Ibanez GSR200

2000, made in Indonesia, 22 frets, 4-string, p/j pickups. Basic starter bass by Ibanez. Decent.

I play Alt-metal/grunge combo and since I don't have a guitartist, try to make it sound more like a guitar at times. I use a zoom 506-II pedal on a randal comander 1 bass amp. sounds decent except when the tuning pegs come loose. then it gets a bit noisy. You cqan suit it to just about any music style (depending on the knob settings and the FX used). I haven't used it on stage but did some decent recordings but usually touch them up afterwards with different FX and Goldwave edditor to tuch it up. It's OK.

Mostly, the screws that keep my strap on kept comming undone so I fixed it with a small piece of plastic. The tuning peg screws need to be tightened every now and then but besides that it's all good.

So far I managed to put only one dent in it. It survived an earth quake but not a fall on the floor off of a chair. It would make a good backup for other basses that will fail. Unfortunally, I don't have another bass so I use this one all the time. :(

Blue Mountain Guitar will service any guitar as long as you got it there. Free tuneups and adjustments for life. Hope to buy another bass from them.

I've been playing for almost 2 years. It's been good but I want to get another one. If i try to upgrade this one, it would cost more then I paid for the bass. I'll gut get another Ibanez.

Bought brand new in the box as a package deal.I am very happy with the features of this bass.Light and durable,stays in tune unless the temperature changes. Nice p-j set-up though I would have reversed the pickup locations (j-p).Nobody needs more knobs than this guitar has.Thin,fast neck and comfortable fingerboard.

Suits my musical tastes just fine (hard-hardcore,metal) Lots of punch and solid notes unless you turn the tone knob all the way up,then it gets a little too twangy. The j pickup hums too much,but I do play with a little distortion so it's not bad.Definately a stage instrument.Sounds great LOUD!!!

Out of the box it was perfect and IN TUNE!The skinny neck is ultra-quick(perfect for fast music) even though I have BIG hands.Action was just right. Paint and hardware are still immaculate.No pitting on hardware and no loose screws except for me.

This thing is built like a tank.I have four cats and they have yet to scratch the paint.I have not had to make any repairs or adjustments to it. This bass could clobber a bear to death and still be in tune!

1 year warranty but I doubt I'll need it.

I'm still new to playing but have been around music,bands,and concerts for almost 20 years.Friends who are long-in-the-tooth musicians have said that this bass would sell for 300+ bucks. If this guitar vanished,I'd probably not replace it with the same model but move up to a 5 string due to my taste in music but definately another Ibanez

This is one of Ibanez's entry level basses, the hardware specs have been covered enough, but a couple of points that stand out are:

Neck - Thin & fast as is customary on Ibanez basses.
Tuning machines - Gotah copies that work very well, once the
strings are broken in, it stays in tune
Bridge - Cheap stamped ugly bridge, once in a while it will rattle.
Pickups - 1 P & 1 J, although neither speaks with a particularly
distinct voice, the J is suitabe for thumbstyle.

I play through a peavey 15" combo cab and use a Digitech BP 200 strung through the effect loop (If you have an effects loop, use it, it gets rid of a ton of noise). The bass did pick up noise through the J pickup but this has been substantialy reduced with shielding paint. It seems the bass is rather limited in its range of sound, but if you are looking for bright tones and reasonable slap tones at an entry level price...

As with any bass you get from any manufacturer, the setup is a product of the guy who gets paid dirt to set up a hundred basses a day. needless to say I had to adjust it to my prefrences and you probably will too. Fit and finish are top notch considering the price.

I've had this bass for almost a year and a half now, it has however never been abused, the finish is still flawless (except for the fingerprints that show up everytime I look at it!) I replaced the strap buttons with Dunlop Straplocks, so it has never been dropped. I only need to adjust the truss rod when I reconfigure the action for different gauges of strings.

My only dealings with the company are secondhand through the dealer, I ordered an ergodyne (they said 2 thru 4 weeks), waited 5 weeks - still no bass, dealer said the sales rep would get one rushed in but it would still be another week. I guess that makes it a little weak.

