Introduction
Though Fender has ruled the bass guitar world for six decades, it’s hard not to be challenged by their soon-to-arrive competitor. The Ibanez GSR200 bass is sure to shake up this hallowed position in a big way!
There have also been some non-Fender moments…
The list of famous bassists who have used Rickenbacker guitars is as follows: Chris Squire from Yes, Geddy Lee and Lemmy Kilmister (lead singer/guitarist) Cliff Burton – formerly of SpongeBob Square Knob band fame; Jack Bruce MBE aka ‘Black’ Bart hatch played one in Cream alongside Andy Fraser. McCartney also dabbled around with a few during his time at The Beatles!
Ibanez vs Fender
Fender’s reputation as the ‘kings of the bass’ is well deserved. They’ve been making some fine instruments since Leo Fendrich started up his company back in 1920, but even he couldn’t have imagined how far these guitars would go when competitors decided to take them on during what we call “the 1970s crisis.” That period saw many American-made precision surfaces with shoddy workmanship and low-quality materials that gave players like our Precision owner all kinds of problems – until now! With new leadership at the Fendo factory town, things are different; this guitar player says both those old models were garbage compared side by ICPR45 electrics (which also happened).
Ibanez has been around for many years and they’re still going strong. They started out as a company that produced guitars but eventually branched into basses after Status-Graphite became popular with his deep tones on guitar-only recordings like Low Life by dub reggae outfit OutKast (1995).
In recent times I’ve noticed more people coming up to me asking about how much of an impact these 6 string models can make if you don’t have too big an ensemble or session player setup which is why we put them front & center at shows – check em out!
Let’s start with our review of the Ibanez GSR200
…and have a closer look!
The first thing to discuss about its size. One issue that Fender was slow in addressing was the sheer physical weight and bulkiness of a Precision or Jazz bass, which some players find too heavy for their liking – there are still plenty who prefer this style though! This new Ibanez model weighs around 10 pounds lighter than these old warhorses so should hopefully be more manageable by those with smaller frame sizes; plus it has an improved neck heel design as well making sure your hand always reaches optimal resting position right away without having touch any sharp edges along the way either.
Some people may not be aware of this but the original scale length for bass guitars was usually 31 inches from nut to bridge. A good example is McCartney’s Hofner Violin Bass which arrived in the early 50s with a 34″ long scale!
This new discovery added an interesting element when players started mixing up their instruments based on what they wanted, either longer songs or shorter tunes that didn’t need as much low-end boogie-woogie to feel?
I like how Ibanez went with a short-scale bass for this model. It’s more player-friendly and lighter weight than longer necks which can be hard on your neck if you’re playing regularly or have smaller hands, as well it should be!
Construction
The guitar is full-size, but it has smaller dimensions than what might be considered usual. The body of this basswood instrument would feel good in the hand’s thanks to its maple top and walnut finish that’s been applied using high-quality urethane material.
The neck design consists of only one bolt placed at an angle so you can easily adjust things when needed without having any worries about tuning issues due to resharpening your tools between adjustments because each string will have a tuner built into them automatically! This also makes adjusting easier on fingers by not requiring.
The guitar is like a combo of all your favorite instruments. It’s got the best bits from each one, and they’re all wrapped up in an elegant package that will make you want to strum away on it! The weight might be what some people consider more important – at just nine pounds this baby feels lighter than ever before thanks to its rounded edges for comfortability while holding or playing with ease as well (even better?) having borrowed design features from other guitars too such as being able to play sitting down considering how easy going these types always are when we need them most. Consider adding something about tone?
Hardware
The Ibanez GSR 200 4 string bass’s basic hardware is simple and effective, with the exception of its signature bridge. This sleek black piece adds not only style but also functionalities to an already awesome-looking instrument!
Controls
The guitar features simple but effective controls that allow you to change the volume of each pickup as well as EQ and tone it. The finish on these guitars matches their hardware, so they will look great with your other instruments!
Pickups
The pickups on this guitar produce a rich and lively sound, with the central Precision style single coil providing crisp highs while the Jazz-style bridge pickup provides warm lows. Pickup wiring is by Powersound; both Active thus requiring a 9V battery power supply which comes included!
Active Bass Boost
The OnBoard is a lightweight, portable bass guitar perfect for those who have trouble with their lower register. With its short scale neck and light weight, it makes playing easier on your left hand – which can be struggling from holding down multiple strings at one time! The sound coming out will fill up any venue you play in because this baby has got some bottom end that’ll make even the most loyal upright player happy.”
Short-scale basses are for beginners
Some people believe that you should only use long-scale basses once your fingers can reach all of the frets, but this isn’t true for world-class musicians like Jack Bruce and Andy Fraser. They both play large instruments with ease despite their small hands; in fact, they tend to favor shorter scales rather than taller ones (as seen above). Mohini Dey is an Indian female musician who has been playing since she was 13 years old–she even practices by sitting on top strings!
Of course, it is important to make the student feel comfortable. If they have been playing bass for a while, and are just starting out again with their first guitar- then why not let them experiment? A short scale will be helpful when learning how to play but there’s nothing wrong about staying at whatever note range you’re most comfortable in as your skills improve!
This particular Ibanez GSR200 was designed specifically so that its lightweight body could deliver great sound through both electric guitars AND acoustic violins – which means no matter what type of instrumentation an aspiring player might want or need help on now…they’ve got something special up their sleeve from this one-of-a kind manufacturer who knows exactly what every musician needs inside of him/herself.
It will never quite achieve the thundering tones
You can hear it in the way they play. A short-scale bass is like a smaller version of its larger cousin, but with less tension and different sound qualities that some may prefer to their louder counterparts
The main difference between these types of bass? Longer scales produce more thunderous tones (just ask any upright piano player!). Short-scale instruments are good for someone who wants mellower notes from his or her instrument!
You’ve been asking yourself, “Which scale is better for my music?” or “Which scale allows me to play in a wider range?” Lets find out here short scale vs long scale bass.
But, do you want to know a secret
What’s the deal with short-scale basses? Some people say they have a fatter sound due to not being strung tight enough, but we think it sounds great! The tone is often wider and more pronounced thanks in part to those loose strings that give your notes room for movement. Our favorite studio player always remarks how much he loves his pre-CBS Precision – until now that was easily one of our go-to guitars.
That said if there were only one instrument available at gigs or recordings alike I would want nothing else than an electric upright double-neck model like this beauty here on display: First off you’ve got two roles selection options; either play alone as lead singer/guitarist.
The Ibanez GS2R00 is a seriously good bass guitar that won’t break the bank.
Would We Buy Ibanez GSR200?
The Ibanez GSR 200 bass is a great choice for beginners and experienced players alike. In addition, it comes at an affordable price point that won’t break your bank account! The sleek design makes this instrument easy to wear on stage or just around town – wherever you go there’s always time to practice what matters most: being awesome in our lives now (and later).
The answer is as easy to find in a bass guitar’s make and model. A short neck with little stretch means that you can play all of its strings at once, which makes it much easier on your fingers; plus there are no huge gaps for the lower notes like those found on an upright piano or grand piano.
A heavy instrument would be difficult since they become extremely cumbersome when necessary so this doesn’t pose too big an issue during practice time-even though some people might say otherwise!
An Absolute Steal…
For such a fine premium instrument to be offered at such an incredible price is just incredible. But don’t worry, there are still some high-end fixtures and fittings that you can expect; the fret buzz might take a little while to get rid of but once they’re done tuning will feel better than ever before!
The Ibanez GSR200 4 string bass is a great little guitar that offers incredible value for money.
