Ibanez GSR200

no idea when it was made, but i think it's indonesian. they make hella good guitars there, i must say. 22 frets, 4 strings. so far as i can tell, it has separate volume knobs for its P and J pickups, and a tone knob that affects both. they're standard ibanez pickups, which means passive. i don't know enough about bridges on basses to say what this thing has, but it looks a lot like every other bass bridge i've seen. nice black finish on that cool looking soundgear-style body, matching and equally cool looking headstock. the tuning pegs are nifty too, not like those funky fender ones. it came with... uh... the 4th string that they put on it for me. as you can probably tell, i got it used. strikes me as a rather basic bass, but it's got all i wanted and nothing i didn't.

i play bass when i want to try something different from my guitars, but mostly, i stick to a slow, kind of upbeat style. think of 311 and you'll be pretty close. anyway, i really like the sound of this thing. it can do most anything... i've gotten it to go from a metal bass (a tone kind of like cotton candy... shapeless, fuzzy, and good) to a ska bass with a sound that's tighter than a B-cup on pamela anderson and punchier than tyson on fight night. anyway, crappy analogies aside, this thing is nice for whatever it is you want to play. i've never tried it on an actual stage (i'm running it through a guitar amp for the time being, and i don't want the poor thing to blow up on me) but i'd imagine it sounds as good there as it does in the music store through a nice, big hartke amp...

basically, i like the sound. i don't like the difficulty of learning slap bass, but hey, i'm a guitarist. it's not supposed to be an easy transition.

well, this was a used bass, so i have no clue how the last person treated it. it's got a couple little chips on one of the cutaways, but hey, sh!t happens, as they say. looks nice all the same, though...

the only thing that i noticed was, well... aside from the fact that it was missing the top string when i first saw it, i kind of accidentally pulled one of the knobs off in the store... nothing a good push couldn't fix, and it hasn't bothered me since, but... eh...

in any case, it's nice for its usual price, and amazing for the one i paid... gets an 8 because i'm not sure if that knob thing was the fault of the previous owner or not...

i'd say this thing could probably take anything i throw at it... or throw it at... i've heard good things about ibanez, and while i haven't really tested it out yet (still waiting on that bass amp first), it looks like something i could use live. and probably will. and, seeing as no other bass in its range could possibly compare, i'll be using it without a backup.

never dealt with ibanez, doubt i ever will.

i've been playing guitar for going on 4 years, bass for... uh... i don't know, not even 4 months yet. i don't have any other bass stuff, but i'm getting a hartke B-900 soon. great for my new guitar and my semi-new-used bass. anyway, i like the feel and sound of this thing. the price was nice, too. the only thing i don't like is the whole getting used to the (relatively) enromous distances between frets (compared to guitar). chords are a pain in the ass, too. ah well, that'll come, with time. as for the bass itself, get it for 210, it'll still be a damn good deal. that i got it for only 125 was... well... i don't think i've ever gotten such a good deal on anything in my life, honestly.

34 scale, 22 frets, walnut fingerboard, medium frets,maple neck, 4 string, 2004 model I got, so it has a tone, 2 volume, independent for each pickup, a P and J style. And a Phat EQ booster. So it does have active eletronics with a 9 volt battery. Red finish, inproved bridge, with 6 thick bolts instead of 4 from older models.

Sick ass sound for a 230 dollar bass. Only problem is the J pickup, it buzzes like a bitch, the P pickup almost never. Great as a punk/funk/slap bass. Blink sound kinda, very ringy like a fender. I have ddario strings, came with it when I bought it. I prefer Rotosound strings for any bass i play, if its fretless maybe Darco ones.

My music store set it all up for me, perfect ten, no bugs or nuttin.

Built like a tank. My old model was a 2001 version. Unfortunatley it received the business end of an angry size 12. (Dad got pissed at me and stepped on it) Rest In Peace My Friend!!!

5 Year warranty with my music store, sick!!!!! Known the guy there for years, sold me the original GSR200!!

Down pat I love this bass. The newer model has vast improvments over earlier modles. The tonal capability has also increased as well. Has more meat to the tone witht he Phat booster. It is a great beginner bass.

My GSR was made in 2001 i beleive in Indonesia. It has 22 frets. I mostly use D'addario Strings. A couple monthes ago i sanded the finish off because the black finish was getting way too scratched up. When i bought it, it had a Precision Bass Pickup and a Jazz Bass Pickup, but after about a year the P-bass pickup literally died, it had almost no output anymore, so i removed it. I now use only the J bass pickup. Its a fairly noisy bass after a while, and it gets worse when you have the EQ on your amp dialed up. Its passive. My bass is made of agathis. The bridge is a cheap B-10, and it buzzes alot on the G string and the D string. I'm going to eventually get a badass bridge on it. The neck is the greatest part. It feels so freaking awesome. Its a skinnier neck and dosen't have a gigantic headstock. Its made of maple and has a rosewood fretboard.

I play stuff like the beatles, NOFX, Sonic Youth, Talking Heads, Anti-flag, Get Up Kids and more, and this bass does it all, though it dosent sound very good when i dont play it through my digitech BP200. Its a very noisy bass and ive had to resolder most of the connections. Flourescent lights make it go nuts. It makes wide variety of sounds when you turn the tone all the way up or all the way down.

