Ibanez Bass Workshop SRMS805 Multi-Scale - Brown Topaz Burst Review

My new baby!

After spending the past few years playing an Ibanez SRM805 I didn't think there would be a huge change but boy, was I shocked. While the feel and playability was very familiar, there is an obvious upgrade in the electronics which makes for quite an array of tones. I was also thinking that I would have to go through an adjustment period adapting to the fanned frets but to my surprise,… read more I didn't notice any at all. I played it just like any other bass. The increased tension on the B, as well as the E string, is absolutely wonderful. The uni-rail bridges ability to isolate frequencies were impressive as well. Well worth it. If you were thinking up upgrading or just getting a new bass, now is the time. If you like the feel and playability of the SR series basses by Ibanez, this is the bass you need to try for sure!

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A Bass to Play Leads on!

Stream lined and built for speed with a punch! This ibanez is smooth, fast and has very tweakable sound!

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Gorgeous Instrument in Every Way!

I've had mine for about 9 months now, and I absolutely love it! I was concerned at first that the fanned frets would feel weird, but you barely notice it when you're playing. The playability is great, but after a little basic setup it is now perfect. It has a very bright sound with the round wound strings that came on it, so I tried flat wounds and they sound perfect! (I like a… read more fat, warm sound better than bright anyway). I actually settled on the D'Addario half rounds, but they don't make the 5-string super long set any more, so I bought the last 2 sets I could find :D. Bottom line (no pun intended): I love this instrument and would highly recommend it.

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H-e-double-hockey-stick yes.

I mostly play fretless basses, but this sweet piece of wood may have changed my mind. Out of the box it needed about three and a half seconds of tuning, and then I started playing and WHOA. Look, I am getting old and the last time I went to the eye doc he made me get lenses that warp my vision, especially when I'm looking to the left. And maybe it's just that, but even though… read more the head, frets, pickups, and bridge all look like half-drunk Ibanez engineers installed them crooked on a dare, this bass is easier to play than any of the others in my expanding collection. I'm still exploring the sounds I can get out of this sexy beast, but even without turning a single knob on the body (like I said, I tuned it!) after taking it out of the box when it arrived, it had that chef's-kiss attack and growl. Looks-wise, if you don't like burled wood this is probably not the bass for you, so why are you still reading this? But if you are a burled-wood fan: this thing is STRAIGHT-UP BURLED PERFECTION. I spent like an hour flipping through the various serial numbers on the Sweetwater site to try to figure out which of 'em was the MOST perfect, and my conclusion was that they were ALL perfect. But if you're looking at this, I have no doubt there's one here for you. One more thing: Maybe you're on the fence about this vs. an SRMS800 (the four-string version) If, like me, you're an amateur-to-middling bassist who doesn't truck with weird tunings, a fifth string is a no-brainer. You play the BASS guitar. You want to be able to play a note that will vibrate your listener's sternum, and that low B is just the ticket. A fifth string on a bass is like a second kitten: way more fun and no more trouble. Once you start getting into six-plus-string territory, you're dabbling in gotta-get-used-to-how-wide-this-is bridges and hope-I-can-justify-having-an-extra-string-when-I'm-playing-this-thing-on-stage anxiety. But--and I speak from experience here--nobody's gonna complain if your bass can bring the thunder. (This one, by the way, can.)

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A pleasure to play.

I enjoy this bass more than my Music Man Stingray., much lighter and the neck is more comfortable. Since I've started playing this bass I haven't even touched my P Basses or Jazz Basses. Pictures do not even do justice to the classy look of this instrument. The versatility of tonal sounds and shapes that you can create are almost endless. I've gotten tons of complements not only… read more on the look but the sound of this guitar. A definite keeper

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