Ibanez Sr500E Bass Guitar For Sale (2024 Update)

I'm a 15 year guitar player and bought this as my first bass guitar, so I have an OK idea of what a bass should play like. The bass had a slight neck bow and some buzz on the lower frets but adjusting the truss rod took care of that. I reset the action to factory and now it plays great! I play metal so this bass is able to get me the sounds I need. I really like the feel of the neck for someone with small hands. The action can be set pretty low but youll run into some buzz if you go too low. I'm happy with the purchase. It does not come with a case so that needs to be purchased seperately.MICHEAL

I've been playing since early 80's and have owned many basses. While not the best, it is right there at the top. The hardware is solid. I've not had issues with anything. The sounds is quite versatile. With the active eq., you can make it sound thick, like a Warwick, or ring like P-bass. The feel is very lite, but also solid…from good quality. Everything about it is tight and solid. The sustain is surprisingly good despite the lite weight. Playing this bass is possibly the best I've played. It is easy and smooth. The satin finished neck is fast and comfortable. The controls are smooth and easy to reach. The 3 tone controls each provide good range. Overall this is a very good bass that does about everything very well. It is much better that P/J basses I've had…not as good as my P.K. Factor.Zrider

This is my first Fretless bass, so I can't really make a comparison to other instruments, but it appears to be a very high quality instrument. It plays great right out of the box and the active equalization lets you dial in a wide range of tones. Fit and finish are first class. I would highly recommend this bass.jbrb1975

I have one of these basses in a six-string version. I have played a couple of the five-string basses, sitting in with bands who are my friends. I like the bass very much. With the tone controls, there is great versatility. There are a lot of very decent basses in the lower price range. This one definitely deserves consideration. You'll love the feel of the neck. Mine plays like butter!CharlieTahoe

Having searched the internet for ratings of the SR50e bass I am very pleased to report that evening I read is true. Excellent feel, easy to play, everything just as you would expect. Excellent value for the dollar.jeeptj_guy

So far loving this guitar. Finding it easy to play. The neck is a joy. Can't put it down. Only now wondering what a top of the range Ibanez feels like. 😁Reviewed by Absolute Music custo

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 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!Heard the Bass

This bass is really amazing for the price of it. The neck is so smooth and a bit thinner than other regular bass, perfect for my small hands and the weight wow it is really light. the built quality is top notch. The sound is really good and you've got plenty of sound you can experiment with it. Overall it's an all rounder bass from beginners to pronelson c.

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.matt4717

As a learner who has been playing a cheap 4 string the move to this 5 string was an excellent experience due to the slender neck. The paint job is out of this world and the hardware oozes quality. I've always wanted an Ibanez and it has not disappointed. A thing of beauty and tones to match any players style.COLIN S.

I spent a few weeks trying out basses at my local music stores before settling on this bass. What set this bass apart from the others was the tone and the various tones I could get out of it, as well as it's playability. The active EQ is far better than the passive EQ's that I find on other basses. For example, the EQ on Jackson basses are all but useless. There was very little tone difference when varying the EQ controls on Jackson basses. But on this Ibanez, you really hear the difference in the tone settings. The Ibanez has a bass, mid, and treble tone control. So you can really dial in the tone you're looking for. Also, the individual string height adjustment on the Ibanez lets me tailor the action to exactly how I like it. The guitar is well balanced weight wise and so hangs naturally when I play it. I have a BC Rich mockingbird bass which is terribly weighted ad the headstock drops to the floor if I don't have my fret hand supporting the neck. The string spacing on the Ibanez 5 string is good, and I can still play slap bass on it. All the knobs on the bass (except the volume knob) have a mid point that you can feel as your adjusting the tone controls, so you know exactly where "flat" is. I really like that feature.beaglebuddy

Unexpectedly nice looking bass. 2 piece fllamed maple body with a darker burst than the website photos suggested. Not bookmatched, but a nicely figured body. Super versatile preamp and nice sounding, powerful and noise free pickups. Fast, slim neck and good quality hardware. I've tweaked the set up over a couple of weeks and it's playing really well. A far nicer bass than I expected for the price, after some playing in I think it will be better than my mid 90s SR. Very easy bass to set up, and the action can be brought down ridiculously low.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

As a learner who has been playing a cheap 4 string the move to this 5 string was an excellent experience due to the slender neck. The paint job is out of this world and the hardware oozes quality. I've always wanted an Ibanez and it has not disappointed. A thing of beauty and tones to match any players style.COLIN S.