I don't really remember how well it was set up when i bought it. Ive tweaked it a lot though, and now it feels very nice. The Frets were very well dressed, but the bridge saddles don't seem to fit the higher strings, ie G and D strings.

This bass is a beast. You could set a bomb off on it and nothing would happen. It stays in tune. The body feels great. The strap buttons could use some work. the button on the cut away i replaced with a bigger screw and a bunch of washers and it hasent given me any trouble since.

Haven't Tried

Its a great bass. I wouldnt trade it for the world, atleast once i change the pickup and the bridge. Its a real work horse. It dosent mess up the strings after heavy playing. I'm not even planning on getting a new bass and i've been playing this hog for 2 years now. I would reccomend getting a Digitech BP200 though. The BP200 makes it sound whatever you want. Its a great peddle. This bass is so much better than a squier, cheap washburn, or a cheap yamaha. Ibanez is definately the best beginner bass manufacturer.

Well...the same features as mentioned by everybody else. The key ones being active Precision and Jazz pickups.

I bought the Jewel Blue version because it was all the shop had left (but I really like the color anyway).

The sound is great. I play it through a 20w Orange amp. My dad's 30 year old Precision doesn't sound quite as good through this small amp. He says it sounds a little "muddy" compared to mine (though it is in a different class through a bigger amp).

The shop where we bought it had already set it up, and all we had to do was adjust the tuning when we got it home. There is a tiny bit of fret buzz, but the strings are new and the guitar needs a little playing-in...so no biggie.

My only concern is that the knobs come off a little easy. But for the price, I don't expect it to have the wear and tear of a more expensive bass.

No dealings.

My dad was a professional bass player for many years, and he helped me choose this as my first bass. He was very impressed with it, and as he doesn't play much these days he is even thinking of selling his old Precision (which is worth a lot of money) and buying one of these just to have a bass lying around home for him to teach me with (he is left-handed, so I can't have his Precision!!).

For the money, there's nothing I can think of complaining about. If it was stolen I would definitely consider buying another one.

Unknown manufacturing date; made in Indonesia--4 string 22 frets
Controls individual volume controls for P and J style pickups, common tone, passive pickups
Neck--maple with joined headstock, Agathis body
Finish--black polished
Body style--double cutaway and contoured
Bridge--P style with individual adjustments
Tuners-- Schaller type
Neck--narrow, full scale
accessories--gig bag

ok for a variety of sounds
using with Peavey amp,occasionally with mid 60's Dynaco
Full warm sound without Fender rumble; can be bright if tone is not cut, plenty of fullness when played fingerstyle
Cheaper and better than most of the other 12 basses I've had over the past 35 years, light weight for a solid body, fast neck

Bought at the local pawn shop. Was unplayble due to overtightened truss rod. Backed it off about 3/4 turn and irt was fantastic. Raised the pickups because I mostly use a pick and this gives thicker, hotter sound

This looks to be as durable as the '71 Jazz that I used six to seven days a week--lasted five years

40 years
No
yes--even if I had to buy new
I love the price and sound--I paid $360 discountedfor my '71 Jazz when new--figure in inflation and even the current American Jazz is cheap! My last new bass was $300 for a Kramer aluminum neck in '79

New, 2004 22 frets, 4 string.

Don't know abou the top.

Volume, bass, treble, pickup controls

2 pickups, PSND P Neck, PSND J Bridge

active/passive? Don't know.

Body: "Agathis", neck: Maple

Finish: satin black

Body style: ?

Tuners: non-locking, Ibanez

Neck: thin, maple with rosewood fingerboard

No accessories

I;m just gettin started...but I like it a lot.

It has a little bit of noise that can be adjusted out.

I'm not crazy about the strings. I'll be replacing them soon.

Seems to have been set up very well...but again, I'm just a beginner.

I've been playing for a whole 3 weeks.

I can't think of any questions I wish I'd asked...I researched it fairly carefully on the web.

If I had to replace it, I'd go with another one just like it.

I'd like an on/off switch so that I don't have to keep unplugging it.

4-String, 22 frets, transparent red finish, P & J pickups (passive I think - I can't switch between them), one volume nob 2 nobs for tone. I don't know what material it's made out of but other people mentioned it and specs are easy to find on the web.

This is my first bass. I bought it a year ago when I was first learning and I liked how it sounded - it sounded like a bass to my untrained ear. Now a year has passed and I've since started practicing w/ bands and I can hear how it sounds with different music. One band teases me and calls this my "metal bass". It definitely has a bright sound to it and doesn't go so well with the deep, moody sound of one of my bands (think Jesus & Mary Chain, Interpol) but my other band that's very rock oriented with fast songs and less meandering bass lines it sounds fine with (think Pixies). Plus I heard someone play the same basslines I was on a Fender and it was just obvious the different in sound. But for a practice bass it was great and it's really good for learning on. But specificially on sound this is certainly made for a bright sound (atl/hard rock, metal, punk). When I was learning I just played it through my 15w practice amp. Now I plug it in to a 65 watt amp the only thing that really bugs me is how "buzzy" it is when I don't play. Could be the amp though. I just turn down my volume nob on the bass when I'm not playing.

