Ibanez SR505 5-String Electric Bass

Feature:
The Bartolini pickups & electronics sound great, and are quiet. There are many tonal colors you can dial in with the 3 band eq/blend knobs.

Quality:
My bass came setup great, no buzz, or flaws, only thing the cover over the electronics cavity had a bit of a scuff mark. The finish was nice,no loose parts. The bass is well built & should last for a long time & be a valuable asset in my arsenal.

Value:
I feel its one of the best bass values out there, it looks great, and most importantly plays & sounds great.

Desirability:
I think the color of the bass is simple but effective. I wish it had black hardware but its a sleek, nice looking bass.

Sound:
I've owned Warwick,Spector,Conklin & other high end basses and this bass kicks butt with the rest for a fraction of the price. The sound is rich,crisp & clean. Great fingerstyle sounds & you can get real funky with it too when slapping it. The harmonics & chords come through clear as well.

Ease of Use:
As stated above the Bartolini electronics work well with this bass and they very easy to use. The B string is full & thick.

Support:
I've never had to deal with customer service, but I have asked questions for info via email & have always recieved courteous responses.

Overall:
I was impressed with the sound,playability & look of this bass. If stolen I would buy another. I was concerned about the string/neck width as I have played basses where the neck was wider but I had no problems.

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Feature:
the 3 band eq is fantastic...i couldn't ask for any better.controls are very quiet..excellent neck. i wasn't sure about the finish on the body at first, but iv'e grown to really like it, but be careful with it because i'm sure it could easily be scratched. battery is easy to change, unlike my g&l 2500 (american made) which i've owned for 10 years now.

Quality:
i don't believe the quality is as good as my g&l because it is built like a tank but it weighs more too. i don't bother taking my other bass to a gig. i feel confident that the ibanez will not let me down.i guess because i've owned my other bass for so long and no problems at all i feel like this bass will be just as reliable. however, any product put together in indonesia,china or korea has to leave you wondering sometimes if it can actually stand up to a good old fender or gibson. theres just something about this guitar that just "feels" of less quality. but so far it's not let me down.

Value:
so far i would say this is a very good price for this bass. i've owned a gibson,fender,yamaha,schecter still own my g&l and this one plays and sounds just as good as the higher priced basses.

Desirability:
feels great,plays great,sounds great and it's very lightweight

Sound:
i"ve owned this bass for about 3 months now and i have to say it is one of the best sounding basses i've ever played in my 35 years of playing. i would have given it a 10 rating if it weren't for a couple of dead notes.maybe after the elixirs go dead i'll change strings and do a few adjustment and cure the problem.i play through an ampeg svt 3 pro with the 410 he cabinet and a mesa boogie 15 and it rocks! on my other gig i have an ampeg ba115 and i get an awsome tone through that rig too along with my ibanez soundgear 100. i love the bartolinis but the thing i like so much is that it plays like a dream and it is so light. it's also quiet and haven't gone to the studio yet but i'm sure it will put a smile on my face there too.

Ease of Use:
no complaints here. manual is pretty basic. easy to get the sound you want. didn't take me long to dial my sound in. was pretty much set up when i bought it. in fact i haven't done anything to it except install some strap locks on it.

Support:
never dealt with them.

Overall:
i'm not the person who owns a lot of guitars like some of my friends do. i feel like i will keep this guitar for a long time.the only reason i would get another bass would be if this one were to start giving me major problems or feel like it wouldn't be dependable. i chose this bass because of the reviews that i read ,the weight and the playability of the instrument. i played a lot of basses and this one is only one of few that i really enjoyed playing. some of the higher priced basses didn't even come close to this one.

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Quality:
It is made very well. This is my second Bass, and let me tell you, the action from the neck, just make it so much easier to control and play !

Value:
From the sound adjustments, and the playing action, it should be a lot more.

Desirability:
I've had my eyes focus on the Fender active 5 for quite some time now ( 1-1/2 year) and after purchasing the SR505, I must say that it is a very fine piece of craftmanship, and it is hot on the Fenders trail !

