I have this bass and the EHB1505 and I really prefer the nice round tone of the Bartolinis in this bass over the EHB. Tighter string spacing takes some getting used to but once I did it provided less finger fatigue on longer gigs. I think this bass is great!
I have this bass! Highly recommend to switch neck and bridge pickup places, it will balance the sound by a lot (for some reason they put a high output bassy pickup in the neck position and the trebly low output in the brigde) ! Also highly suggest to have an EMG vari-mid pot, it can growl.
I have the 4 string version of this bass, and i absolutely love it. no special string needed. i would argue the fan is good for those wanting to dip their toe in the multi scale world. I go back and forth between this and a non multi bass, almost effortlessly. Then again, I wanted a thin body, that felt good in my hands, and had a finish i didn't hate. I didn't care about multi scale whatsoever... my one complaint is access to the truss rod. i didn't get the included wrenches, and i can't find one long enough, that doesn't interfere with the pickup.
Compared this and an EHB. Much preferred and bought the SRMS805. I like the tighter spacing compared to my 4 string, the BH2’s are nice and growly, and looks amazing. EHB didn’t play that well honestly. May have been a set up. YMMV.
I've always wanted a Dingwall but $2k for a bass made in China has always steered me estray even if it is of good quality. This BTB will be what gets me into the multi-scale world
I've owned the brown walnut version of that bass for about five years. I totally agree about the lack of top end and harmonic clarity. I have to do some sound gymnastics to get what I hear as good rock and metal sounds. My go to on the preamp is roll the bass off a scosh, 400hz roll off to maybe 40% based on the requirements of the song and flat to slightly boosted on the high end. The string issue was tricky at first but there super long string sets at decent prices for the multiscale set up. Good review as always.
I’ve had a fair share of these Basses and really love them. They really shine with Nordstrands!! For those wanting clarity from these SRMS Basses, steel strings are your best bet if you’re not looking into swapping the pickups!
Thank you for this man! As soon as you said can’t use a normal B string, that’s all I needed to know when considering this versus the headless 6 Ibanez bass. I’m glad you point things like this out, dude. Saved me a return 😂
I tried so hard to love that bass. It's gorgeous and I love ibanez. Once I got the EHB I realized the tight spacing on the SRMS just wasn't going to cut it. Couple that with the barts and I just couldn't jive with it. I will say the toggle mid freqs aren't bad and sometimes I like it more than the vari-mid for simplicity
I actually like the Bartolini BH2s. I don't like pickups that are too clear, they are sensitive and hard to EQ in the mix later as they pickup all the noises like bumping the frets or pole pieces. And as modern active basses rarely come with tone control. Not to mention that high frequencies can be really harsh for some people (like me) on some listening devices. But that's why we have plenty of replacement pickups in standardised sizes to choose from.
Very bright pickups like the very much loved Nordstrands that are always recommended as an "upgrade" to Ibby's stock Barts - okay, the MK1 is a poopy pickup, but these newer BH2s are not like them - are very piercing to the point of being annoying. Some like them, some not.
@@eloysuopunki7926 I would take the MK1 over most "clear" or "articulate" pckups. Those just sound harsh to me. I want to sound like a bass not a guitar.
I've been playing bass a long time, and I've always felt that 34" gave perfect tension on the E string, but made my G string too tight (slight pun intended). At 34", the fundamental of the G string is kind of strangled, making it over-bright and hard to bend. This is why I thought Ibanez nailed it with the EHB range of scale lengths. Shame they went back.
With so many options around, should we buy Basses that we need to change the pick ups, strings etc ? Ibanez is really capable of making great Basses. They should without us needing to change things.
Strings are a HUGE rabbithole - I am still trying to get the guts to plunge and commit to a few different sets of *taped* strings, but even having old strings (watch the yelling man studio channel) can really piss off a sound engineer when you're recording. So I hear. For me tapes seem like the equalizer - everything I can find shows that they don't age the same as untaped/coated strings and if you can dial in a sound with them then it's supposed to stay way more consistent over the life of the string. Also, they show superior corrosion resistance to contact with human sweat, which is particularly important if you gig a lot and sweat all over the thing, not just on your fingers but dripping off your head - stage lights are way hotter than most people think if you haven't been under them for a hour before...
