Light 5 strings - Tanglewood Canyon II or Ibanez SR505

[steve-king]

All,

I am about to spend part of an inheritance from a much loved Nan on a bass. I did this with a hi-fi amp when her sister (my great aunt) died 10 years ago. I'll keep that amp forever.

Now I can actually play an instrument (well, sort of!), buying a bass seemed the obvious thing to do with Nan's money.

You can imagine that this bass would never willingly be sold!

So what to buy? Light and five strings are both key. Probably £300-£500. New or secondhand.

I've tried the Ibanez SR505 (very playable, well made, surprisingly light, nice shape and finish) and the Tanglewood Canyon II 5 string (small body, light, great sustain - though the example I tried had poor quality finish). I love them both for different reasons, but can only have one!

I tried a Curbow, but for some reason it didn't feel right (though I thought it was idnetical to the Tanglewood?!)

Any thoughts?

Anything else I should try?

Thanks in advance....

Steve

[iamthewalrus]

Hi Steve,
I've got an Aria IGB68/5 for sale in the Basses for Sale Section if you're interested. It's probably the lightest bass I've ever played on a gig, but it's not lacking in punch.

PM me if you're interested?

Cheers,
iamthewalrus

[rjb]

Buy the Ibby for brand familiarity and reputation - it'll be easier to sell on.

Plus it's a great bass for the money.

[LeftyJ]

If you like the Ibanez SR505, you may also like the Cort Artisan B5. It's very similar specwise, but besides mahogany it's also available with an ash body. It has the same Bartolini MK1 electronics as the Ibanez, and it's built on the exact same production facility of Cort in Korea. Very well-made, great feel and a very punchy and versatile tone. It's also more affordable than the Ibanez.

[josh3184]

[quote name='LeftyJ' post='517424' date='Jun 18 2009, 02:43 PM']If you like the Ibanez SR505, you may also like the Cort Artisan B5. It's very similar specwise, but besides mahogany it's also available with an ash body. It has the same Bartolini MK1 electronics as the Ibanez, and it's built on the exact same production facility of Cort in Korea. Very well-made, great feel and a very punchy and versatile tone. It's also more affordable than the Ibanez.[/quote]

+1, heard great things about Corts, they're really underappreciated

[Born 2B Mild]

The SR505 is a superb design. The fast neck and the Bart pickups & pre-amp make it a great buy. I am so impressed with my eBay bargain that I'm on the look out for 4 & 6 string versions now.

The only thing is, mine's the mahogony plum coloured version - made in Korea. I saw a new one in a shop recently which was a bright amber and made in Indonesia. It didn't feel half as good as mine.

[erisu]

I just got a Ibanez SR505 for £230 in minttttttt with a case as well 2 weeks ago! It truely is an awesome bass!! I had to turn my amp down because of the power the bass was giving! Very versatile in tone tweaking too! It's also surprisingly light for a mahogany body too =O The only thing that worries me is the finish on these basses... its natural finish so it's easier to dent and scratch than laquer finished basses =(

[bartelby]

Here's the conclusion from the BGM review of the Canyons:
[quote]Certainly, these basses offer good value for money and at a snip under £300, the Canyon I is an excellent bass with its powerful EQ. Although the Canyon III is the most expensive, the extra expenditure is worthwhile as it certainly feels the most polished and finished of the instruments tested here but at £300 more than the Canyon I, is that added cost worthwhile and is the player getting £300 worth of added benefit? There are already plenty of excellent basses around the £600 priceband on the market, however, this bass did play well, sounded good with a varied tonal palette and if narrow string spacing is to your taste this may be worth investigating.