Action is great for me, especially for someone new to playing. I never got blisters, although working on slides made my fingers sore but that's just a function of that technique. Can't speak to the pickups. My friend who's been playing bass for 20 years was impressed with it when I brought it over to him. He said it was set up well and easy to play. Nice straight, thin neck (makes it easy for moving your fingers around if you're learning or have small hands).

Plus it's really light weight - I played a Fender for the first time recently and my shoulder wanted to fall off from the extra weight. So that's another bonus on the Ibanez. Super lightweight body but that's probably also why it sounds so bright.

It stays in tune really well, even after 3 hours of banging on the A string, it's usually only slightly sharp by the time I'm done. I believe it'll withstand live playing and will last, but I'm also really good to my stuff in general so I'm not very distructive or good at putting things to hard tests. The only thing I'm ever nervous about are the straps popping off, but they haven't in the last year and I believe you can buy strap locks for that.

I bought this a year ago, played for 5 months then stopped and started again and have been playing for about another 3 months. If this were stolen at the point that I bought it when I was a true beginner, then yes, I would buy this again. Now that I know what sound I want and know that I'm serious about playing, I want something with a deeper sound and I'm willing to invest the $$ to buy it. But when you're just learning I think it's wise to get something reasonabley priced and I agree with everyone who has said this is a bass that would be just fine for playing live with too. It's solid, it looks great, is easy to play, and if the sound suits your style, then you're good to go. You get what you pay for - the things I wish it had are all things that are on the models that are above this one.

It has two volume knobs. They make it either very lound or very quiet, depending on which way i turn them. It is nice when something happens that you need to hear when playing to turn down your volume without going all the way over to the amp. It also has...get this!...a tuning peg for EACH of the four strings. It has a custom paint job: the name of my band THE CARDS spray painted on the back. It was hand made by Mr. Ibanez himself...or a guy in a sweatshop getting paid less than living wage, i forget...fuckers

Basic GSR200. Nice Extra Slinky strings for the rock, and some nylons for jass and blues. Solid black body with the typical 3 knobs. I think its a '98. Its in full working condition so the versatility is incredible.

I run it through a Boss Overdrive into a Fender Delux. It can vibrate sometimes with the steel strings, but when the pedal is on there is no notice of it. The sound is usually very clear and is bright on the lower end chords. However, its not very sensitive on quick scales and riffs; thats the only drawback

I bought it used from a friend, but he had the intonation and all that good stuff taken care of just before the sale. But he had some stickers on it that he took off, but nothing a little Goo Gone cant take care of.

Ive heard these babies can a take a pounding, but i dont think its that great live on stage.

Never dealt with the company, but all of the work was taken care of at a Guitar Center for $20.

This is my second bass, and already ive fallen in love with it. Its so easy to play, and is a dream bass for any beginner. Its got upper end quality for any non Ibanez but is priced extremely low for its quality. I have yet to find a bass under $450 that matches all of the categories. Recommended for any beginner, intermediate or casual player who doesnt want to spend too much money.

I own dark-red coloured GSR200 4 string bass with agathis body and maple neck material. It has only 22 frets (id prefer two octave neck) and passive pickups and electronics (chrom hardware color). Check out ibanez website for more details :).
But I must say I don't like the body shape, its too wide and large for me...

As I said it has two passive pickups. U can set front / rear pickup volume and tone. Id prefer it to have balance button more...

The sound of this bass is very good for the price but I think it is quite poor. I havent been able to get the sound I wud want yet. The best sound i was able to get out of it was when I put both pickups to full range and the tone to something over of full range.

I think factory setup is always not perfect so I had to set it up after buying. The action wasn't great but think it was if i match it to the price.

And i feel I shud mentoin I was very disappointed when I bought it cos the front pickup didn't work and they didn't trust me in the shop (because sometimes it worked, sometimes not). Finally I had to let it get repaired for my own money even when I had 2 yrs warranty :(

I have had this bass for over a half year and it got lots of falls and accidents and I think it has wonderful durability.

It was awful, they were full of shit in the shop (please read action section above)

If this bass were lost, I wudn't buy it again, I wud probably upgrade to the BTB 406QM 6 string bass...

It is a Transparent Red Ibanez GSR200, with a P and J style pickups. Two Volume Knobs, and one Tone, a Volume for each pickup, and master Tone. I believe it was made in China. 22 Medium frets, normal Ibanez body styling, Agathis body, good strap buttons, and fast neck.

I play mostly Alt. Rock, and punk styles, and it seems to suit both of them fine. I run it through a Rogue RB-150 Bass Combo, which isn't the best but it sounds fine through it. It has a kind of warm bright sound to it, but you can get quite a few diffrent sounds coming out of it.

I took this thing out of the box and it was set up almost perfect, I only had to adjust the bridge a little. The action was set up perfect, just how I like it. The pickups seem to be adjusted alright, I havn't bothered them. They're plenty loud when I need them to be, and quiet when they need to be. They don't hum to bad, and none of the frets buzz.

This is a pretty sturdy bass, and can take quite a beating. This was my first bass, so at first I wasn't very careful with it, and for as many times as it has been banged around it doesn't have to many dings on it.

