Ibanez SR406 Soundgear 6-String Bass

I am pretty happy with the features on this bass. 1 master volume and a 4 band EQ which is very effective. The two noise less passive pick-up and active electronics. The bass has a bolt on neck. The finish is boring but effective.

This bass sounds amazing. For the price i paid i have never seen a better deal. The bass sounds great when soloing everywhere on the neck. The slap tone is just perfect and a great tapping tone to match. I bought this bass with an intention to upgrade the elctronics, but oncei plugged it in i have no need to now.

The 4 band onboard EQ is very useful and is ver effective. Each knob is when just 1/4 is extremly noticable. It makes tone changing an easy.

Everything was set ok on the bass. I bought it used so i don't know how it came factory set. The bass was set up for fingerstyle. The action was very esay and the bass had one of the best B strings i have ever played.

Haven't used it long enough to tell. The gloss paint job is very thick and scratches are barely noticable. The black hardware looks sturdy.

no issues

All in all this is by far the best 6 string bass I have played for under $1000 and it just so happens this bass is under $400. The tone is versatile the neck is thin and easy to play. A great begginer bass as well as the advanced looking for a back-up 6er.

Not sure what year it was made. Made in Korea. 6 string bass with 24 frets. Controls include Volume, Pick-up Blend, Bass, Mid, Treble Active E.Q., two Ibanez DX6 stock pick-ups. Uses one 9 volt battery for active E.Q. Not sure about body material used, neck is maple w/rosewood fretboard. Glossy Black Finish with black hardware. Strings thru bridge. Stock tuners. Scale length is probably 34". Bass came with used padded gig bag. Would be more convenient if it had a seperate battery compartment, instead of having to take off the back plate to change out the battery. (minus 1 point)

I really have no complaints about the sounds/tones than can be achieved with this bass. Played in a 4 piece band (2 guitars, bass, drums). Played variety of music, including Classic Rock, Southern Rock and Country. Bass handled all of these styles with ease. Originally used a Peavey MarkIV Bass Head with a SteelSound 4x10T and 1x18 Sub cab. Bought a new Bass PodXT and ran direct into the P.A. the last few gigs I did with the band. The Bass PodXT is THE way to go for live performance!(see review) Bass is not noisy at all. You can dial in any kind of tone you desire with this bass, as long as you have good amplification to go along with it. Take time to experiment with the E.Q, on the bass and the amp. Until I got the Bass PodXT, I ran direct into the amp with no effects at all. With the Bass PodXT I used just a hint of chorus on two of the programs.

Since the bass was used when I bought it, I have no idea how it was originally set up. I have not changed anything on the bass since I bought it. Action is low without any buzzing, and is even across the fretboard. Tone is also very even across the entire fretboard, this was one of the selling points when I purchased the bass on E-Bay. Using the bass on the third gig, one of the tone contol knobs became loose. A few turns with an allen wrench fixed this. Even though it has a fairly wide neck, it's not as wide as some 5 string basses or not nearly as wide as the other 6 strings I tried out. It's a handful, but that should be expected if you want to try a six string.

I have no reservations at all concerning this bass. I have owned/used other Ibanez guitars in the past and all have held up very well. I take very good care of all my gear, this bass seems to be as solid as the SR405 bass that I own. Hardware is very substantial and has a professional feel/appearance. Finish seems very durable. Even though they are on the small side, the strap buttons are very solid. Have never had to make any adjustments on either of my Ibanez basses. This was also a trait on the older model Ibanez guitars I owned, never any need to make adjustments once the guitar was set up. I have been a gigging musician for the past 35+ years. I know my gear inside and out. I don't own anything that I can't depend on. Have never worried about taking a back-up for anything and have never needed one! Have used both of my Ibanez basses without a back-up.

Never dealt with Ibanez. Have never needed to. Unless something major happens to my gear, I do all of my own set-ups and adjustments on all my guitars/basses.

As stated earlier, I have been a gigging musician for the past 35+ years. Play Lead Guitar, Drums, and a little Keyboard. I have owned just about every major brand of gear you can think of, Guitars, basses, Sound gear, accessories. I don't give high marks for things that don't deserve it! If I can't gig with it, I don't keep it! I am very pleased with my SR405 and 406 basses, and if they were lost or stolen I would not hesitate to replace them. I love the versatility of these basses, Easy playability, excellent tone. If they came with a seperate battery compartment, they would be as close to perfect as you could get! For the kind of money you can get these basses for, you should really try one! If you can try one in a music store, try them through several different amps. You'll be amazed at the difference in tone just by trying different amps/cabs!

Unknown year of manufacture, 24 frets, 34" scale, active electronics, black finish, black tuners as well as black knobs. More info on www.ibanez.com.
The best feature on this bass however is without a doubt the ergonomics. It's very pleasant to play on with nice and smooth, round edges. For being a 6-string too, it's not that heavy, something I really like about Ibanez basses. This was my first 6-string and only after a week of playing, I had adapted to it very easily.

The sound of this bass is pure metal! If you want a nice 6-string to start playing on and you're concentrating on rock and metal, then this bass will surely please you. But for players who play in wide areas of music then another bass is propably more liked.

