Ibanez Portamento SRF705 Review

I tried to make this bass guitar review as thorough at possible. I might be making a couple more follow up videos, especially if I do end up adjusting the truss rod and string action.
Just about a month ago Ibanez released the amazing looking Portamento from their Workshop line-up. It comes with two perfectly tuned twin coil Bartolini MK1 pickups. A super long scale fretboard, 2.5 octave! This fretless growls and plays smooth like butter, just like any other premium SR model bass, which the Portamento is based off of. It comes with a beautiful 5 piece neck, which is a thru-construction. Also, probably making it the most unique, is the Aero-Silk Piezo system. Adding a sort of "Upright Double Bass" tone to the overall already good sound of the bass. I guess it was designed for bass players who play both, electric and upright basses.
I think Ibanez have done a great job, I hope they keep this model in production and maybe even give it some upgrades in the future.
Please enjoy the video and don't forget to comment, like, and subscribe to my channel.
Link to sound and tone video of this bass: • Ibanez Portamento - Pi...
Link to bass guitar: amzn.to/32g4p9A

[@JamaisMEC]

That's one of the best-sounding fretless axes I've heard many, many years. Thank you for the demo.

[@bongosock]

So I recently bought this bass, and one of the deciding factors was how good it looked in your hands, under the lighting in your room. It's a damn sexy bass! Thanks for the vid :)

[@oldsaltshippers]

Thanks for the great review as I've been thinking about getting a 5 string fretless for a while & this has certainly made the Ibanez a contender - cheers.

[@SrChalice]

Excellent job man, this is how you review stuff. very informative, holy holy i love it

[@SoMyungJung]

Bass playing at 13:11

[@EricMiller630]

I've had my SRF706 for almost a year now and it's a beast of an instrument. I did however buy a "scratch and dent", which upon arrival did not have a fully functional bridge pick. I used the Piezo and neck pickups for the longest time. I finally bought a replacement bridge pickup. During the swap I discovered that my SRF706 had a four string bridge pickup which is why it never picked up the Low B and High C strings. How this got past any form of QC, I'll never know

[@YevZakharov]

That’s terrible QC, but I think that’s been the trajectory of Ibanez for the past 15 years... I’m glad you figured out the PU problem! That would have driven me insane.

[@davidnilles3117]

Great video. I learned so much about the Portamento, It sounds incredible and I’m practically sold on it. Very informative info. And, you play really well. Thanks for the video. 👍👏

[@Scarred-lp7in]

@9:03 - The difference between Magnetic & Piezo Pickups. Magnetic pickups contain a permanent magnetic core consisting of generally Ceramic or Alnico (a combination of ores in the Iron family: ALuminium, NIckel & CObalt ) which is wrapped by thousands of turns of extremely thin Copper wire. This Magnet/Copper Wiring combination creates a magnetic field, and when played the motion of the vibrating metallic strings disturbs the field. The changing magnetic flux induces a voltage in the coil and the changing magnetic flux induces a voltage in the coil. The magnetic flux becoming different notes is due to the different vibrations wherever a note can and will be played in such a large area as a guitar or bass neck. This signal is then carried to amplification or recording equipment via a cable. This is why non-metallic strings such as an Upright Bass' "Gut Strings" cannot be used on a Bass with general metallic pickups - there are no metals in the string to disturbs the field nor change the magnetic flux which produces the different notes. There are huge differing amounts of magnetic pickups available based on the different type of magnets used in their construction, the amount of copper wire used wrapped around the magnet "core", and hundreds to thousands of combinations between those and other factors. A Piezo Pickup, on the other hand, has not a thing to do with the "traditional magnetics" of an Electric Guitar's pickups: it's sometimes referred to as a "Pressure Sensor". Imbedded in the saddle of an Acoustic Guitar's bridge, or the multiple saddles of an Electric Guitar's fixed or tremolo bridge are crystals, or as one central "pickup" usually mounted on the inside of an Acoustic Guitar's body. These various types of pickups (some singular, some multiple and able to be chosen at will, and some multiple and summed into a single source can convert the vibrations in the bridge in Electric instruments, or body on Acoustic instruments into electronic signals, or even combinations of other types of pickups such as magnetic (there are multiple Electric Guitars that contain both Electric Pickups as well as Piezo Pickups that are often used as a fairly realistic "Acoustic Guitar" substitution when the latter is not possible to use at that time & place. Electric Basses can also use Piezo Pickups alone on an "Acoustic-Electric Bass Guitar" as a means of amplification when others such as a microphone would be obtrusive, on the far smaller, lighter, and infinitely easier/safer to transport "Electric-Acoustic Uprights" that use Piezo Pickups alone or in concert to "simulate" the fragile and huge "Doghouses" that Acoustic Double Basses have been call (even by those who love them and lives revolve around them... ;-) or as a part of the Bridge in Electric Basses, somewhat like their Guitar cousins uses but intending to simulate Upright Basses, to bring more clarity in certain sonic areas (notably the midrange and high-end) than magnetic pickups might not be able to give. Hope this is of help: I tried to give not just one-or-two sentence answers, but to work Real Life examples and uses to make the examples be more clear and not simply a dictionary or wiki entry. And thanks for a precise, well-thought-out and played Instrument Review!

