Ibanez SR basses

[2pods]

Love that blue one 

[28mistertee]

So lockdown has got me playing and experimenting a bit more. Thinking about putting some fresh strings on my SR’s, what is everyone using? Recommendations on string sets particularly that bring out the low B nicely?

[Woodinblack]

2 hours ago, 28mistertee said:

So lockdown has got me playing and experimenting a bit more. Thinking about putting some fresh strings on my SR’s, what is everyone using? Recommendations on string sets particularly that bring out the low B nicely?

I always use the D'dario XLs mostly, although when I am feeling a bit flush I go for the NYXLs

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, Woodinblack said:

I always use the D'dario XLs 

+1 ^^

D'Addario EXL 170-5 Nickels 45 -130 - Richtone were doing a double pack for £40, but I see prices have now gone back up to £60 for their twin pack.

[28mistertee]

4 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

I always use the D'dario XLs mostly, although when I am feeling a bit flush I go for the NYXLs

Haven’t tried either, are the NYXL’s worth the extra?

 

3 hours ago, Al Krow said:

+1 ^^

D'Addario EXL 170-5 Nickels 45 -130 - Richtone were doing a double pack for £40, but I see prices have now gone back up to £60 for their twin pack.

I’d still be happy to pay that for 2 packs although one of my premium’s is tuned down a semitone so I don’t know if it’s worth looking at a 135 set for that.

[Woodinblack]

27 minutes ago, 28mistertee said:

Haven’t tried either, are the NYXL’s worth the extra?

They seem to last a lot better.

[Wilco]

So, to help relieve some lockdown boredom today, I did a back to back sound test of my 2600 & 2405w. Not got the means to record, so I will blurb the result. Set my amp up to as per the pic below, centred the instrument knobs & selected same mid frequency.

Obviously the same hardware on both, same pre-amp & construction very similar. Biggest difference was in the pups. 
 

In a nutshell, the 2600 with the Nord Big Singles is a way brighter & punchier instrument than the 2405w with it’s Aguilar Super Doubles. That has a more ‘traditional’ sound & looking at the Aguilar website, it mentions replacements for Bartolini’s which are also ‘darker’ sounding pups. With the 2405’s trebled maxed out, it still wasn’t as bright as the 2600 set flat. 
 

It’s actually good to have them sounding different - gives me more sound options. My personal preference was the Nord sound, but that’s not to say it’s a better.

 

[Woodinblack]

I found something out this weekend. I decided to do a recording of 'in the end', by linkin park, which i song that my band do but we have only done it twice live before the lockdown, so most people haven't heard it. 

When I came to do the bass I used the 5005, as it was the bass that was there, but it didn't sound right on the recording, so I went for my normal two, the 1605 and then the Maruszczyk but it still wasnt quite right. So I used the 2605. I don't gig the 2605 too much as it is a bit harsh and middle missing, but I tried it on the recording and it was just perfect.

55 minutes ago, Wilco said:

In a nutshell, the 2600 with the Nord Big Singles is a way brighter & punchier instrument than the 2405w with it’s Aguilar Super Doubles.

the 2605 and 1605 are the same shape and have the same pickups (and probably very similar preamp). And the same strings, they are even only one number different too, thats how close they are. I have always gone on the basis that it is really just the pickups that make the difference on a bass, but not in this case. I have no idea why they are so different.

[Wilco]

8 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

the 2605 and 1605 are the same shape and have the same pickups (and probably very similar preamp). And the same strings, they are even only one number different too, thats how close they are. I have always gone on the basis that it is really just the pickups that make the difference on a bass, but not in this case. I have no idea why they are so different.

I gonna suggest it is the pre-amp. I had a lovely 1805 until recently which also had Nord’s in it, but that & the 2600 did not tonally sound the same. The different pre-amp’s was the only real difference in spec.

[Woodinblack]

26 minutes ago, Wilco said:

I gonna suggest it is the pre-amp. I had a lovely 1805 until recently which also had Nord’s in it, but that & the 2600 did not tonally sound the same. The different pre-amp’s was the only real difference in spec.

Nope. The preamps in the SRs are 'proper' preamps, in that when totally flat you can't tell whether they are on or not. So on or off, they sound the same.

