Ibanez Soundgear SR400QMCS Bass

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In this video Guitar World's bass gear editor Ed Friedland demonstrates the features of the Ibanez Soundgear SR400QMCS bass.

[@btornabene]

The way this guy plays makes even this modest-priced bass sound far superior. As a guitarist looking for an inexpensive bass to record and just have fun with, this video has turned me on to the soundgear series knowing that I won't be breaking some knuckles fretting, or breaking the bank!

[@joesmackidy]

I have a Ibanez SR405QM and it's definitely one of the best basses i have ever played.

[@Meemorp_]

Damn, after I found out you can get a P bass tone on it AND a jazz bass tone, I fell in love with this bass.

[@xMasterxRazorx]

I own the 5-string version of this bass. Interesting to hear how it can sound with a real player playing it.

[@ShockaSlim]

I just bought the same one 2 months ago. Beautiful bass it is.

[@nachospole1]

i got this bass on lay-by i have played it and i play alot of punk and metalcore and some funk for fun and this bass plays them all real well it has a nice clear deep sound that i love

[@NotRly1337]

This review is very comprehensive. i wish u made more reviews on basses

[@chopu81]

Holy crap that slap tone is godly for that price

[@Gorbyrev]

Off to Ebay! Delighted to find the bass whisperer giving this a once over. What a great player.

[@ChrisTripleSixxx]

That you said for the neck I agree those necks are so comfortable!

[@MattClineInspectallHomes1212]

i got my ibanez today so stoked to learn !!

[@delitemyheart]

Jee wiz ..the sr400qm sounds really good for the money. Im really amazed at how beautiful this bass sounds. To be honest..its probably the nicest sounding bass ive ever heard on youtube!

[@SUPERTOUCHOX2]

its rare to find a review this good, this had confirmed the fact i need this bass, only problem is im left handed!

[@alembicbassguy]

Great review Ed, thanks - Ibanez SR basses just cannot be beaten for value for money.

[@o0bassist0o]

you are such an amazing bass player, i love this bass

[@shoominati23]

just scored one of these in purple burst. From the Pawn Shop, and for $199 (they were and are $900 new here in Oz) wanted a 5 string and was going to buy a $1000 Yamaha, but no need now ;) mine has curved pickups which are to follow the the radius of the neck

[@DontKillAnts]

I think the compressor light on his amp was having a seizure when he was slapping.

[@Sean_thompson_bass]

my wife just bought me this bass, mine's the lavender burst model. LOVE it.

[@yhtomitalmighty]

@delitemyheart I just remembered, check out the Fender Aerodyne Jazz bass too. Both basses I recommended is less than USD900. I know a little bit pricey but it is so worth the price.

[@poofythebassplayer21]

bought a black one the other day gota love the active electronics

[@bplayer47]

TY TY TY< I've waited to see you review an Ibanez bass. I have played my Ibanez SDGR 5 for the last 16 years and I love it. Till I see this baby.

[@vectron12]

@electromanic this one uses ibanez pickups they're curved to match the curve of the neck and strings the sr500 and up have bartolini's

[@bossobserver]

it would be very helpful if you make a demo of Ibanez sr1205 model. respect shako

[@yhtomitalmighty]

@delitemyheart glad I could help you out man! good luck to your playing and congratulations on your new bass! :)) keep me updated on the bass ok!

[@thejoel3]

I agree, I have 2 Ibanez Sound Gears and they have the best necks out of any bass

[@bassist12345]

Well, for one, it has a treble/bass boost/cut, and you the only way to boost the signal coming from the bass is through an active preamp. another reason i assume so is just from playing alot of similar basses in that price range. for the most part a passive bass will just have one tone control, sometimes 2. and the fact that this has 2 band EQ, plus that other weird knob, which is capable of boosting highs and lows, makes me think it must be active.

[@TheSmooshster]

Ed Friedland has my dream job.