I spent a few weeks trying out basses at my local music stores before settling on this bass. What set this bass apart from the others was the tone and the various tones I could get out of it, as well as it's playability. The active EQ is far better than the passive EQ's that I find on other basses. For example, the EQ on Jackson basses are all but useless. There was very little tone difference when varying the EQ controls on Jackson basses. But on this Ibanez, you really hear the difference in the tone settings. The Ibanez has a bass, mid, and treble tone control. So you can really dial in the tone you're looking for. Also, the individual string height adjustment on the Ibanez lets me tailor the action to exactly how I like it. The guitar is well balanced weight wise and so hangs naturally when I play it. I have a BC Rich mockingbird bass which is terribly weighted ad the headstock drops to the floor if I don't have my fret hand supporting the neck. The string spacing on the Ibanez 5 string is good, and I can still play slap bass on it. All the knobs on the bass (except the volume knob) have a mid point that you can feel as your adjusting the tone controls, so you know exactly where "flat" is. I really like that feature.beaglebuddy

Unexpectedly nice looking bass. 2 piece fllamed maple body with a darker burst than the website photos suggested. Not bookmatched, but a nicely figured body. Super versatile preamp and nice sounding, powerful and noise free pickups. Fast, slim neck and good quality hardware. I've tweaked the set up over a couple of weeks and it's playing really well. A far nicer bass than I expected for the price, after some playing in I think it will be better than my mid 90s SR. Very easy bass to set up, and the action can be brought down ridiculously low.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I bought this bass to record with. I run a consumer level Focusrite Scarlett 2i2 and plug this bass straight in and use Ableton Live 9 as my DAW. This bass sounds amazing, I have been playing for over twenty years and my go-to rig was a 1974 Ampeg SVT with an early eighties Fender Precision Bass, so I would like to think bass tone is something I know a bit about. I am not using an amp, micing an amp or cab OR using a DI and this bass sound fat and warm in any mix. The electronics are great, the Bartonlinis can really get any tone possible. The only negative I would put down is that you do get a little buzz if you boost the treble control, normal in my experience and I won't be boosting treble with a bass, ever, so it doesn't concern me. To be clear, there is no buzz in the neutral position or when you cut the treble, just when you boost it up in what would be the 6 to 10 range. I bought the blackberry finish on an open box deal, it was in MINT condition, arrived in great shape, I did have to tighten the nut around the pick-up blend pot, it loosened up in transit, I backed off the set screw on the knob and then adjusted the nut, put the knob back, tightened the set screw and it was perfect. NO BIG DEAL. I also adjusted the neck to dead-straight, my preferred set-up and it plays and sounds ridiculously fine. The only other bass I have owned that sounds this good was an Alembic Epic and it was over $2K, it also had so much adjustablility that you could really get yourself in trouble. I believe that is a compliment to Ibanez. It is amazing what they can do for the price-point and I was skeptical for years about these basses, YEARS, not until I realized I didn't need top-of-the-line Gibsons and Fenders did I even consider these basses. You pay a lot for those names! Ibanez has the production down! They CNC the body (saves time and labor-costs), they don't cut corners on the electronics and provide a quality product for the money. Unbelievable. I plan on picking up another Ibanez bass soon. Check out their Terra Firma, 35" scale 5-string, looks like a dream and I can't imagine the quality Ibanez would put out for around $1K!Trail Rider

Overall this is a great bass and has become in a short period of time one of my favorites, and I own 17 bass guitars. The neck is very thin and not quite as wide as other 5 strings which I like as I don't have gigantic hands. In fact, this was a major factor in my purchase. This guitar is probably heavier than most would expect but it certainly feels great in your hands. And if you're not a heavy handed player, the action can be set incredibly low and still be playable with no buzz. Well, at least on mine and with no truss adjustment. The pups are great and the active preamp permits highly dynamic control of the tone. This is just a great bass guitar to play, simple as that. Downsides? Well, there were a few. The cutout at the G string side, when running my finger around it, I noticed a slight indent. Almost as if someone sanded it too hard in one spot. I found this odd as mass-produced guitar bodies are computer milled and should require very limited manual smoothing. Its not visible although I can feel it. But since I had no other real issues with the guitar, it was not enough for me to return it and wind up with a guitar that didn't play as well as this one. Its also easy to scratch the finish as its only stain with a light protective coating, somewhat like a wooden table. So be careful with those giant trucker belt buckles! The jack input is also a little odd. I would have preferred an input on the bottom edge. These downsides however were no big deal and I'm more than satisfied with it. If I wasn't aware of this bass and its price, if someone were to put it in my hands, I would have guessed its price as much higher.Sky Chief

Overall: When I say I own it, I mean I own THIS bass guitar, the one in the picture. I can't put this instrument down, it is always the closest thing at my side. Out of the box I could not find a thing wrong with it. The fit and finish were really great. I had to adjust the truss rod after a bit as there was a bit of noisiness, but that allowed me to lower the action even more. This instrument is really silky smooth to play, with a thin neck, super light due to the semi hollow body. The tone is excellent, and the piezo output can be adjusted on each string. So I feel this was just the perfect bass for me, just feels right, and I love the music and sound that I can make with it.Adam