I bought my bass secondhand from a music store, no modifiers and bad bruises. The only problem was that it was really bad intonated which somehow made it hard to do harmonics on the bass but other than that, this bass was really something to play on.

I played with it live some times and it was really good. Not only did I get some people to scream "bass solo!" just by looking at it but I looked really evil with it. With a finish, knobs and tuners all in black it certainly makes a cool bass. I don't think I ever changed batteries in it the whole time I used it.

Bought it secondhand so, no warranty.

I've been playing for 3 years now and currently own a Yamaha TRB6II which I bought after selling this one since I wanted an upgrade. The main reason why I chose the bass in the beginning was because the looks, ergonomics and my past with Ibanez, they make really good basses, however, only the BTB-series are the worthwhile now. If the bass was lost in some way, I would not buy it again. It's a decent bass for a first time 6-stringer but there are better basses out there. The two things which made me sell it was the lack of harmonics and 34" scale which gave the B-string a really sloppy sound. I'm changing to a TRB now because Yamaha are truly the masters of 6-stringers (except for handmade basses of course).

Ibanez SR406 [http://users.1st.net/Milk/Ibanez_SR406/]

-Year unknown, but it's from the first year they were made.

-Made in Korea.

-6-string, 24 frets

-Solid maple body with gloss black finish and matching headstock. Maple neck and rosewood fretboard... a tad too heavy for my liking...

-2 DX6 Soapbars with active 3 band electronics, volume, and pickup pan

-One-piece solid bridge

-Black hardware

-Thin neck, and unsure of the scale, but it's pretty short.

-I got a locking hardshell case with mine.

With the active electronics, the sound you can get out of this bass is only limited by your ability to dial in what you want. It's possible for this bass to sound bad if you don't know hwo to adjust the EQ, but if you know the basic EQ you're looking for, then you just need to dial it in and you won't be disappointed by the sound. I play a 4-string Warwick Streamer as well (not a Rockbass) and with the EQ on the Ibanez, I can switch from the Warwick to the Ibanez and you wouldn't notice that I switched unless you were watching.

I was using a Peavey DPB300 until it recently crapped out on me and now I use an SWR 350 Chrome Face amp through Genz Benz 210T-XB and 410T-XB cabs [http://users.1st.net/milk/band/Pictures/Jake's_Rig2.JPG]. I also use a Zoom 506II as a pre-amp set up with a bit of compression and chorus.

This bass isn't noisy at all. When you stop playing, it stops making sound. Simple as that. It wouldn't hum or feedback if you begged it to.

I love this bass for the studio because you can get any sound you want out of it, and it comes through so superbly.

I bought the bass new from my local music store after going in and playing it a couple times a week for about 2 months. I came to the conclusion that it had the best action I'd ever felt. The pickups were perfectly adjusted. There were no flaws that I can tell.

This bass has a small body, which makes for a very comfortable feel against your body, unlike a P or Jazz.

The black hardware and black finish look great together. I only wish the fretboard was ebony.

I play finger style with slapping and popping mixed in, and I'm a very energetic and active live musician, so I put my basses through a lot, basically slamming them night after night. I've had this bass a few years and everything on it has held up great except the screws holding in the pickups. It's kind of stupid, in my opinion, that the enormous DX6 pickups are held in place only by a screw on each end. On my neck pickup, the screw toward the bottom stripped out once, and I had to put wood glue in the hole and then put the screw back in, and then recently the top screw of the same pickup backed out of its hole somewhere and I lost it (I think this happened when a friend of mine borrowed the bass for some studio work) and I had to replace the screw. Since there's only one screw per end, if one falls out, the pickup falls out and lays against the strings, which renders the bass unplayable until it's fixed. That's my only gripe really. Other than that, everything about this bass is awesome. The controls are all still tight and responsive, the tuners all stay where you put them, and the intonation stays true. I've never once needed to adjust the truss rod, and I've had this bass for 4 years!

Back when I was poor (I'm still poor, so let's say, back when I was DIRT poor), I only had one bass, so I had no choice but to use it without a backup. It never failed me on a gig.

I'm going to give the bass a poor rating in this category simply because of the problems with the pickup screws.

N/A

I've been playing since February of 98 (I was 16) and have owned:

1998 Squier P-Bass [http://users.1st.net/milk/misc/pics/Tiffany2.jpg]

1990 Fender Japan MB-5 [http://users.1st.net/milk/MB-5/]

1987 Neptune, NJ Spector NS-2

1999 Warwick Streamer [http://users.1st.net/milk/band/Pictures/Jake's_Rig2.JPG]

1990 or 91 Fender Japan 60s Re-Issue P-Bass [http://users.1st.net/milk/ebay/]

I currently just own the Ibanez and the Warwick.

If this bass were stolen, I think because of the issue with the pickup screws, I would just buy a Warwick 6-string Streamer LX.

I love this bass because of its versatility, and I dislike this bass because it is so heavy. My favorite feature of the bass is the tone I can get with it.

When I bought this bass, it was the only 6-string I had ever seen up close, and I had to have it. Since then, I've played 6-strings from Alvarez and Yamaha (The John Myung bass), as well as other 6-strings from Ibanez, and if I had to do it all over again, I'd still get this bass. (In my opinion the Yamaha sucks!)

