Hello all. I’m relatively new here, but I’m currently in Module 4 of B2B and it’s going extremely well. I’ve been able to keep pace with even the fast workouts through lesson 5. Now on to Billie Jean in L6!
Anyway, I’ve been playing on a borrowed bass guitar - a Squire P-bass and a small Fender Rumble 15 amp (not great for bass, obviously). I’m not new to the guitar scene and have owned Ibanez electrics in the past and loved them. I’m sure I’m not alone? I told myself that if this bass guitar thing sticks, I’m going to invest in my own bass guitar in 2024. I’ve landed squarely on the Ibanez SR1350B model (pictured here).
My local GC has a used SR1340B in stock (I think that’s the previous model, the 1350B is new for 2023), so I was able to sit with it a while and play. It’s clearly not setup properly because the strings buzz a lot even with my fret presses being near the fret wire like Josh teaches.
Does anyone here have experience with the Premium SR line of Ibanez basses? If so, what do you think about them and would you recommend them? I don’t want a crazy expensive bass until I get selected by RHCP to be their next bassist (sarcasm), but I do want something with some features that I may want/need in the short term, like Active EQ and those amazing Nordstrand big single pickups.
I have one of their previous limited editions which is basically exactly the same, except it is green with golden hardware. I just can’t remember the name, it has the most complicated of them all.
I tried it in the shop, and immediately loved the sound and feel of that bass. I like a White Zombie like growly sound, and this bass can deliver that easily.
Th neck is open pored wood, which I really like the feel of (you can see that in the pictures on the Ibanez web page, some might see this as imperfections, which it kinda is).
I like the feel of the knobs, they have a functional feel about them, nothing fancy.
On the not so good side: They weight is quite hefty, a little bit more than my Yamaha TRBX304.
Just looked at the name on the headstock: SR4FMDX. Almost forgot it again before I could write it down.
The difference between the 1340 and 1350 is just in the optics. So if you also like the optics of that one and can get a good deal on it, worth to think about.
Just saw one difference to mine: Other pickups. Mine has the Nordstrand Big Breaks (I think those are exclusive to Ibanez) vs. the Nordstrand Big Single.
The bass in their current lineup that is most similar to mine would be the SR1300SB
I have never owned one but I have fallen in love with every one I have picked up. They are just very nice feeling instruments, and they go nuts with the quality of the electronics in them too.
I have an SR1350B and I like it a lot. Very comfortable to play and not too heavy. I mostly play mine in passive mode because I really like the way those Nordstrand Big Singles sound on their own.
I have that exact model and absolutely love it. It performs way above it’s MSRP, and the only thing I would ever do to it would be to upgrade the control knobs. I love the wenge neck and Nordstrand Big Single PUPs. The thing goes boom.
I have two Ibanez Basses. My first bass ever is a RGB300. It is on the budget end of their offerings. It is actually a really nice bass. It plays much better than it should for what it cost. My second one is the Prestige 4600 (I think, the orange one). That one is a beauty. Everything on it is flawless. It is very lightweight, thin body, thin neck, and the electronics (Bart soapbars) sound wonderful. They can be adjusted to sound pretty much anyway you want them to. I think with the Ibanez basses, you get more bang for you buck than with many other brands.
On the other hand, I love a classic fender P or Jazz too. Sometimes a big heavy slab of wood feels nice. Variety is the spice of life.
I have to be honest, while I totally get the Fender legacy and the fact that their basses have such a reputation of quality and sound, I think they’re the ugliest bass guitars out there. LOL I know I’m committing a potential “cardinal sin,” but I’m a bit picky when it comes to the looks of guitars, basses included. I just can’t get past the plain styling and the fact that the wood looks very orange on most of them.
I just like a uniform look between body, neck, fretboard, and head, and Fenders just end up looking strange to me. I know this is purely subjective, but there are so many beautiful basses out there that I don’t know if I’ll ever own a Fender bass.
You can all throw tomatoes at me now. No hate here for Fender…my Ibanez will be piped through a Rumble 500 very soon. I pick both the bass and amp up Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week (as of this posting)!!! I’m soooo pumped!
I’m largely with you on the appearance of the Fenders. For me it’s the headstock, at least the current iteration; it just seems so disproportionately large and clumsy. I much prefer the much more slender typical Ibanez headstock.
But to be fair I’m really not that bothered about how basses look (with the exception of some truly ugly ones - see the appropriate thread); I’m, naturally, far more interested in the sound that comes of the instrument. About the only time I’d let the aesthetics sway my judgement is if I was looking at two or more basses that compared equally on sound. Then I might look a little closer at how pretty they are!
Not too far off, IMHO But, luckily, we all have different tastes and preferences. There are some awesome looking Fenders though as well (e.g., the Aerodynes).
Yeah, I get that. But for me, I haven’t found “my sound” yet, so aesthetics are probably a bit more attractive to me right now. I just don’t have the tonal experience to be super picky about it yet.
I was reading about Geddy Lee and his extensive bass collection, and many have commented that even with all the different types of basses he owns, he still sounds like Geddy. Is it true that once you find your sound, the bass itself doesn’t matter as much? Geddy sounds like Geddy no matter which bass he’s using. There may be subtle differences, but like cigars, there still seems to be a general commonality between them all. ??
I was mainly talking about their basses but yes, Fender does make some good-looking 6-strings. I just don’t like their oddly-shaped basses as much. They may look retro, but that’s never been my jam. Different strokes.
Honestly you’re not alone. I can appreciate Fenders but they have never been top picks for looks for me. And their best looking ones (the Aerodynes) don’t really appeal to me these days.
I’ve always been a Yamaha fanboy; their styles along with the Ibanez SR line and ESP’s many awesome styles are the kinds of designs that float my boat. I am all about basses pretty far from the Fender standard. I currently own a BB734A and a SBV-800MF, both classic Yamaha styles but the SBV especially is waaaaaay out of the mainstream Fender styling
Signature model of the bass player for my favorite band here, RIP Supercar.
I have owned Fenders that I really liked but they aren’t my top picks for looks.
If you are Geddy, you can make anything sound good, and you will play like Geddy and people will recognize your technique. The tone may be different. So what do you mean by sound?
This made me smile. You can trash talk Fender all day on here and nobody cares. I have a Fender P and Jazz bass. I love mine.
The only thing you can’t do is bad mouth The Eagles.
That’s it, everything else is fair game.
However if you genuinely think a Fender P Bass is uglier than this thing then maybe it’s time for a visit to the optician That bass has the looks that only a mother could love.
Isaiah 35:5
Then the eyes of the blind will be opened
And the ears of the deaf will be unstopped.
No hate here for Fender…my Ibanez will be piped through a Rumble 500 very soon. I pick both the bass and amp up Tuesday or Wednesday of this coming week (as of this posting)!!! I’m soooo pumped!
But, luckily, we all have different tastes and preferences. There are some awesome looking Fenders though as well (e.g., the Aerodynes).
