Ibanez Introduces New SR500 Series Basses
Ibanez has announced two new basses to their SR500 series with the SR500TFF and the SR505TFF. The basses, which are four- and five-string versions of the same model, feature mahogany bodies with a traditional Tri-Fade Burst Flat finish.
The neck on each bass is a five-piece laminate of jatoba and bubinga topped with a rosewood fretboard. Ibanez fits the basses with a pair of Bartolini MK1 pickups that they describe as “designed to deliver a full, punchy tone with a clear, articulate top end.” Electronics include a EQB-IIIS 3-band EQ complete with a 2-way mid-frequency selector switch that toggles the mid control between 250Hz and 600Hz.
The Ibanez SR500TFF and SR505TFF will be available soon with street prices of $599 and $649, respectively.
Ibanez SR500TFF and SR505TFF Bass Details:
| Construction: | Bolt-On |
| Scale: | 34″ |
| Body: | Mahogany |
| Neck: | 5-piece Jatoba/Bubinga SR4 |
| Fretboard: | Rosewood |
| Fretboard Inlays: | Abalone oval |
| Pickups: | Bartolini MK1 |
| Electronics: | EQB-IIIS 3-band EQ w/ Mid frequency switch |
| Hardware: | Black Matte |
| Bridge: | B300 |
For more information:
Ibanez
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
They certainly improved the looks, IMO, but the bridge seems to be the same crappy one that breaks by just looking at it. I hope I’m wrong though.
Bartolini Mk1’s highs aren’t articulate, they’re shrill and atrocious.
I bought one that looks just like that one two years ago from AMS. It was a “limited edition” and cost about $50 more than the regular SR505. I was willing to pay extra because I thought that the sunburst looked a lot better than the normal plain brown finish.
By the way, I’ve had this bass for two years and have not experienced any problems with the bridge. I think that the problems with the bridges was due to one bad batch that were not tempered properly.