BE WARNED: Since the initial release of this bass, Ibanez has changed to lower quality parts such as wiring, electronics, bridges, woods, etc, and still call the product SR406. The new ones aren't nearly as good as the originals, and the price will show you that. Mine cost $1000 with the hard case, but I got it at a discount because I'm good friends with the guy who works at the music store I bought this from. The new SR406 basses are available from Musician's Friend for somewhere in the neighborhood of $400. The new ones are probably worth $400, don't get me wrong, because that's a good price for a 6-string, but I just wanted to point out that some of these reviews for the SR406 might be for the originals and some might be for the new ones. So if you read a bunch of good reviews and then buy one of the new ones and it sucks, understand that the good reviews probably came from people with the originals. Likewise, if you read a poor review, keep in mind that it is probably for one of the newer ones. I recommend looking for a used one from the first year or 2 they were offered to ensure you're getting a quality instrument.

If anyone is interested in mine, I am considering selling it so I can afford to do a bit of restoration on my band van (a 1969 Chevy Sport Van [http://users.1st.net/milk/vehicles/69_Chevy_Sport_Van01.jpg]). Let me know if you're interested. jmoore2@ignatius.wju.edu

Thanks,
Jake
www.DistraughtsSon.com

Hi,

I purchased my Ibanez 406 at a pawn shop for about 250, on a whim. Positive attributes of this instrument include a relatively good feel to the finger board, accurate fretting and easy to set up action and intonation. My feeling is that the finger board, playability, and apprearance are what make this bass a good value, especially at under 300 bucks used or mail order.

The tone can be good, though not always appropriate for a given style of music. The instrument lends itself to fusion jazz style or where a contemporary sound is in order and sounds best when played with fingers as opposed to using a pick. Personally, I find the tonal quality too bright and "thin". It seems lacking in lower mid-range "body" and has too much high end (which of course can be rolled off). The body is indeed made from low density wood, with much less low end resonance than many other basses. This makes for a very light weight, but also a "thinner" tone. Another subjective criticism I have would be with the tone control circuit. It's a passive 3 band design, just like on a typical open back, tube type guitar amp, which is quite limiting for bass I think. Even though the instrument has active pickups and a preamp, what Ibanez designers did is put a passive (extremely wide Q) EQ design on the front end of the preamp, so they're not really taking full advantage of the active pickup approach. A true active EQ of the quasi-parametric variety might be worth experimenting with in order to improve the tone, with after market pickups to add more "body" and lower mid "punch" as well. In other words, it might be worth trying some things to see if there is any untapped potential there.

I have noticed that the bridge is not as sturdy as it should be. The plate on mine has a slight bend to it, lifting up slightly from the guitar body as a result of string tension. Another problem I've noticed are mid ranged "clacking" sounds from the instrument (not occurring with the many other basses I've recorded with). This "clacking" may be due to the pickups being adjusted relatively high and close to the strings, or it could be a tonal peak in the response of the pickups or some other aspect of the instrument. I will have to experiment...

All in all, I'd say that the Ibanez 406 is a good value. It's attractive, well made, and has an excellent finger board, but it's lacking in tonal quality (my subjective taste) due to the choice of wood and the economical choice in pickups and tone control circuitry. I wouldn't discourage anyone from buying this instrument; it's very good! Just don't expect the kind of warmth and body to the tone, and mechanical ruggedness that you might from a higher tiered instrument.

Sklarz
Austin, Texas

Made in China. 24 Frets. Natural finish. Thin neck

I play variety rock, jazz, punk, ect. Great for stage..I use a little compression when recording and no EQ, and it is the best studio bass I have ever used (yet!!) Pretty heavy if you like to move a lot on stage.

Great setup. I have had it for 7 years and when I change the strings, the action does not change at all. No flaws at all.

Great for gigging. The hardware has given me no problems at all. No fret buzz at all. Strap buttons are VERY solid. I would never use a bass at a gig without a backup, but I have only busted the A string 2 times at a gig with this one (compared to many other times over the past 15 years w' my Fender Jazz).

Never needed it.

I have owned a Kramer, Shector and Fender over the past 15 years of playing. Not to bag on Fender, but I played in the Northeast for many years in working bands. I always had problems with intonation and action. The customer service wasn't helpfull when I needed to replace the bad neck they sold me. The other 2 basses were cheapies, but the Fender ran me the same price as the Ibanez (and has a "reputation"). I wish I could find a 4-string version of this bass w' the same stability and playability, but alas, I have not found one anywhere.

i dont know the year. 24 frets, doesn't buzz at all not even on the 24th fret of the low B! Contolls are master volumes, pickup(neck bridge), Bass, Treble and tone. There are two active humbuckers. Maple body, rosewood fretboard. Mines in black i wish they had the natural one there but it was used so I didnt have an option. The neck is perfect size not to fat but not to skinny.

This Is what surprises me. It honestly has the best sound in any bass i've heard under 1000 bucs! I'd prefer this over the spector, the sr3006, I even liked this better than most warwicks. Very rich bassy sound. Tons of tone! I play funk, rock and jazz. It suites all my styles. I've also played some ska with it and it sounds great. Obviously if you're into punk you can play this because any bass can be played with punk (being that it is so simple). Nothing so far that I see wrong with this bass. It was the smartest thing i've ever bought.