I guess you'll always want to change the strings. Keeping the factory strings is like keeping the factory tires on your car - probably only smart to do with things like Teslas. Most people find it easier to trade or sell an instrument rather than gut it and frequently you will NOT get the value back out in resale of the parts you put in. Only stuff like Warmoth instruments pretty much holds its parts value and that's obviously because it's made of good parts by a reputable and mature semi-custom OEM parts manufacturer.
you dont NEED to change. its a matter of want not need. if you want clearer pickups then go for it. but if you are happy with the ones that already come with the bass then you dont need to change them. its not like the bass doesn't work with the included pickups. that would be the only time when change is needed
Hey Lobster. I was just turned on to the +6db input on the circuit board of these Ibanez preamps. You should check it out. Currently the bass is in the +0db slot. Really gives the Bartolini pickups more oomph. It will work on your EHB and even the AFR if you feel like doing some tweaking. May or may not be better but certainly worth exploring and who’s better than you?
NICE - see sometimes what is soft sound or weak timbre is simple the twist of a pot or a jumper/dip switch :-) I still have to dig into the dyna basses I have and they have a fat DIP switch in there...need to also restore the original preamp in my Hohner if I can find out - they're a bit blistery unless you crank them WAY down, by watching the demos of people that have the original amp in them...
Glad to see this review. As an owner of several SR800 series basses this multiscale version has been on my radar, but those Bartolini pickups have always been the deal breaker and your review confirms that for me. I would probably go for EMG's in this one. I have the SRT805DX from about ten years ago or so and it came stock with EMG pickups and I think the B string sounds fine for a 34 inch scale. No mix and match string set needed. No slanted nut either! :) Not a multiscale but I think I will hang on to that one instead.
I own the previous swamp ash version in 6 string and love it. Had a Btb before that and had loads of issues with wrist pain because of the neck profile and string spacing, but once I got the sr with the more curved shoulders everything became perfect. I love these basses but it’s all preference. I think Ibanez is one of those companies that make great instruments but either cheap out or make bad decisions with the electronics and pickups. Never owned an Ibanez bass or guitar that I didn’t fit in the end
Lobster man you have a right to your opinion but I don’t agree with you. I own this particular bass and it’s awesome. The extra length of the B string really growls and I love it. The electronics are very good, no complaints here. You can’t beat the look, feel, and sound from this beautiful bass. She’s unique and stands alone but that’s what makes her so awesome.
Narrower string spacing and muddy pickups aside, I could tell it wasn't a very comfortable or enjoyable bass for you to play from this video and that says a lot overall. I'm glad Ibanez figured it out with the EHB line. They're fantastic instruments.
Very informative 👍🏻 I agree that the EHB is the superior design, but they need to offer the BIF finish for the 5 string versions. The EHB1506MS looks sooo good. 😅
i think this was just their first attempt at a multiscale and they probably used customer reviews to figure out if they should make more multiscale basses and if yes what they should improve upon and that's probably what lead to the eventual ehb
Has the EHB made the SRMS obsolete? Yes, imho. The SRMS stands out aesthetically (I actually like it more than the EHB), but there are too many things that need to be different. The electronics are just meh. It's one of the reasons I sold my SR 1305 for. You could swap them, sure, but I don't think it's fair for a bass that falls in such a price range. I agree with the 🦞🦞 rating. Great review!
Through your setup it actually didn’t sound bad. It sounded good. I owned an EHB1005MS and it did sound really muddy and that muddiness was also audible in your demo video of it. Not so much here. I guess people are right, these Barts sound better in a full solidbody bass than a chambered one like the EHB
“I don’t think the extra 1/2 inch makes that big of a difference” is not what she said 🤪 Thanks for the comprehensive & honest review Lobster. I’ve been wanting to try 1 of these out for a while but haven’t been able to get my hands on 1 anywhere. I wish the body shape of the EHB wasn’t so jarring to me.
I got a SRMS806, it is only my second bass and after some minor setup changes its for me atleast, regardless of the history of the bass the best one ive ever played, and ive tried out rickenbackers, stingrays, jazz basses (in stores) . It was a massive upgrade over my dinky short scale grestch bass.
