Ibanez SR800 Bass

1990, 4 string, made in Japan, active and passive pickups, 4 knobs, silver grey color. Wide array with the control knobs.

I use a GK backline at home with it. I play mostly 70's hard rock (Black Sabbath, Zep, Van Halen, etc.)and some other style,s as well. This suits all of my needs. I've had Ricks, Gibsons, and Fender J's and P's. I wouldn't trade this for all of them! I hate the color (silver-grey) but that is the ONLY thing I don't like about this bass. Started playing bass in '77 with a Fender Jazz, then bought a fretless Rick that I still have but never play because this is a superior instrument. I get any sound I want: funk, hard rock, old rock, blues, jazz, even country. If this one ever goes down, I'll sell the Rick and replace this one. sounds just as good onstage as it does in studio.

Hate the color, I may strip it down and refinish it. Done it many times on other guitars, but that means it will be down for a month or two. Action is great, very fast! Nice thin neck.

This bass is nearly 20 years old and plays like a gem. Stays in tune, great finnish ( take care of all my stuff and never wear belts.)It looks brand new, most people don't believe I've had it since '91,

Never dealt with Ibanez on it. I do most of my own work on it.

I wish I had bought a couple of these back in '91. That way I know I'd always have one. I almost had my old buddy Chris Squire talked into getting one, but he's a real hardhead. He loved playing it and said I could give it to him! Guess what I said! That rich SOB could but a hundred of them and not dent a royalty check! Love all the sounds and versatility this thing has. I almost didn't buy this just because of the color...I would be so sorry.

Made in Japan 2000. 24 fret 4 string bass p/j pickup congiguration active bass with lows, treble, and mid control. 3 piece maple neck ( I think ) with graphite reinforcement. Probably a basswood body. Accucast bridge wiht Gotoh style tuners. Very thin fast neck and VERY nice action.

This is a jack of all trades bass that allows you to play in virtually every style. Im using a practice amp with some FX and it really sounds nice. It's gotta nice slappy, percussive quality that makes it a funk machine. And it really works well for rock as well -- good thump to it. Sounds great plugged into a basic recording rig through my Bass XT.

I bought it used with lotta little dings and had to readjust everything.

Even for being a 9 year old bass that was abused and sat for a long time, it is very robust. 2 of the pots need to be replaced, but everything else is still spot on. I just had to tweak yon truss rod, set the action and it is ready to go. Can't say if the truss rod will need constant tweaking, but from previous experience with other Ibanez basses, I don't have to tweak it but maybe every year or so...

No experience with Ibanez customer support.

I have been playing guitar on a regular basis for nine years and playing bass for four. My other bass is an Ibanez Ergodyne EDB600 with soapbar pickups. Definitely would replace this bass -- great build quality. The thin neck really makes it easy to play as well.

My Ibanez SR800 is one of the first models. 4-string, made in Japan and bought for about 880 Deutsche Mark (= about 440 Euros) back in 1990.

It comes with an P/J Pickup configuration (Ibanez AFR PUs) and features and active 3 band Vari-Mid EQ with sweep-able midrange. The body is swamp ash, the neck is three pieces maple with graphite reinforcement and 24 frets. It is the slimmest I???ve ever played and finished in black (as the body). The fretboard is rosewood.

Back in the 1990s this was an impressive list of features, and I think it still is today.

This bass is a multi talent. Played unamplified the sound leaves a well ballanced impression. The harmonics ring nicely and the sustain of the low frequencies is good.

Amplified, the pickups and the EQ come into play: The output of mine is extremely loud and it is easy to produce a rich and full sound from very quiet to very loud. By means of the blend knob you can mix the neck and bridge pick up as you like. Using the 3 band EQ, you can change quickly from funk to walking lines, tune in to Jaco styles or what ever you wish to play. The attack is OK, the sustain impressive.

When I bought it, there was no natural finish available. So I can???t complain about the black. The bass came well adjusted out of the box. I lowered the action, and there is still no fret buzz or any other issue.

The only thing, I felt that the bridge pickup was a bit too quite compared with the neck pickup. So I adjusted it a bit upwards and it was perfect.

The electronics are really great, the compartment is well organised and extremely well shielded. There is no humming or buzzing.

However, I needed to get used to a varnished neck. If you tend to perspire ( I do not, but I can imagine ...), the neck might slow you down. Other than that, the bass is great. No flaws.

Also, I needed to get used to the spacing which is less than on standard Fenders. No problem for fingerstyle as you can rake through the strings faster. But slapping is a bit more difficult until you have gotten used to the bass.

The battery could need a separate compartment. Though consumption is very low, you???ll need to open the regular electronics compartment to change the battery. This is standard in many contemporary models, but I miss it on this bass.