Amazing action!!!!!! I mean I expected the action to be good because it is a 6 string but I never expected it to be this good.

So far has lasted me fine for about a year and it was used so I assume its reliable. But i'd never go gigging without a backup.

N/A

Overall amazing. I have nothing else to say about it.

-24 frets
-on board 3-band EQ
-Gotoh-style tuners
-Thin Neck
-Natural Gloss Finish
-3 and 3 headstock configuration
2 active DX6 soapbar pickups

I play in a punk rock/hard rock/emo band, and this bass is well suited to playing all of my various styles, including ones that aren't really used in the band (funk, jazz, etc). If anything I was hoping that this bass would have more of a deep, crisp tone, for more of an ambient sound for the slower songs we play. The high 'C' string also seems to have a little too much "twang", but maybe i'm just playing it too hard. I run it through my Fender Bassman 200 and use Boss Turbo Distortion and Autowah pedals.
for what i paid this bass, it is the perfect start up 6 string bass.

All the frets are relatively easy to access. I bought it, got it, and played it, even tho it came in the mail. the action and alignment was fine when it came. The strap buttons are fine as well.

I do nothing but play live for now, and this bass has taken a beating many many times, and it still plays great. It's got quite a few stratches and blemishes, but that's cuz i don't take care of it like i should and it's not the basses fault. Right now i only have one bass and i gig with it all the time. I fear that my new Dean Edge 6 might knock it down to a backup level bass tho

Never needed em, but i know i got a nice long warrenty when i bought it...so that's nice to have..

I am very happy with this bass...I would buy another one if it got stolen unless i get a large amount of money for some reason in the future. My new Dean might make it a backup tho, so will haffta wait and see...

The most important feature of this guitar is that it has six strings,
which was the main reason for buying it. It is equipped Dx6 Passive humbucking pickups with an active equlizer to compensate for the passive pickups. My bass came from the factory with a mirror black finish, however natural was an option. My Sr406 has a maple neck with a truss rod and a rosewood fretboard and medium frets. The bridge is a saddle style, and the black paint matches the bass very well. Nothing, but the bass and some allen wrenches for adjustment came in the package. The 24 frets were a good selling point.

I found out after I bought it that it was designed for funk and metal music, however with some adjustments I was able to make the bass mimic any sound "style". I have been playing bass for about two and a half years, and this is the second bass I have owned. I play any style that I choose, so this bass was a good purchase. The only two things that I have a problem with as far as sound is that it does not have very good sustain and especially on the 130 gauge low B there is a nasty fret buzz. Since I have purchased this bass, I have realized just how good of a bargin it is to own such a fine guitar, since my last last bass was an Affinity Squire P-bass. I have found that this guitar is good for what ever a person wants to try, be it live, practice or studio.

From the factory this bass is flawless. I took it to a guitar shop to get the bass strobed, and they said that the action was perfect. One of my favourite hobbies is to go to a guitar store and play their guitars, and I have played basses up to $4000 and none of them played as good as my Ibanez. The action on this bass is very close to that of a regular six string guitar, At any fret I can hold down the B string with my little finger effortlessly.

When the apocolypse comes this bass will probably still be playable. One of the best things about this bass is that it doesn't go out tune very often, except when you put new strings on (the stretching process). The only modification I have made thus far is putting strap-locks on it.

I have never needed any service as of yet.

Ever since I started playing bass I knew that the artists are only as good the instrument they play. In my opinion, this bass is almost perfect, and I would recomend this bass to anyone who is going to start playing bass. The next modification is an independant bridge(maybe a Floyd Rose tremelo? if they make them for a bass) and Adx6 Ibanez active pickups.

Made in Korea

I play Pop-Rock in my band but also funk, so I need to slap.
It took me quite a long time find the settings for a good slap-sound, but You'll always need a compressor.
The High-control gets noisy if turned to full, but the rest is good.
For me, it's a perfekt bass for stage, 'cause it's not to heavy, even though it's a 6-string.

I just grabbed it out of a bunch of 6-strings and I was very surprised. The action was perfekt except the high B-string. but that was 5 mins to change...
The pickups were perfektly adjusted

I had many really big and long concerts with it and the SR406 never made any problems. The buttons are very solid. I once forgot my backup, but there was no single second I worried. I carry it around in a softback and well I never dropped it yet, but a roady did, but nothing happened. Really good. It seems to be a bass for eternity...

Never had to deal with the custumer support...

I bought this bass 1 year ago and You'll never see me without it anymore!
I'd always buy it again, I've never found another bass which is that perfekt for stage in weight and durability.
One thing I will change, I think I'll have active pickups in it...

All the other reviews give you all this info. Black finish, 6 strings, active electronics with passive humbuckers, 6 strings.

I use it mostly for funk/rock/jazz stuff. For the price I paid, very good. I run it though a Crybaby 105q > an electro harmonix Dr. Q > an EBS octabass > a DBX compressor> a BBE sonic maximizer > lexicon reverb > Ampeg combo rig (good for practice). I don't think I have gotten as good a sound out of anything so cheap.

Action was great for me right off the back. Had to ditch the strings for some nickels for a brighter sound. Looks good, haven't had to adjust anything yet (in 1 year or so).

this bass has already had the crap beat out of it, and just keeps on going. I couldn't think of better.