[@skatedoof]

i have a bass alot like this... i don't remember what model i got. it is a 5 string, it has all of the same controls. i think it's great for some progressive stuff. you should turn "slap" knob 5/6 of the way toward slap, crank the bass almost all the way, cut the treble almost all the way, and balance the pickups slightly toward the rear for a good rock tone. i just wish i could have afforded a musicman bongo 5.... (lol, i typed alot)

[@TheMetalHeaD256]

@mrmusica that's gonna depend both on your string action off of the fretboard, and how high the fretboard is off of the body. you might want to try lowering your string action as much as you can without buzz. if that doesn't help much with the problem, it'll have to be something you get used to. hope i help somehow.

[@drubicle]

gawtdamn Ed you are funky! and thanks again for the most useful instructional material on bass ever Building Walking Bass Lines.

[@delitemyheart]

@yhtomitalmighty man i love the sound of the fender jazz. Problem is they are bloody pricey here in aust. Also they have so many different models within the fender jazz bass..which one would you buy? I know the american made fender's are the best. Ive never played a fender Jazz bass before. How is the neck feel on it? Do you reckon its as nice as the ibanez soundgear neck??

[@GoldStar5XL]

i have the sr700, best bass ive ever owned, and ive had both the american p and jazz, as well as a musicman stingray. the ibanez is just way more comfortable to play and has alot of versatility

[@WolfMoonRock]

I definitely want this bass

[@Dunkelheit2s]

@thrashbass18 the 40 has a quilt maple top and mahogany body but I think that's the only difference. Though this years models don't come in cherry sunburst they come in Charcoal Brown Burst and Transparent Lavender Burst.

[@gefsty]

@evilgopherproduction it's d to e and then octaves c to c (A string to g string) and d to d(again a to g)

[@vaggelou_]

Nice lick at the beginning Ed!:-D

[@jeremiasdrumond7457]

What a flexible bass! Even if it's cheap! I was thinking about that the other day. Would I be more motivated to play if I had a costly bass? Mine's only $150 and I'm soo lazy to play it. The answer is no. My expensive Fodera would be gathering dust in the corner because motivation comes from the soul...

[@Byron_S]

very nice review.. i got the SR400 myself and it's really great!!!

[@hodaridaniels8786]

Clean crisp tone, to be an lightweight bass usually the bass with a lot of good tone be heavier in weight.

[@EphemeralProductions]

It's interesting that he has a slight Southern twang, considering he's only been in TX since 2006! It's cool; he must be one of those people that just naturally picks up accents quick and easy.

[@rafaelderas7125]

Ed, a quite complex question: I have an Ibanez GSR205, a begginer bass I bought around 8 years ago because I wanted a 5 string; it has a good sound that I like but I feel the strings too far away from the body (compared to my yamaha RBX170 -11 yr old- and my new Fender Std. P -thanx f your advice-) and it affects my slapping thecnique because I feel harder to pop since I put my ring and index fingers on the bass's body (cont...)

[@OLRAK77]

Ed, which has better active sound? Ibanez basses or Squier Active Jazz Bass? Better means punchier and more defined highs/mids. Thanks.

[@arcmccun]

Ed, Would u say the sterling ray 34 (or sb 14) or the ibanez sr500 would be a more versatile bass? I play all types of music from rock, to slap to jazz, and am looking for a versatile active instrument that's made well and has great tone. Again any help at all would be great:) thanks

[@maduroholdings]

This bass brings back memories. I had a similar ibanez back in 1999 not so pretty though. but at the time i had a japanese fender p bass with quarter pounders and a Badass bridge as welll as a fender jazz deluxe and I remember favoring My Ibanez. it was able to approximate the tones of both basses. and just felt good to play.

[@TheMetalHeaD256]

@ashmetalthebest i think so. they've got a new SR400QM with similar features, though.

[@xxSeefaxx]

is this the same as the SR300M? as i am probably going to get one and this sounds pretty decent...

[@swapsplat]

i look at this video, and I come to the realization that I'll NEVER be as good as this guy!

[@youtert]

With the bass and treble being concentric, can't you just grab them together and turn them up or down to get the same effect as the "slap" control?