Also, you can not change the height of each string as you can on old Fenders and most other basses. Instead, you can only vary the position of the ground plate all the saddles sit on. There are three scress for this purpose (two on one side of the brigde, one on the other). But it should also be said that I never had problems with the action. So this is more a "felt issue" than a real one.

What can I say? The bass is about 20 years old and except for the knobs and the jack plug which needed to be replaced after 15 years there is nothing to complain about. The tuneres still work very well. The finish has some chips from live gigging, but nothing severe. It still looks, feels and plays great.

But due to the fact that you can not switch to passive mode, i would not use it without a backup on stage.

There was no need dealing with Ibanez. No rating.

I play for many years, mostly funk. I like the fast neck and the wide variety of sounds of this bass. Also, it is very light and well ballanced, making playing comfortable.

Although I prefer old fashioned shapings (Jazz Bass, Preci) and natural finishes (why hiding wood with too much colour?) I must admit that this bass is great to own, given the comparably light weight and especially the absence of hummiung or buzzing.

If you have it, you will not want to give it away. And you will be able to produce almost any sound you like, making it perfect for anybody who plays a lot of styles. Do not miss the chance to check one out if it comes your way.

I own a Ibanez Sr 800a form 1999. I bought it new( Price ca. 735 ???).
The Bass was made in Japan, has AFR P-J Pickup`s, 3-Band varimid electronic, 24 frets, accucast bridge(black hardware),a chrome soundgear-logo on the headstock. The body is swampash and the finish is beautiful transparent cherry red, also the neck ( bolt on) and the headstock. It`s a four string with Warwick Black-Label strings ( 045-105).

This bass is very, very variety in his sound. First i played punkrock and i play both pickups and the varimid frequency in highmid position. Out came an enhanced, punchy sound with some good mid growl.You can hear the sound even when you play with two guitars and a loud drummer.If you turn the varimid frequency in low mid position, you`ll getsuch a real dark basstone, that 5-string players get jealous.From clean basstone till metal, this bass does it all.In my new band i play rock and funk and the tone is still great.

The ibanez factory does a very good job. Good finish, frets, hardware that never loose his tuning, and goodworking electric.But one thing that Ibanez forgot: the separate place for the battery.

I played often live and ilove it. I played also live a Fender Precision and a Ibanez K5, but they are not so easy to play as my Sdgr.(i konw K5 is a 5 string)

I play Ibanez Sr 800a,Boss BE-5B,Crate BT 350 and Mesa Boogie 2x10", 1x15" cabinets.In studio tc electronic M-ONE XL,Crate BT 350,and my Ibanez. If it were lost or stolen i would try to buy another one. This bass give me the punchy, powerful sound i like.My favorite feature is the varimid electronic and the small neck

Great features for the money I paid. Mine is a neck-through version in a very funky bright acid green satin. 24 frets of course, active electronics (P+J set up), and good feel to the hardware.

I'd say the sounds available, while they are varied, will suit a funk player more than rock. The tones tend to be very bright, even glassy, especially with the DM Blue Steels I use. Definitely not for an Oasis cover band.

Bought it about 10 years ago, so my recollection may be a bit fuzzy, but I seem to recall that the factory set-up was pretty good, requiring only slight adjustments to the truss-rod and bridge screws. I've been very impressed with its longevity, though I do now have a problem with the output jack. Maybe $50 to fix it.
It's very easy to play and is well suited to younger players with smaller hands.

The lettering on the body started to wear right away, but I think it just gives some character. Strap buttons are very solid and the hardware is all good, (anodised black metal). As I mentioned above, there are problems with the output jack.

No idea.

Playing about 12 years, off and on, mostly just for pleasure. This bass has served me well. If it was stolen I'd get something more collectible, something that retains its value or even appreciates, e.g. J-Bass, Music Man, etc.

Mine is a 1992 Japan model in Jewel Blue - pretty to die for, but it shows the fingerprints if you don't wipe it down all the time. This older model has a couple of differences - the neck is a five-piece maple (instead of three), and it lacks the mid-range eq found on the current SR800's. Other than that... 24 frets, basswood body, AFR active P and J pickups, Gotoh machine heads, all black hardware. As I say - pretty, pretty, pretty.

I'm used to an old P-bass knockoff with flatwound strings, so I was a bit taken aback by the aggressive sound of the active pickups and bright strings on this thing at first. Now I'm finding that with a lighter touch, I can get a VASTLY wider range of expression out of this instrument than I dreamed of on my old bass. On the other hand, I can damp the treble and lean on the bridge pickup to thump away old-school too.

It's a '92 model, so I can't really say much about the factory, but it doesn't look like it's ever been played and it's set up near perfect. If I were more anal, I might want a half a millimeter of relief, and if I did that, maybe a hair lower action. Recheck the intonation. Oh, hell no, it's fantastic as is.