[@videomaniac108]

Scarred2112 Thanks for the info, interesting and informative. I might add, for those who might be interested, that the output of a magnetic pickup is proportional to the speed(or frequency) of the vibrating string, because the induced voltage is proportional the the rate of change of the magnetic flux(Faraday's Law of induction). The voltage output of a piezoelectric crystal is proportional to the strain(displacement) of the crystal which in turn is proportional to the stress(force) on the crystal. The force varies as the square of the frequency. The end result of this is that the higher frequency harmonics are not attenuated as sharply with pizeo pickups as with magnetic pickups, hence the greater high-frequency detail with the pizza pickups. Optical pickups(Lightwave basses) are the exact opposite of pizeo pickups and have their greatest output at the lowest frequencies.

[@loren7570]

Very nice review and playing! I just got the 4 string version of this bass. I think I would like full lines, but so far, it's a keeper!!

[@YevZakharov]

Really glad you've acquired one! I love mine, I think I'm going to out some round wounds on it though, DR Sunbeams.

[@RDog4484]

That has the perfect fretless tone.

[@JohannesRamirez]

Just pick up a 5 string. First time on a fretless and I was grooving. I did not find that the lines on the fretboard were necessary. The tone is so clear i just play from note to note with each tone exactly where you would expect it to be. I do check the dots on the side of the neck when I transition up or down the fretboard. But the fear I had, which most would likely share of having to play and practice for months to get a decent sound was unfounded. Ibanez did their homework and setup my bass perfectly right out of the box. Like most I always adjust all my basses and guitars to suit my tastes, but this was the first one I have yet to find a dead zone or unwanted fretboard noise. I have increased the volume on the Aero-Silk Piezo Pickups. But that was a simple turn of the screw on the back to meet my individual taste. With either full Piezo or adding the Bartolini MK-1's this bass gives you so many choices that I only play my Fretted 5 string when I desire a more heavy metal, Rock sound. Thanks for a great Review. You video inspired me to take a chance, which has paid off with renewed love for playing Bass and increased range of tones available. Anyone on the fence should give one a try. But as noted in the Video unfortunately you still probably have to buy one to test it out. There are none available for demo in Southern California, just like most places around the world. Cheers and thanks. Keep uploading content. I'm a fan!

[@illegalelbowradio]

sounds awesome!! im definitely getting into piezo pick up sound!! Impressive!

[@YevZakharov]

Yep! I'm actually about to throw on some round wound DR Sunbeams!

[@knotchbass]

Nice playing and review Bro. I found one of these at a pawn shop for $600 guess I will have to go back and get it.

[@cgcgce]

THANKS Yev for your answering all my questions,I placed an order with my music shop for a SRF700 and since it's a Workshop specialty model, arrival date is Christmas!!!!

