Ibanez SR200 TR Bass Guitar - Transparent Red

I've been playing guitar and bass since the late '80s. During that time basses have come and gone from most every price range. I was looking for a cheap backup beater when I bought this one. The reviews made this bass out to be a decent player for its price. I can tell you this: if you are looking for a good budget bass, this is one bass you should absolutely consider! It is by no means a heavyweight instrument intended for constant thrashing beatings, but it is a nice and easy on these old shoulders. The build quality is quite good considering the price. The frets are level with no sharp ends. The stock tuners do hold tune well. The pickups are decent (not great), but the active tone boost does add a lot more punch. Now, as with most guitars and basses, you will ... MoreI've been playing guitar and bass since the late '80s. During that time basses have come and gone from most every price range. I was looking for a cheap backup beater when I bought this one. The reviews made this bass out to be a decent player for its price. I can tell you this: if you are looking for a good budget bass, this is one bass you should absolutely consider! It is by no means a heavyweight instrument intended for constant thrashing beatings, but it is a nice and easy on these old shoulders. The build quality is quite good considering the price. The frets are level with no sharp ends. The stock tuners do hold tune well. The pickups are decent (not great), but the active tone boost does add a lot more punch. Now, as with most guitars and basses, you will likely need to adjust the bridge and truss rod a bit (to set the intonation and to set the action to your preference. This bass is my backup for any live work and gets regular use at home for practice and demo recording. In summary, grab one of these and you won't be disappointed!

10/10 Price/Quality Ratio

I am a guitarist and bought this instrument to widen the reach of my fingers and also to practice slap style playing. Actually, I started from playing a bass guitar and this is the first bass guitar that I bought myself (I ussually borrow from friends). Before buying this instrument, I spent weeeeks listening to demos and reviews of different bass guitars in this price range and finally found this one! I tried 4-string basses before and I wanted to experience something different so I purchased this 5 string. Upon receiving it, I was overwhelmed with the quality of the finish. The walnut finish looks really great! The body-neck balance feels great. Though its lightweight, the sound is huge! The tuners always stays in tune so no need to frequently tune. The fretworks ... MoreI am a guitarist and bought this instrument to widen the reach of my fingers and also to practice slap style playing. Actually, I started from playing a bass guitar and this is the first bass guitar that I bought myself (I ussually borrow from friends). Before buying this instrument, I spent weeeeks listening to demos and reviews of different bass guitars in this price range and finally found this one! I tried 4-string basses before and I wanted to experience something different so I purchased this 5 string. Upon receiving it, I was overwhelmed with the quality of the finish. The walnut finish looks really great! The body-neck balance feels great. Though its lightweight, the sound is huge! The tuners always stays in tune so no need to frequently tune. The fretworks is nicely done and no sharp edges compared to other instrument in this price range. The bridge looks tight and durable. The passive pick-ups really sounds well and give extra punch when Phat II EQ is used. I highly recommend this bass guitar! It's 10/10 in price/quality ratio! I will definitely buy this guitar again in case of lost/damage.

Excellent bass

I spent a week researching my next bass after a 5 year hiatus from playing. I kept coming back to the GSR200. My last bass was a Fender, which was too heavy for me, and the bass before was a Yamaha, that was lightweight but cheap sounding. The GSR200 felt better in my hands at the store than the comparable Yami, and the Phat Bass EQ knob really brought the thing to life. I was plugged up to a Fender Rumble 40 and couldn't believe the sound. The walnut finish floor model that I was playing was beautiful, but an extra 50 bucks. I asked to see a transparent red version, and it was love at first sight. It's gorgeous! A little darker than the pictures show, which I liked even better. The neck is thin and smooth. It has a little fret buzz due to so-so strings and an ABS ... MoreI spent a week researching my next bass after a 5 year hiatus from playing. I kept coming back to the GSR200. My last bass was a Fender, which was too heavy for me, and the bass before was a Yamaha, that was lightweight but cheap sounding. The GSR200 felt better in my hands at the store than the comparable Yami, and the Phat Bass EQ knob really brought the thing to life. I was plugged up to a Fender Rumble 40 and couldn't believe the sound. The walnut finish floor model that I was playing was beautiful, but an extra 50 bucks. I asked to see a transparent red version, and it was love at first sight. It's gorgeous! A little darker than the pictures show, which I liked even better. The neck is thin and smooth. It has a little fret buzz due to so-so strings and an ABS plastic nut, hence the 4 stars rating. It tuned perfectly out of the box though, and after 4 hours of playing, it still holds perfect. The pups are on the hotter side, and the Phat Bass really brings the low end up. Versatile with plenty of tone to choose from. I'm extremely pleased with this bass. It's also light weight and neutral balanced which is important for my back and shoulders. I'd definitely recommend this bass for beginners or someone looking for a budget model...you can't get a better bass for the money.