???

Been playing about 10 years now, off and on. serious for about 5. I'd definately keep this one around, especially to practice. Getting a modulus for live stuff, but for your little practice bass, get this one.

Not too much more that I can add to the description that hasn't already been added for this section.

I picked this guitar up because I needed a six string for a studio job and I needed one fast. This was the guitar that was both in my price range and played well. I used to do some Persian/Arabic tracks, running through an Ampeg SVT4-Pro head and various Ampeg cabinets (4x10,1x15,etc).

I've had good luck with this guitar; for the lack of research I did prior to buying it, I got lucky.

The bass is very good for more subtle tones; I play it for most of my softer styles (fusion, samba, etc). I have a Ibanez 810 that I use for rock and blues.

Action from the shop was ok; took me about an hour or two to set it to my liking. Nothing out of the ordinary for me, at least.

Flat black finish, very easy to keep looking good.

Rock solid. I've had nothing but good things in this department (excepting one of the screws to the battery container; it was stripped when I bought it. Oh well.)

Their web site leaves quite a bit to be desired, but I haven't dealt with Ibanez at all.

Been playing since about '86. Several other basses (Ibanez, Jackson, Spector, Warwick), several amp rigs (Ampeg, Eden). I really didn't shop around when I got this; if I had, I probably would have gotten something else. Don't get me wrong, I've been happy with this bass and don't particularly regret getting it. But, if it were to be stolen, I'd probably get something else. One with a 35" neck, for example.

6-string bass, Made in Korea, 24 frets. Passive Ibanez DX6 pickups, ibanez soundgear type body, finishes: natural or black. Thin neck with medium frets. Good features.

The sound you get from this bass is very good! I can get almost like john myung's or thomas miller's sound out of it, but my amp is not very good so it's kinda hard. I like to use both pickups, you get a good and punchy sound like that, but when you use only bridge pickup g and c strings are very quiet and trebly which I don't like, but e and b strings get great tone when using bridge pickup.

It was set good on the factory, pickups were adjusted just fine but I had to lift the pickups that the g and c strings got some more power, fretboar is good too, not much fret noises...

This bass is made to last long, it seems pretty light but it last good, and the parts are good too.

I've been playing 3 years now and this bass for half year and I'm very pleased to this, I owned an ibanez GSR200 4-string before this and this feels more comfortable than that. I love the sound and thin neck

This is a beautiful piece, made in Korea. 24 fret, 6 strings. Soft American Maple body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard. The two Ibanez DX6 humpbuckers are passive, with an active EQ. It's got a Master Volume switch, pickup mixer, and bass, treble and middle boost/cut. There were only 2 choices of colours, natural finish or high gloss black, so being a metal-type person I chose the black.
The body is smooth and sleek, and quite smaller than you'd expect from a 6-string (well it is a Soundgear, after all...) The bridge is a simple die-cast affair, and the tuners actually hold their tunings. The neck is wide enough, but very thin, making for quick transition from a 4-string. Medium frets also make it easier.
This is a well-equipped bass, coming with a cable and tools, and even a little instruction manual but no case or gig bag.

The sound i was looking for was a cross between that of John Myung of Dream Theater and Jari Kainulainen of Stratovarius, with a bit of Steve Harris thrown in. This bass seems to pull off an imitation of each very well (especially Jari's sound). It's very bright and clear, with a full warm sound as well. The EQ is highly variable, being able to play a number of different tones admirably. It works well on both the stage and studio, as the active preamp makes it loud enough to pound the audience (and the drummer and guitarist as well) into submission, while the very precise sound allows you to get just what you want in the studio. I love the sound on this thing, its just what i was looking for.

The action was perfect right out of the box. tight, clean but a tad too high, quickly solved by a diddle with the truss rod. The pickups were just right, no need for adjustment. The bass was flawless, the finish was great and actually it looks pretty damn good, with a headstock to die for heh.

As far as I can tell, this thing is built to last. The finish seems durable, the black hardware looks tough and solid. the only minor gripe is that the strap button heads are a tad small, maybe straplocks would provide an answer... but i'd never play any gig with any bass without a backup, I've seen This Is Spinal Tap enough times to convince me that noone is immune from insane accidents.

Nice website...

I've been playing for about 6 years now, and I own a Rita 4-string bass and a modified Slammer Impact. This one blows the Slammer out of the water (no surprise, it was cheap) and compares well with the Rita which has always been the yardstick ive used for comparing basses. I love the slim neck and the fast action, great for arpeggios and other technichal stuff, but its also great for pounding out heavy riffs. The variety of sound is impressive. I guess it wouldve been great if it had an active/passive switch, as the battery running flat can really put a crimp in a performance. If i lost it, i'd probably save up some more cash and get a Yamaha RBXJM series, but noones gonna steal this baby from me. It rocks!