[@YevZakharov]

That's a very long wait!! I got mine immediately. But maybe that's because it was right when they released them. It's funny, the Portamento didn't get much marketing. Barely anyone knows of them, even people working at the music stores.

[@cgcgce]

LOL!!!................us fretless players are outcast freaks when it comes to bass............you should see peoples faces when I play a fretless at an audition or a jam, as soon as they hear some fingerfunk with the mid's boosted a little you see the smile on the guitarist's face.They all tell me how much easier it is for them to play lead with the fretless holding down a pattern.

[@YevZakharov]

Yes! People don't even know what the difference is, other than the missing frets. Spoke with a guy today at GC who told me "fretless is too simple and boring for me..." That was his reply to my question whether or not he's tried fretless. Man... what a boring "bass" player he was...

[@cgcgce]

SIMPLE AND BORING?!?!..........HA!!!!.......tell him to view your videos........YOU HAVE GREAT TONE AND MELODIC PLAYING WHILE STILL HOLDING DOWN THE GROOVE WHICH IS A BASS PLAYERS MAIN JOB.

[@sebradfield]

Based on your videos and others, I just picked one of these up So far, I love it, especially since I got it for a nice discount. Seeing the speculation and hopes from three years ago, it's nice to know now that Ibanez came through and now have a six-string version. I can't afford it, but it's there for someone who can. I'll be trying mine out at a gig Sunday. After that I'll be putting tapewounds on it.

[@YevZakharov]

Glad the video helped! So did you buy a 5 string?

[@sebradfield]

Yep. I had to have that low B. I found someone offering a nice discount, and the 6 is brand new so there won't be deal like the one I got for another couple of years. I thought about the Aerium, with its semi-hollow body but I'm a sucker for neck-through designs. I'm still experimenting, learning what those three pickups can do. I do have one question though. I notice that when you're running just the piezo pickup the chart you put up says the bass EQ is set at 50%. It's my understanding that those EQs only affect the magnetic pickups. I tried fiddling with them with just the piezo on and they didn't make any difference. Is that correct or am I missing something?

[@smollande]

Dude your demo blew me away. I loved that soft rock style! Any bands I should listen to if I want to learn to play fretles like that?

[@YevZakharov]

Honestly I'm not sure which bands have that tone, especially with fretless. Tony Franklin is a good fretless player, you can check out some of his stuff.

[@smollande]

@@YevZakharov Thanks! I've always liked the sound of fretless bass with rock songs!

[@14fluffies]

I REALLY hope that Ibanez makes a 6-string version of this bass because I play 6-string basses and I want to get into fretless. With that said I would also be nice if the newer version had fret lines for newer fretless players like myself; if that were to happen in the future I would be all over it.

[@YevZakharov]

If the Portamento gets enough attention (financially) I think they will make a 6 string. Also, the fret marks on the edge of the board are like 90% efficient of what complete lines can do. I was worried slightly at first too, but somehow it's very easy to coordinate.

[@jayverkuilen5535]

Yevgeniy Zakharov I played one today. I've never played fretless before and the markers were awesome and totally sufficient. I had no trouble playing my way through So What, Song for My Father, All Blues, and All of Me.

[@YevZakharov]

Yes! I was intimidated at first but the solid rosewood board, but like you said, the tiny fret marks are more than enough! Lol, it also makes you look more sophisticated with no fret lines on the board ;D

[@Neurotripsicks]

They have one now. Its $999

[@crisdude]

Justa note: this bass's scale is regular 34inch but the fretboard is extended range from24 frets to 30 cheers

[@sbdreamin]

I totally want this bass. I recently got back into bass after years not playing, and purchased an SR800. I love the SR neck, but for some reason frets are annoying me. I hate the sound the string makes when it hits the frets. I think my soul is yearning for fretless... gonna get one of these! Thanks.

[@YevZakharov]

sbdreamin if you can afford it, it'll totally be worth it! I love this bass. Best fretless I've ever played, even Warwicks don't feel this smooth.