I tried out the 6 string version years ago (red/orange finish). String spacing for a 6 strings was really nice. I sometimes forget how much I enjoy playing ibanez basses. There's "better" brands, but these just fit like a glove for me
Regarding the comment on the perpendicular head stock departure line next to the angled nut, I would like to share an engineer's perspective, that it may be difficult to have a headstock that bends at a slanted line that is not perpendicular to the axis of the neck. The whole headstock might end up looking wonky as it bends backwards but also toward the G string direction. I believe this dilemma could be what prompted Ibanez to develop the EHB headless series at first place, because they no longer have to worry about the funny headstock bend angle!
The triangular bit of fretboard sticking out past the nut is such a strange feature on Ibanez multiscale instruments. Could they really not think of a more appealing design?
@@torothomassen9581 The EHB was their "fix" to that, I think, but I'm guessing the SRMS was more oriented towards ridiculously low tunings, most people who tune super low use Kallium strings anyway.
@@WildWildWeasel the idea of the EHB 5 string is great tho. 35-33 is perfect for that standar B to G tuning. I made my own 6 string with a 36" down to 32.75" scale. Works wonders on standar tuning and down to A. Going to buy a 1505 soon to compliment that one🙌
I have this bass, but want to replace the electronics. I bought the Darkglass tone capsule, but I think I’d like to replace the pickups as well. I know you used the Aguilar DCB-D4’s for the EHB, but I was wanting to know if I can install those into this bass. Thanks!
UUUUU this review got me in the feels :)))) As an srms805 user i have to agree with most of the things you said. I am a bit sad that you didn't do any mods, as i am really thinking of upgrading my bass... but you are right. It is pretty pricy for what it is. I Have actually been talking with the guys from Nordstrand to make a custom set for mine (the one that is in the EHB1505). But the extra 400+ dollars over this bass seems a little bit unreasonable (even though i absolutely love the thing). I am actually thinking of running the bass in passive and modding the sound with a Darkglass Harmonic Booster 2.0, as that preamp is pretty able to make your pups sound closer even to EMGs. As for the strings... Yeah its crappy for Non D'addario users. I am exclusively using them so no problem for me, but yeah... i had to find out about the extra long strings the hard way. I am really interested in your opinion about what i've considered with the Darkglass preamp earlier in my comment. Cheers dude and as always a great vid! \m/
I had 3 of these shipped... and all 3 went back. 1st one drained 9 volt batteries within a day or 2 even when it was stored in a case, second one was damaged in the undamaged box and thin packing foam sheet. They had to replace the neck on my third one. Not happy with this bass at all, but I'm stuck with it since covid hit during my struggles with these and guitar center being closed I was out of warranty on the 3rd one when they reopened and I had to contact ibanez directly and explain the situation with guitar center. They are awesome with their customer service and remedied my neck that kept diving out of adjustment constantly. Here's where they lost me on this model their quality control isn't what it was 10 years ago. I have many older cheaper soundgears that still hold up better than this model. This model feels very fragile for pretty much what you would expect from older sound gear quality basses. Save your money and buy a different fanned fret bass.
Gotta disagree with you on this one. I have 13 basses, and this bass works on all levels for me. I wouldn't change a thing. (Other than coloring in that space by the nut. ) Though I will agree that the Ibanez neck is a little tight with the 5 string models. The thin neck on a 4 string is fine.
I think the reason this isn’t super different from a sound gear is because they wanted to not o my be leaders in average priced but also be leaders in more budget to moderate prices with multi scale basses. Since they are so mass produced it would drive up costs to change the neck more than it is
Thanks Lobster - another great review. Yeah, I'm with you on this bass. If I wanted a multi-scale bass, I'd go with the EHB, or better still - a Dingwall. The MK-1 Bartolini (Korean made) pickups are so-so. The USA built ones are much better, but I'd pick a Nordstrand Big Single or Big Blade over just about any of those. I wish the electronics on this bass matched the quality of that poplar burl top. Sigh.......... Cheers for now.
Hey, Lobster. I have very small hands.Would you suggest a 5 string bass for me? The Ibanez basses seem to have the tightest spacing I can see. Thank you.
