OutToPlayJazz Posted April 19, 2008 Share Posted April 19, 2008 I read with great interest the Mike Brooks review of the new Ibanez SR300 in this month's edition of BGM. Has anyone tried one of these & can a sub £250 bass really be that good?? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bass_ferret Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='180712' date='Apr 19 2008, 09:14 PM']can a sub £250 bass really be that good??[/quote] Ask the SX lovers I have always rated Ibanez basses as my first proper basses were Ibanez and I would still be playing them now if they were not so f***ing heavy. The SR basses have always had a good rep and the more expensive BTB did not do as well. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Stan_da_man Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 I'm guessing it got 4/5 stars? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigBeefChief Posted April 20, 2008 Share Posted April 20, 2008 Those fellas at BGM are notoriously tough on reviewed products. Yes I'm being sarcastic. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peter Train Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I ordered one of these recently based on the review in BGM. It was a great looking bass and sounded good but I had to send it back as I could not cope with the curved pick ups. I asked a friend who's been playing a lot longer than me to try it and he also found them difficult to use. It's OK for slapping but for finger style it was really difficult to play the e string. There was a large gap between the string and the pick that made playing very awkward and no where to rest your thumb confortably. I actually prefered my old second hand vintage 940, Lesson learned: 1. read reviews on Bass chat, I saw this issue commented on after I ordered it. 2. Don't order mail order, go and try it in a shop to be shure you're happy with it. 3. Don't always trust reviews in BGM. I can't believe they didn't pick up on this fundamental design problem. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
waynepunkdude Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 [quote name='bass_ferret' post='180917' date='Apr 20 2008, 10:56 AM']Ask the SX lovers [/quote] Indeed, I use my SX over my Fender in some situations now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Balcro Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='180712' date='Apr 19 2008, 09:14 PM']I read with great interest the Mike Brooks review of the new Ibanez SR300 in this month's edition of BGM. Has anyone tried one of these & can a sub £250 bass really be that good??[/quote] I guess they should say very good value for the money. I haven't seen the review 'cos I haven't seen the magazine, but before this post I'd placed this bass as number one on my shopping list for the end of the year. To think that it's only as expensive as it is because of the fall in the value of the pound! It could have been about £30 cheaper. Good design point question by Peter Train, but I think I can overcome it. I have a thumb rest on my Precision-style bass, but I hardly ever use it, preferring to rest the thumb gently under the "E". The good separation between the pickups also gives you 3 different places to play. Balcro. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
simon1964 Posted April 2, 2009 Share Posted April 2, 2009 I've never played the SR300, but the SR500 is pretty much the best bass I've played in its price range. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
51m0n Posted April 3, 2009 Share Posted April 3, 2009 I've played an S300, recommended it to a friend who was starting out. Its a truly brilliant bass for the cash, the set up has needed a bit of tweaking to get absolutely right, but thats normal at this price range IMO. I think they are the best/easiest to play most ergonomically perfect bass in this price range. An absolute class of their own in that regard. Also sounds really good too for that kind of money (although the bart loaded ones in the SR range do sound a tad better to me). Highly highly recommended IMO Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
4000 Posted April 4, 2009 Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) I recently played an SR506 in the Gallery and it was one of my favourite basses in the shop (and I playing everything I can lay my hands on) despite the minimal price tag. Absolute steal of a bass. Light, comfortable, fabulous neck, nice tones and cheap as chips; what's not to like? Edited April 4, 2009 by 4000 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
