Ibanez Premium SR1605B Review

Summertime Breeze!

OK, Full disclosure here, I've been an Ibanez fan boy for like 13 years.. Why? Because I've played other basses and nothing compares to an Ibanez weight, tone and neck! At the end of the day, if you've played 2 or (God help me) 4 hour long gigs, then you know that ergonomics is going to be paramount to your success. Now here we are, no gigs for a year and I'm working solely out… read more of my studio.. I had a few projects that I would really have liked to have a Fender P or J bass.. So a good deal on a 2018 Fender P-bass came up and I bought it prior to buying this.. The Fender sound; timeless, of course.. But... IMO those are one trick ponies.. They do that trick the best but, C'mon! Where's your originality folks!? I'm one who NEEDS diversity! I believe there is a time and place for everything, but we must choose what suits us best and most frequently.. This puppy is it for me.. I could have bought any of the Premium or Prestige models and been happy, but the color choice on this one just screams, PLAY ME and be HAPPY!Being a 4 string player for many years, this is a change for me to 5 string… The change was almost seamless (being a guitar player also helps because you already know the high B). You can watch the in-depth unboxing and sound demo of this instrument on my Youtube channel along with a couple other projects I've done at the link provided in this review. I love reviewing gear I'm passionate about and this is one of them.Some additional things I will note here that I missed on the video review is that the monorail bridge system is definitely helpful at reducing string talk and unwanted rumble from bumping or moving, especially with pristine clean recording. I was a bit nervous that the low B would be flappin' around on me, but it's been a nice relief to know that this bridge is designed to help with that.. The string spacing on this makes switching from a 4 to a 5 SUPER easy!! A good friend of mine said he prefers 17mm spacing because is' so close, and this has 16.5mm spacing so, frog yes!! If you also play some guitar, you're just going to love it! A few other points I notice about this instrument that I didn't cover in the video: The wood used for the back of the neck and headstock, even the fretboard is like, really porous... I mean, everywhere on this thing there are divets and like indents in the wood grain, the poplar burl and the fretboard that were few and far between on my SR500 from long ago. It's cool looking, but I feel like it could soak up sweat or other environmental baddies and hold it in place, eventually passing the finish and seeping into the wood maybe? Sure it screams good wood and character but it does make me a little nervous on how dry it gets up North in the winter, that there could be a possibility of splitting or unwanted chemical reactions is stuff is left in the notches, but I must trust this has been thought out with the finish.. The whole thing is like, multiple pieces of wood that are like glued and pressed together to make this stronger so I don't believe that any one imperfection could lead to a catastrophic failure or split, but I'll be keeping my eye on it.. The way it feels to pick it up, reminds me of how much I always wanted a Warwick 5 string Thumb bass, it's like heavy looking and feels full and exotic, like something from out of this world the first time you see it..The finish is so beautiful, both up close and from far away.. It's not glossy at all, it doesn't blind me if I look at it in the wrong light like my lacquered Fender instruments. I think an audience would appreciate this under some bright stage lights… I'm not sure the process, but it looks like the poplar burl is painted and then stenciled, you know, like the line that sort of separates the back from the front panels… It's not a separate collar or, lac of a better term, trim piece like a les paul would have... Oh and the back, it's a dark wood and it just looks beautiful and expensive.. Again, I look over mid project and move onto bass parts and this bass just says, pick me and let's go! I've got a sunny day at the beach planned and a warm summer night to top it off.. Playing this 5 string truly is a summer breeze and is inspiring me to play more!

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