G A S P S I N T E R N A L L Y I have been looking at this bass for a while now and I think it's one of the most prefered budget Multiscale Bass. However, a lot of people are arguing that this is better than the Cort A5 Beyond as it has a better preamp despite the Cort being able to give so much comfortability, quality, versatility and being able to offer boutique bass quality for a (reasonably) low price Have you ever thought of comparing the two Multiscale basses on how they differ from one another? 🤔
Been going through dozens of videos on bothe the EHB and SRM for a while now. You are the only one I've come across to mention 2:25 the "issue" with the B String. Thanks.
Is this worth it used for like $850? I am looking to get a new bass within the 650-850 range looking at Yamaha TRBX605fm Brice Defiant 54347 This Shecter Riot 5 Open to suggestions, cheers~
After doing the research I'm bummed because of love the style and finish on this specific body. The twilight poplar burl is just 🔥 but like he points out the headstock and transition at the nut looks like dookie
While I'm generally an ibanez fan boy, I can't really fault the view on this one. There were sloppy/short sighted design decisions on this one that don't really make much sense. It strikes me as "Hey, we want an SR line multi-scale, so let's see what we can through together." The nut placement alone would drive me absolutely nuts from an aesthetic viewpoint.
In the video he says the fifth string is a B string, but I thought on the Ibanez website that string is tuned to G and the other strings are in D Standard. Is that not correct? I am a little confused.
I had one of these and sold it for what I paid (thank goodness people still pay for looks). I didn't like the string spacing and electronics, or the G string. I could get an SR500E with the same piclups and electronics, just what did I think when I spent that extra money?
Do you think the extra half an inch in scale length over the EHB would be a noticeable improvement or difference on lower tuning? (I.E. A and E0 ). I know a dingwall would be perfect at 38" but I don't have Dingwall budgets and considering these larger purchases are made possible by ZZounds 12 month payments I am pretty much looking at this and the EHB
Great question! I personally don't think so. There's so much more to the B string formula than raw scale length (though it helps!), and I've found the B on the EHB to be solid.
@@LowEndLobster Awesome. I sat down and played a 1505 non multi scale and loved the feel of it, but I haven't had a chance to touch an 805 so I really didn't know. I had to go back and look at this video because your one of the few people I know of that could fill me in on it haha. Thanks as always man!
Just need to put some Ernie Ball cobalt strings on it. Best strings! Less squeak, more clarity. Have some on my Fender ultra 5 (mochaburst) and my Ibanez sr1605 dw (autumn sunset sky) basses. I just bought a SRMS806 and it has adjustable string spacing like my 1605 dw.
I was looking at esp ltd ap-4 black metal bass. The one with reverse headstock. Looks like it would be a cool slap bass. But no tone control. Have you seen that bass?
Great question James. Nothing wrong with Bartolini as a brand (their NYC pickups are great), but Ibanez is utilizing import version of the Bartolini and Nordstrand pickups. The Barts are meh and the import nords are IMO much better (the CND pickups, Carey Nordstrand Design)
Notice the loud POP once switch from active to passive mode. Seem Ibanez dint solve this issue which been happen on my previous SRFF805. The BH2 pup on SRMS sound better balance than SRFF BH1. The difference voice DG Vs BEA on BH1 just screw me up.....
SRMS and EHB are different animals, but honestly I'd rather go for a used Dingwall, you get SO MUCH more for your money than with these two other basses.
@@LowEndLobster Oh yeah, plus Dingwall owners do really take care of their instruments as well, they keep them like brand new and well maintained. I can't wait to see though!
It's kind of a let down for me to see so many negative opinions on this bass, since I was very enthusiastic about being able to get one, but I do much appreciate you sharing your thoughts and everybody else's comments for making me realize this is not the way to go. Problem is EHB1000 has no 6 string model (to my knowledge), and going for the 1500 series is a big jump on the price. Great video non-theless, and thank you!
Not an Ibanez fan at all. That being said I’m still looking for a rs924. Besides that, I just don’t like the way the modern Ibanez basses look, feel or sound. Sorry to be so negative about them. The cool finishes on the same cookie cutter basses are silly. That being said..... Are you saying, you would prefer if these Ibanez basses controls were set up like the sire basses, that you don’t like? And, is the reason you don’t like the sires configuration “7 to be exact”, because “it’s to many controls (nobs)” for the jazz style basses? Or...Are you, now that modern basses have “tonal options” coming out the kazoo, a little more “on board” with the “on board” control center attached to our low end obsessions? Just wondering. Sorry....honestly, by the time I was done writing this, I couldn’t figure out, if this was a genuine question? or just an excuse to write “kazoo”? Cheers and thank you for sharing.