This bass has served me well and is very reliable. When I first got it there was a short in the J bass circuit, so I took into the shop and they touched up all the wiring, and now it works fine. I have played a few gigs with this, and I don't even worry about taking a backup with me, in fact I don't even own another bass.

Never Dealt with em.

I've been playing bass for about 3 years now, and have been looking at upgrading, but have yet to find something I like as much as this bass. If this bass was stolen I'd probably have to buy myself another one. I chose this bass because I had heard good things about Ibanez, and most of them were correct. I'd recommend this bass to anyone looking for an excellent starting bass.

My GSR-200 has the same features as all the other reviews here. I imagine it's a 2003 model as I only purchased it a few days ago, and this one was made in Indonesia. My bass is the really nice, 'Jewel Blue' which looks really cool. The body is made of 'agathis' which I looked up in the dictionary, and it is a type of softwood (a little like pine) so the body *is* wooden beneath that substantial resin outer coat.

My bass came with a couple of allen keys to make adjustments to the bridge, and a standard mono jack-jack cable, but no gig bag or instructions. I also bought a proper stand at the same time, as I know these things have a habit of falling over and getting spoilt (or ruining whatever got the clouting!)

I am native to keyboards and play lots of funky bass lines, among others (I guess the best example is a bit like Jamiroquai's bass player) so I was really pleased when I learnt to continue playing in this type of style on the GSR - and it sounds really good - nice deep, rich, warm tone. Many have complained about the stock strings and that they are too twangy but I quite like this. If you pluck hard enough down at the bridge you can hear harmonics similar to a piano which I found rather interesting! I also rather like the red cotton wound around the ends of the strings.

I noticed many people complained about this guitar being noisy - the only time I found the noise to be intolerable was when I tried to play it through my Boss PW-2 distortion pedal (and it sounded awful - the PW-2 works better on my keyboards) but playing the bass either through my 100watt Peavey KB-100, or plugged directly into my hi-fi it sounds really clean and transparent whatever settings are used.

Which brings me to the control knobs. The sound doesn't really change all that much and I noticed that what change is there, does not take place linearly across the travel of the knob - more of a sudden change between on and off when you get to the midpoint. Luckily, I really like the sound of this bass wherever the knobs happen to be. In my own opinion, these knobs aren't really necessary but they look good.

I am a complete newbie to guitars and I bought mine for use in the studio to be used as a recording instrument - mainly so I will be able to say eventually that I can play more than just keyboards. For studio use it's a lovely bass but I cannot pass a view on how it would perform on stage. It seems nicely built and I can't see why there should be any problems.

I think I love everything about the sound of this bass.

As said previously, being a complete newcomer to the guitar I know pretty much nothing about them, but it was perfectly in tune and I could play it much easier than when I tried practicing bass lines on an old acoustic. In terms of set-up it seems to be perfect for my way of playing.

There were no flaws in the finish or the hardware besides a tiny little dent in the neck which is really small and not too much to worry about. I did notice however that the spaces that have been milled out of the body to install the pickups are a little rough at the edges, but this is probably just down to the way it's made at the factory. Being the dark blue, this is not immediately noticeable.

I particularly like the shape of the body compared to many guitars. The back has a recess and it is very curvatious so it does not cut into you while you are playing like some squarer ones do. I play sitting down so this is more noticeable. I also bought this bass because of the thin neck. I must have the smallest pair of hands in the universe but with this guitar there's no problem there!

I have always treated my musical instruments as though they were made of glass or paper, however well made they are. Even my old Yamaha DX7 synthesizer which everyone agrees is built like a rock is treated this way. I don't see why this bass couldn't be used live - to get a good sound from it you don't have to bash the hell out of it. Guitars are a bit like women, specially this one - curvy body and long neck - treat her with respect and I'm sure she will always be there for you.

The finish appears to be several millimetres deep and looks pretty substantial although because of the high gloss it does scratch quite easily. Tip of the day: if you wear a bracelet or watch take it off before playing. If you play standing up, pull your shirt down over your belt buckle to stop the back getting spoilt. The maple neck appears to have a much thinner coat of varnish and looks like it may get dirty easily so I always make a point of washing my hands before playing.

I've not used the GSR with a strap yet but the buttons seem solid enough at the moment, and as it's new, the truss rod has not had to be touched - I haven't even had to tune it yet.

Well, I bought this guitar for recording but if I was at a gig I would more than likely have a synth on the stage as well because synths will always be my chief instrument. If the worst did happen I could always play the bass on the synth instead.

Completely new to Ibanez, completely new to guitars so I can't really make a view about the company itself although the dealer appeared to be particularly friendly and helpful and they give all their stuff a full, 12-month warranty.

As to the question of how long I have been playing guitar - that's just over two months, and I practiced playing bass lines on an old acoustic before getting the bass - so this was like heaven! So much easier to play and no more blisters. As to how long I have been a musician, the answer to that is nearly 16 years as I started playing organ in 1988 and have since acquired a large collection of synthesizers - Yamaha DX7, Korg 01/wFD, Oberheim MC1000, and the microKORG among others.

I've only had this bass for three days but as soon as I plugged it in and played that big, phat bottom E string I knew I was in love. I am still getting to know the guitar obviously, but if it decided to go A.W.O.L. I would, more than likely get this one again.

