Ibanez SR605 / Yamaha TRB1005 opinions

[Freddie75]

Hi guys,

So I've whittled my first 5 string down to these 2 basses.

I'm after opinions from players who have owned one or both of these from playability and sound/tone perspective.

I believe the Yamaha is a 35" Scale and I prefer a 34" Scale so I'm leaning more towards the Ibanez although I've never heard one in the flesh nor can really try one out so it would be a blind purchase.

I play Funk/Dance/soul/R&B with occasional slap - so would the Ibanez cut the mustard tonewise?

Or should I deal with the 35" scale yamaha if it is in a different league?

Many thanks
Freddie

[Len_derby]

Hi Freddy,
I have a Yamaha TRB 5, never played an ibanez.
The Yammy is indeed 35". I also use a Warwick Corvette 5 and a MiM Fender Jazz 5, that are both 34".
I can honestly say that the extra inch on the Yammy makes no perceptible difference.

Someone (Raslee I think) has a Yamaha 5 for sale on the For Sale bit of this forum. I'd buy it if I didn't have one already.

[skej21]

I have the SR605 and it's fantastic for the price. Lightweight, looks great, Preamp/Pickups are very versatile and easy to use. My only reservation in recommending it is that I don't play a lot of slap and I've heard that some people think the 16.5mm string spacing on the SR605 is too tight for slap. This might put you off. I actually really like Yamaha stuff too but find them to be a bit on the heavy side and usually have chunkier neck profiles than I like.

I bought my SR605 to experiment with a few things on something not too expensive with the intention of commissioning a build if it worked. The SR605 handled my farting about very nicely and led to me commissioning an ACG build. My intention was to move on the SR605 when the ACG is finished but I've been so impressed with the quality, playability and feel of the SR605, I'm actually considering just keeping it and upgrading the electronics with some Aguilar DCB pickups and a OBP-3 pre. That's how much I love it!!

Edited March 27, 2016 by skej21

[BassBus]

I can only speak from my own experience of both Yamaha and Ibanez basses but not these models. I have had a Yamaha TRB6II in the past and an Ibanez GWB35. What you will also have to consider are the neck dimensions and string spacing. Ibanez usually have 16.5mm spacing on their 5s whereas the string spacing on the TRB will probably be nearer 19mm. Ibanez have very thin necks, about 19mm at first fret. My Yamaha was deeper still.

[therealting]

I have an Ibanez SRFF806 and a Yamaha TRB6 Mk I, and they are polar opposites in terms of spacing and feel... it's actually kind of weird to have those as the two you have narrowed it down to! It's kind of like "I have narrowed things down to a Lotus Elise or a Land Rover, which is better?"

Edited March 27, 2016 by therealting

[jammys]

Ive only owned and played the TRB1005. Bought like you, as my 1st go on a fiver. It has a really big body and is quite heavy and for that reason it didnt last very long. Tonally it has a really wide scope, with pedals and different amp settings it can do pretty much anything.

Edited March 27, 2016 by jammys

[JimBobTTD]

This just came up on my eBay feed

http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Ibanez-SR905-5-string-Active-Bass-Guitar-Thru-neck-Wine-Red-/121935495774?

If it stays around that price level, then it is a serious bargain. Furthermore, it looks [u][i]the sex[/i][/u].

[cocco]

I have the SR605. It's a lovely thing. Super easy to play, action out of the box is amazing. Piano like tone, very even across all strings and the length of the fretboard. It really bats out of its league. It's incredibly comfortable to wear aswell.