Ibanez Prestige SR5000 - Wenge Review

8th month review

First, thanks to the guys @ Sweetwater for staying a little late. I drove 3 hours from Michigan and it took me a while to decide whether or not to purchase the bass as it was not set up to my specifications. The neck was too straight and I need a bit of relief. On 3-28-19 I took it home figuring I could return it if I had to. I chose this bass out of the 3 that were available at… read more that time because the other 2 looked like the E-string was too close to the edge of the fingerboard for my taste. At home while setting it up, I noticed something cool that is not even mentioned in the description: the string spacing is adjustable (not a lot but just enough so I could feel comfortable with it). I believe this newer version of the Monorail V bridge is called the Monorail VS and is a great improvement for demanding people like me. Once set up to my liking, the play-ability was exceptional - super easy to play with minimal string buzz. I began to really enjoy this bass except for one thing. The intonation was not acceptable. Although the Elixer nickel wound strings that came on the bass had a great tone, they would not intonate well at all. But because I liked the tone so much I tried two more sets of the same Elixer strings but had the same problem: poor intonation especially on the E-string, and impossible to compensate for, even for some one like me who has done countless set ups over the past 50 years. I am currently using D'Addario nickle rounds and the intonation is acceptable as long as the E-string is not tuned flat because the slot in the nut for the E-string is cut a little deeper than for the other strings, making for easier play-ability but causing it to play a couple/few cents flat at the first few frets, while still being several cents sharp on up past the 19th fret. So it's playable because who ever plays that high on the E-string. The only other negatives I could mention are minor, cosmetic things. I've read that wenge can be difficult to work with and there are indeed places along the edge of the fingerboard where it almost splintered but was sanded down good enough. Also, where as most Ibanez basses have all their tuners angled back, these are almost all at different angles as if some one was trying to make an artistic statement by having them angled to more closely match the angular shape of the headstock (angled back a bit on the treble side but almost perpendicular to the neck on the bass side). No big deal when the over-all awesomeness of this bass exceeds anything I have ever played. It is about a third of a pound heavier than my MIA Jazz Bass and that doesn't bother me either-gives it a good solid sustain for a smaller bass. This is the only bass I play now. I wish there was room in the case for a set of strings but like I said, no big deal when you have a bass that makes you say "Oh my god" every time you walk in the room and see it on the stand. If you're very demanding like me and looking for a good Ibanez bass, I would say forget the "Premium Series" (I had to send two of them back because of major issues) and try the "Prestige", as long as you can return it because basses are not all created equal.

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A True Masterpiece

I happen to own one of the elusive Ibanez Iceman ICB500's from the 1994 custom shop run. The overall craftsmanship can only be described as flawless, and it plays like greased lightning. It's the smoothest bass guitar I've ever touched by a long shot. So, when I decided to buy a new bass, my obvious first stop was to see what Ibanez is building today. The SR5000 Prestige is their… read more top 4-string offering (mine is SN F1919231). It's also the only bass they make at home base in Japan, which is where my Iceman was made. For me that meant there was no way I was going with a lower model, and I had absolute confidence that my money would be well spent. It's by no means a cheap guitar, but it's far below the price tag of a typical boutique bass. The minute you see it in person, you'll know where your money went. Everything about this guitar is exceptional. This is now my second Ibanez bass with literally flawless craftsmanship, and the on-board EQ/Preamp allows it to sound like pretty much anything I want it to so it will work for any occasion in the studio or on stage. Action is tight, sound is clean and clear even unplugged, frets are polished smooth, comes with a fitted hardshell case that includes ample storage, and the neck is incredibly comfortable to play. Every detail of the construction is meticulously executed. I was skeptical about the natural finish, as I typically like bold colors on guitars, but once I had it in front of me all doubts were erased. The body and fretboard match so well they look like they all came out of one piece of wood, and the grain is beautiful with open pores the run like a series of natural cracks throughout the wood. My only complaint is that the gold hardware is a bid gaudy for my taste, and I'll probably change it out for black hardware. If you're shopping for a bass guitar for pretty much any purpose at all, and this one is in your price range, just buy it.

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Impressive Bass

I am a bassist who plays in several different bands from Big Band style, to Worship and Secular. I own several basses for different scenario, Musicman Stingray4, Stingray 5HH, Fender Precision and a Epiphone Jack Cassidy. Today I received the Ibenez SR5000 - Oil bass. The fit and finish is top notch to say the least. The fretboard and actions are perhaps the best I have ever played… read more and I have played a whole bunch of them. The Bartolini Pickups combined with the Eq gives you the ability to play any style of music. Right out of the box I played rock, blue grass, pop, country, funk and big band jazz with changes in eq to match the style in a matter of seconds. This is a professional bass, no doubt, and the craftmanship is superb from top to bottom. I did not use my amplifier but ran straight into my mixer to a Bose L1 II dual tower setup and the sound was so clear that I probably not even bother with the amp anymore.

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Perfect Sound

This bass is absolutely perfect. From the way it feels to the amazing sound, I couldn't ask for more. I chose this one specifically for the custom Bartolini pickups over the big singles on most other models and I am not disappointed. The only thing wrong with it is one of the letters in "Ibanez" on the headstock is missing so it reads "ib nez." If you look at the closeup pictures… read more of the others available, you can see one is missing a letter in "by" in the "soundgear by ibanez."

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Superb Bass Guitar

I recently purchased the Ibanez SR5000OL and really love this bass. This bass was made with perfection in mind. The neck is perfect for speed and hammer-ons, the body is sturdy and at a nice weight, and the play-ability is outstanding. The wood used and the quality of craftsmanship is unbelievable. The tones and sounds that can be achieved with this bass is incredible. The Bartolini… read more pickups and the monorail V bridge are top notch and high quality. All in all, this bass is beautiful looking and sounds awesome. The set-up from Sweetwater was perfect. All I had to do was tune up and play. I find this bass well worth the money.

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