What do I love? That sexy, seductive curvy body, long, slender neck and that metallic dark blue finish is too good to be true. This bass also has a lovely rich, deep, smooth bottom end and sounds as good as it looks.

I can't find anything to hate about this bass.

My favourite feature has to be the narrower neck because it's perfect for my small, thin hands. The low action of the strings also means you don't get blisters from playing for more than five minutes. On my old acoustic I would have to stop after 20 minutes practice. With this bass I can jam for an entire afternoon before I start to feel my fingers need a break and even then, no blisters result.

I compared this bass mainly to the Yamaha RBX170 which was slightly cheaper and also labelled as a model ideal for a beginner, but for me it just didn't have the looks of the Ibanez. I also looked at the Squier P-Bass but there was consistent agreement across the board that this one should be avoided. Many people also said that the GSR is a good guitar for recording, studio musicians, which is the way I will be using it.

I used the reviews posted here (thanks to all who have posted!), and at a few other sites, to give me an idea of whether I was making the right choice or not. So many people have said that this is a great bass for a newbie and I could not agree more. Similar comments were also made about the Yamaha, but I much preferred the shape and look of this one. Based on a review from someone completely new to guitars but having a good idea of what is a good or bad sound, I think this bass diserves a nine out of ten. Well done Ibanez!

22 fret, standard starting bass, bolt on neck, thick laquer, passive, humbucking p and j pickups, fast neck - hard fressed to find a symmetrical neck better - off centre ones have some beinift, just a good basic design,

When i first got this bass i didnt really care much about sound, just technique, but now i have put some 30 quid elixirs on, these make slap possible, and brighten up the high end, it is versatile and good value, i got a good lead as well, 20 quid, made the tone fill out no end, brilliant buy, never looked back - perfect value, quite versatile you do get some high end buzz with the tone knocked up but hey, u jus have to palm mute it

action came near perfect from facotry, i just put quarter of a turn on to tighten up the intonation and lift the e string about 1 micron o stop some fret buzz, now it is perfect, just been looking for a new bass, the action is exactly, EXACLTY the same as a musicman stingray or a us series fender, actually a bit lower than a j bass, amazing for the price. Fit - not too heavy, actually quite light, you do get some body vidrations but not noticeable when standing up, finish, i have had mine and carted it round every where and the laquer is so darn thick you couldnt tell!!! contary to belief, the pick ups arnt too quiet

nutting wrong with it, bottom strap pops off, run same sellotape round it and it will never come off again, the top strap screw came loose, put some super glue on it, the actually bass - no issues

n/a

This bass, with new lead and elixirs, matches to the run off themill basses at twice the price, and has something to explor in sound once you start building on your technique, i run it through a huge 300 watter and there is no quims on the sound, it just needs tlc to get that jazz highs!!! VALUE

2002 model, 22 frets, 4-string,2 volume controls and one tone control, 2 pickups 1 p-style and 1 j-style both passive, Body is very high gloss blue, nice thin neck

nice rich tone, I am playing thru a Hartke 3500 head and double stack Hartke VX series cabinets, a 115 and a 410. a little noise at full pickup volumes, Warm bright sound, I am playing a sort of southern metal country style, This bass works great for what I am playing, only effects are a very light compression via amp head.

Set up well from factory. I had to adjust intonation on E A and D strings, action was and is outstanding. Finish is way too glossy, very high maintenance. Stap pegs were allways loose at first, I installed strap locks with longer screws and wood glue, no moer probs. Wore out factory knobs within 6 months so I installed knobs with set screws.

I have played out with this guitar twice with no problems, but I keep it in a hard shell case. I do not have a backup but I am shopping for a SRX700 so this one will become backup.

I am very pleased with this bass I will keep it indefinitely. Ibanez has done a good job. I will buy another one.

I Have no clue when this was made i bought it with a peavey microbass. ITs a pretty standard setup split p p/u and a j p/u. The great thing about this bass is that you can get anything you want out of this anything from growling death metal to kikass funk. THe fact that the nobs are shiny is gd and bad. Good beacuase it looks kl bad beacuase you cant tell the setting. I got mine in black looks real nice, the jewel blue looks kl aswell. theres no master volume, theres a volume for each pickup and an eq nob.

This thing for the price sound amazing better than the squires, yes its a bit more money but it will probs save you money in the end 'cos u'll want a new bass if u have a squire pretty quickly this will last you for ages. I play it mainly through the 20w peavey microbass and for band practices through a 130watt peavey, this sounds gd through anything. SOOOOOO much variety in sound. I've used this onstage, it sounded amazing. Havent tried it withh effects yet want to get an ibanez pd-7.

THere is nothing wrong with this bass except for the fact on MINE and probably mine only the jack lead input came loose, apparently this was actually my fault and had to pay #5 to get it repaired. The jazz pickup buzzes a bit , not noticeable when playing though.

I dont think i'd need a buckup unless i smashed this thing on my drummers head in anger, the finnish seems good quality, strap buttons seem solid enough. The factory strings arent great but they can be changed but i like 'em cos they are a bit tinny you can always change them if you want.

