I looked at Spector Q4 & Rebop series, Dean's, and Peavey's. Ibanez is superior to all of these (in my opinion). The SR480 is simply an excellent piece of equipment. It is a very "dark" looky instrument because of the darker shade of mahogany that is used on this particular year model (the newer ones are a lighter shade of mahogany). Also all the hardware is black. I love natural wood finishes, and this one is beautiful.
Model Year: 2002
Price: $429.00 (new)
Where Obtained: Ebay
Korean made. Dark Mahogany body with a clear acrylic finish (for protection). Maple neck; 4 piece, 24 frets. Has Volume, Balance, Treble, Bass, Mid-range boot/cut & Mid-range frequency knobs. DXJ & DXP pickups. All hardware is black. 3 EQ active.
Very rich deep sound (mahogany will do this to sound). The neck is a standard SDGR which means slim n fast! Sound & construction quality is the best. This bass should be priced at least $100 more than it was.
I use a Peavey TNT115 combo amp with no effects. I use it for the church praise band and we play modern style praise music. Can handle slow or very fast extremely well. Before, I was using an SR400 (which I really like), but this bass is superior. Excellent for either stage or studio.
This is a perfect bass for live playing. It holds tune very well, has wonderful sustain, and feels wonderful. Too early to tell if the hardware will hold up. I imagine it will... all my other Ibanez's have!
I looked at an Ibanez SR300DX, an Ibanez SR400, Aria IGB65, Yamaha BB604, Spector NS2000 Q4, and a Washburn Force 4. The Ibanex SR480 had everything I was looking for. 24 frets on an easy playing neck, active electronics, sound thick and sweet it should be honey, right balance, and the right price. The choice was narrowed down to an SR400 in Light Amber, and my SR480, the 480 beat it out with the natural mahogany finish, and the sound. You just have to hear these things to believe them. This bass could be improved by finding a way to seal the finish against nicks and scratches without impacting the accoustics of the bass. The best aspect is the sound. This thing makes ME sound GOOD, and I stink. The worst aspect is it is easy to scratch the finish.
I looked at a LOT of basses, and played everything I could get my hands on in the music stores, and with friends, to the point I was somewhat wondering if Danny D's and Guitar Center were going to have the cops haul me off. I wanted THE bass, not just a nice bass, I have already had one of those, I wanted MY bass, and this is it. It fits my style, it didn't run me into the poorhouse, it is so easy to play that I can pick up new songs quickly instead of trying to mash my way around the fretboard, and the sound. Oh sweet Lord the sound! I wish I could upload a sound sample of me playing it. Like I said, I have only been playing a year and admit that I stink, but this thing makes ME sound GOOD! Try one, if you don't agree with me don't buy it, but give one of these a fair shake. Do yourself a favor and don't overlook it because it is a discontinued model. Other than the color of the finish I can't tell the difference between the SR480 and SR490, so check them out and if you like, take one, or two home! I would sure like a second one, you know, as a spare....
Price: $355.00 (new)
Where Obtained: Danny D's Music Center (Webster Texas)
I can tell you what I know about this bass, or think I know. Korean built Bass, made with a Mahogany body with an oil finish, and natural finish mahogany / walnut (?) 5 piece neck. The slim Soundgear neck has 24 well spaced, low height frets, which is something I found unique about an Ibanez. Every other Ibanez I have played, the frets were seriously tall... 4 strings. It has a master volume, balance to switch between neck and bridge pickups, and a three band EQ, with knobs each for Low, Mid, and Treble to control the active EQ. The pickups are Ibanez P / J type pickups with covered magnets (good thing too, the exposed poles on a lot of basses is a look I don't care for). The finish is a natural stain / oil of some sort with no sealers like Urathane or anything like that. This makes the finish suceptible to getting beat up, but does also make for some sweet sound. The body style of the bass is, well it's a soundgear, and is pretty much the same body design as all the other Ibanez Soundgears I have played. This design really works for me as I have rather large hands (wide) and the lower horn on a lot of basses gets in the way, the Soundgear design allows for full fret access accros the fingerboard for my big hands.