This one has a tiny flaw in the paint job, like a little bubble right next to the EQ knobs. Knock 50 bucks off of perfect.

I just got this bass, so I don't know about its reliability. This hi-gloss paint job looks like it will scratch, but the hardware looks pretty good. The fret board was pretty dry when I got it, but I hit it with a little lemon oil and now it's a thing of beauty. The pots have a nice sturdy feel with no scratching anywhere. So far so good.

I waited for the show to start while Todd Rundgren's bassist tinkered with his axe for about an hour in 95 degree heat one night. Would he have been as righteous on a backup? I'll never know.

I've never dealt with Ibanez, but there's no info on this instrument on their website. No part numbers, no specs, no wiring diagram. Why? Do they expect their products to be in the dumpster after five years?

I played garage bass 20 years ago, but I picked it back up recently because my daughter is learning guitar. My other bass is a Hondo II Fender Precision copy that weighs about a thousand tons and sounds like crap compared to this beauty.

I'm still not quite sure how I feel about about the active electronics, but I LOVE the seriously skinny neck and low action on this sucker.

I've noticed that the SoundGear basses get a lot of disrespect from 'serious' bassists. Most of them play a lot better than me, so I won't argue the point, but if I lost this instrument, I'd replace it with another Ibanez with another little tiny neck. Unfortunately, it wouldn't look as good unless I sprung for one of the natural wood models. I can't afford that, so I'll have to take care of this one.

2002 Korean Model, Basswood Body, 24/Medium frets, Rosewood Finger Board, Accu-Cast B20 bridge, IBZ AFR-P Neck PU, IBZ AFR-J Bridge PU, Pearl Dot Inlay, Vari-Mid 3-Band

See http://www.ibanez.com/guitars/guitar.asp?model=SR800 for specifics.

This bass is used for live hard rock and recording light to heavy rock. I normally play live through a Peavy TKO 115 and/or directly through the board. I have been able to play it through several other rigs and it sounds excellent through all of them. The EQ is very versatile - I usually have all the settings maxed when playing live and then dial around for recording. I have noticed that the frets can be a little buzzy when recording - you don't notice it when playing live. I've had the bass over a year so it's probably time for a setup checkup.

I believe this was set up post-factory by the music store where I purchased it. If not, then the factory did a very good job. Great, low action. The balance is great - my P-Bass is a bit neck heavy, but the SR800 feels light and very well balanced, standing or sitting. No flaws from the factory - I've managed to put a couple tiny dings at the top of the headstock, but they are barely noticeable. I think the gunmetal finish help hide small flaws - it definitely keeps it looking cleaner than a solid black finish bass.

I've been playing with it live for a year and haven't had any problems with it.

One thing I don't like is the battery access. There is no casing, just a bit of spongey foam and wires wrapping the battery. The first time I replaced the battery, one of the wires to one of the pots came off - didn't take much. Fortunately I was able to re-solder it with no problems though.

Strap buttons? I wouldn't try to throw the thing around my neck, but they hold up fine for regular playing.

After a year it looks like its ready for its first neck adjustment - the fret have started buzzing just a wee bit around the 7th to 9th frets on the D and G strings.

I would not use this bass (or any other bass for that matter) at a gig without a backup. Always bring a backup.

I've been playing bass for about 10 years. I bought this to upgrade from a '94 Mexican P-Bass, which is actually a pretty good bass too. I am very happy with the SR800. After a year of gigging and recording my estimation of the bass is as high as ever. I don't think you will find a better bass for the price.

If this bass were stolen I would probably buy another one.

I compared this bass to a Mexican Jazz Bass and a mid-range Spector - the SR800 definitely beat those two.

I have 2, and early '90s model and an '01. You can get the features from the website. Nice neck, good tonal variety. The early 90's model originally didn't have the vari-mid eq but afer hearing it on my '01 I had it upgraded(or so I thought) all down hill from there.

Great sound variations possible, great for live or in the studio, vari-mid eq rules when it is working

All factory action sucks. I set neck relief at .017 at the 8th fret and 5/64 action at the 12. Couple of high frets (maskingtape, fine grit, steel wool, problem solved). Filed down the nut slots a bit. Ibanez tuners are very stable. I prefer their old style bridge that is matched to the fingerboard radius because of the stability and easy of setting the action. New bridge is better than most.

The neck is stable on my early 90's 800, less stable on my '01. No reliability problems on my '01. My early 90's model has had to have both pickups replaced, and has been through 3 preamps and I am having trouble with #4, the one that was recently installed. Eats batteries every 3 weeks. It looks like they put in a BTB 18 volt preamp. Can't find a matching wiring diagram for how they set it up.