Sound:
I just received my SR505 today, and the tone, mids, bass, and 3 ban EQ is just awesome. It's everything that you need in a bass.

Ease of Use:
It has a very easy axess for the perfect sound. If you know exactly what sound your looking for, you can adjust while playing !

Support:
No, I just received it and from the specs of the SR505, I believe I won't have to.

Overall:
I think that it will be a few years before I decide to buy another bass, unless I get a good deal on a "Lakland", but the SR505 is here to stay. My Schecter Custom 5 will be the first to go.

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Feature:
Wish it would of came with at least a Gig bag or something. Also the cord they provide is completely useless because of the recessed jack, might as well not include it :-)

Quality:
It feels great, the Mahogany keeps the bass light, my old GSR200 was heavier and it had one less string.

Value:
For the money you pay this both SOUNDS and LOOKS good.

Desirability:
It's Damn Sexy, added in a Leather strap that had a similar color and it's sweet.

Sound:
Great Tone, Love the adjustable 3band EQ, found that I actually prefer to to be 75% back and 25% front pickup -- for my playing style it gives a great low hit.

Ease of Use:
Love the Elixir strings, the guitar came setup almost perfect - needed slight adjustment for the D string but overall great, keeps in tune without much help.

Support:
Haven't had to deal with them.

Overall:
Overall, I don't think I'll ever bee disappointed

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Feature:
I like the oiled finish. The smoked chrome harware is just fine with me. The only thing I might change if I could is the output jack. The angeled jack is not as solid as I would like.

Quality:
Simply NO PROBLEM.

Value:
This is by far the best deal on a 5 string I have see ever.

Desirability:
I don't plan to sleep with it! It's going to be around for a long time.

Sound:
This bass can make any sound that you can want. The Batrolini pickups and EQ make this bass great. I love to play on it.

Support:
Have not neededany help.

Overall:
Love it !!!

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Feature:
Pretty standard, I like the jack configuration. Battery is easy enough to change. I use the 3-band eq and pickup selectors to produce just about any sound I want.

Quality:
Ibanez. Enough said.

Value:
Bought it second hand but is basically new. Got a great deal on it, but worth its weight in gold.

Desirability:
Not a huge natural finish fan, but the mahogany is very appealing. Mine is more of a burgundy color than most pics I've seen which was a bonus to me because I don't think the pics do it justice. Probably would have bought a different color if they made it.

Sound:
Wide range of sounds, awesome pickups deliver lots of range. Mahogany body resonates high notes forever! I keep my lows=50% mids=100% highs=0% on the eq, with both pickups this bass has got some of the cleanest, deepest growl without losing any punch or shape in the higher registers. You can play the highest and lowest notes simultaneously and hear them both equally well and incredibly clear! I've never paid attention to background harmonics but this bass produces loads of them and they sound really cool.

Support:
No need yet.

Overall:
I did alot of searching, just couldn't afford something like the SR-1005, but I played a SR-400 and loved it, but the step up to the 500 models are well worth the cost.

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Feature:
I love the controls! Great variety and flexibility.

Quality:
Great quality. Before I bought the thing I was told that the quality of Ibanez-instruments isn't that great, but I can honestly say to you that this bass is one of the most reliable things I have had in my life.

Value:
I myself paid around 590 euros of this and I swear it was worth every cent. I could've paid even more of it.

Desirability:
When you see this thing on the window of your Ibanez-store, you want it! The body looks awesome and the dark fingerboard with the great looking inlays... you WANT it!

Sound:
The sound of the Ibnaez SR505 is AWESOME! It doesn't sound cheap or messy; evety note you play is pure heaven. I play mainly Muse-type riffs that are fast and go around the neck and there are no bad places on the neck where the sound would suck.

Support:
Can't say about this one. I have had the instrument for 5 months and I haven't had to lift a finger for it. But I believe that for this one you get everything you need from your local Ibanez sales man.

Overall:
Overall the SR505 is a GREAT instrument that every 5-string bass player should have. Works well on stage, in studio and when you're just chilling with your band. It makes even the ugly bassists look cool and after the show it will steal your girls. I think I'll keep this for the rest of my life.

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