[@izzylazy2902]

Im in a serious thinking of getting one as my first music instrument to learn. It's exactly the sound that I have been looking for in the world of sounds. and have to mention it's fairly affordable.

[@YevZakharov]

It’s been 7-8 years now, and the bass is only getting better! I am still using the same DR Sunbeam strings as I was in my sound review video. They aged well and sound amazing.

[@izzylazy2902]

​@@YevZakharov Thanks for the reply..very useful to me. Im in China and I find someone is selling 5 strings secondhand, and tbh I dont have any music background Im thinking if a secondhand will do and 5 strings will do for a totally beginner. will 5 strings give serious hardtime than 4 strings? also Lots of people telling me fretless is really hard and they recommend me go from fretted. for me Im thinking its probably the same hard as it's all same new to me haha

[@izzylazy2902]

@@YevZakharov and also haha , I am very curious how it goes with slap... just wondering how it would sound like...

[@YevZakharov]

This fret less bass in particular is going to be a bit harder to play on because it doesn’t have full fret markers. But if you can learn to play this bass, you will be able to play anything. As for the slap bass, in my opinion, the slap on this fret less doesn’t sound very good. But that’s just my personal taste. If you want to learn slap bass, try an Ibanez fretted. Like the SR655

[@izzylazy2902]

@@YevZakharov Thanks for sharing your opinion. I have to get a fretless as I know that's what I want. and is there any amp recommendation for this bass? I've already made up my mind to get this bass, now the problem is the amp. I dont know if i could get an amp around USD500 which can work out at least some sound that won't make this bass tasteless.

[@RuudJeursen]

Many thanks Yev for this nice review. Truly love the sound from it. I was aiming for a GWB205, but seeing this I'm having second thoughts. Looks like I'm in for a tough discussing with myself, :-). I allready own a SR3005, which I truly love playing (got small hands too). Only thing that's worrying me a bit is the dot-"fret"-marks instead of the lines on de GWB205. Can you comment on the 'transistion"-proces? Any suggestions from you could help.

[@YevZakharov]

Hi Ruud! The Portamento has dots and lines that are on the top/side of the fretboard as you look at it while standing. The lines don't go over the entire fretboard but there are still there as markers. I went from a fret inlay fretless bass to this and had absolutely no problems getting used to it. The tiny fret lines on the side of the neck are plenty! Keep in mind, the Portamento has dot inlays and ALSO small fret line inlays.

[@RuudJeursen]

Thanks for your comment Yev. I took a little test on my SR3005: put some A4-paper over my fretboard so I could only see the top of the frets looking down on the neck, just too see if I could get used to this. It went very well!

[@lewis2207]

Hey man, excellent review. I absolutely love Ibanez basses and your review helped solidify my decision to get this bass... should be getting it in a few days. I was wondering if you learned more on how to adjust the piezo system on the back of the bass? Does it come adjusted out of the box? And how DO you actually adjust it? Thanks.

[@YevZakharov]

You don't have to adjust the piezo itself (which you access by taking off the back semi-circle plastic cover). It should be set from factory. You'll just have to mess with the volume and tone of it to get what you want. Unless you're very positive and an expert in that picks adjusting stuff. Also, check out my other 2 bids where I actually show 8 diff tone variations. One is with flat wound strings, and the other is with rounds. Hope it helps you get the idea you're looking for! Thanks!

[@TheUnQuake]

Did you buy the bass then?

[@lewis2207]

+Izak Ryssen I did and I ended up swapping it for the GWB 35 which I highly regret doing. This bass was phenomenal.

[@TheUnQuake]

Aviv Silverman Okay nice of you too reply too quickly. might i ask why you swapped?

[@Potarnul]

That is quite a beauty you have there

[@wesleymantooth1]

Good job dude

[@Idonious]

Hi, nice and thorough review! I've been a fretted bass player for just over 6 years and I'm looking to advance my appreciation of music and bass playing by hoping over to the fretless side. Would you recommend this bass for such a person? Even if the only fretless bass I've played was a Fender Jazz (that had fret markers) while I was visited a local music store..