Unfortunately for the Canyon II, it sits in that difficult middle position between the cheapest and most expensive models under scrutiny here and in this case falls short. I would even go as far to say that the Canyon I felt more comfortable and sounded better. With the added options of five-string, fretless and left hand models, the Canyon range is certainly worth investigating and gains three stars, the I and III versions being the strongest contenders for your cash.[/quote]

[erisu]

[quote name='bartelby' post='517480' date='Jun 18 2009, 03:46 PM']Here's the conclusion from the BGM review of the Canyons:[/quote]

For £600, I would say a S/H Lakland 55-01 is the best option! I haven't played one yet but i heard the B string is the best in this price range (and maybe even giving more expensive 5-string basses a run for their money!) The 01 lakland's also have Bart's MK1 pickups and pre-amps which the SR505 use too. Im even on the verge of getting a 44-02 deluxe through the take it away finance scheme

[bartelby]

[quote name='erisu' post='517504' date='Jun 18 2009, 04:08 PM']For £600, I would say a S/H Lakland 55-01 is the best option! I haven't played one yet but i heard the B string is the best in this price range (and maybe even giving more expensive 5-string basses a run for their money!) The 01 lakland's also have Bart's MK1 pickups and pre-amps which the SR505 use too. Im even on the verge of getting a 44-02 deluxe through the take it away finance scheme [/quote]


I agree, I wasn't suggesting buying a Canyon III, it's just interesting that the reviewer said the I was a better buy than the II.

[rjb]

Did you see this for sale, Steve-King?

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=51742"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=51742[/url]

[steve-king]

Thanks all.

I can't see weights for the Lakland or K5 on the net. Can anyone assist? A bad back makes weight a real issue - I play for fun, not pain!

Any other suggestions?

Regards,

Steve

[steve-king]

I agree, I wasn't suggesting buying a Canyon III, it's just interesting that the reviewer said the I was a better buy than the II.
[/quote]

I love the look of the Canyon III, but there is no 5 string AFAIK.

The II got the nod over the I because of the through neck which I like.

What I really want is the SR505 body with a Canyon II through neck!

Regards,

Steve

[Xzantes]

EWW TANGLEWOOD!

sorry i'v owned 2 rebels, the 4 and 5 string and i'v found them to be terrible! one of the first things i'v noticed to go quickly
is the jack input!

thats just my opionion but i would defo sugest the Ibanez if you do go for one!

[Kongo]

Buy the Ibanez, leave the Tanglewood!

Ibanez build quality matches that of a lot more expensive instruments and will last you longer, play with no problems down the years and be easier to sell on.
The Tanglewood is the reverse.

[Brave Sir Robin]

I have a K5 and it's light. Much much lighter than my corvette 4 strings (these are boat anchors), about the same as the ACG (surprisingly light for a fancy 5 strings single cut). Probably the same weight as the SR505. I don't think you could get a lighter 5 strings. The body is small and comfy, the string spacing is pretty tight (16.5, 17 mm?)!

I'd go with the ibby if you like it, they are very very well designed (weight, balance, feel, neck, hardware, even the pre is decent), and well priced. If it feels right for you, and you can get it at a good price, go for it. One slight issue with the K5, I don't like the Elixirs they put on (coated strings).

If I can grab some scales, I can weight the K5, but it's definitely on the light side.

for fun

[4 Strings]

[quote name='Kongo' post='518570' date='Jun 19 2009, 04:40 PM']Buy the Ibanez, leave the Tanglewood![/quote]


I would say 'try them both'. Ibanez has a great reputation for its expensive guitars (not so for some of the plywood cheaper ones) but tanglewood has only the reputation for the cheaper guitars. the Canyon 2 and 3 are not cheap (unless you can find one cheap somewhere, they are around) but really are very nice, I can't recommend them highly enough if you like that sort of bass.

My lad has one, won't let anyone touch it - its round his neck most of the day anyway!. Its beautifully made, wide range of very good sounds and plays very nicely indeed. For rrp they are in the upper regions and hold their own, they sometimes crop for bargain prices in which case it would be a steal. If you can hack having 'Tanglewood' written on your bass they are definitely worth a try for, I believe, a pleasant surprise.