This is a good bass. it has got 24 frets and the strings are quite near the neck. dont leave your cable in the bass for the night, because the battery wont last long.

i bet you can play any kind of music with this!
i had to search for my sound for awhile, but its worth it when you discover the right sound.
i play pretty much progressive kind of music, and using this bass doesnt limit anything, except for one thing: using Steve Harris style on the low b-string. it does too much a "scratchy" sound, but if you play arpeggio things, then the B string also works good. I use laney HC25 but ill get myself a SWR workingmans 12" in the next week, and also a danelectro cool cat chorus, so then ill get an even better sound! this bass has an outstanding studio sound and also a very good stage! the sound is very clean. i would give this bass sound a 10, but because the b-string doesnt work as good as the others (or maybe i havent got it placed good) i give this a nine

this was set very good!
no cons.

havent had to deal with them.

WOW! this was the first bass i bought myself. and you can play almost anything to make this sound good.
but dont buy this if you dont want a 6-string, cuz then its not the right decision.
this didnt even cost much!

I personally like the ability to change the sound so drastically with the EQ, the part that I don't like is that it is very hard to get a bass sound out of the higher strings and I do love the puch that it gives on the low strings.
The pickups are in a great position, when I changed froma p-bass to this I didn't have to adjust my hand position much. And the full two octaves of range on each string is great.

I play many styles of music from country and classical to pop and jazz but this bass suits pop and rock very well. And I use it alot with classical music because it has more beef in the areas that an upright lacks mainly in the lower strings and not having to shift to go to high c or higher.
I use this bass more for studio recording work it suits recording much better than performance in my opinion and it seems to bring a whole new life to recording especially if it is run straight in for recording using only it's built in pre-amp with no other assistance.

This was perfect for me there was nothing I had to change on this bass from the factory at all. Everything was set-up very well I even liked the string that came with it which is rare for me I usually change strings on a brand new instrument within a day, these strings I used until they were completly shot. I just recently broke a string at a rehearsal right before a concert and I ended up sing the original string that came with the bass and it is almost 2 years old now.

I know this bass will hold up during live playing. The hardware is perfectly fine and the finish is fine I have a few scratches on the back from pants and belt buckels and so on but none on the front. The strap buttons hold great for me and I move around alot with my cordless system and I have never had any problems. It is amazingly dependable I have never had irregular tuning problems or have ever had to adjust anything on it. The only reason I would possibly have a back up for this bass is not the bass it's self but because of the small gauge of string I use for the high c string and it is easy to break if not careful but can be played without if need be trust me I've done it. But for real problems no It really doesn't need a back up I happen to play with three different basses during one performance so it doesn't matter to me

Never had to worry about it

I've been playing for 4 years and this bass for 2 years
If this bass was stolen I probably wouldn't buy another but that is nothing against the instrument it's because I would just save $3000-$4000 and buy a Conklin Custom 9-string bass but that is because I am a wierd one

This bass is... an angel. Though being a six-string the neck is quite amazingly thin. The neck definitely fills your hand, but is far from too much to work with. The body is very sleek, petite, and beautiful in design. The five knob electronics truly pave the road to getting just the tone you want. The volume knob does its job wonderfully without taking from the sound when set low. There are three cut/boost knobs for bass, midrange, and treble which grant you the capability to mold your sound to your pleasing. The balance knob carries your sound into a whole new universe: you can get sweet jazzy tones, heavy metal growl... just about anything you want-- there are so many tonal realms to explore!

The sound of this beast is awesome! It roars! Many basses have depth alone, but this one dominates with depth and unique monstrous tone that really yanks your attention. I've found that the E, A, and D strings get the best sound. The B is almost too deep to distinguish and the G and C strings are too high to hear that deep growl. No matter, this bass is the king.

This bass is great-- The frets are well set, not buzzy, everything's put together well, and the finish is well done. However, the bridge is awful in string changing. It's heinous working the B and E strings into the string holes then over the saddles. There's a lot of abrasion and a lot of metal goes flying, which sort of scares me. Another thing I've noticed (and may very well just be a flaw on my bass alone) is on the headstock-- the tuners for the D, G, and C strings are closer to the edge of the headstock than the B, E, and A tuners are. It's not a problem, but takes away from symmetry (which could drive someone that HAS to have everything perfect crazy). Everything else is excellent.

This bass is very, very reliable-- I'd never need a backup just as long as I had a fresh battery and good strings. As long as you keep it well equipped it will perform with flying colors. The durability is excellent, too. This bad boy's an anvil.

Of all the basses I've played, this is overall the best for up to twice the price range. I love this bass and if anything ever happened to it I would definitely get another. This is an amazing bass.

Black, 6 string, passive Ibanez DX pickups, active EQ.

Playing with the bass I found I could get a variety of sounds from great to disgusting, changing the EQ too drastically will give you a terrible sound. But overall with a decent amp you should be able to dial up most sounds.

When I got my bass it was terribly set up, there was plenty of buzzing, the truss rod was set to convex, plus, oddly there was another E string where the low B should be. However I don't think many other people would have had this happen. Overall good except the low string doesn't work as well as some other basses.

This bass is versatile as hell. It would be very hard to break.

For the price, if you want a 6 string, unbeatable, but if you're happy with a 4 or a 5 look elsewhere.

well you all read the other reviews, unless mine is top but anyway this bass is got almost everything you need. Great tone control, noiseless, etc.

great!!! Really nice sound, real conical at some points if you set it up right. I have been playing bass for 8 years and this has been my bass of choice.My style is pure funk with rock,soul, blues and folk, my band is called bread box so come and see us!!New york state. I am playing through a seymour duncan 8000 head and 2X15 inch, 800 watt speakers. This bass sounds great through most effects like an octave,chorus, compressor and envelope filters. Just dont use any effect that changes the sound too much, this bass sounds great, don't ruin it!!!