This is the bass I've been trying to learn to play on for over a year now. It's going slow but practice time can be difficult to find. Anyway, since I didnt know jack when I bought it, I'd say I lucked out and got a decent bass for the price. If it were lost or stolen I would have to see how much I missed the 4 string befor I knew if I would get another 4, but if I did, it would not be this model.

I find this bass to very well worth what it costs.I bought my bass new so I would assume it is a 2001 or 2002. It is a lowwer cost 4 string bass made in indonesia with an agathis body (not exactly the body material of top end basses) but this bass does take a good beating.
ot also has 22 frets, passive Ibanez p & j pickups with a sperate volume for each pickup and a tone control, the neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard, I find the neck very easy to play have a problem with the action. I am very satisfied with the jewel blue finish but the finger print show like crazy (especially after my youngest daughter touches it). My bass came with nothing, just a box.
I think the good folks at Ibanez can afford to throw in a gig bag, but for the price I'd say these features are pretty good

I play bass in a church praise band and I find this bass to definitely fit my needs.At church I play the bass through an Ibanez- soundwave 35 amp (good amp) which is then fed into the church sound sytem, I dont really have any problems with my sound there.
At home is a different story. I find at home that it doesnt have the most power for rock, but I cant say this is the basses problem, because at home I play through a rockman bassace headphone amp but I find through the soundwave that it sounds good

I find the action easy to deal with but there is some buzz on the E around the 5th fret
and the tuners are far from great but I make it through 2 church services without retuning
The neck is very playable

This bass can take a good beating

I havent been playing bass for long, I used to play guitar and then I traded in an Ibanez artstar for this bass. I wouldnt say that is the best bass ever built (it was only 200 bucks) but for its price and class I'd say it is a very good bass. I like Ibanez overall and some day as I get better and my wife allows, I will step up maybe to a higher end soundgear and then maybe to a signature model.I like most, compared this bass to the Squires in the same price range and I found this bass to be much better

My GSR200 was made in Indonesia. It has a nice Jewel blue finish, which looks amazing until you get fingerprints over it. Its a full scale bass, so there's no problem with sustain. Its got two pickups, Ibanez's Powersound Prescision style (in the middle) and Jazz bass type near the bridge and they both have visible pole pieces. The three controls are individual volume for each pickup and a master tone. Passive electronics to keep things simple as this is a bass suited for beginners or people who just want to play. I'm not sure what the body is made from but the neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The body is like a slimmer and more metally looking p-bass. The bridge is just like what youd find on a Fender bass but it isnt string thru body. The tuners are Gotoh's i think, which easily go out of tune in the soft case that came with the bass. It also came with a cable.

This bass will go well with whatever style you play. It gives you both Prescision and Jazz bass sounds so it would be better to buy this bass if you're a fan of both (and if like me you find Fender basses too bulky). It sounds great when you plug it into a decent amp, a nice clear sound, even better when you've just put a new set of strings on.
I dont have a bass amp at home, so i rely on its acoustic sound. It only sounds really nice when its got new strings.

I dont find it that easy to play this bass as the strings seemed too hard and tight, so i used a lighter set, but it didnt seem to help that much. If you want to play finger style it would be best getting softer feeling strings. one of the volume knobs came loose, but that was just a matter of tightening it.

This bass has little or no major problems

Better for those who want a simple bass or as a first bass.
I chose this over a Squier P-Bass special.

Just bought it new, so I assume it is either a 2001 or 2001 model. Since it's not a car, I didn't investigate. All the features are as described in the other reviews. Same number of frets, P&J pickups etc.... All of my ratings will be based on the fact that I am a beginner, this is a beginner bass, and that I didn't know anything about basses before last week!

I was the guitar player in a praise band. Our bass player had to have surgery and will probably not return to the band. The music leader informed me on a Thursday afternoon that he wanted me to be ready to play bass on Sunday since they could find guitar players coming out the wazoo but no bass players. I purchased the Ibanez based on the comments in this review section, so don't think you're wasting your time submiting one. I spent a few days learning the basic note positions. A, G, C, D, F, Bb etc, and then gave it a go. I play through a high dollar church PA system with monstrous speakers (Like 6ft tall!). In my novice opinion, it sounded fuggin incredible. Deep full tones, and neverending sustain. I would have to say however that the controls don't seem to offer much variety in sound. Basically it seems like they put three knobs on the thing which ultimately don't control much more than volume. Since I don't care about sound variety and just have to lay down a bass foundation to keep all the other guys in the same measure, that suits me fine. A lot of people came up after the service and commented on how good the thing sounded so it must be ok. Probably falls short for some funky stuff in a rock or jazz band environment, but suuts me fine. I don't even know how to slap. If I end up being the permanent bass player, I may find more shortcomings, but for now, this thing kicks.