Yet they still sound very different.

[28mistertee]

My 1205 and my 1805 I bought from @Wilco are very similar sounding and the closest I’ve ever been in a pair of gigging basses. The rest for me I think is purchasing identical strings and setting pickup height the same etc. The only final variable is the woods used in the basses maybe? It’s subtle but I’ve always noticed the difference on maple to rosewood boards in particular on my pj basses.

[Woodinblack]

I have never noticed a difference between maple to rosewood - but then I don't have identical basses other than the neck to try it.

This isn't a subtle difference though, strings / pickups / dimensions same. Blows all my theories about what I thought I know out of the window!

[Wilco]

2 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

Nope. The preamps in the SRs are 'proper' preamps, in that when totally flat you can't tell whether they are on or not. So on or off, they sound the same.

Yet they still sound very different.

That’s what I found on my test yesterday - identical pre-amps both set flat, yet my 2600 & 2405 sounded completely different to each other at that setting.

The 1805 I sold to Mark sounded much more like my 2405 than my 2600. That had Nord’s & the EQB-III3 SC preamp vs the 2405’s Aguilar’s & Ibanez Custom Electronics 3 band EQ preamp. 
 

Hard to put a finger on what’s causing the tone differences, but to my ears they all sound bloody excellent anyway! 

[Woodinblack]

33 minutes ago, Wilco said:

That’s what I found on my test yesterday - identical pre-amps both set flat, yet my 2600 & 2405 sounded completely different to each other at that setting.

Yes, that was what I was commenting on. You are comparing what are very different basses, different preamps, different pickups (well, different pickups anyway, lets assume agular can make a preamp!). YOu would expect different.

I am comparing things that should be almost identical, yet they don't even sound similar. In fact, my Maruszczyk sounds more similar to the 1605 than the 2605 does. Its a puzzle!

[Skinnyman]

At @Al Krow’s suggestion I thought I’d share a few pics of my first (probably not the last) Ibanez. In this case, an SR1345B...

 

I took it to rehearsal tonight and it’s by far the easiest five string I’ve ever played. I got a little lost on a couple of songs but that was mainly because I was thinking about alternative hand positioning and just lost my place in the song. I think it’ll take a week or so before I’m fully fluent and confident with the extra string but this is just so much easier than any other fiver I’ve tried before.

I haven’t played around with the EQ very much - that’s the next thing to try. Tonight was all about getting used to the extra string and to the feel of a different bass. 
 

Very pleased indeed....

 

Edited July 25, 2020 by Skinnyman

[Al Krow]

As you'll shortly no doubt be finding out: it's pretty darned good in passive mode, but switch over to active and you'll find it has a seriously versatile EQ! 3 band and mid EQ point selector switch. 

[Woodinblack]

10 hours ago, Skinnyman said:

At @Al Krow’s suggestion I thought I’d share a few pics of my first (probably not the last) Ibanez. In this case, an SR1345B...

Congrats on your new bass day!

10 hours ago, Skinnyman said:

I took it to rehearsal tonight and it’s by far the easiest five string I’ve ever played. I got a little lost on a couple of songs but that was mainly because I was thinking about alternative hand positioning and just lost my place in the song. I think it’ll take a week or so before I’m fully fluent and confident with the extra string but this is just so much easier than any other fiver I’ve tried before.

Its just getting used to it isn't it. Remember you don't have to force yourself to use the other string, just before you know it you will find out certain things become easier, then one day  you go to a gig and realise you can't remember how you play it on a 4. That is why I am getting rid of my 4s!

10 hours ago, Skinnyman said:

I haven’t played around with the EQ very much - that’s the next thing to try. Tonight was all about getting used to the extra string and to the feel of a different bass. 

I don't tend to use the EQ live unless I need to correct something, like if the building is over boomy I will turn the bass down a bit. It is versatile and functional, just not really that much of a fiddler.

[Guest]

On 14/04/2020 at 12:30, Woodinblack said:

Yes, that was what I was commenting on. You are comparing what are very different basses, different preamps, different pickups (well, different pickups anyway, lets assume agular can make a preamp!). YOu would expect different.

