Ibanez SRFF805 Bass Guitar Review – When Art Meets Function

Body And Neck:
Electronics:
Hardware:
Sound:
Value:

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When you think of Ibanez through the prism of bass guitars, you are probably imagining their affordable models. After all, those are the ones that have established a large portion of this brand's reputation. With that said, Ibanez also produces some of the most refined bass guitars in the top tier portion of the market. One such model that caught our eye is the Ibanez SRFF805. It's pretty unique in shape and style, but the performance is something we are used to and expect to see from Ibanez. Check out other models that bring this level of quality in our special piece that deals with awesome 5 string models.

Body & Neck

The body shape of the Ibanez SRFF805 is something it shares with the rest of the SR family of bass guitars. However, the tonewood they have chosen for this particular model is ash. Ibanez SRFF805 only comes with one finish available, and that is Black Stained. Speaking of which, it gives the whole bass a somewhat eery vibe. Neck is a five piece jatoba/bubinga design with a fretboard adjusted for fanned design. That means multiple scales and medium frets.

Hardware

Since this is a fanned bass, the bridge is a special mono-rail V bridge that comes with five fully adjustable saddles adjusted for different scale length. .On the other end of the business, you will find a set of five Ibanez tuning machines which offer great performance and quality. For a rather unusual design of Ibanez SRFF805, hardware works perfectly.

Electronics

There are two reasons why electronics on this particular Ibanez is just impressive. First, you get two Bartolini BH1 pickups adjusted for fanned layout. Second, the controls include a Master Volume, Blend and three band EQ. However, you also get EQ bypass switch along with three way Mid Frequency selector. That is a whole lot of tone shaping on your bass guitar alone. Needless to say, versatility is through the roof on Ibanez SRFF805.

Sound

In terms of sound, you are looking at a chamelleon that can adapt to any situation or music genre. The only signature feature of the sound this bass guitar produces is that high output vibe that is present with all active bass guitars. There is loads of definition that can be adjusted along with rich frequency range to play with. By changing the base mid frequency, you technically get two additional dimensions of tone to work with. Ibanez SRFF805 is simply incredible in terms of tone and tone control.

Conclusion

Ibanez is the type of brand that will always make sure that you get what you paid for, and then some. SRFF805 is packed to the brim with features which allow it to reach the level of performance it is known for. Fanned out design might look like it's a pain to adapt to, but give yourself 20 minutes with this bass and you will think otherwise. Overall, this is by far one of the best bass guitars you can grab for less than a grand, and it is definitely the type of bass to use for professional work.

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