Paulhauser

Thanks Everyone! The bass is a great value, there is one in the classifieds around £1000 IIRC. Kev is right, the ramp was made here in Hungary by a local luthier. Actually the SR3006 also has a ramp, also done by a(nother) local luthier. [attachment=182635:Photo 2015. 02. 01. 20 47 39.jpg]

Although I received this in the end of last year, I had sent it to a luthier right away for installing a ramp. I got it back this week and thought share a few pics and thoughts on this. It is the top-of-the-line for Ibanez. Made in Japan and this bass really has it all. Quality woods, impeccable workmanship and a vast array of sounds. It is a joy to even hold it in my hands, the different woods that are used here have a great feel and can just look at it for minutes really. This is my 3rd MIJ Ibanez SR 6 string, one I still have (SR3006) the other I sold here (SR1306) and the SR5006 is really an upgrade for those models. As you can see it has a wenge top and back, the core of the body is mahogany. The neck is wenge/bubinga and the fretboard is wenge, too. Lots of wenge used here :-) What I really like with the SR Prestige sixers is the ergonomics. For some the spacing is tight, for me it is just right. It is 16.5 mm at the bridge. It balances really well and a breeze to wear, even though it is not a light bass (cca 9.5 lbs) As the neck has titanium rods they were able to shave off a couple of mm's from the back of the neck and it is even thinner than the SR3006 but is extremely stable. The sound is organic, deep with sweet highs and defined mids and the notes are very even across the board. I find myself using the passive mode a lot but there isn't much of a difference between the passive and the active mode when all EQ is flat. No volume difference either. The Elixir strings work well on this bass and their silky feeling matches the overall feel of the bass. I could go on, but I'd rather answer any specific questions one has. I'm a big fan of the Japanese Ibanez basses, so can't praise them enough.... Now the pics: [attachment=182565:Photo 2015. 02. 01. 13 25 39.jpg] [attachment=182564:Photo 2015. 02. 01. 13 25 50.jpg] [attachment=182563:Photo 2015. 02. 01. 13 26 20.jpg] [attachment=182562:Photo 2015. 02. 01. 13 26 48.jpg] [attachment=182561:Photo 2015. 02. 01. 13 27 11.jpg]

Rebop's never did much to me but I love the Euros, I currently have a few of them (5 and 6 string) If I were you I'd buy another Euro4. You1ll get better pu's, NT design and ballance. Maybe would look around and source a pre-LX Euro with full maple wings. That will sound a bit different than the current ones. (more bite) There is one from the SSD era in the classifieds. (no affiliation)

I use ramp for two reasons. - I use what one could call floating thumb technique. It is a bit similar to what Gary Willis does, so whenever I move on to another string with my right (plucking) hand, my thumb rests the closest lower unplayed string. A ramp helps me keeping my thumb securely. On some bass I use the pickup cover for the same reason (if that is close enough to the strings and is a soapbar shape. Found out the J style pickups offer not enough platform for this to me. But with the ramp I'm not limited to the pu area - By limiting my fingers movements it helps with fast 16th notes and string skipping at high speed with more ease.

+1 on Ibanez SR's Also I recommend you to buy a 5 string as you may not play the DG strings initially but should not limit yourself either. A 5 string neck could feel bigger initially sepecially to someone used to skinny guitar necks, but it should not be an issue after some practice / getting used to it. If you are visiting the Gallery make sure you check the Spector Legen series. They are very well made instruments and can sound very dirty and aggressive (but there are lots of other tonal options) Spacing is tight, almost as tight as with the Ibanez SR series (16,5 vs 17mm for the five string SR vs Legend) It also has a 35" scale lenght that really helps bringing out the low end. They have a used one slighly above your budget. http://thebassgallery.com/legend-93.html Or Bass direct has a new one with a little bit higher price http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/SpeLeg_5_Bubinga.html I use and love my Spector and Ibanez basses, but in the price range where you want to make your purchase Spector offers a lot more bass and quality with the Legend series that Ibanez. (I know for experience. Been there, done that)

That's true Bluejay. My Thumb had a great neck, the thing I did not like about the design of the bass is that the 1st position was a lot more far left that normally. (I don't know if that makes sense. The Thumb has a short top horn and an already small body and it makes the neck feel longer than it is, reaching farther to the left than my other basses. Actually even my Dingwall with 37" feels closer. ) But then again it is all personal and could get used to it myself.

I'm not the biggest fan of WW's. ( I owned a '91 Thumb5 NT which was ergonomically not for me and the sound was not for my liking either) But. One of the best fretless sounds I've heard came from Thumbs, both BO and NT. Strong, not too soft, not too harsh, right in the middle and cuts through really well. I think the pickup placement and the usual Thumb wood combination really contribute to it. So should I want to have a fretless bass in the future, a BO WW Thumb5 will be one of the choices I'll be looking at.