Overall: Ibanez really nailed it with this bass. Easy to use, two knob bass that has a great fretless tone. Bass is very sensitive to hand position so there are a variety of tones to be found. Bass intonation was set perfectly (like Gary Willis style). Out of the box I could have taken this to a gig and played comfortably. Body and neck are both comfortable. Black fret lines on the board are useless to me but don't get in the way. Compared to the Portamento this may seem like a very simple bass. Having owned the Portamento it is. The Portamento is a fine bass but there are almost too many tonal options. With the SRH500F I find great sounds tones with ease. Records very well and sounds great in a mix too.Aproud

Great bass. Fast neck, and great tone from the nordstrand pickups. Active/passive switch is a plus and this bass can get any tone from fat P bass to a growling jazz bass. The active preamp can produce a wide range of modern tones and the 3-way mid switch really lets you dial it in perfectly. This bass is a real chameleon and can produce any sound you want. For those worried about the narrow ibanez string spacing, have no fear. String spacing is adjustable at the saddle +/- 1.5mm.Todd

Overall: The most versatile bass, I have ever owned. It is truly the best bass, I have in my collection. ( I only have 2, the other is the Ibanez GSR 205). I am completely satisfied with both of them.As always, zZounds has come through and will always be my 1st choice when it comes to gear.James

I have been an Ibanez guy for awhile, especially with their extended range instruments. I used to have an SR305 bass and upgrading to this SR505 was a great choice. Beautiful finish, was set up pretty well from the factory, and has some awesome Bartolini pickups for a gritty tone. The financing options from AMS make this an affordable upgrade!Steve

An excellent bass, beautiful colouring, excellent finish. The weight is nice and light for the wife's dodgy shoulder and the amount of different tones you can get from it are amazing. Well worth the £340 I paid.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I've always been a huge fan of Ibanez instruments. This one is no different. It has that trademark thinfast neck that I absolutely love so much. It reminds me of my OG rg550. The sound is really good and I dig the EQ system. Great Bass for all types of musicBrian K

Ok… first off, the fanned frets are amazing. The extra scale is incredible… If you need it. The tonal qualities are insane! The pickups and electronics are on point. The finish is stunning. The neck… well… it took me a while to feel comfortable with it. It’s “chunky.” I had a hard time getting it set up to make it feel good. The string height from the factory Was really high!Bassgurl3369

I played one of these in a guitar shop in late 2019 and fell in love with it. This bass just fits my hands, plays effortlessly, and has perfect balance. You might think that the fanned frets would be an issue but if anything it adds to the comfort. Out of the box, it was set up really well and the intonation was spot on.Mark

This bass guitar has a lovely feel and plays with superb sound. The balance is perfect for my playing style, the action is just where I like to see it. I have now procured and new favourite bass guitar.Derek W.

First time buying a guitar (blind) online but it proved to be a success. Free delivery and it arrived well packaged and undamaged within 2 working days. The bass was set up and even almost in tune! The bass itself came with XL strings (nice) and has low action so is very easy to play. Lovely body finish too. The string spacing is very suitable for a first-time 5 string. The pick ups and active electrickery sound MEGA. Great value for money and my first ibanez so will definitely buy another in the future and order from GAK again 10/10 5* 100%Adam S.

I appreciate the opportunity to rate this product and express my feelings specific to this bass guitar. I've owned this Ibanez SR370E Aged Whiskey Burst for a short while now and in exploring its capabilities, I am still discovering all the tonal possibilities. Being a guitar tech, I couldn't resist improving the playability of this out-of-the-box beauty. Two one quarter turns to tighten the truss rod made the neck super straight as I like it. This did not result in any fret buzz on any string up and down the fretboard. Now I lowered the saddles to improve the action (Still no buzz.) My bass was built with an upgraded Accu-cast B300 bridge (I don't know why). The saddle adjustment is done quickly with just one screw (cool feature!). I fussed with the intonation to get the tuning right on. (Note: The saddles sit so tightly into the bridge in order to transfer maximum string vibration that you need to push on the saddles a bit to ensure proper intonation) I checked under the hood and found the electronics to be neat and tidy but complicated. I have no desire to modify the existing excellent tone controls. I tightened all the screws shined this baby up and now I have a bass guitar that plays like a dream. I'm holding with putting on stainless steel strings, the set of D'Addario's that came with the bass are still new and bright. Musician's Friend is my go to dealer for new gear. I have never been disappointed, but this deal was particularly special. Thank you for letting express my views.BoondockSaint408