XB26354 Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 I've also had a go on the red SR300 at the Gallery, and in addition to being the lightest bass I have ever picked up (seriously, thought it was a guitar) it performs really well - this standard of bass simply did not exist 25 years ago below £500. The blend pot between "slap" and "fingerstyle is not really to my taste but works as a kind of sweepable mid, to me it was best left in the middle. Great bass and not just for a beginner. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BassMunkee Posted April 6, 2009 Share Posted April 6, 2009 Just because a bass is under £250 doesn't make it bad... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPAC Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 That review is on line now. [url="http://www.bassguitarmagazine.com/index.php?option=com_content&view=article&id=219:ibanez-sr300-4-string-bass-issue-36&catid=37:bassguitars"]http://www.bassguitarmagazine.com/index.ph...=37:bassguitars[/url] Thinking of getting the SR300FM, anyone have one of these? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SJA Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 [quote name='Peter Train' post='452156' date='Apr 2 2009, 09:23 AM']It's OK for slapping but for finger style it was really difficult to play the e string. There was a large gap between the string and the pick that made playing very awkward and no where to rest your thumb confortably.[/quote] I'm guessing they use the same pickups on the 5 string version. it's something that bugs me too sometimes- I'm used to P and J pickups and the thumbrest position they provide. funny that Leo got it right 50 years ago- even when he intended the pickups to be covered up, and the instrument played with a pick or thumb-plucked... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted April 11, 2009 Share Posted April 11, 2009 there was a SR300 at a gig i played today, and i had my SR500. tbh its well worth the extra money for the SR500. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JPAC Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 [quote name='LWTAIT' post='460189' date='Apr 11 2009, 10:43 PM']there was a SR300 at a gig i played today, and i had my SR500. tbh its well worth the extra money for the SR500.[/quote] Trouble is that the SR500 is twice as much. I read that the SR500 marks easily, do you have one? Tried the GSR200 but it wasn't made properly and it buzzed like crazy. Are there any decent basses for about £200? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted April 12, 2009 Share Posted April 12, 2009 [quote name='JPAC' post='460488' date='Apr 12 2009, 12:06 PM']Trouble is that the SR500 is twice as much. I read that the SR500 marks easily, do you have one? Tried the GSR200 but it wasn't made properly and it buzzed like crazy. Are there any decent basses for about £200?[/quote] it marks the same as any other stained wood really, ive had mine 4 or 5 years now and theres a couple of places where the stains chipped beneath the D and G strings where i've been popping, and then some above both pickups where i've rested my fingers. but you'll get these on any stain bass, and it probably doesn't help that i really dig in when i play, either. the GR series aren't great tbh, personally, i wouldn't get one unless you've only just started playing and might give up in a months time. i'd say if you can't afford the SR500, definatly go for the SR300 - its a perfectly gigable bass, and that white finish is great looking, they play nicely provided you like thin necks, and are very versatile (i've only messed around on one before my gig last night, but thats what i thought of it) but if you can stretch to the SR500, i would. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fingers Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 [quote name='JPAC' post='459900' date='Apr 11 2009, 12:55 PM']Thinking of getting the SR300FM, anyone have one of these?[/quote] Yeah, that's the first and only bass I've purchased so far. As far as I can tell it's a decent bass, but then again I don't have any experience with anything better. The action was pretty bad when I got it, but after I fiddled around with the truss rod and bridge it plays great. The electronics are a bit noisy though, when you turn the treble/bass knobs it tends to crackle a bit, not sure if this is just mine or if it's true in general. I like it, but as I have said I don't really have much experience so it might not be that great by other people's standards. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tait Posted April 13, 2009 Share Posted April 13, 2009 [quote name='fingers' post='461162' date='Apr 13 2009, 12:50 PM']Yeah, that's the first and only bass I've purchased so far. As far as I can tell it's a decent bass, but then again I don't have any experience with anything better. The action was pretty bad when I got it, but after I fiddled around with the truss rod and bridge it plays great. The electronics are a bit noisy though, when you turn the treble/bass knobs it tends to crackle a bit, not sure if this is just mine or if it's true in general. I like it, but as I have said I don't really have much experience so it might not be that great by other people's standards.[/quote] you wanna get your pots cleaned. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
markdavid Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 The quality of some of the entry level priced basses nowadays really amazes me , its impressive that for £229 you have a bass with bass,treble and mid sweep Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Adrenochrome Posted April 27, 2009 Share Posted April 27, 2009 [quote name='JPAC' post='460488' date='Apr 12 2009, 12:06 PM']...Are there any decent basses for about £200?[/quote] My Peavey Millenium AC bxp was 200, I think it's now 250. Light, ergonomic, fast 5-bolt neck, 18v pre with treble/bass/mid/pan/vol, 4 individual finger bridges. Many people won't look at them because they're gear snobs. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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