GSR200 bass

Ordered one of these (In Pearl White) because of a good experience with another one. Of course I had to do some set up to alleviate fret buzz, adjust neck, string height etc. Once it was set up to my liking and a fresh set of my gauge strings, this bass was ready for just about anything! I have used it for a couple of outdoor shows with medium and very large P.A support and the sound was very good overall. Through my stage amp, I was able to dial in a very usable sound quickly. The bass is very light weight .(Which helps those of us with back issues.) Yet is still able to get a decent tone. The bass I received was a newer model with a poplar body and a Jatoba fret board which still has the characteristics of rosewood (slightly lighter in color) with a hint of a ... MoreOrdered one of these (In Pearl White) because of a good experience with another one. Of course I had to do some set up to alleviate fret buzz, adjust neck, string height etc. Once it was set up to my liking and a fresh set of my gauge strings, this bass was ready for just about anything! I have used it for a couple of outdoor shows with medium and very large P.A support and the sound was very good overall. Through my stage amp, I was able to dial in a very usable sound quickly. The bass is very light weight .(Which helps those of us with back issues.) Yet is still able to get a decent tone. The bass I received was a newer model with a poplar body and a Jatoba fret board which still has the characteristics of rosewood (slightly lighter in color) with a hint of a maple type bite. Personally, I liked the overall sound with this particular fret board. Speaking of which, the fret board is very easy to play (when properly set up) with a smooth, fast neck.The electronics are decent enough although the "bass boost" knob should be used sparingly and judiciously just to add some deep flavor on occasion for certain styles. All in all, a pretty decent machine that can easily be used by beginners and seasoned pro's (ok, it won't match up with a "boutique bass" by any means but still a very usable product!) Very good value for the price!

Highly recommended for beginners and intermediate players!

Features: It has a nice weathered finish and 22 frets, Aghatis body and a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. The bass is very solid for it's price and even though I treat it roughly, there's not a spot on the finish. The bridge is good for the price, though the G string gets out of tune quite often. The bass features 2 pickups, one J-style and one P-style, both active, and along with the 2 volume pots it has an additional treble and bass boost pots, which gives it a great variety of tones. Overall it's pretty decent as a budget bass. // 8Sound: I play lots of different genres, from funk to thrash, but I tend to lean towards the heavier stuff. The neck pickup is great for the heavier lines, especially when using a pick. The bridge pickup has a wonderful, sharp ... MoreFeatures: It has a nice weathered finish and 22 frets, Aghatis body and a maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard. The bass is very solid for it's price and even though I treat it roughly, there's not a spot on the finish. The bridge is good for the price, though the G string gets out of tune quite often. The bass features 2 pickups, one J-style and one P-style, both active, and along with the 2 volume pots it has an additional treble and bass boost pots, which gives it a great variety of tones. Overall it's pretty decent as a budget bass. // 8Sound: I play lots of different genres, from funk to thrash, but I tend to lean towards the heavier stuff. The neck pickup is great for the heavier lines, especially when using a pick. The bridge pickup has a wonderful, sharp tone. The ability to mix both pickups, along with the active boost, gives the user plenty of options sound-wise. I use both fingers and pick, rarely slap it though, and although the sound is decent, it really bugs me that it has a certain "volume jump" while playing, especially with fingers, and it can cut through a mix easily, which can be pretty annoying. I use a Laney RB3 Richter Bass amp with it, and it really has a nice punch while distorted, easily capable of playing Motorhead-style lines. // 7Action, Fit & Finish: The bass came with a nice setup, had no complaints there except for the action which was way too low. The guitar didn't have any major flaws besides the low action. The only thing that really annoyed me is the fact that the screws are virtually nailed in butter, and after a few days with a strap one of them just popped out. Worst part is that it happened to me while performing, and we had to stop so I could fix it. Still has some duct tape on the long horn of the guitar. But that aside, it's pretty well constructed. // 7Reliability & Durability: I've played it live a couple of times, jammed out in the HOT desert sun, and it withstood it like a rock. I jumped and went crazy with it and it just took it all without any scratch, so yeah, I think it's definitely capable of doing live performances. The hardware doesn't seem like it's going somewhere, overall it's solid and in decent shape even after years of abuse. The strap buttons, as I mentioned earlier, are the weakest link, and I advise you all to use them safely, perhaps even have them replace. I wouldn't use it in a gig without a backup just because of the strap button issue, but that aside, sure. The finish is really solid, I have my share of instruments and even some of the more pricey ones can't match this finish quality, it's really something else. // 8Overall Impression: I play mainly heavy metal, but sometimes play alt rock and some other similar genres and this baby can pretty much cover it all. I don't know if I could recommend it to any professional since I'm only an intermediate player but It's a wonderful instrument for beginners and intermediate players. I've been playing for 1.5 years, didn't even take one day off. I own one ESP LTD AX-104 and A Squier Modified Vintage Bass, but I'd never sell this one, probably because I'm way too sentimental about my instruments. I don't have any regrets buying it, it served (and is still serving) me well. If it was lost - no, I wouldn't buy a new one, probably because It's more of a beginner's bass whereas I'm already past that stage, but I'd look everywhere to find this one again. I love the fact that it has a lot of sound options, this makes it very versatile, which is what I need. //8