I am comparing things that should be almost identical, yet they don't even sound similar. In fact, my Maruszczyk sounds more similar to the 1605 than the 2605 does. Its a puzzle!

Not saying it’s the wood but maybe something to do with the neck? IIRC the 1605 has a fairly simple 5-pc laminate, whereas the 2605 has a ton of laminates. The 2605 also has stainless steel frets I think (god knows why that would make a difference).

Is there a big weight difference overall? That’s the only other thing I can think of to affect the overall tone.

[Woodinblack]

3 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

Not saying it’s the wood but maybe something to do with the neck? IIRC the 1605 has a fairly simple 5-pc laminate, whereas the 2605 has a ton of laminates. The 2605 also has stainless steel frets I think (god knows why that would make a difference).

Is there a big weight difference overall? That’s the only other thing I can think of to affect the overall tone.

Yeh, I guess it has to be the neck, that is the 'noticeable difference' between the 2605 and anything else, it has the crazy laminations. Not sure the frets bring much (although it does sound harsher). 

The 1605 is a very light bass compared to most, so lighter than the 2605 but not much, the 2605 is like a feather compared to the 5005 which is like an anchor compared to everything else I own.

Ultimately, it is not a bad thing, none of them sound bad and I should be happy that they sound different.

[Guest]

Anyone seen the SR4605? Newish Prestige model with Ash body, otherwise like 5K series. A bit bright but I like the orange. Can’t see it for sale in the UK but appears around $2K in the US...

[Woodinblack]

4 minutes ago, FDC484950 said:

Anyone seen the SR4605? Newish Prestige model with Ash body, otherwise like 5K series. A bit bright but I like the orange. Can’t see it for sale in the UK but appears around $2K in the US...

The 4xxx series were the older prestige models. I didn't know they still did them.

Shame they don't do more variation in the prestige, or that we don't get them. They did a fan fret prestige too.

http://www.bassline.it/store/en/basses/2090-ibanez-srff-4505-prestige-sol.html

 

[Al Krow]

@Skinnyman a week in, how are you finding it?!

I'm rally tempted to go for a Ibby SR 655e as an upgrade to my Sire P7v2. Ticks a lot of boxes for me: PJ with reverse-P config, 24 frets, 3 band EQ, Nord pups. Will he light being an Ibby and likely have its usually immensely playable neck for a 5er. Hard to find that combination elsewhere, but it just feels a little weird thinking of the Ibby as a potential P bass! 

@Woodinblack I'm fearing that this might be one that you've not got your mits around and therefore won't be able to shed any light on it, for once! Dunno if anyone else has had any experience of these for good or ill?

Wanted ad up, in case one of you has one gathering dust...

[Al Krow]

PS Woody it's that time of year again, for me to request that you consider removing "NBD" from the thread title. It's been 3 years and a week since it was a NBD for you 😁

@stewblack - Stew re. your new thread, this one has been a bit of a repository for all things SR Premium, although not easy to spot as Woody is wedded to original thread titles 😁 

But I'm not sure there is a broader Ibby thread that deals with the rest of the range e.g. BTB etc.

Edited August 14, 2020 by Al Krow
Shouldn't forget the week!

[Woodinblack]

40 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

@Woodinblack I'm fearing that this might be one that you've not got your mits around and therefore won't be able to shed any light on it, for once! Dunno if anyone else has had any experience of these for good or ill?

Nope, not had one of those, although I played it.

Not sure if just a P pickup makes it more like a P. I have a Maruszczyk with a P pickup. Sounds a bit more like a jazz really.

38 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

PS Woody it's that time of year again, for me to request that you consider removing "NBD" from the thread title. It's been 3 years and a week since it was a NBD for you 😁

hahah - this is true, but I still have that bass!

Edited July 31, 2020 by Woodinblack

[Al Krow]

47 minutes ago, Woodinblack said:

Nope, not had one of those, although I played it.

Not sure if just a P pickup makes it more like a P. I have a Maruszczyk with a P pickup. Sounds a bit more like a jazz really.

hahah - this is true, but I still have that bass!

P pups in the right place should in theory give you more than a passing nod to the P bass sound. In my simpleton books anyway!

Do you remember how the SR655e sounded and played?