[@YevZakharov]

As long as you do some research on how to play a fret less, and I mean like finger placement and such, then I'd say go for it! If you have 6 years in, there's no point buying a "practice fretless" and then spend more $ on a decent fretless. If the price is right for you, this bass might be great! It doesn't have fretlines on the fretboard but it does have small lines on the edge which are plenty sufficient. Good luck fellow bass player! Feel free to ask anything else!

[@Idonious]

Thank you! I have been watching a few videos and read articles on the differences between fretted and fretless. At first I thought I would go for a bass with fret lines as a "practice bass". However, I think a true fretless bass would be a greater challenge and therefore greater for my musicianship and ability to hear the notes. I'm from the UK, and I've seen varying prices for this bass ranging from close to £700 down to around £570. Cheers! If I happen to go for this bass then I'll be sure to record myself playing it and let you see how I get on! Thank you once again!

[@Idonious]

Yev Zakharov I've picked up an Ibanez 4 string portamento today! It's feels awesome to play, if somewhat odd for me being my first fretless bass. Just a quick question. What strings do you have on your bass in this video? I assume I have some flatwounds on mine, but it doesn't sounded quite as 'meaty' as yours does :S

[@YevZakharov]

In this video the strings are D'addario flatwounds. Most likely what yours came with since its factory strings. Mine may have sounded more meaty due to my mixing. I think I used a compressor in the mix. Otherwise it should be identical. However, I am currently using round wound strings. (Video with them is on channel) they sound better IMO.

[@Idonious]

Ok, cheers! I'm just getting used to the sound and feel of flatwounds then I guess. Don't roundwounds wreck the fingerboard though? Thank you!

[@djburton3609]

Very helpful my friend Thank you! Just what I wanted to hear haha

[@josephconnell9675]

Hi Yev, Thanks again for a great review of this bass! Since you did this video, have you ever had and need to do a set up? If so, how did you go about determining the right relief for the fretboard? Do you have any tips on doing a setup?

[@YevZakharov]

Joseph Connell I have not yet had to adjust the neck/truss rod. The action right now is very low on my bass. It gives me a slight string vibration, which I think makes the fretless growl sound better. I could probably get away with raising the action just a tiny bit, but so far so good.

[@LoFiBeats674]

How does it sound live? Noise ? Enough volume ? Thanks !

[@ChezzOnBass]

Oh there is a 6 string version

[@tillpoot6340]

I own an older btb and the neck is thicc

[@YevZakharov]

I’m trying to get my hands on the new BTB fretless. Interested to see how that neck feels. Been waiting in line for 3 months now

[@sherbetimage1520]

This was very helpful, thanks

[@mathewbeston]

Sounds great, can you do a clip in full piezo and no magnetics in an upright vibe? Maybe walk over some simple changes just to hear how it sounds in that role? Thanks!

[@YevZakharov]

Yea, I'll try to come up with a video that shows specifically the Piezo system and what sound difference it can make. I think I can come up with a decent Upright Double Bass tune. Thanks for requesting!

[@YevZakharov]

Hey man, just wanted to say that the review video for the diff tones of the bass is up! Check it out and let me know if it helps.

[@mathewbeston]

sounds great! thank you!

[@witzendoz]

According to the Ibanez web site the scale is 34" I know that the BTB series is 35" but SR is supposed to be 34" I am about to order one so I hope to clarify this.

[@YevZakharov]

Did I say 35” scale? I don’t remember to be honest. Usually SR’s are all 34” like you said.

[@witzendoz]

@@YevZakharov I'm sure I heard it in the commentary, by the way mine is on order now.

[@flyerscout2]

First great video. I just bought one. I am not as pleased as you. I think the passive preamp is awful. The volume knobs are heavy handed. They almost ace as on off switches. Also no way to sweep the mids. The extended fret board is a waist. Also it seems to lack sustain. Maybe that is the nature of fretless. I have seven days to return and not sure what I will do. Thanks for the vid. Great production. !