I have two other Prestige RGs (7 and 8 string), but wanted to go back to basics and get a hardtail 6-string. To me, Ibanez Prestige is the best value you can get for your money – sure they are expensive, but the quality is superior to Pro level Jacksons sold at comparable prices – the only thing in my experience that comes close is USA Fenders. This guitar is no exception. The build quality is impeccable and the hardware is top shelf. The neck is smooth, fretwork impeccable, and there are no flaws of any kind anywhere on the guitar. I love Ibanez Gibraltar bridges and Gotoh locking tuners – they keep the guitar in tune and the bridge is super easy to adjust. Ibanez spec sheet says this ships with 10's but I could swear the guitar came with 9's on it – which would have been my preference anyway. I play the unlikely combination of metal and classic jazz (different genres for different sides of my brain I guess), and was intending this guitar to be my metal machine. I was originally planning on replacing the pups with EMGs, but after cranking the gain on my amp I could not really see the need for that. I was pleasantly surprised by the cleans available by coil-tapping, and that sold me on keeping the passive pickups as opposed to going to EMGs – I felt I would not gain much on the high gain side, but would lose the "Fender cleans". While I prefer to play jazz on a more curved fretboard, like a Tele or my Ibby archtop, the tones on this guitar will get the job done for sure.Dan

Purchase it last year from GC. This is my 4th guitar and first Ibanez RG. I have Fender Ultra HSS and Gibson LP (which I hate – too uncomfortable and heavy). This guitar arrived in a nice Ibanez hard case, perfectly set up to play right out of the box. After having for more than 6 months now I've grown to appreciate it and use it for hard rock and metal, although it has very nice clean tones as well. The wizard neck is different (thinner) compared to my Fender Ultra Strat HSS, which takes a bit to get use to. The finish and build quality is excellent. Fretboard is amazing. I highly recommend this guitar.John

Premium built guitar with very attractive price tag (sale). Beautiful maple top, comfortable neck with roasted maple fretboard, lovely sound. Only pots feel cheap and tone change pot in passive mode could be improved as it's far from the smoothness experienced on for example my other bass guitar which is Fender Precision.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Lovely instrument and much lighter than expected, wasn't expecting the finish to be quite as it was but hard to be sure when buying online. Very pleased none the less.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

An excellent bass, beautiful colouring, excellent finish. The weight is nice and light for the wife's dodgy shoulder and the amount of different tones you can get from it are amazing. Well worth the £340 I paid.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I've always been a huge fan of Ibanez instruments. This one is no different. It has that trademark thinfast neck that I absolutely love so much. It reminds me of my OG rg550. The sound is really good and I dig the EQ system. Great Bass for all types of musicBrian K

Premium built guitar with very attractive price tag (sale). Beautiful maple top, comfortable neck with roasted maple fretboard, lovely sound. Only pots feel cheap and tone change pot in passive mode could be improved as it's far from the smoothness experienced on for example my other bass guitar which is Fender Precision.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

Lovely instrument and much lighter than expected, wasn't expecting the finish to be quite as it was but hard to be sure when buying online. Very pleased none the less.Reviewed by Andertons Music Co.

I got the 4 string version of this model. It is smooth and delightful to play, and I have yet to find a bad setting. Very powerful low end and clear high end, which I appreciate when soloing. So, I can't speak specifically to the 5 string, but assuming it's like the 4 string, go ahead and pay a little extra for this model. You won't be disappointed. The only con is that it's a little on the heavy side, which of course pays dividends in terms of the commanding sound. I am a short woman, yet have no problem playing for, say, 3 hours at a time while standing.Coyote Sal

This is a professional level instrument. The Japanese craftsmanship is stunning, neck as close to perfection as I've ever seen on a bass right out of the box. If you like your action low, this bass will let you get lower than I'd thought possible. Sound is excellent thanks to the custom Bartolini pickups. I'd recommend holding off on buying a lower level instrument, saving some more cash and giving a try to the Ibanez Prestige 5000 series.AndreK

Purchased this bass last week and received it the next day. This bass sounds amazing. For the price point I can't imagine a better instrument in terms of build and performance. I was looking for a bass that sounded as much like an upright as possible. It delivers that and more. Anytime I read a review that says a new bass showed up well set up from the factory I wince, but I have to admit this one did. great low action and intonation. The bass is very light. The pieso system sounds really good and has a nice range from woody boom to bright crisp treble. Very pleased with this purchase after a week of playing it.JMH

Excellent sounding fretless bass. Plays like a jazz bass but the fretless feel and ultra low action plays as smooth as butter. Sounds great with the stock flatwounds, but the semi-hollow construction is very receptive for many string options and a wide variety of sounds. Very versatile bass for many tailored applications. This is gonna be my primary fretless…vampiper

Overall: Light bass for it's size. Thickness of body take some time to get use to being much thicker than the typical Ibanez bass. Neck is the typical Ibanez bass neck, thin and fast. Being fretless, wonderful sound with the flatwound strings and piezo pickup. If you need lines, they are there but need good lighting to see them. Anyone some distance away will probably see it as unlined. Dots on the side of the neck are on the fretlines.Eric