Ibanez Premium SR2600 - Cerulean Blue Burst

This is a review of the 4-string version of the Ibanez SR2600 SR Premium Bass Cerulean Blue Burst.Background: The instrument comes in a 'gig bag'. I purchased the Ibanez 'MB300C' case which is the one recommended. I don't like the 'weak-red' interior color, but the case has the Ibanez logo on the outside, it is strong, attractive and secures the instrument very well. A Gator case is a potential quality alternative.I had to order this twice. The first time the item arrived, it was badly damaged, apparently before shipping. Fortunately, Amazon made the return process straightforward and I immediately put in my Amazon order for the replacement. Both the original and the replacement instrument had superb workmanship with clean lines and perfectly honed frets.This SR2600 Cerulean Blue Burst is probably the most beautiful stringed instrument I've ever seen, including all basses and guitars I have viewed during my extensive online shopping. The photos are only a hint of how very lovely it is with the burled wood top. The body has no true edges, instead being rounded in the transition from the front to the rear. As stated above the craftsmanship is perfect and the instrument has an attractive clear-coat gloss over the entire body. I provided several photos including one of the back of the neck which is its own work of art. The instrument radiates beauty and quality making it a joy to pick up and play.The pickups are active being powered by a single ordinary 9v alkaline battery. What's nice is that it is mounted in a compartment that can be opened using your thumbnail to unlatch it. No need for a screwdriver.Sound: I have 2 other basses, a very nice sounding MTD Kingston Z5 and a 1992 Ibanez SR800 (second photo) that has been refitted with EMG's 'Geezer' pickups and an Audere pre-amp that together give the SR800 a wide dynamic sonic range. By comparison, the sound of the SR2600 easily holds its own with these other basses, and I feel its dynamic range exceeds them. As one would expect, the SR2600 has treble, mid, and low controls. Where this bass excels is the great sonic range these controls span. You can dial in the higher end to sound like a "Jazz bass" or get a really deep low sound, which itself can be tailored. The lower modes can be made soft or somewhat 'punchy'.These three control knobs are complemented by two others, a mid frequency switch and a balance switch. These allow more fine grained control of the overall blend of frequencies, giving the instrument a much more versatile range of sound. Finally, there is a switch that shuts off the active electronics, allowing the pickups to act on their own. You can spend a lot of time exploring all the different shades of sound this bass can produce.The metal trim is gold plated which easily rubs off (I have a gold-plated Gibson Firebird as evidence). I am looking into options for coating or otherwise protecting it. Just so you know before you buy. Also check out the the online Ibanez manual for the SR2600 for a rundown of its impressive 'credentials'.My short experience with this instrument is that the sound really, really stands out! I might just get the 5-string version too--eventually. I can only imagine how well the SR2600 can voice those 'extra-low' notes! Whether you are a beginner or advanced, this could be the bass that does it all for you. Regardless of what kinds of music you play, this could easily be the only bass you ever need.

I received this bass in early March 2022, and the build quality is excellent… except the neck. The 15-piece laminate is smooth as silk, but there are no less than 5 wenge tear-out repairs that were finished very poorly. While this doesn’t affect playability, there are noticeable high-spots where the repairs took place on both the thumb and finger sides between the 1st and 15th fret. For a $1500+ instrument, this is extremely disappointing. I will be notifying Ibanez QC about this issue.

Seriously one of the best bass guitars I've ever played. The action is just right after a little tweaking, the neck is not overly wide and downright smooth. The sound is thunderous for such a beautiful guitar. I've played for 27 yrs and most beautiful guitars play like garbage, this is THE exception. The sound adjustments and toggles take some getting used to and the raised knobs are kind of different, I would've liked to have seen them flush with the body. The paint is phenomenal! I got mine for $1100. It is worth it.

This premium bass is in a class all by itself. It’s playability is phenomenal, the electronics exceptional, and looks are phenomenal. You can’t go wrong with this bass no matter what genre you are into.