Thank you Tommy! That's a great comment. For the Sire preamp, context definitely matters to me. A jazz bass does not need 7 knobs on a control plate IMO. The Sire M5 uses the same preamp, but the context of it and layout seems much more natural to me. I know it's literally the same preamp, but having it spread out and intuitively laid out makes me more comfortable than having it crammed into a jazz control plate. IMO the M5 does the Ibanez thing better than Ibanez. Flexible and clear sounding soapbars and a preamp and controls setup that pairs well with the pickups. So yeah, you hit the nail on the head. I think Sire was smart to do the passive 5 series on all models but make the M its own thing. They're definitely flexing right now and I am excited to see what new models are in store. Hell, a multiscale M series bass might be the true entry level multiscale we need! I just hope that they stay true to the scales and string spacing and not make too many compromises
Also your comments are consistently some of the most thoughtful that I come across. You ask great questions and either make me smile or make me think (or both)! Thank you my friend!
@@LowEndLobster thank you you are so kind to say so. I have a question. What kind of solder do you use? I think the stuff I have is just no good for pots and pickups in general.
I can't stomach the EHB's looks. The shape of the upper body + horn especially just gives me the creeps. It just looks *wrong* to me, to the point that I don't want to play it. Otherwise it does sound better indeed and all other points are valid too.
Entonces qué calibre de cuerdas me recomendarían usar si por lo regular toco música versátil? Estoy pensando en comprármelo pero me gustaría estar bien informado acerca de las cuerdas espero y si alguien tiene este bajo me pueda auxiliar plox 🫠
3:25 using an artificial nut slanted into the fingerboard like that is going to do all sorts of weird shit to the characteristics and behavior of the strings and play - leave the nut where it was and actually improve the design by using a ZERO FRET so that all the strings have the same timbre even when played open. IMO that's literally the reason for the zero fret - some have said it's a crutch against shitty nut cuts and other construction defects or shortcuts but once it was pointed out to me pretty clearly that an open string sounded differently than a fretted one my headache of figuring out what the hell improves fingertone got bigger and smaller at the same time lol conversely, what type of material should a FRETLESS nut be made of since you can't really do a zero fret bc no other frets...?
5:00 hate to be rude but the only thing that comes to mind about seeing you hold that bass is it just looks f***** dumb if you hadn't pointed out the nut earlier it would have been a less quantified f***** dumb feeling I got but now it looks *really* f***** dumb
this bass ticks a lot of boxes passably well but jeez. there are a LOT of other basses one can find on the shelf... unrelated: I saw a black version of the Samick Custom Pro 5 "designed by" Valley Arts (the black headstock, scarf joint) for the same as I got my red one (which I already freaking ADORE the shit out of) and they actually accepted 50 bucks less so I HOPE IT ARRIVES UNDESTROYED UNLIKE LIKE ONE OF THE DYNA BASSES omg i just realized i can call my two dyna basses "The Dyna Twins" LOLOLOLOLOLOLOL
I'm very weird hahaha. It's an ok bass. The tight spacing doesn't really do it for me, and I wish they'd update the electronics with some of the newer nordstrand stuff that has been featured in other mid-tier ibanez basses.
@@LowEndLobster you’re not a fan of any Ibanez below a 1000. Maybe your atk. And that’s a 305 right. I just don’t understand why you hate on those middle upper Ibanez’s. But hey at least u responded to me
@@LowEndLobster highest model I’ve ever played is a sr1305. I had the Sr605E until I saw your review. Lol. Jk. It actually chipped. Now I have a MIM Capri orange PBass. A Jack Casady. The same code red Sterling. And a Spector NS Pulse 2.
I personally cannot stand SR series basses, the shape is not appealing to me and the necks I just cannot handle PMSL they are like toys. But DAMN that top is GORGEOUS! I'd much rather reach for an EHB any day.... well I'd rather a Dingwall but that's cheating :P