[@rafaelderas7125]

Is this normal or it's because I don't have a proper setup? Maybe a Std. Jazz V could have a smaller gap between strings and body (because my 4 stringers feel more confortable) or 5 string basses need to have that bigger gap because of the strings? Is this influenced by the neck profile? (the neck of the GSR205 looks really thick on top the neck body joint). Thanks in advance for your answer.

[@limeyamos]

That thing has great tone, and is a steal at $400.

[@delitemyheart]

@clipzngunz yeah well this sr400qm in this video sounds pretty good, i must admit! I really like the sr700. Have you seen that? Oh its just beautiful. It comes in an amber colour with a maple/bubinga body(i think). And it has bartolini pickups too. I bet that would sound good. They go for around $1200 ozzy bucks here in sydney though. The sr400qm goes for around $650(i think). I dont know what a k5 is. Is it any good?

[@tkaczyk1995]

@jltcherry I've played one of these, if you mean physically light rather than sounding light, then this bass is perfect. Incredibly light but sounds amazing!

[@enriquebreton7897]

you sound super good and clean,the bass sound excelent

[@serazac25]

Can the pickups be replaced ? they don't seem like the "standard size" of the EMGs or bartolini's

[@delitemyheart]

@yhtomitalmighty thanx bro..i haven't got the bass yet..but when i do, i will definately let you know. I might even do a Me'shell Ndeogeocello bass cover on my channel with the guitar!

[@69erthx1138]

I totally agree with you about Ibanez basses not being good for slapping. You just get too metallic of sound out of them. I prefer the p-bass or warwick vett.

[@MatsEvensen]

SR basses is great basses.Good sound on this bass,considering the low price,and it looks great too.I have a Sr1000E and a Sr900TK they are simply kicking ass.I prefer them before a Warwick thumb bass.

[@musicfamily]

Awesome player. I wish I can learn from him.

[@delitemyheart]

I wonder whats sounds better. The Ibanez SR 400QM in this video or the yamaha RBX 374???

[@delitemyheart]

@yhtomitalmighty i checked out the fender highway one jazz bass on the fender web site,,and i think it has to be the best value for money fender j bass on the market. Now you got me drooling over it. Alder body, maple neck, rosewood fingerboard, badass 11 bridge and get this..alnico vintage pickups. Man what a bass. What more could you want in a bass. I think il have the sunburst finish thankyou! They retail for $1400 AUD.

[@toliverfive]

What lick is Ed playing at the start of this vid?

[@jltcherry]

Ed, whats one of lighter basses you have played in the budget range?

[@ashmetalthebest]

Ed would you recommend the Sr305?

[@queesesolaluna]

Great bass really great bass

[@frenchy1138]

@otaybuckwheet I found that it depends on the bass. I only played passive basses for many years, but since then I've run across the Fender Jaguar and the EBMM Stingray (or its nearly-as-good overseas assembled equivalent, the Sterling Ray 34/5). Unlike the active on Ibanez and Yamaha, which give you that horrible, flat, dead sound, those two have all the personality of a passive with the tone modelling that makes active worthwhile. They're now my mainstays. I really recommend checking them out.

[@MizerableChaos]

@lavaxtris1 Are the pickups arched or flat? if arched: lower the E and G strings so they are closer to the coils.

[@delitemyheart]

@clipzngunz is the Ibanez really the better bass? The yamaha rbx 374 is made from an alder body, maple neck. I think the ibanez sr 400qm is basswood body. The yammy should have a better tone. But the Ibanez has an awesome neck. Pickup wise i think the yammy must be better..it has active EQ over the ibanez. But i hear that the yammy eats 9volt batteries for breakfast. To be honest, im in love with both these guitars. I dont know which one to buy!

[@Green_Phosphorus]

Oh and one more thing, on the Ibanez site, I can only find a SR400QM, and not a SR400QMCS. If anyone could tell me what the CS represents or the difference between the two, that would also be greatly appreciated.

