If you’re a bass player who’s looking for new gear, you’ll definitely enjoy today’s list of 7 best Ibanez bass guitars! Since we recently covered the top basses by Squier, it’s time to focus on another great manufacturer of cool and affordable guitars.
There are a few Ibanez bass guitars that are definitely worth your attention. That’s why I created a list of top 8 best and affordable basses offered by this company. They all sound good, look awesome and they don’t cost a fortune. I hope that the list below will help you with making the right choice!
For those who don’t know, Ibanez is a company from Japan with years of experience within the music industry. They built a solid reputation throughout the years and they’re currently considered as one of the top players in the game. In addition, their guitars are a great alternative to more popular axes offered by Fender or Gibson.
Here’s the list. I also included a few sound samples below, so make sure to check them out too.
Best Ibanez Bass Guitars
| Ibanez TMB100 | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez GSR200 | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez SR300E | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez SRMD205 | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez GSR100 | See On Amazon | – |
| Ibanez SR306 | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez SRMS805 | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
| Ibanez Artcore AFB200 | See On Amazon | See on Thomann |
Ibanez TMB100
One of the most popular cheap basses available on the market right now. I had the pleasure to use this guitar on my own a few years ago and I remember that it sounded really good. I really liked that offset look! Ibanez decided to use a poplar body and a maple neck for this model. As a result, it’s really durable and reasonably balanced. To be honest, it will be difficult to find something better at this price. It’s definitely a good choice for beginner and more advanced bass players.
Here’s a quick demo.
Ibanez GSR200
Another affordable bass manufactured by Ibanez. In comparison with the previous model, the GSR200 tends to be a bit more expensive, but it also features an amazing sound quality. The company decided to use a mix of three woods for this mode: agathis, maple and rosewood. In addition, it’s available in a few different colors, so if you don’t like that black guitar above, there’s plenty to choose from. I highly recommend checking it out!
Check out the demo below.
Ibanez SR300E
The SR Series has been around with us for over thirty years now. In fact, it’s one of the best and most iconic series of bass guitars created by Ibanez. This guitar has everything that you need from a bass guitar – an amazing look, a rich and pure sound and a decent price. In my opinion, this model will be great for more advanced players who want to step up their bass game. In comparison with two previous (and cheaper) models, the SR300E is definitely much better.
Here’s a quick demo.
Ibanez SRMD205
As you can see on the picture above, this bass guitar has one additional string – it’s a 5-string bass guitar. I don’t recommend this model for beginners, because it may be a bit confusing at the start. Still, if you’ve been playing bass for a few months now and you want to try a five-string bass, the SRMD205 is a really cool and affordable option. Bear in mind that this model has a bit shorter scale than usual SR models – that’s a big advantage for bass players with smaller fingers.
Here’s a quick demo.
Ibanez GSR100
This is one of the cheapest Ibanez basses available on the market right now. It’s even cheaper than the first model on my list – TMB100! It may not be the best bass on the planet, but it does the job. It doesn’t cost much, it’s lightweight and pretty comfortable to play – who needs anything else? If you’re looking for your first bass guitar, the GSR100 will be more than enough.
Ibanez SR306
Another really cool mid-level guitar aimed for more advanced players. This is a six-string bass, so similarly as the five-string bass, it’s not recommended for beginners. The guitar features two PowerSpan Dual Coil pickups, which offer a unique playing experience. To be honest, it’s one of the coolest and most affordable six-string basses available on the market. If you’re looking for this kind of gear, the SR306 is a safe choice – you won’t be disappointed.
Ibanez SRMS805
Another five-string bass designed for intermediate players. You have to admit that it looks really cool! In addition, the SRMS805 follow the unusual multi-scale concept. The distance between frets is different than in regular bass guitars, which may be pretty uncomfortable for amateurs. What’s the point of it? Well, it’s supposed to create a better sound and a more alive tone. Undoubtedly, it’s one of the most interesting guitars offered by Ibanez, but it’s not for everyone.
Ibanez AFB200
It’s time for something different – a hollow body bass guitar! The AFB200 is an instant classic – it features a rich and resonant tone suitable for a wide range of genres. On top of that, the guitar is really loud even without plugging it in into an amp. It may not be the cheapest guitar out there, but it’s definitely a cool alternative to other famous hollow body basses manufactured for example by Hofner.
About Ibanez
Ibanez is a Japanese guitar brand that was founded in 1957 in Nagoya. The company is usually considered as the third huge guitar company placed after Fender and Gibson. It’s the first Japanese manufacturer of instruments that became popular in the US and Europe. The company creates and sells thousands of guitars every month. In addition, they also manufacture amps and guitar accessories too. If you’d like to find out more interesting facts about their history, check out this great article on Reverb.
Why is Ibanez so popular?
The high popularity of Ibanez guitars is caused by their good quality and affordable prices. The company proves that guitars manufactured in Asia are worth it. In addition, out of my experience the company has a really good customer service and they really care about their clients.
In my opinion, the price is the major factor that contributes to the popularity of Ibanez. We all love thing that are good and cheap, because we hate overpaying. So since Ibanez manufactures some of the best bass guitars for beginner and advanced players, it’s not surprising that they are so popular.
Are Ibanez guitars versatile?
Of course! I’ve seen guitarists across all genres who used Ibanez guitars on a daily basis. It doesn’t matter whether you’re into indie rock, jazz, blues or heavy metal – Ibanez has an extremely wide offer of guitars suitable for all genres.
It is worth mentioning that Ibanez guitars are particularly popular among the metal guitarists. Since the company manufactures a lot of guitars for shredding, it’s not surprising that they are so important for that community. Still, it’s totally possible to play some more calm music on Ibanez guitars too.
How to become a better bass player?
If you’d like to step up your bass game and learn something new, I highly recommend checking out Fender Play – a learning platform for musicians. The platform is really simple to use and it offers hundreds of amazing lessons that will help you with becoming better at bass. If you’d like to find out more about it, I highly recommend checking out my other article about it.
Summary
As you can see, there are a lot of interesting bass guitars offered by Ibanez. Whether you’re a beginner who wants to start their bass journey or a more advanced player who plays live gigs, Ibanez basses will always be a great and affordable option for you. Of course, the guitars mentioned above may not be from the highest shelf, but all of them offer an awesome quality. Here’s the truth – you don’t need to spend thousands of dollars to buy a good bass guitar. Ibanez basses are a great example of that!
What do you think about Ibanez basses? Leave a comment below, I’m really curious! I hope that you enjoyed this article. If you did, you may also like:
