Ibanez gio sr180 or other?

[nbaptista]

I’m looking after a cheap bass.I saw today a Yamaha 174 TRBX and an Ibanez gio SR180.The Yamaha costs 240€ and the Ibanez 175€.I’ve tryed the Ibanez and I liked it. However it seems the Ibanez SR200 is the real deal, but here costs 128€.What you think? For 175€, the Ibanez sr180 seems great.

[Ed_S]

I have a GSR180 which I bought as a cheap backup for gigging. Fortunately I've never needed it at a gig, but I've played it at a few rehearsals and it sounded really good - quite punchy and lively. If you've tried one and you like it then I don't have any reasons to tell you not to buy it.

 

I also have a GSR200b which I bought on a whim - no real reason other than I liked it and it was incredibly cheap! It's about the same build quality as the 180 and uses a lot of the same hardware apart from the active bass boost... which gets mixed reviews but if used sparingly actually sounds alright.

 

Both needed a clean to get the factory dust and grime off them. Both needed a restring as the factory strings were appalling. Both came with very cheap plastic control knobs which I would swap for metal ones just because they look and feel nicer. Both are great basses for the money.

[nbaptista]

And the Yamaha 174 TRBX?

Edited May 25, 2022 by nbaptista
Error

[Ed_S]

I don’t have any real experience of the Yamaha you’re looking at - sorry. I’ve seen and handled them in a local shop and my immediate reaction was that they didn’t seem as good quality as the RBX I had years ago. The fret ends in particular weren’t all that well finished. I’ve never plugged one into an amp so I couldn’t comment on the pickups.

[crazycloud]

You really can't go wrong with any of the Ibanez SR series or the Yamaha RBXs, they're both good basses. Which one felt better in your hands? That's the important question. Either are gigable, both are well made and they will last a long time. Take Ed's advice and get new strings on either and learn how to set it up how you prefer. Plenty of good YT videos on this subject and it's good knowledge to have.