[@YevZakharov]

Hope you see my comment: What you are describing is not at all what my bass feels like. Infact, my bass has more sustain than anything else I’ve ever played. I do, however, have roundwound strings, which naturally have more sustain than flats. I almost want to say you got a “bad apple”. Or maybe it was set up very poorly, as far as action and everything else. Maybe you could exchange it for an identical model and see if it was just an anomaly.

[@flyerscout2]

@@YevZakharov thanks for the reply. I swapped out the strings for rounds the day I brought it home. I hate flats. I did a quick set up but maybe I need to tweak it. You are getting a great sound. I bought the bass after seeing your video. I can not exchange it. I bought it from a music center in winter haven Fl. And that is the only one they had. I live in south Florida and that was the only place I could find it. Had to drive almost three hours one way. I have until this Saturday to return it. Not sure what I am going to do. Thanks for the reply, and again your review was very good.

[@YevZakharov]

If it were me, I would not keep a $1000 bass if I were not happy with it. The last thing I’d want is to keep thinking my bass is not as advertised. You could try to make some adjustments and play with the tone settings, but if it just doesn’t play right, then it’s probably not worth the effort. Any bass at this price range HAS to be amazing out of the box. No excuses. Do you know if your bass was a demo model at the store? Or was it 100% brand new?

[@flyerscout2]

@@YevZakharov brand new out of the box. Still has all the plastic coverings on it. I have a few more days to mess with it. I am also thinking about keeping it and upgrading the preamp to an Aguilar. I think if there was a mid tone adjustment on it, I could get a better sound. As I said earlier, I also think that the current preamp is heavy handed. If you turn the bridge up all the way and put just a little neck pickup in the mix, the neck overwhelms the tone. The same with the bass knob. If you turn it up ever so slightly it bring the bass way up. I will keep you posted on what I do. Thanks.

[@joachimvanzoelen4236]

Those things on the bridge you had never seen before?.... Guess what, it has a piezo system...

[@TGBassTutor]

Fantastic Review - how much does the bass weigh roughly?

[@YevZakharov]

I haven't weighed it yet. Ibanez did not put the weight in the spec sheet for some reason. I would estimate around 10 lb or more. In playing it today actually. It's heavier than average.

[@Ale-fk5bo]

+Yev Zakharov Mine is 3,6 kg., about 8 lbs.... very light, I think yiu must weight yours, maybe you're wrong guessing :-)

[@YevZakharov]

+alessandra albanese You're right, its around 8 lbs. Mine may be closer to 9. They always vary +/- 1.5 lbs usually.

[@bentoaraujo1448]

Lindíssimao esse contrabaixo me apaixonei

[@omarkhayrat]

Very nice.. Thanks

[@lazaroskeramefs9591]

nice review!! the bartolini mk1's is a single coil pickups not double coil..

[@YevZakharov]

Glad you liked the review! From what I read, they are split coil humbuckers. I'm not sure whether that means they're single or dual coil, though.

[@salvatorevallelunga6513]

hi, nice video, could you tell me how can I create a backing track like yours to play with my bass?

[@YevZakharov]

Thanks! In order to create any back track, you'll need some software on your computer. I use Logic Pro. There are many out there. They're also referred to as "Digital Audio Workstations". If you have zero experience with this, then I'd suggest just downloading a backtrack. Otherwise, these type of software will allow you to create a lot of awesome content. Let me know if that helps.

[@Adamwatcher5]

Hey, now that you have owned the bass for a while, I was wondering what your experience is about the finger board wearing down. I read that the finger board is made from rosewood, and not ebony, and i was wondering if this is an issue for you? I am looking for a nice fretless bass for around this price range or higher, and I have always been looking for the ones with ebony fretboard. Thanks :)

[@YevZakharov]

My bass shows no sign of fretboard wear. I use round wounds now and the fretboard is perfect. Of course ebony is harder wood, but you have to keep in mind that harder wood=brighter resonance. So in a way the rosewood helps this bass stay warmer toned. Hope this helps you make your decision. And again, no fretboard wear whatsoever.

