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Pros:
- Great Low Tones
- Humbucker Setup
- Cheap
Cons:
- Heavy
- Tuning Stability Problems
- Cheap Nut
The fascinating thing about the bass guitar manufacturing market is that, despite its inability to always provide what you are looking for, it is always capable of surprising you. I have spent a whole lot of time looking at different bass guitars on the market and every time I am surprised when I end up finding a bass guitar that is affordable and capable of performing extremely well. You’d think I would have learned my lesson by this point, but alas, not. Anyway, here is Ibanez GSR205SMCNB 5-String Electric Bass, let’s take a closer look.
Body Quality
The body of the guitar is designed in the way of many of its relatives and cousins. It is a double-cutaway with a rounded bottom and a slender middle. The two wings spread out well, one being larger than the other for a lopsided though cool look. It is in no way unique, neither is it in no way inspiring and yet still it is functional and it is good-looking enough to make it a viable choice. The many coloring options available make it the favorite of a whole bunch of tastes and musicians.
The body of the guitar consists of two parts, the top of the guitar and the rest of the body. The top of the bass guitar is made out of maple, which provides the guitar with a nice look and an interesting brightness towards the high and mid-tones of the guitar. The mahogany of the rest of the guitar provides the instrument with a powerful resonance with the lower tones, as well as a nice, warm spike in the middle. The guitar is on the heavier side, though it is incredibly sturdy so that it is very unlikely to be damaged over many years of use.
The neck of the guitar is made out of the traditional material, which we all know as maple. Maple is popular among manufacturers and players because of simply how easily and how cheaply it provides a whole lot of sturdiness and warp resistance to the guitar, with the added bonus of looking rather handsome. The neck of the guitar is bolted onto the body, which is not always the bad choice, but works well here since the body is made out of a sufficiently sturdy tonewood. The fingerboard of the guitar is made out of rosewood.
Hardware
The guitar comes with a B15 bridge, which was specifically designed for a 5 string bass guitar. It provides some great action for the guitar player, and a great level of string stability.
The nut of the guitar is made out of a cheapish plasticate material. This would be a problem in the case of most guitars, though here the string noise is filtered well by the presence of humbuckers.
The tuning machine of the guitar look alright, without any unique or nontraditional twists. The tuning stability of the bass guitar is not stellar, and could do a lot better. Though tuning stability issues are to be expected in cheap guitars.
Electronics
The guitar comes with two pickups, one located at the middle and the other at the bridge of the bass guitar. The two humbuckers were installed for the sole purpose of providing a whole lot of clarity and cleanliness to the sound, while also giving the player a chance of great sustain, warm tone and some great tone depth. The humbuckers are powerful and honestly, for stock pickups, do a great job of producing good sound.
The guitar has a standard set of controls, with two individual volume control knobs and two individual tone control knobs.
Ibanez GSR205 Sound
It is not often that you encounter a cheap guitar capable of having a sound that is more or less appealing despite the cheap make. The Ibanez GSR205SMCNB 5-String Electric Bass is exceptional in terms of producing something of an unexpected sound. It has a powerful output, with a nuanced and detailed sound that is warm, deep and thick without the danger of being bothered by string noise.
Conclusion
The guitar is a very adequate piece of equipment for the price it is produced at. It has a great sound, with some lovely lows, a great overall tonal balance. Highly recommended if you are looking for an affordable 5 string guitar.
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