Action was way to high to have any speed. The only complaint I have with this is the bridge. It is strong and well mounted but when restringing it, the strings grind on the string holes and just barely hurt the strings. Its not much(hardly any) but still, the sound of metal on metal is not good. Anyway this bass looks beautiful. Simplicity in design, natural wood is the best. I would like brass hardware though.

Will withstand a nuclear meltdown!!! Holds a tune very well too.

Great, would buy one again, but once you have one, you dont need to ever get one again, remember it is built like a tank. My next bass will either be a modulus(graphite baby!!) or a custom also with graphite. Just a few reminders, use either Fodera or DR strings!! They are the best, the DR's are very beautiful sounding, just like a piano sometimes. Try em! Also, for the person who said he hasn't changed his battery in a year, CHANGE IT!!! Without that battery, the great tone and punchiness will not come out.

It has the same features as most of the other middle-range Soundgears; mahogany body (But pretty light), maple neck, 24-fret rosewood fretboard, diecast 6-string bridge. Tuners are Gotoh, and they hold pretty well; The lower strings do go out of a tune a bit but it's very minute and mostly restricted to the B and E. The pickups are Ibanez DX6 (I think) passive and are extremely quiet for the most part. Tone is extremely versatile, one of the best I've seen. In addition to a balance control there are cut/boost knobs for bass, mid, and treble, which basically lets you get any sound you want. The neck is very thin (For a 6) and the action is superb; This neck is fast and begs to be used for shredding. Not quite sure where it was made, but it's a 2000 model in black.

I play primarily metal/prog metal, and it suits that style very well; if I want a brighter, more trebly sound to get John Myung-type harmonics it's easily possible, and if I need bass for metal stuff I just turn the boost knob all the way up. I get some hum if I turn up my amp (Hartke model HA2000 with Hartke 410TP cab). However, this could be due to the fact that I play through an Ibanez RP7 guitar effects processors, I don't know. Even with distortion on, feedback is minimal.

The factory setup was extremely nice; not sure about how high the action is, but I haven't needed to change it and it plays wonderfully fast without buzzing [much]. I get a little bit of buzz on the higher strings, which I suspect is due to some small high spots on the frets. The pickups were at a good height and give good definition, although the lower strings overpower the higher strings, which may not be something everyone likes. All the hardware of the bass was and has been perfect, except for some very minor scratches on the back of the body from the usual wear and tear. Like I said, I think the frets may have a few high spots, but in general the bass was set up extremely well.

This bass will definitely hold up live and feels very solid. The neck joint is very tight and stable and the neck itself feels much more solid than my Squier 4-string. The hardware seems durable enough and has not oxidized, scratched, or become damaged in any other way. The strap buttons are very solid and hold standard straps on fine. I don't know if I'd use it without a backup, because I believe in Murphy's Law, but if it was a short gig, absolutely. I do have some doubts about the durability of the finish, because it doesn't seem all that thick to me and I think it could get scratched up if playing pickstyle.

Haven't talked to them.

I've been playing bass for a year, some guitar before that, and violin for 7 years. This is my second bass, because I wanted to expand beyond the limitations of playing with a 4-string. If this bass was stolen, I'd most definitely replace it-It's the best value for money that I have played. For one thing, most good 6-strings are over $700, and this bass beats out other 6-strings in its price range (Dean, Fernandez) and is just as good as some higher-priced basses like Modulus. If I'd had more money, I probably would have bought a Carvin, but for its price, this bass is probably the best value you can get.

This bass is just about perfect for someone who wants to move up to the big six like Les Claypool of Primus and John Myung of Dream Theater. In fact, it's a great first bass (if you wanna start out on six; four or five might be better for beginners for a while though). It's a basic bolt-on neck with 24 frets on a rosewood fingerboard. But it is one sturdy piece of wood! The finish is black or natural wood, and the body is sleek and lightweight. (A far cry from my very first bass, a Peavey T-40 four-string which seemed to weight a ton!) The string width is kinda narrow, but it's six strings so deal with it. ;) The pickups are stock Ibanez DX series humbuckers, and they are QUIET. This bass doesn't produce more 60Hz hum than the bass playing itself for once. It has a full range tone with a balanced bass, mid and treble sound. Controls are your garden variety master volume, a pickup blend pot (I personally prefer that to just a three-position switch), and one each for bass, mid and treble boost/cut (active EQ, I think passive pickups, my preference anyway). It sounds good for the price, and looks good too. Definitely a keeper.

With my previous basses, I've had so much problem with noise, but not this baby! I haven't looked inside the controls, but it seems to be pretty solid in there. It gives a good sound for just about any style of playing: fingered rock, picked, slap and pop, or screaming fuzz/thrash. No weird coloring, just a workable, versatile bass sound. (I've taken to using the bridge pickup alone a lot, especially with overdrive and other effects; gives me a fretted version of a Jaco sound -- one drawback is that this bass does not come in a fretless model, my main complaint). Slap some good strings on it (I recommend La Bella Hard Rockin' Steels) and you'll rock, man, rock...