[@Adamwatcher5]

Thanks for the quick reply! To be honest, that surprises me a lot, in a good way :) I have always read that using roundwound strings on a rosewood or maple fretboard will wear it down. You mention that you have had other fretless basses before, did you notice any fretboard wear on those (if they were rosewood)?

[@cgcgce]

Great review,and playing ,can you I achieve that mid range Jaco fingerfunk with the Piezo and bridge pick up?

[@YevZakharov]

To be honest I never did follow Jaco a lot so when people ask me about his tones and whatnot I'm not 100% sure. But, using the bridge pickup and piezo all the way up will create a very bumpy and clear tone. Probably exactly what you're looking for, that mid-funky tone. The Piezo is basically a small pickup system that sits beneath the saddle/bridge. Since the bridge is metal there's a lot of clear and high quality tones the piezo can achieve. You can almost use it as treble and to achieve the growly fretless sound.

[@YevZakharov]

Sorry for all of the replies, I've actually got a vid of this exact bass on many diff tone control modes. It might answer your question better than me spamming this comment area lol

[@cgcgce]

Thanks!.........one more question,I use roundwounds, how do you think the SRF700 will sound with roundrounds?

[@YevZakharov]

I actually am using rounds currently. Put some DR sunbeams on. They sound great. The sustain is better and harmonics last longer if you use them. But, since the piezo system is quite sensitive, you will have to control finger sliding noise. What needs to be done, really, is the blue bolts on the back need to be adjusted so the piezo isn't so close and sensitive. Otherwise I think rounds sound the best for most fretless.

[@cgcgce]

cgcgce In the video are you using rounds or flats?...my guess from what I hear are flats,right?

[@GeekStinkBreath72]

i believe you stated the controls wrong? i though it was going front to back/top to bottom: magnetic pickup master vol, pickup blend, piezo volume, bass, treble, piezo tone. i could be wrong though.

[@ernied2737]

I;m looking into buying a Portamento 5 soon. Hope you're right about the knobs. I much prefer a Master V and a Blend knob over 2 volume knobs.

[@karlbecker8906]

Look at the Controls section of the page - www.ibanez.com/asia/products/detail/srf700_03.html

[@BassClass100]

Thank ypu man!!!

[@hiivatti67]

I just have One, thusbreally helps

[@hiivatti67]

Auto correct did it again

[@joaoceitil]

Hey great review!! I recently bought one. I would like to ask you something. The pickup closer to the fretboard it has a slight inclination. Is it normal? I ask because the other one is parallel to the strings. Thank in advance.

[@YevZakharov]

If you mean the level of the pickup relative to the body, then yes. Sometimes I adjust the "depth" of the pickups by adjusting the mounting screws on both ends. This helps make minute changes to how close the pickup is to the strings. Sometimes you want the pickup to be slightly further away from the low B string and closer to the high G. It just depends on each guitar and your preference. For me, the low B string is slightly more sensitive than I prefer.

[@joaoceitil]

@@YevZakharov thank for your reply. The pickup closer to the fretboard has a slight inclination, but not in that sense, if I understood it. That one you mentioned I didn't actually realize. On my guitar, the side of the pickup that touches the fretboard is lower, creating a slight ramp. I was wondering if this is normal since the other pickup is level. I thought maybe it is?! since is a fret scale slightly bigger than normal and the ramp is needed, in order to avoid the strings in general to touch pickup. But on the other hand I thought the pickups should be parallel to the strings. Well maybe that's whAt you explained and I didn't understood. Many thank for the feedback.

[@YevZakharov]

@@joaoceitil I'll have to take a look at my bass again and check. I will try to respond as soon as I get the chance.

[@user-ew9or6kw8e]

BIGGEST Reget, Trading my All black Ibanez Old school 5 string!! (If I Only KNEW!!)

