Recommended series: SR series
Ibanez is one of the best-selling guitar and bass brands, formerly known as Hoshino Shoten in Japan. In 1909, it changed from a book and stationery sales business to a musical instrument store, becoming the first musical instrument store in Japan, and then engaged in the import and export industry of internationally renowned brand musical instruments, mainly from the Spanish acoustic guitar brand Salvador Ibanez. When the brand collapsed during the Spanish Civil War, Hoshino Shoten bought the rights to it and trademarked Ibanez for its products.
Beginning in the '60s, when rock 'n' roll was in its prime, Ibanez was mainly imitating the mainstream brands of the time, Fender and Gibson, and was sued by Gibson for plagiarism. After an out-of-court settlement between the two companies, Ibanez decided to embark on the path of developing original instruments, and the Artist series, with its symmetrical body design, became the first Japanese manufacturer to export instruments to the United States.
Today, Ibanez electric bass has SR (SRP/SRX/GSR), BTB, ATK, GIO and other products. Collaborated with Fieldy, Sharlee D'Angelo, Gerald Veasley and many other well-known musicians to develop signature models. In general, Ibanez's products are mass-oriented, from entry-level thousand-yuan pianos to high-end models of tens of thousands of yuan, taking into account the needs of users at different levels, which is one of the reasons why it has been based on the domestic and foreign markets for a long time. Because of this, the Ibanez electric bass can adapt to different types of music styles, and the timbre is very universal and lacks characteristics, which has also become a criticism of this popular brand by many consumers.
With its comfortable feel, accessible styling and versatile options as its main selling points, the SR series has become one of the most successful examples of Ibanez's commercialization. There are more than a dozen models to choose from, from the standard model SR300E with a three-band equalization circuit, to the mid-range model SR2600 with a versatile tone, to the high-end model SR5000 with an African mahogany body and Bartolini pickups.
In addition, the GSR series is mainly aimed at the low-end market, with a price of less than 2000 yuan, for example, the GSR200 uses basswood as the body, rosewood as the fingerboard, equipped with STD PJ pickups, and a 2-band EQ equalizer to adjust the tone and volume. In addition, in terms of workmanship, the feel of the SR series has been preserved, which has a high cost performance, and is suitable for novices to use as a practice piano.
The sales volume and model richness of the BTB series are slightly inferior to that of the SR series, the combination of maple and rosewood ensures the stability of the piercing neck, and the density of rosewood matches the strength of maple to ensure the stability and sustain effect of the body. The 35-inch effective string length enhances the expressiveness of the low strings. Paired with Bartolini BH2 pickups, three-band equalization with mid-range switch, it provides tight bass, punchy midrange, and greater timbre adjustability. And the locking jack ensures a secure connection and prevents accidental disconnection.
With traditional elements at its core, the ATK collection is one of the most stylistically adaptable collections on the market. The large ash body and traditional neck design are talked about by "Old School" fans. At the same time, with the CAP Double Humbucker pickups, three distinct tones can be obtained with the flick of a switch, catering to the needs of different musical styles.
