#Ibanez sr505 bass

7 messages · Page 1 of 1 (latest)

cloud lake
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Is it a good 5 string bass or should i get a squier affinity jbass

grave summit
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I've always had a really good impression of Ibanez's SR### basses. They definitely aren't bad instruments by any means, but the biggest difference sound-wise between it and a squier affinity would be the Ibanez's active pickups and onboard EQ. The other big difference is feel- I find the Ibanez basses to have a very different neck profile- thinner front-to-back but slightly wider at the nut and much flatter radius (the curve of the fretboard). A lot of those things are honestly up to personal preference, so it's best if you could find a music shop to try out both of them, or similar models to get an idea of what you like best.

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The kind of tone you prefer/want to achieve also makes a big difference. An Ibanez won't get exactly the kind of growly-passive sound that a J-style bass will, but the active preamp on the Ibanez can let you dial in something close with the right EQ, as well as a lot of other sounds with different EQ settings.

cloud lake
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If not is a sterling bass good?

grave summit
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I have less experience with Sterling basses, but they seem to be a good option for an affordable Music Man-style bass. I've liked the couple I've played at music shops. I believe most of their models have an active preamp like the Ibanez would, so you can get a decent variety of sounds. I'd recommend listening to a few videos of them to be sure you like the sound of their distinctive style of humbucker though. Where Ibanez pickups are very "neutral" it's my opinion that the Sterling/Music Man style pickups have a much more distinctive sound (with some added flexibility from the preamp).
Also good to be aware that the basses with preamps/active pickups like the Ibanez and Sterling will need a 9v battery to run.

cloud lake