Well got it repaired for #5 like i said, was no problem i wasnt actually there to pick it up so i'm not actually sure if it was my fault but thats the shops problem not ibanez. Not sure if it was covered by the warrantly

Basically if you are a beginner or an intemediate with a tight budget this is perfect, ight take you a little longer to save up than some other beginner basses but is defianately worh it

Made in 2002, Indonesia
22 frets, Rosewood fretboard
Agathis body, Transparent red
Schaller Tuners, Passive pickups

I'll give the sound about an 8, because it can make really low end, bassy sound which i really like, because my band play a grungy, alternative sound, but we also like to play punk rock. Unfortunately, this bass cannot play at its best form without the bass cranked up, because the sound starts to clack and resonate through the strings which sounds awful. I use a Crate BX-50 with a Digitech BP50
multi-effects processor

The action on this..well my bass is perfect.
I played on a Squier Standard J-Bass and the action on mine is better.
The pickups are ok, they have just began to move about a bit, but its nothing that a screwdriver couldnt fix. the tuning pegs are very tight and don't move very often unless you want them to.
The only problem is that the finish holds memories, if you touch the body, you're going to know about it for a while, fingerprints show up badly on this guitar.

I would definately use this bass live,
I seriously doubt it would fall apart unless you were doing a Kurt Cobain with it!! The strap buttons are very solid and have not come loose yet and i would use this without a backup

I'm not sure, i've never consulted them.

I really do like this bass, i had a Tanglewood rebel 4k before this guitar and this one rips it apart! If you are a bassist whos been playing for over a year and wants something a bit more than a beginners bass then i would definately recommend this guitar to anyone. In the event of this guitar getting stolen i would be really upset and disappointed about it. But to be perfectly honest i would buy a better bass than this, but for the moment i love it all the same!

Made in Indonesia, I'd guess around 2001. Comes with 22 frets on a maple neck. Agathis (Basically Glorified Plastic) Body. A Volume for each of the 2 pickups, and one tone. Has A Precison with a Jazz Pickup added at the bridge. Passive Electronics, with a solid finish. The Body is a comfortable shape, nothing fancy here though. Much thinner body than a J or P Bass. Sealed Tuners, they work just fine for what I need. Medium Frets. No Included accesories.
Okay, so the Features won't amaze you, but I've been pretty happy with the bass. It's fairly straight forward, and for a beggining bass, it offers plenty of pickup versitility. The Bridge is also fully adjustable, And once adjusted, no fret buzz. Although I will ay that I like relativley high action.

I've been blasting it through a Dean Markley Head & Home Made Cab, and playing it through a Fender Bassman. Through the Dean Markley, (Which is a kinda, well 'okay' amp) The sound can get slightly thin. The Jazz Pickup is also slightly messed up, and produces some wierd buzz noises and feedback. (But this bass was also involved in a flood at my house, so, that could have something to with it) Ouch. Through my Bassman, and amp that no bass player is worthy of ownership (It sounds nice), the bass sounds pretty damn good. Nobody except a bassist will be able to tell the difference between it and a Fender P or J bass- at least as far as I've seen. As I said, the sound can thin out, but this can be defeated if you just set your amp right. I use it for Blues, Jazz, and Rock/Grunge. It works fine for any of them- although I would recomend a more expensive bass for jazz, because you're a bit more exposed.

Well, I got it from Guitar Center, so It was pretty nicely set up when I bought it right off the display. The action was fine, and the only complaints go to how unforgiving the finish is. Jeebus! Fingerprints were everywhere. (Again, I got it right off the display rack), but still. Before a show, I try and wipe it off again, but when you get under the lights, all you can see are fingerprints. Otherwise, very nice finish for a bass at this price range, and it certainly beats a Squier.

I don't know why the other guys are complaining about its durability, because mine's held up fine. Their are no cracks to speak of, the finish is fine, the strap buttons lossen every once in a while, but if you have a screwdriver than you can fix it, I think it works just fine. Personally, I would have no need for a backup. The intonation is what you'd expect for a 200 dollar guitar, decent

Never had to deal with Ibanez, but according to a lot of people, they're a pain to deal with.

Okay now People, If you want a decent bass, for a cheapskate price, I would advise against any P or J basses made by Squier. Yes, they have real wood bodies, but personally, i dislke most everything else I've seen about them. This Ibanez Bass is a good value. If lost or stolen, I'd not replace it , simply because I've grown out of it. The Bass is meant to give you I wide spectrum of tones for the beggining bassist- if you have the money, you might as well get a higher end bass suited to you're type of music. If I could have one wish, it would be that not so many people own this bass. Because it has been labeled as a begginer bass (Because well, lets face it, it sort of is), People don't take me seriously when I play it, because it's sitting in the closet of so many little kids who bought because they told their mom they wanted to be a rock star. Grrr. It's a nice bass though. So buy it.... now......

probably the same as all the others... Ibanez GSR200, red finish... looks pretty good...

at first the sound was ok, but after maturing as a bass player and playing more intruments, its clear that you get what youre paying, which isnt much. Then again, the sound is pretty much the best you can get for the price,i think... sounds good on the lower strings. D and G strings are a bit weak though...

the bass felt good when i first played it, and the pickups were set well... the finish was supreme, and the only sign that it was a cheap bass was the visible join of wood in top of the neck...

heres the problem... after two days this bass tipped and slid into a wall from its stand. it didnt even fall over, but the impact was enough to cause a massive crack down the back of the body. Ugly!. However, it still plays good, and has lasted for 2 years with that crack so no worries!... the Tone Controls have come loose, and the strap buttons are wobbly, but you can fix that yourself no problem when it happens...