I recently bought my first Dingwall, an AB5 without being able to try one. So my first experience with ff was when I unboxed the bass and started to play. No problems whatsoever. I need to pay attention high up the neck wich chords, thats all. And sounds sweet. And it is damn light. And quality is top notch .... If you are drawn to the Super J I think you should buy, you will not be disappointed.

This is the second time in one year when I've borrowed one of my friend's SR5. I like the tone, but can't get along with the bass play-wise. It's just not it. It's not bad, I like the neck for example. I guess if I'd use it more in a band setting - where these shine the most - this might change, but then again, I have my Spector that cuts through and love the playability so why bother really.....

Marko, I have checked the clips. The first one is spot on, my sounds very much like this although the fingerboard is wenge on mine. So if you like the sound in this clip the reality will be very close to this.

I will check these clips when at home later today and get back to you with my opinion. Again, if weight is an issue for you, then you should consider the ABZ series, just like mine as they are very light! Around 3.5 kg.

I own a ABZ5. It has the P-Tone pickup. It is very light and comfortable and I would not say by any means that it is sterile. My other basses includes Spectors and high-end Ibanez Presting Soundgears and I find the ABZ very musical and dynamic sounding. I got all the growl and grit from the Spector, so I was looking for a different sound and I was pleasantly surprised by the ABZ5. The B string is very usable high up in the neck, still rings well and has lots of harmonic overtones. The pickup selector is very usable and I do find useful sounds in all 4 modes. Also I use the passive tone control a lot more that I thought I would because it adds possibilities. So far I have not felt the necessity of adding a OBP. The overall build quality, joints, painting, fretjob etc. is top notch!

LOL! :-D

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1420536736' post='2650305'] Wow! That's a very GASeous trio. [/quote] Thanks! The blue is gone and the sixer will be as well sooner or later. [quote name='discreet' timestamp='1420536736' post='2650305'] Everyone owes it to themselves to at least try one at least once! [/quote] That's true. And also the most important thing is to try them in a musical environment. I am not the biggest fan of how Spectors sound by themselves, but I have yet to find any bass that fits so well into the mix with such small effort on the sound engineers side both in live and in studio. And as we know basses are mostly being played in a band setting ,this is one of the most important things.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1420532122' post='2650254'] There you go! That's the spirit! [/quote] True. I love Spectors. [attachment=180209:IMG_0181.JPG]

As a current Dingwall AB5 and 2 Ibanez Prestige 6 string owner (SR3006 and 5006) I find this model interesting. My AB5 has a thin neck, on pair with the Ibanez Prestige SR1005 neck I had previously. Haven't tried Dingwall 6 strings but if they are in the same vein the difference on the nut end of the neck compared to the 6 string SR's can not be big. I love Ibanez's tight string spacing but get along with the AB5's 18mm as well. My feeling is with this fanned fret Ibanez is that the 1,5 " difference is not bringing in the real advantages of the FF system. The B string on my Dingwall is really unlike anything else I tried. Its not so much about thundering open B (or A) string, but the musicality it has even in the upper registers. I find myself using the B string on this bass a lot more on the 7-12 fret area because it does sound nice with lots of harmonic overtones.

[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1420500212' post='2650153'] I can try and talk you into it, if you like... solid maple wings, 3-piece maple neck with graphite rods, active EMG P/Js... just like the USA NS2! I'm more than happy with mine, it's great! [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/250322-nsd-new-spector-day-euro4-audio-file/"]http://basschat.co.u...ro4-audio-file/[/url] Look at it this way... you only need a Euro4 to complete the set! [/quote] Thanks! :-) I used to have a EURO4 EX with a poplar top. Liked that a lot, I think the Spector ergonomics shine the best on the 4 string NS models. But... I just did not use it at all. Seems like all the projects I have been part of in the last 8 years require a B string so I have given up on 4 string basses. Every now and then I get one, like that EURO4 or a Fender Jazz or such, but after a while I come to my senses and sell it to someone who actually uses it. I need to feel like a given instrument is getting used otherwise why having it? I'm not a collector type of a person. This is the reason my EURO6 is for sale as well. That being said I'm sure that at some point I'll have one again and put a drop tuner on it for drop D tuning. Spectors sound like nothing else and the 4 string PJ's do sound different that the 5's with the EMG DC's.

Great bass you have there. I always thinking about getting a EURO4, but talk myself out of it. I'm really happy with my EURO5 and don't use my EURO6 so this shows I have the right Spector with the five strings.