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Ibanez SRX2EX2
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White body with black trim and hardware -
Bound basswood body, 3-piece maple neck, Rosewood fretboard, 24 medium frets, Matching headstock -
34" scale -
Dual humbucking pickups, 2-band Active EQ
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Searched Ibanez SRX2EX2 in Reviews
Great First Bass 
| Sound |
I'm a guitar player but I needed a bass for some home recordings. I wanted something that was capable of a variety of sounds, not too expensive but not a beginner/starter instrument. I found this on sale and it was great. I love the active EQ because it allows me to get a variety of bass tones out of it. Besides the 2 band EQ, there is a blend knob for the two humbuckers that gives even greater versatility. I play mostly rock oriented music and it has great low end thump. Notes are tight and defined with great spank. A simple twist of the knob and things get woolly and round for more jazzy tones that are soft and mellow. The pickups grab harmonics very well, both natural and plucked. There is great definition when playing 2-3 note harmonies. Being a noodling guitar player, I like that it has a full 2 octaves (24 frets) for when I feel like playing a guitar solo on bass. This was a big perk for me over I play this with Crate and Gallien Kruger amps in 1X15 and 4X10 combinations.
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| Action, Fit, & Finish |
One reason I chose this bass is because of the thin neck and low action. It felt great in my hands, guitar player here so not used to really wide necks. A bass playing friend of mine wasn't as thrilled by it but he loves really beefy necks and high action, so to each their own. I could set mine up with higher action if I wanted. Cosmetics are classy. I have the white with black trim and it looks good. The finish has a blemish or two but nothing major and all purely cosmetic. It's light on the body, basswood, and a good player. The neck is smooth and silky, not glossed, with a smooth grain rosewood fingerboard. Being a noodling guitar player, I like that it has a full 2 octaves (24 frets) for when I feel like playing a guitar solo on bass. This was a big perk for me over the 19-22 fret starter basses only a few dollars less.
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| Reliability & Durability |
So far so good. I've had it for 2 years now and played it out a few times when duties required me to wear that hat. You just have to remember to change the battery when things start to sound a bit "off." That said, the battery life is pretty good when you remember to unplug the chord from it when not playing. I do and have gone through maybe 2 or 3 batteries over the past 2 years. I've had to do some tweaking of the neck with weather changes but otherwise, it's been a breeze to care for. I would gig without a back-up but I'd bring an extra battery and set of strings, just in case.
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| Customer Support |
N/A
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| Liked about it |
1. Variety of tones between the EQ and the pickup blend knobs.
2. Thin neck with ability to get reasonably low action - great for me since I'm not a regular bassist.
3. Lightweight - easy on the body when gigging or recording.
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| Didn't like |
1. Battery hatch requires a screwdriver, not a simple pop-out battery compartment.
2. Strap buttons are small and need to be upgraded. I haven't dropped it yet, but I wouldn't just around with it without getting some larger buttons or strap-locks on it.
3. I got it on sale for $280, it does have significant feature upgrades over the $200 range of basses, but $350 might be a bit much for a novice or someone who doesn't have bass player aspirations.
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| Overall satisfaction: |
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4.0 |
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