Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

New 2018 Ibanez SRMS806 - anyone tried one yet?


visog
 Share

Recommended Posts

I owned the SRFF806 for a while which is similar. I’m very used to fanned frets (I own a Dingwalls Super P5 and Super J5), liked the scale and overall thought it was an excellent bass for the money, but the neck was too thin for me and I kept getting hand cramps when I played it so it had to go. I would love one with a slightly thicker neck. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hand-cramps! That's not good... so sounds like 'trying before you buy' essential. I thought the slant frets were supposed to be more ergonomic as well as giving better sound definition. Anyway, here's Anderton's take on the basses...

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 5 months later...

I had the 5-string of this for a while. It was great but I sold it on relatively quick. For what it's worth the fanned fret neck was a dream to play, it really does work, and in the dark burled finish it looked stunning. I just couldn't get on with the tone...too thin and snappy. The fingerboard on it is some exotic tonewood that looked absolutely striking but was just too bright in tandem with everything else.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I had the older SRFF 5 string, and the neck was good but for me it was also the pickup, just too dull. I looked into getting some nordstrands for it, but they were £300 as a custom thing, which seemed too much for an instrument at that cost. Those new ones look loads better, but it looks like the same pickup to me.

Funnily enough the same problem I had with the dingwall too (except I dind't look into replacing the pickup, which maybe I should).

I liked the necks on all of them though, the dingwall had the better neck as although it was stupidly wide, it was very flat, and that seemed to help.

I tried the SRFF806 at one point, but the neck was too wide to even go there, which is the problem with most 6 strings

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The fan fret bass design wasn't about being any more 'playable' than it's parallel fret cousin. Ergonomics was secondary to the original design goals. A side-effect, if you will, that some will see as either a benefit or detriment to the design.

Incidentally, not all fan fret instruments are the same. It is possible to adjust the fret slant angle across the strings as well as the amount of scale length difference between strings. The two of course work together and drastically change the playability of an FF instrument. I think Dingwall have it bang on actually. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

32 minutes ago, ForestPoetry said:

I had the 5-string of this for a while. It was great but I sold it on relatively quick. For what it's worth the fanned fret neck was a dream to play, it really does work, and in the dark burled finish it looked stunning. I just couldn't get on with the tone...too thin and snappy. The fingerboard on it is some exotic tonewood that looked absolutely striking but was just too bright in tandem with everything else.

That's always the issue with Ibanez. They look great, play very well, have comfortable necks, aren't too heavy and... have bad electronics. Those Bartolini Mk1 pickups they put in everything are dreadful. The higher end ones that come with Nordstrands or Aguilars always sound 100% better. 

The best Ibby I ever played was a cheap-ish SR505 with a set of Delanos and an OBP-3 installed. The thing sounded massive, chunky with a Warwick-esque woody bite, nothing like the middly, twangy tone you hear from stock 505s. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 6 months later...

I’ve just bought one!

I wanted to try out a six string, with fanned frets. Got it at Dawson’s in Reading. ( bit like PMT’s ) Good store, got the bass down from Manchester just so I could try it. The one that they had has got really good wood on it, and plays very well, so I bought it. Getting on with it ok. I’m only a “home” player, and like playing bass chords, and more than just rhythm!

Mike

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I actually picked up the one that was for sale on here. For the price I paid I feel that I’ve ended up with an extremely capable bass. I was actually looking for a parallel fret bass to pair with my Shuker 6. (16.5mm string spacing, slim neck and curvey body) but I couldn’t resist when one came up. My friend and fellow bass geek is a massive Ibanez bass fan and collector. I spoke to him about these and he had nothing but good to say, often using his for live TV shows. So, given that it’s difficult to just try gear out, well, the rest is history. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

 Share

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...