The bridge is an Ibanez Accu Cast type bridge, and the tuners are the same tuners I have seen on every other Ibanez bass. The metal hardware on this bass is entirely in a Black Chrome / brushed nickel type of finish. If you are interested in flash and sparkle for the eyes, then, well this isn't the bass for you. If you want the flash and sparkle to come out the speaker of your amp, and want the warm cosmetics of real wood, then this IS the bass for you.
I have been playing less than a year, so take my advice for what it is, my impressions.
On my old, traded in bass, even attempting to play anything Rush was embarrassing as it took me too long to find the notes on the fretboard. With the slimmer neck, and faster feel to it, the 480 gives me what I want. And while the weight of my old P-Bass never bothered me, the fact that this bass is well balanced and doesn't try to spin on the strap while I am playing it helps a LOT. The sound is GREAT, and actually makes me sound halfway decent.
I have been using it with a Crate BX-50DLX (mine) and an SWR Workingman's 4004 head / 4x10 cabinet half stack (friends) with no problems at all. I have been playing Rock, Punk, Blues, and Country with this thing, and all it takes is some slight twists of a knob or two and I have all the tone I could ask for. The sound is nice and adjustable, but seems best suited for warm, smoothe tones. The best way to describe the sound is "creamy". The sound is close to, but warmer than I could get from the Spector I tried out. The ONLY mod I would consider for this bass, and I would have to find the right color, is Schaller Strap Loks. I had these on my P Bass, and liked them. I have already added a nice brown and green leather Levy's strap to it to keep it up. I was aiming for comfort and found it. There are no unexpected or unpleasant noises eminating from this bass except when the player gets clumsy. The setup is dead on, and not just according this this bass newbie, several semi pro friends of mine have played it and LOVE this bass. This bass is right at home practicing at home, and playing the few parties I have tinkered around with along with my friends...
Haven't had it long enough to tell you honestly. Don't want to ding this bass, so I will tell you. I bought mine because a friend had one that I couldn't stop playing. He's had it since '99 and it is in better shape than my new one. (My new one was a closeout and had a nick in it).
Model Year: 2000
Price: $500.00 Canadian funds
Where Obtained: Second hand-used
A real pretty,functional bass with great tonal qualities !!
My SR480 has a mahogany,unfinished body,which I put Tung and Teak oil on with a rag...darkening the wood verrrrrrrrry nicely and a 24 fret rosewood fretboard
Thin,narrow neck that's
INCREDIBLY fast !!
Plays like an absolute
dream.....
A bolt on,passive pick-up,active electronics bass that I'd recommend to anyone unfamiliar with Ibanez to try out.
Nice low action was easily obtained....with zero fretbuzz
One of the best playing basses Ive tried in quite a while.
One teeny,cosmetic flaw....3rd fret,next to the bottom of the G string there is a small dent...which is hardly seen and never felt while playing.
Prob done while waiting for me to buy it at the music shop
I play this bass thru a Peavey Mark III with Eden cabinets and I can acheive the sound that I like .
Sounds remarkably quite warm for being active ...not harsh or mechanical that one can get with active electronics...IMO
Great stage instrument...light and comfortable !!!
So far,no additional adjustments had to be made....
We gig approx 3 times a month,with rehersals twice a week...plus my own personal jammming time.seems to be holding up quite well !
I like the fender jazz and p. but this bass weights a fraction of what they do.I would like to have another one with a different body finish, also.My favorite aspect is the lightweight,thin neck and the electronics.If you have never tried a soundgear bass, give it a try, I think you will love it.
Model Year: 1999
Price: $600.00 (new)
Where Obtained: locole music dealer
Stained oil-finished mahogany body.24-fret 4-string.1 volume,a balance(for balancing between an active&passive pick-up)3-band E-Q.pick-ups areDXJ &DXP factory Ibanez.bridge is a single screw die-cast.tuners are factory Ibanez sound gear equipment.
I have the action a little low at the present time. I plan on setting it up on my next string change.the neck is what makes this bass so special.the versitllity of this bass surpasses any bass that I have ever played.
I play through an old Peavey combo.everything from country to metal.it is an excellant choice for playing anywhere or anything.It really has alot a mid and I put on a set of GHS boomers, and they are a little too bright but I plan on switching string type when I change them.
The oil finish will get pretty beat up on the road.I have had it adjusted once since I bought it(7 months).It stays in tune very well
loading ...