I wouldnt gig this without a backup though, just something about it that i dont trust...

Good bass for the money, but get a loan and buy a Musicman!.

I think all the main features have been covered in other entries.

Not much range. For regular players, beggining to intermediate, it's ok. Slapping around on it can produce some OK tones. For the money, it's pretty good.

The action is set pretty well for me, lower than most of those crappy fenders. I found nothing wrong with it's appearance.

Hah. I left it out 5 minutes in a room, and it went out of tune. I need the neck constantly adjusted, it's gone in for many tune ups. I could bend the neck at one point which sounded pretty cool, but wasn't too good for the bass. Every now and then it'd crackle, so i'd hit it against the wall and it'd work again....
on the other hand, i have a friend with the same bass, and his has had no problems. maybe mine was a dud, i dunno.

Haven't had to deal with the company..... maybe i should've.

It could be better. MUCH better, but if you have 200 bucks for a bass, get this.

Black GSR200. THink everything else can be worked out reading the rest

I hate the sound of this bass. It is quite harsh. I have played alot of other basses and this isnt the best. However, for the money, this is one of the best basses you can buy.

The bass was set up relatively well. The innotation was totally out and i had to spend ages redoing that. The nobs are lose and i have had to tighten them up. I have also had to tighten the front jazz pickups.It likes rather pretty as well when its all polished up, however, fingerprints show up really really bad.

I have used this bass on gigs without backups and its never let me down. The only problem i really have with it is fear of actually losing all the nobs cause they come off really easily. I dont want to glue them down because they also become lose and i need to tighten them again. It likes rather pretty as well when its all polished up, however, fingerprints show up really really bad.

Ibanez are one of the worst companies to deal with. I havent had to deal with them with this bass, although i have trying to purchase other bass's

If your a beginer and dont have/want to spent silly money, buy this bass. Its good, and easy to play. If you can though, go for a better bass

2002(?), Indonesia
22 fret, four strings
purple-blue pearl body
volume for P pickup, volume for J pickup, and a mix pot
passive pickups, stock.
neck feels better than my six-sting strat copy. (i have big hands)
purchased with a Behringer practice amp. Axe Music didn't have a bass combo package at the time so they made me one, free soft case and plain cable as well.

I am a beginner, no set music style as of yet. listen to every thing from lighter side of classical to darker side of metal. hope to emulate and make my own music stand out one day.
As mentioned above currently with the Behringer. used with headset as not to make unhappy neighbors.
I am a beginner, it sounds like a bass to me, however my friend can make it sing.
My friend said i'd never need a backup for stage, and it sounds good enough for recording.
my only dislike is the finish attracts fingerprints like crazy.

I think it was in a few hands playtesting at Axe (they let you do that) so it needs a setup & strings, but it is still playable.

No flaws that i can find.

My only bitch on the finish is the constant polishing to remove finger prints. (mebbe my skin is too oily?)

Like most have already said, it is built like a rock.
Nice weight on the hip.
Had it for a couple of months and never had to tighten anything yet.
If my friends prediction is true, I'll never need another bass as a backup.

need to get strap locks.

No problems yet.
The guys at Axe will stand by what they sell. I have no dought that if I have a problem they will fix it.
I think it is a two year warranty.

left rating No Opinion as i haven't had dealing with customer support.

I've been playing guitar for close to two years. I picked up the bass because my buddy needed a bassest for a new band he was forming.
If stolen I'd seriously hurt the dude if he was caught, but I'd buy it again in a heartbeat.
Favorite feature is that it is forgiving for the beginner. If you manage to wreak it, it is cheap enough to get a new one and to bring it up a stage with new pickups is a cheap upgrade.
The pervious reviews definitly helped me choose to buy this axe. If you want to get into bass, and have the chance to go to a music store and sit for an hour with a few basses, put the GSR 200 on the try list.

Stock Indonesian (see other reviews).

This is fundamentally a beginner - intermediate guitar, unless of course you're an accomplished musician. With that in mind.

The neck is thin and fast and makes for good transition from a 6 string. Even so, would probably not be good for those with small hands due to the broad spacing of the lower frets.

You can get a good range of bare bones sounds to cover most styles of music acceptably with just the guitar. The guitar pops well but haven't had much success with slap. Tapping not so good and harmonics marginal (poor string set). Good with picks. Decent standup sound from palming the bridge. The stock pickups are noticeably lacking but nothing a respectable amplifier won't compensate for. The volume pots are scratchy but this bass has never been covered either. Probably the most admirable aspect of this guitar is that it never goes out of tune (unless the keys get bumped) and it has sat idle for extended periods (months!).

Craftsmanship in cheap guitars is inherently inconsistent. If at all possible, take an experienced bass player with you to minimize the chances of overlooking something you'll regret later. If you're buying new from one of the chains, make sure they include a free setup to your satisfaction before you hand over any money. And if they don't come down on price or throw in a free goodie or two, go somewhere that will. A gig bag in particular will protect the guitar in transport and keep the guitar clean (cleaning those tight spots is such a pain) as well as the pots if tucked away when not playing.