[@Cyan1902]

I have a Ibanez SR765 green/blue (colorshift) but i cant find it on the Ibanez site. it has 5 strings and is made in Japan. Somebody explain plz?

[@martse11]

i love the ibanez bass headstocks! and the guitar headstocks for that matter

[@voco900]

please... upload video with the IBANEZ SR5005E ...

[@swapsplat]

You'll want to get something, but if you just want a practice amp you dont need to spend too much money. I bough my crato 110 amp practice amp for $10 at a garage sale. I have a 100W Univox tube amp that I got from a friend for free, it's worth about $400. And I have a Laney cab I picked up at a music shop for a little over $300. Keep your eyes open and you can find great deals all over the place. Check out garage sales, music shops, pawn shops. No need to drop a lot of money right away.

[@TonyHookedonVanlife]

Ibanez makes great basses

[@munkeypumper]

I think I am sold on this bass... I play it at the music store I take lessons at all the time and now after seeing this whew, Im gonna trade my Thunderbird in for it, well and about $200 cuz I won't get much for my Bird. and yes the neck is so comfortable thats a big reason why I love it so much.

[@amnesiac1975]

Active basses have a preamp inside and have more attack and a little more highs. I prefer to play passive basses.

[@mstratocaster3608]

Well, I am impressed. How long have U been playing the bass? I have an Ibanez BTK bass but I can't play like that.

[@delitemyheart]

@yhtomitalmighty at the moment im fumbling around on a Squier P bass. Its Ok..it has a nice fat sound..but i cant get a nice even tone from string to string. And with the tradtional style p bass pickups, i dont have much options to get different kinds of sounds out of it. There is only one volume and one tone control..and thats it. Im just a bit sick of it now. I want to start slappin" now lol. What do ya reckon..and why???

[@tulaldrete]

@BassistAliAyman do you already prove them both?

[@sunnyjim98]

they should have an RG style bass series!

[@bertito7777]

Excelente bajo , yo quiero uno

[@ImaginaryEvil]

Ed, sometime can you talk a bit about your set up preferences? Unless it's been done before, in which case I'd really appreciate a link :)

[@lummond]

It's a Genz Benz 1200 and a Genz Benz 212 - he talks about it more in other videos as it's the only amp he really uses to review gear.

[@tulaldrete]

@BassistAliAyman did you already prove them both?

[@yhtomitalmighty]

@delitemyheart do you have a fender jazz yet? if not then it would be the best idea to just buy one! :))

[@sebsoriano19]

what's the difference between an active an passive bass? soundwise?:P

[@queesesolaluna]

Amazing Bass!!

[@69erthx1138]

Do the basses really whisper to you Ed, do they really?

[@toskadas]

question!!! this bass is active or passive??

[@Estraiper]

what do u thing about Ibanez SR705??

[@FunkyFellaDaBassist]

Hey Ed I tell you whut! As always - awesome review and MAD playing!

[@69erthx1138]

@Ba55taztic That riff is bad to the ass. Took me some time, but I finally nailed it down. He uses a loaded bag of ghost notes!

[@isoptija]

4:42 your the man, very cool and style riff ed. :D

[@senacht]

Do you have to slap and pop so much? It would be nice to get more time hearing all the different sounds possible on the bases you demo.

[@Cyan1902]

@ThePdiddles hmm nah i don't think so. If you search Ibanez sr765 on google, you can see the bass. There is even a 4 string version.

[@cjenson72]

How much of his town is the bass, and how much is the amp???

[@snowhomie]

Indeed a correct observation.

[@lolipoppification]

on the beginning it sounded a bit like seinfield... ps im getting that bass ive also got riverhead and a 1963 fender jazz bass (my dads)

[@metallicarocks911]

if you wanna hear the sound of your bass, i recommend a amp, as you can hear your articulation and technique issues. it helps tremendously with your learning... at least thats what i think lol

[@ashmetalthebest]

have they discontinued this bass?

[@xXRic3goDXx]

@barandalabanda there is it a nasty purple called trans lavander burst