and you'll have a much better sounding bass. The stock strings on mine had some kind of weird plastic coating that started peeling off after a few hours of play, making the strings look like they were fuzzy. Changing the strings will result in a much fatter and defined tone.
OVERALL OPINION
Overall, this is a cool bass. Inexpensive and sounds great. While it's maybe not the best choice for any player, it's certainly capable of some great tones for almost any genre.
For the price, it's hard to beat if you're looking for a big, full tone. If you're playing slap, this is one of the best sounding basses I've heard, especially at this price range!