[@JRude88]

All bartolonis are active, you put a battery in it don't you? if it's an 18v it's active or passive via toggle switch. piezo adjustment are in the back that you can play with separate string

[@YevZakharov]

I think the mystery was whether or not the pickups were active. But yeah, it's got an active EQ. But the PU's are passive. On some guitars they can be active as well, like some EMG products.

[@cgrimes72]

That last nob I would imagine is the OVERALL VOLUME of your bass!

[@cristianmiranda3923]

I have one of these, this model is equipped with independent volume control for each magnetic pick up like a jazz bass. Bass and treble controls only affect the magnetic pickups. The piezo has it’s own volume control as well as an active tone control.

[@joaquinruiz3039]

Hi, I have a SRF705 and I would like to put the ROUNDWOUND, but have told me that I have to put EPOXY, do you know anything about this?

[@YevZakharov]

Some put epoxy on the fretboard so that the wood is protected from the round wound string scratches. I have a video where I use round wounds. Please watch it because I answer this specific question. If you're too concerned about scratching the fretboard then I'd suggest semi-flat wounds.

[@joaquinruiz3039]

Thank you very much for the reply so fast! the truth is that I don't mind a little scratching the wood not... While is bad...

[@lanceunderpants]

Joaquin Ruiz So is this just the SR705 but fretless? I was thinking about converting my SR705 to fretless

[@joaquinruiz3039]

do not know much sr 705, I have the SRF705 fretless and this has an acoustic piezo to be able to be acoustic bass, has many possibilities.

[@YevZakharov]

Lawnster Simply de-fretting an SR705 won't make it sound like a Portamento.

[@clockworkdolphin]

Put the playing at the front, and talk afterwards.

[@nedkelly22]

Many thanks for your review of this bass. I first stumbled upon your video when I was interested in a sabre lightwave basses. I finally decided on the Ibanez SRF705 thanks mainly to your review. I have now owned mine for a little over a year and love it more and more as my playing technique improves. I pretty much use this bass all the time. If you're interested, here is a link to one of my projects. kzbin.info/www/bejne/ZoCriJh_qJKKhqM

[@JJ-xf8oq]

You show as a real experienced guy.... 😂😂😂😂

[@94Rr94]

what are the default strings that come with the bass?

[@YevZakharov]

D'Addario flatwounds. They're nice but slightly too mellow for my taste.

[@94Rr94]

thanks!

[@joethebar1]

I don’t understand for the life of me why manufacturers insist on putting the dots between the frets lines on a fretless. The dots need to be on the actual fret line. We do t play between the frets like on a fretted instrument. It’s not intuitive at all.

[@YevZakharov]

It doesn't bother me. The dots are more or less just a way to orient your hand. I typically don't look at the dots more than a split second. But it takes a good ear and a lot of practice to not need them.

[@legoshaakti]

14:41

[@kevingalvan9440]

the twelve tone equal temperament system is garbage, awnauf.site for dynamic just intonation keyboards! accompany with non opinionated fretless instruments of course

[@malcolmrose-zadow5517]

Piezo is pronounced pee-ay-zoh, not pie-zoh

[@YevZakharov]

Haha thanks. I do know that now. At the time I made the video I googled various videos, looking for someone to pronounce that word. Unfortunately, I got misled.

[@malcolmrose-zadow5517]

Oh, Ok, I wasn't trying to be mean, you're a really talented bass player, it's just it was kinda bugging me.

[@realbigmic]

Like #705 😂

[@1964danielito]

play the bass don't talk........

[@dsaillant811]

Daniel Toral He literally says skip to the end in the first 20 seconds of the video

[@elancaster808]

Daniel Toral that's what I was thinking, but then it just got worse. Terrible intonation, I mean half the notes he played were a little out of tune. Bad review, sorry.

[@phr014]

@@elancaster808 Criticism is easy, art is difficult :)

[@elancaster808]

phr014 apparently intonation is very difficult for some, my friend. Tone deaf much?

[@phr014]

@@elancaster808 The goal of this review is the bass, not the player's ability

[@utailabsupa]

14:15