The finish was great. I went with black, which of course is a pain to keep looking good, but when it's all wiped down, it looks very nice. The setup was ok. Some bozo at Guitar Center spent a whole 5 minutes setting it up for me while I picked out a strap so there was some buzz and some intonation problems. I corrected this by using the Ibanez supplied instructions and all seems well now.

Well the first thing that happened to this bass when I got it home was that while I had it laying across a chair waiting for me to finish mounting a wall hanger, one of my under 5 kids came running through the room and knocked it down onto a hardwood floor. Arrrrrrgh! It seemed to do no damage however. No dents or scratches, and the thing was even still in tune! I'm sure if this had been a high dollar bass, there would have been all kinds of problems, but as is expected with an entry level instrument, they are built like rocks.

Haven't dealt with them yet. As I said, I've had the thing a total of 4 days now. It would have been nice if they had included some kind of model specific instructions. You pretty much have to figure out what the 3 control knobs do on your own, but since they don't seem to do much other than adjust the volume, it's not rocket science. Ibanez does have a nice website where you can register your instrument purchase online for warranty purposes and also download generic owners manuals.

I've been playing guitar for over 20 years, but bass for just a couple of days. It did come through great in it's first live on stage performance. It seems to be a great value for the money, and just what a beginner needs to get their feet wet. I'm sure that if I continue to play bass, I'll eventually want one that is fancier and costlier and comes with active pickups, but for now, this bass is perfect in every way. If it were stolen, I'd tell the music leader that the first one was on me, but the second one is on him. LOL! Yeah, for now I'd buy another one for sure. It looks great, sounds good and the neck width is perfect for someone transitioning from guitar. Hopefully you won't have to transition in 2 days like I did however. Regards.

ibanez gsr 200
made in indonesia
jewel blue
passive pj pickups
3 knobs

Personally, I think this bass sounds like crap. It used to sound good when I was a beginner, but I quickly outgrew it. (you will too) It has a really flimsy sound,no solid substance to it. When I slap it, it sounds like strings hitting a tin can. ewww.

I guess it was ok. Too high for my tastes though.

Ok, here is were this bass does get some credit. Mine has dents galore and dead skin coated behind the fret lines. Its been stepped on, dropped, tripped over, and banged on. It still sounds the same way when i just bought it.

Havent had to deal with them.

I guesss its ok for a beginner bass. They are alot better than the squires, but maybe I should of put in the extra 100 dollars or so and bought a standard jazz or p.

Made in: Indonesian made
22 Frets, 4 strings
3 Knobs (volume, tone, selector - i think)
J/P Pups
Passive Electronics
Beautiful Pearl Blue

I've been playing this thing about a year now, so i've had a lot of experience with this particular rig.

I play a lot of Jazz/Blues/Rock music. The sound is full at times, flat at others. It's fairly inconsistent I've found. The low E is -very- loud in comparison to the other strings. And almost sounds tuned down with how much it buzzes. Even after a good pro tune, it buzzes a lot.

I run it through a Boss GEB-7 to a Boss CS-3 into an Ampeg BA-115 combo.

From tiem to time, i've tried doing some Slap bass, and this bass does NOT react well to it. It's an instant sound then mutes immediately. Sounds more like you made a mistake than a good slap.

The action on it's fairly good. It's definitly playable and great quality. The pups didn't need any adjusting or anything The factory setup was pretty nice.

The strings were impressive even, and I usually change those out first thing.

This thing could be thrown down an elevator shaft and survive with only some scratches. The finish seems fairly sensitive to scratching, but the neck is straight the body's firm and doesn't feel "thrown together". I've slapped the hell out of this thing and have say it's pretty darn reliable.

The strap buttons WILL NOT STAY FRICKIN SCREWED IN!! i have a screwdriver in my dang gig bag to keep tightening them.

