That’s exactly why I wanted to get the existing Affinity as my base upgrade bass before they sell out.
I think Carol is actually an Ibanez fan. I seem to remember her in a video talking about how much more she liked them than the chunky Fenders from the early studio days.
Paranormal still $429.
Yeah, I saw the price hikes. Supply chains are really disrupted, sure that is a factor
Fender Vintera went up by $50 too, not sure about others, only the ones i happen to know what they were.
$50 on a $949 bass vs. $50 on a $429 bass says shipping upcharges to me (which are real and huge right now, container prices to US are nuts now, also dock prices to get it off the boat, etc)
I totally understand this. Everything of size that’s been shipped to me this year has had a delay. Just not enough drivers or warehouse workers. Gets magnified with international shipping
I still think that the affinity lines still be at the same price point. They need a $200, $400, $500 PricePoint, then Fender would take over the rest of the way upward. Fender probably would not let that line go to the Glary, Donner, monoprice and what not. Gotta tell you, they keep making them so good.
I was checking some left handed basses to update my list a few days ago, and noticed that for ESP’s LTD models, many of them had gone up in price since July (LH models, didn’t check the righties). The new prices were up an additional $50 (for B-204SM, 205SM, D-4, D-5) to $100 more (for AP-4 and AP-5). The Surveyor '87 and Phoenix-1004 LH models didn’t have increases in price when I checked.
FWIW I would rather have a high end SR than any product Fender makes, based on the ones I have tried. They are excellent instruments (and much more stylistically interesting, IMO.)
Definitely light but their high end basses are far from cheap!
Yep. Light, well made, very high quality, excellent hardware and electronics, unique aesthetics, fantastic modern basses.
But not close to cheap 
I guess I’ve never seen the good stuff.
Better I haven’t. I got enough problems.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SR2400APL--ibanez-premium-sr2400-amethyst-purple-low-gloss
I’ve tried two. They feel amazing. Personal preference, but that bass is more interesting to me than any Fender, Gibson, or MusicMan. Of course, mileage varies.
And that’s not even the top end.
https://www.sweetwater.com/store/detail/SR5000OL--ibanez-sr5000-oil
etc. Just fantastic instruments, modern and light.
I don’t like those SR2400, personal opinion. I don’t like how they look like neck throughs but are bolt on. I don’t mind high end bolt on, but this look turns me off their high end
I think Jukka Koskinen of Wintersun plays one of these.
He’s normally credited as a Warwick artist but the last few gigs I’ve seen him play he was using an SR of some description.
Honestly it’s the only bass I have found that I think would replace my TRBX, as a similar feeling upgrade. Lots of similar qualities, just done a bit better.
It’s really apparent it isn’t a neck-thru in person, I think that’s just an aesthetic choice, they weren’t trying to fake anything.
Another probably unusual personal preference, I’m glad it isn’t; for me, neck-thru is nice but isn’t worth the additional weight and I generally prefer bolt-ons.
These just don’t appeal to me.
I like the oddball fenders for sure, even some traditional ones.
Thus, when I come to Japan, we can go bass shopping, as we will not be fighting over any…
If anyone is a Jaco fanboy and wants one, here is a listing for a Jaco Pastorius fretless Fender in my neck of the woods. The same bass is also listed in “the 6” (Toronto):
Can’t post the Facebook link, but there is a MIJ Jaco nearby me for $1100 US!!!
Someone needs to buy my Rocco bass so I can nab this Jaco bass.
To me the closest Fender to Jaco bass is the squier with the Ebonel fingerboard. Because his bass of doom had the epoxy on the fingerboard.
@howard, I love quirky Ibanez basses. When they actually go all the way and don’t even look back. My affirms bass is one of the example, the. It’s the headless multi scale that I like. The rest is kinda hit and miss.
If I wanted a contemporary design with soap bars there are much better alternatives to my liking like the older Tobias renegade or growler, rock bass by Warwick. Yamaha is also a great choice. Hopefully, I could get start on my Motion bass II sometime this year, lol. All are in the similar price range.
I love the Motion Basses. I might eventually get a MB-40; usually less than $200US here.
Yeah, I think the Yamahas are, at the same price point, generally higher quality than Ibanez. I love my TRBX to death. But Ibanez goes more vertical than Yamaha does for modern basses, at least in current production.
Of course a better path in that direction is ESP.
yeah, nice basses