Hoshino support is one of the worst in the industry. No contact or email on their site. I have their number now from Bensalem PA 215 638-8670, your welcome(call early and call often). I have spent hours trying to get problems corrected, they don't return phone calls to your dealer, send wrong parts, don't keep very good records, slow in shipping, very high pricing on very inexpensive replacement parts. It took me 3 months one time just to have them send the correct knobs for a replacement preamp (that subsequently went bad just after 1 year, although because of not have the knobs I only had it for 9 months)and I had to call the head of the company on my cell from the music store and read him the parts numbers from all of the incorrect parts they sent even after sending them all the correct numbers and photographs because my dealer was so frustrated from no response. I had my dealer call three times so far over the last 2 months to try to find out why my preamp is eating batteries in the case and still no return call. I will call them myself Monday morning. I really like their products but will never purchase anything from them again because of their terrible customer service. If your instrument holds up great, tone great, playability great, service sucks. I have always had a high commitment to customer satisfaction in my work and could never conceive of treating customers they way this company does. Truely no respect or concern for the customer. Truely a case of excellent products but poor service. I bet the folks in Japan would not be happy and that is why they have no contact information on their website.

I have been playing bass almost exclusively for the last for 17 years as a regular semi-pro. Play most styles, have stand up, fretless, 6 string(why?), acoustic, passive, active basses etc from many companies. Have a couple of PAs and lights, digital recording gear etc. I own all my equipment because I got an education and have a good income. Playing is for fun (and does pay for a lot of gear which is good if you are married and have kids, mortgage, several car payments etc)

Again great playability and tone. My early '90s is my spirit bass and has played all over, but the customer service sucks. Buyer beware. Low because of lazy, incompetents at Hoshino PA.

not sure what year it was made but it was made in korea. 24 frets with oval abalone inlays. 4 string with active afr pickups. Bass is jet black.

i play in an alternative band and it sounds awesome. i played with a spector and a warwick streamer (not the cheap rockbass series either) and this one sounds the best. rumbling lows and crisp highs. this was the sound i've been looking for. makes my other high end basses sound muddy.

neck is lightning fast. action is VERY low. too low. i have to raise it up a little.

i only owned this bass for a couple of days but is my hands down favorite. i'm sorry i didn't invest in ibanez earlier.

n/a

I Purchased an SR800 soundgear bass (2000 model)made in Japan 4 months ago. It has 24 med. frets and is a 4 string model. The color is grey nickle, solid body with bolt on 3 piece maple neck with graphite reinforcement. It has one volume, one blend, and a stacked bass and treble boost with a stacked sweepable mid range and mid range cut/boost. The bass came with two humbucking "P" neck pick-ups and one "J" bridge pick-up, both sets of pick-ups are active full range pick-ups. The bridge is an Acucast B20 which allows for easy string changes and height and intonation adjustments. The bass came standard with gotoh enclosed tuners. My bass has a very thin , fast neck with a rosewood fingerboard.

My music style varies from classic rock to country and I find this bass is suited to these styles and from experimenting with the controls I can see where it would be suited to any multitude of styles. I am currently using a Yorkville 100 watt bass amp lined out through our bands board with an Audiopro 2000 watt power amp. I find the bass to be very quiet on all settings. This bass is capable of deep rich sound with real bottom end punch to any sound I want in between by utilizing the sweepable mid range and mid range cut and boost. It is ideal for stage although I have not used it in a studio setting as of yet. In the short time I have used my bass I have been very pleased with the variety of sounds I can dial up on it at any given time. I have played bass for 34 years and have owned Fender Precision, Rickenbacker, Vox, Hagstrom, Peavey bass's none of which I would compare the versatility of the SR800 soundgear bass.

I investigated the bass originally on the Ibanez web site and contacted a music store hundreds of miles from my home, and ordered the bass from them. It was then shipped to me and upon arrival I noticed the neck had a slight bit to much relief(which I adjusted), the sweepable mid range boost and cut control was slightly bent(which I was able to straighten with needle nose pliers without any detriment to the performance of the control itself). The action was a little high so I lowered it by saddle adjustments. Even with the above mentioned problems on arrival I was still completely blown away by the bass's appearance and performance.

Comparing it to any other bass I've owned and played with live on stage I would have no doubts this bass will give me years of reliable service. The hardware (tuners, bridge, pick-ups, etc..) seem to me to be of the highest quality for the price range of the bass.

Have not owned the bass long enough to have used the warranty but do not forsee any problems arrising with this bass any time in the near future. My Warranty is for one year.

I have been playing for over 34 years and have owned many other quitar and amp combinations and feel this bass does justice to my playing ability. If it were stolen or lost I would most definately repurchase this bass. Before purchasing the SR800 Soundgear I had tried out a Jackson Active concert bass and am so glad I was steared toward the Ibanez.