I would use it without a backup. It's very not bad.

Haven't dealt with them. Can't say. Reliable product.

Overall, i'd recommend this to anyone starting new with a bass. It's forgiving, sturdy, and lightweight. I started with a Fender Squirer PBass and I tell you what. Night and Day. I like the GSR200 and will NOT get rid of it, but use it for a backup (rainy day bass) to whatever I upgrade to.

I had a GSR200 when I first started out as a bass player. I still consider myself as a learner, but I've been playing for a bit under 3 years and I've been through3 basses already. The Ibanez was my second.
To describe it in a sentence I would say that the GSR200 is possibly the ultimate beginner's bass.
Although it has passive pickups, the thing can put out some sound!!! I had it pumping through my brothers 800w peavey the day I got it and it sounded great. Its got a great look and thats a bit beneficial to beginner players cos youd be surprised at the amount of 13-14 year olds who begin playing bass cos they see a really cool one in a store or on tv. The Ibanez is nicely styled which means you don't really get a whole lotta kids after replacement parts cos they stuffed the originals trying to make the bass look different or similar to one they've seen.

You do occasionally get a bit of buzz, but it's nothing worth buying a different bass over. Tonal variety is good and what you'd expect for a bass of it's price, and Ibanez have done very well with the pickups - solid and all that a beginner needs.

Ibanez succeed where companies like Squier don't - they guve all their models, no matter how cheap, the same setup. This means you're not going to find it roughly and cheaply made - when you look at it the only difference you can find between it and a genuine SR is maybe the headstock name and the electronics.

This bass was obviously built for the beginner cos it's impossible to break. I dropped mine that many times and stil it was perfect - not a scratch on it. I'd still recommend a really good solid case but you can be sure that it won't fall apart or chip or scracth very easily.

Never had any probs so didnt need it.

I bought this bass brand new, for a very reasonable 170 English pounds. It's a Jewel Blue 2001 model from Indonesia with both P and J pickups. The neck is pretty thin, which surprisingly, I find very uncomfortable because of my large hands.
This was my first bass, so I wanted value for money, but not something utterly bollocks like a Hondo or Squire. The GSR has the feel of an expensive bass, but it has it's faults. The tonal and volume controls are useless, they honestly don't do much and this bass certainly doesn't need 3 controls. The body is very nice and it's comfortable for any playing styles but the pickups are poor. The P pickup is average, but the J one is way too loud and picks up every little unwanted detail.

The sound is, in a word, bland. It's not punchy or unique, I tend to play with a pick way down near the bridge, which helps me achieve a brighter tone, but it still doesn't compare to something like a Fender P-Bass.

This is where the bass does well, it was set up immaculately, absolutely no complaints there at all. The pickups were set at a good height, the action was good and it stays in tune very well.
The Jewel Blue finish is really good, but it scratches easily, so beware!

The paint on the body and headstock inevitably scratches, but on the GSR it scratches quite badly. The hardware (save the J pickup) is very good and I have only had to replace broken strings so far (and that's only because I beat the hell outta my bass.) The strap nut started coming lose a few months back, but I tightened it and now it shows no signs of slipping.
If you are playing live then you probably won't need a backup for this bass, however, I tend to play a lot of different styles. The GSR is versatile and you can play just about anything on it, but it only does an average job with most styles. It excells when playing Funk, Blues, Alt. Rock and metal though!

So far i've never had to deal with Ibanez customer support.

This is a great bass for any beginner and you can't beat it's value for money. It's easy to play and I have become very good on it, which means that soon I will be upgrading (sweeeeeeeeeeet...)
In retrospect, I probably wouldn't have bought this bass though. Since I have started playing, I have developed a flare for picking; this is something the GSR doesn't handle well and the paint is starting to wear thin underneath the strings. If you want to be a pick bassist, then I recommend the OLP MM-4 Stingray, it's a wicked official Musicman copy off and perfect for your picking needs!
I'd have to say that my favourite feature of this bass is the comfortable body shape, but it would be better if that J pickup wasn't there and if it was available with a Maple fretboard (Rosewood is the only option.)
If this bass was stolen, I wouldn't buy another, but I would still sing it's praises to anyone wishing to start out on bass.