Simple but good-looking. Sure, it's not five-piece wenge with koa top on walnut on mahogany on some rare wood found on the moon. It's a garden-variety normal scale bolt-on. But my bass has a pretty nice black gloss finish, and for my kind of music, that'll do me fine. (You can also get a natural finish.) The action is great, and if you got the right string for the low B (a tapered wind at the bridge is key), it's clear, not dead or jangly. The low, wide frets allow for an easy action setting, as well as a smoother tone than higher or narrow frets. (If you want that sound, get an Ibanez ATK series!)

Hey, I've had the bass a little less than a year, and it hasn't had any problems for me yet. First of all, I still haven't changed the battery, and once again I got this bass used with the original stock battery! Efficiency, don't wanna have to spend too much on batteries. The way I play I just tear loose. I broke a low B string a week after buying new strings once; go figure. (I don't even use a pick; that's what's REALLY scary.) But no wear and tear on the bass; the tuning machines are still holding up, where in the past I'd wear 'em out quick. The frets are also enduring with my punishing playing style, even with stainless steel strings. And keeping their shine pretty well too. Not much scarring on the rosewood fingerboards, and the body between the pickups is coated in my finger grease, but the paint is holding up well! I banged the thing a few times; I am a real klutz after all. But just touch up the nicks with black paint (or even black permanent marker) and you'll probably never know you dinged it.

Ibanez is a reputable company according to my experience. I never needed to call customer support and I have no idea about warranty, since I bought this bass used (barely used really). One complain I have -- you have to pay five bucks (US) for their catalog? What a scrooge :P

Don't you try and take MY bass!!!! (By the way, should I rip the frets out, or is that too rash a thing to do with this instrument?)

Mine is a `98 model, Korean made. Soft maple body (natural finish looks amazing) and 3 piece maple 24 fret neck with rosewood fingerboard. Nice shape and good cutaway for access to all frets. Pickups are 2 factory DX6 "soapbar" humbuckers. Passive, with a 3 band EQ, volume and fader. Heavy diecast bridge.

Amazing versatile sound. The humbuckers are very quiet. Between the fader control and the 3 band EQ, this bass can sound as ballsy or mellow as you want. Musicians -- bassists and non-bassists alike -- approach me to tell me how good this instrument sounds. I generally leave the fader at mid position, with a 30-50% boost on the bass EQ, mid and treble EQ at flat.

Factory set action was great. No problems holding down the .125 low B string. Great looking natural wood. No flaws of any kind. Wow!

This is my main "road bass" and feels wonderfully solid. The hardware looks and feels durable. The strap buttons are quite large hold the strap on well... which is good, because the large screws don't allow for standard Schaller Strap Locks to be installed.

No experience with the company.

I can't believe how inexpensive this bass is. I played Fenders, Peaveys, and any other 5 and 6 string bass I could find and the Soundgear SR406 was the best feeling and least expensive one of the bunch. Better than any bass I saw for even twice the cost. This is one of the best basses I've ever played (or heard) and I would buy another in a second.

The 406 is a Korean made 6-string bass. It has a 24-fret,Bolt-on neck, with Black Gotoh style tuners.The neck is kind of a tear drop, with the bass side being thicker than the treble. The electronics are 2 Ibanez DX6 passive (I think) pickups,active electronics,with volume, blend, and a 3-band EQ. The finish is a nice looking natural, and is very clean, with no visable defects. The fretwork is very well done, and all fret ends are smooth, and there is no buzzing. The strings feed through the bridge, which is also black.

I use this bass for everything. I play in a praise and worship group at church, in jazz bands, and also for straight rock. I run it through the P.A. at church, and for everything else I use a Traynor YBA-1 Bassmaster 50w head through a Peavey 4x12" Cab. The basses EQ helps it alot. If it didn't have the EQ, I Doubt I would have bought it. With the EQ set flat, there just isn't enough bass for the low B to balance with the other strings. With the Traynor, I have to boost the high end a little, to keep ot from getting to muddy, but through the P.A. I just boost the the bass a little. I have been able to get all kinds of sounds out of it, from deep P-bass tones to rear pickup Jazz bass tones. The one thing that I would like to see improved is the B-string. It's o.k., but still not quite what I want to hear.

I was surprised that the bass was set up as well as it was.The only place I think should be ajusted different is the B-string, which is a little on the low side. The pickups seem to be further from the strings than normal, but I don't hear any reason to change them. The finish, as I already said is very nice. The neck is tight with out any gaps, and the strings fit in the nut very well.

I feel that this bass culd be used in a live situation, but I don't run and jump around when I play, ethier. The hardware seems solid, the knobs and tuners have a nice feel to them. The finish feels thick, so I doubt it wear off. The strap buttons are solid. I had a Little trouble getting my strap on, so I don't think it will come off. I think I cann depend on this bass for a long time, but I will still keep my P-bass around just in case.

Never had to deal with them.

I have been playing bass about 5 years, and I also play a Peavey Milestone II P-bass. I had the chance to play several 6-strings before I bought this one(Alverez, Samick),and I feel I got the best deal. If something happend to it I would replace it. I am happy with it, and would say that for the price, this is probably the best 6-string bass.