Ibanez SRX 590

2007 Solidbody 4-string bass (the 5-string version is just a bit more expensive but I prefer four strings) with 24 frets, transparents grey finish, maple top, active electronics (and no possibility to go passive), two humbuckers - look it up on the website. Best thing about this is the neck, it's extremely fast and smooth, it's not like I have small hands but I love this. It's not as wide as the Jazzbass'.
The SRX590 came with a crappy jack-cable which no-one paying $600 for a bass is going to use. So nothing special. It's a bass, what'd you expect?

(Still I would've like a hardcase. If you ask me every guitar/bass over $500 shou8ld come with a case.)

First thing I noticed was no mid control. The four pots on the bass adjust Volume, Balance (between the pickups), Bass boost/cut and Treble boost/cut. I had my doubts at first about this, but it turns out that the Bass/Treble pots in combination with the Balance pot more than satisfies my tone needs. It's best for bright punky/ska tones (on stage they cut through like a m******f*****), but by drawing back both the treble and balance a bit a warm, deep tone emerges as well. It's not exactly 'mellow' though; partially due to the active electronics, and the bright nature of the bass. Perhaps the bass is a bit more susceptible to playing noise (fretting, the minimal string buzz) that some other basses.
And I would've like a bypass for the active electronics so I could switch to passive should the battery go out.

I saw the bass in a local store, and fell in love with it, but after purchasing a new one (and while still in the store) I opened the box to check it out and the wood (see through finish) didn't appeal to me as much as that of the show model, so I opted to take that one, with a nice discount in the bargain (or in my case a Levi's Strap and Dunlop Straploks). It had been in the store only for a few days (I come there often) so there was no noticable string wear or anything. Like all higher-end Ibanez basses came with Elixir strings. Something you don't see on the pictures is the oh-so-stylish side of both the fretboard and the maple top; something pearl-like. Best finishing touch I've ever seen.
As I got the showmodel it was already set-up (I guess) but the action on the low E string needed to be a bit higher because of a little buzz (but I'm a nitpicker).
As known on other SRX basses the bridge started to show signs of corrosion, but I think it's classy. Best looking bass I've ever seen (apart from, perhaps the SRX 750 :))

It's rocksolid. It's so hard to scratch the bass. Seriously. I've dropped it, bumped into amps/walls with it - not a single dent. Apart from the little corrosion on the bridge everything seems good and dependable.
However, when installing the straploks, the screwhole of the lower strap-button - the one under the bridge - was messed up, the new screw wouldn't 'grip' the wood but instead the new strap-button just fell out, screw and all, so I had to fill her up with a bit of wood shards. But since I might've screwed up myself I'm not deducting points here. If it was my only bass I probably wouldn't get a backup unless I got some extra money, I'm not worried about it breaking down the slightest bit. Always remember to bring a spare 9V.

Website is not expansive enough. Apart from that, no troubles.

I've been playing for three years, been in four gigging bands (punk, metal, softrock, ska, in that order) I've owned an Ibanez GSR180 starter's bass, which I still use at home sometimes even though it sounds awful, and I had a Fender Jazzbass for a few months borrowed from a friend. At home I've got my first Behringer practice amp (why ever get rid of it? ^^) and the Ashdown MAG300 4x10 combo in our current rehearsal shack. I always thought the GSR180 didn't sound half bad but compared to the SRX it's extremely dull, there's just so much energy and life in this bass.

I compared it to the SRX750 and various Fender Basses (and some others, Epiphone, Dean), and I preferred the feel and sound of this one of the Fenders and the difference between the 590 and 750 were not significant as to justifiy spending an extra $300. Besides I love the 590's industrial look.

In the end, how a bass feels to you is as important as other's experience but it's a place to start. I love this bass and will never ever get rid of it.