That much said. On this particular instrument, after shimming the neck, trust rod and bridge adjustment, I have not been able to get the string set to even a moderately acceptable level without buzz. In spite of that, it is quite playable. To my knowledge, the pickups are not adjustable without shimming underneath them and getting longer screws (a definite negative - have to remove strings). The pickup magnets do set well in relation to the strings. I have not been able to find a really comfortable right hand position on this body. Appearance wise, the instrument still looks great and the composite fingerboard feels better than Rosewood (and maybe ebony?)

Cheaper hardware and components are obviously inherent in cheaper guitars. Even so, these tuning keys are unbeatable. I did have to resolder the P pickup wire twice (from the winding itself to the pickup frame). The neck and body is stout. I had read cautions about putting Thomastik-Infeld flats on the necks of some guitars and was particularly concerned because of this thin neck. I had no luck tracking down the answer so I slapped a set of them puppies on and - no problem.

No contact with Ibanez. The best chance of support will be where you buy. In general, smaller, independent stores may have less of a selection or cost more, but they're more likely to be responsive if there's a problem after the sale.

As a rule, I think Ibanez is one of the better guitar makers for the money but I'm putting a "1" here because guitar manufacturers in general don't back their products and a "10" would go into the review if I left no opionion. And besides, if you have a problem, the manufacturers "are" basically worthless, which is what a 1 is.

Years ago I had a used music store selling mostly guitars, amps, and drums. Hundreds of various brand guitars from cheapo's to vintage. No two guitars are alike. There are some great cheap guitars out there and some expensive junk. Ibanez was an above average manufacturer of guitars back then, I guess still is.

The GSR 200 is a good guitar of choice, just try and pick one out that is suitable enough for recording and live performance cause you never know where you'll end up. It's nice to have bought a keeper you can gig with without having to worry about someone stealing it or picking it up and playing it half drunk.

Got it as a gift in 2000, think it was around $200 US. Made in Indonesia. 22 frets. 4 strings. P/J pickups. Passive Electronics. Thin neck.

The sound is "OK", but I am getting ready to change all of the electronics. Compared to other basses I've now heard, I would say my sound is just "OK", but has been perfectly workable so far in the Rockin Oldies band I am in. It has a buzz when the P pickup volume is all the way up. The tone control does give noticeable variety in the sound.

I really like the thin neck. I am a fairly new player and have only handled one or two other basses, but I really like this neck. I'd like the frets to be closer, as I have small hands and it is a stretch compared to my friend's Fender Precision. But I like the action. I am learning to stretch my fingers more.

The electronics have been a problem since it was brand new. One of the "P" pickups has something wrong and it goes out, and I have to tap it to get the sound back. Also, neither of the volume control knobs don't work properly either. The tone control knob is the only one that works normally. I am getting ready to replace all of the electronics, and I think I am going to be really happy, cause I love the bass for everything else.

Have not dealt with customer support yet. Had it repaired twice at a local music store for the electronics problem, but neither repair solved it.

I've been playing since 2000. I own a Peavey KB30 amp. I own a Fender Acoustic guitar.

If it were stolen, I would probably buy the same bass, but now that I've been playing a couple of years, I would like to shop a bit and try out others.

My favorite feature is the thin neck.

my gsr is made in korea and is from the 80's. It has the old style headstock like the RG guitars. The bass is what you can expect for a cheap beginner bass, nothing great.

The sound is not that great. I recommend it for beginners though, becasue they dont know the difference.

I like the ibanez necks, they are thin and fast.

This bass is absolutly bomb proof. I never had a case for it and I abused it. It has been dropped on ashphalt, rolled down a set of stairs, you name it. The neck has a fair amout of flex in it.
Its built to last, not to look pretty or sound good.

never had to deal with them

If your starting off and you want to see if bass is your thing, or if your someone considering buying you kid a bass this is the one to get.
I shit hauled my bass and its still good to go, and when your starting off nothing else matters but durability.

2002 model, 22 frets, 4 string, Agathis body, Maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, 2 Volume, 1 Tone, 1-P stlye pickup, 1-J style pickup, Stamped bridge, Modern version of a Fender P-style body,
Gotoh style tuners.

Full sound, but a little Plain.
I'm a Rock/Blues style player.
After having a Bass with active pickups it's limited, but over all good sounding.
Sounds better in the lower registers than the upper.

I shopped around a lot and for it's price range it is best in it's class here.
Neck is easy to play & action realitively low
The only dissapointment here is the cheap stamped bridge

This thing is solid... For being light in weight it is deffinitely strong.
Only needed to adjust the truss rod once when I first got it.
After that the neck hasn't moved a bit.
Very dependable.

Haven't needed customer support.

I've been playing over 21 years, Started on Bass... Moved on to Guitar. Did the band thing through the 80's.
Now I record at home.
I purchased this Bass in this price range because I only need it for
recording. I have owned very expensive Basses through the years and no this one is not as good as those, but in the bang for the buck scale I would highly recomend it to someone recording at home or just starting out on Bass.