My go-to practice bass

I love my cute little Ibanez - it feels much more compact and lighter than your typical bass. Action feels good and the satin finish on the neck makes it really comfortable to play. I bought mine in store as the last one in stock at the time and I think it may have been lingering in the stock room for a while or something as the strings weren't in the best condition, but a quick swap for some EB hybrid slinkies and all good. I also want to note that the staff in the store were really nice and very helpful. I'll definitely be back before too long.

Nice Bass Guitar

Pretty amazing guitar for this price. I like the way the wood grain shows through the finish. The neck feels nice and the matte finish doesn't stick to your hand. Setup was good on action and intonation but I did tweak it a little. No protruding frets from the fingerboard and smooth match between the fretboard and the neck. Pickups are adequate...you would pay another $200 for the really good pickups but these are fine for me. Stock strings were unevenly wound. If you look at them with a loupe you can see how the winding diameter varies with every other wrap. I replaced those with another set of wound strings and that issue is solved. Had to tighten two of the machine head hex collars to stop some washer rattle...nothing serious. I have paid 6 times more for a ... MorePretty amazing guitar for this price. I like the way the wood grain shows through the finish. The neck feels nice and the matte finish doesn't stick to your hand. Setup was good on action and intonation but I did tweak it a little. No protruding frets from the fingerboard and smooth match between the fretboard and the neck. Pickups are adequate...you would pay another $200 for the really good pickups but these are fine for me. Stock strings were unevenly wound. If you look at them with a loupe you can see how the winding diameter varies with every other wrap. I replaced those with another set of wound strings and that issue is solved. Had to tighten two of the machine head hex collars to stop some washer rattle...nothing serious. I have paid 6 times more for a guitar that had more things to tweak than this one. This bass does meet my expectations. Can't complain and it works for me!

Super quality bass for the beginner and intermediate bass player.

The Ibanez GSR 200 is one of the best "bang for your buck" basses on the market. They are made with excellent quality, lightweight wood, agathis, maple, rosewood. The onboard P/J pickups and electronics sound good. They play good out of the box but they play excellently if set up by a guitar tech. These were choice basses for many of the bass players supporting MWR tours. Musicians would take Ibanez GRS 200 basses on tour and raffle them off to service members on the last gig.

Yes

Great sound, STAYS IN TUNE!. I changed the strings and use use thicker gauge super slinky. Overall it has a great feel. When I received it a few nuts amd screws needed slight tightening. After going through the whole guitar including separation of body and neck all has been well. It is a great bass beginner or not. The plastic knobs are kind of cheap, the tuners and neck are solid and heavy duty. I would recommend this Bass to anyone from beginner to Pro. The one and only reason I dont give it 5 stars is the need for a battery as the pickups are active. I prefer passive with amplification. The battery cover I removed and now hold the battery in with a custom wedge. Overall great guitar.

remarkably good value

I've been familiar with Ibanez instruments for decades, and owned one in my college days. After an accident recovery and 20 years of not being able to play bass, I recently decided to take up playing again. I anticipated a low budget instrument, with all the normal flaws associated - but this surprised me. The body is lovely, and although not exceptionally weighty, it's heavy enough to give great tone and sustain. Frets are nicely inlaid, and free from chatter. In fact, aside from a very slight intonation adjustment on the G string, this instrument plays as well as some much more expensive bodies. The active bass boost is a bit of a gimmick, but tone is quite diverse and dynamic. Tone tends toward being very bright, but it easy to attenuate. All together satisfied.