# Ibanez BTB or SR?



## OmegaSlayer (Sep 15, 2021)

Hi guys
I need a bass to record my stuff
It would be my first purchased bass, as most of the time I borrowed one from friends
I'm in the budget-ey range so I was thinking about an Ibanez SR, but I found a second hand Ibanez BTB 406 QM that costs half the price of the SR, and basically 1/3 of the retail price
I know the BTB is the better series between the two, but such a steal price left me wondering if the bass has some problems
Now...my experience with bass guitars mantainance is quite limited, so, what should I been looking for in the second hand one?
Electronics? Warped neck? I don't even know about how long does it take to have fret wear on bass

Thanks


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## Grindspine (Sep 15, 2021)

BTB has a longer, 35" neck in most cases. The BTB845 and BTB33 Volo are exceptions at 33". The SR has a standard 34" scale.

Both SR and BTB vary from entry level standard series up to the nicer Premium and Bass Workshop lines.

The 406 seems like a solid bass, though I personally prefer the Nordstrand pickups to the Bartolini pups that Ibanez uses. For reference, I own an SR1825 and EHB1505ms with Nordstrands and a BTB845 with Bartolini.


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 15, 2021)

Grindspine said:


> BTB has a longer, 35" neck in most cases. The BTB845 and BTB33 Volo are exceptions at 33". The SR has a standard 34" scale.
> 
> Both SR and BTB vary from entry level standard series up to the nicer Premium and Bass Workshop lines.
> 
> The 406 seems like a solid bass, though I personally prefer the Nordstrand pickups to the Bartolini pups that Ibanez uses. For reference, I own an SR1825 and EHB1505ms with Nordstrands and a BTB845 with Bartolini.


Thanks
The SR1825 and the EHB1505 are definitely out of my budget range though


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## dax21 (Sep 15, 2021)

BTB has a bigger, thicker body, 35" scale and string spacing is bigger, 19mm compared to SR's 16mm. I'm not 100% sure that it's also 19mm on 6 strings however. Both have very thin necks. 5 and 6 string BTBs typically have two truss rods so I would make sure that they work, and do some research on how to adjust them properly. Because of this, BTB necks are very stable and rarely require much if any adjustment but still. Electronics are so-so, the biggest issue with the preamp is the variable mid knob, the mid frequency width feels weird and sounds more like a wah pedal than something that is actually applicable in real life, I always left mine flat.

If you can try the BTB, make sure to note if there is any neckdive since its a 6 string, and decide if and how much of an issue that is for you since you will mostly use it for recording. That would be my main worry. I wouldn't pick an SR over it unless it was one of the higher tier models.


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## HaMMerHeD (Sep 15, 2021)

It would be best to go see if you can play them each for while. And don't just kick the tires. The thin SR neck makes my fat sausage hands cramp up after a little while, so they are a no go for me, and that kind of thing is hard to tell from photos and internet descriptions, and even just a cursory inspection and tone test.

If they are both in your price range, I'd go with whichever feels best. Tone is really a secondary or tertiary concern, IMO.


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## GenghisCoyne (Sep 15, 2021)

SR is objectively more comfortable


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## bostjan (Sep 15, 2021)

I never cared for how the SR's felt in my hands, but they are perhaps the most beloved bass on this forum. The quality should be good for a workhorse bass in either case.

As for maintenance, it's the same skills required for guitar. Frets can wear just as quickly, but it depends on the player and the amount of care.


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 15, 2021)

Thanks all for the replies
Unfortunately, I should purchase the BTB blindly from a seller in another city (200 km away) and no SR 6 strings in stores here in Rome, so I should order it anyway
I have experience with an old Sound Gear 5 strings from around '96-97
Neck dive is not a problem if it's just for recordings...I must say that I almost totally unlearned how to play standing...even because with 5 slipped discs (one of which had a removal via surgery), my back says no...not only to play standing, but already being in standing position without weights at all


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## HaMMerHeD (Sep 15, 2021)

Given that, I think I would tend to recommend the SR.


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## odibrom (Sep 15, 2021)

Playing sited with the bass on the leg, it's kind of irrelevant which one to choose, however, not so much for the not playing parts of instruments management like lugging things around or picking them up from the stand.

I've had a BTB406 and an SR 406 a long time ago. I believe (if memory serves me well) their string spacing at the bridge to be similar (check Ibanez website), or at least pretty similar.

I'm a small guy, about 1.67m tall. My hands aren't that big either. I felt the SR to be more comfortable to play (fretting hand) than the BTB, so take that as a note to keep in mind, but also don't forget the playing style - I used to do lots of phrasings, I already was a guitar player when I had those basses.


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## Grindspine (Sep 15, 2021)

GenghisCoyne said:


> SR is objectively more comfortable



I fully disagree. The BTB is a far more comfortable body both standing and sitting IMO. Between the three body styles the EHB is my favored one, actually. Also, there are less expensive EHB models, even with multi-scale.


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## Baelzebeard (Sep 16, 2021)

All other things being equal, I tend to prefer BTB's. 
I prefer the string spacing, and neck shape in the hand. I prefer the scale length for the low B string.
I can't comment on the particular models you are interested in because I can't comfortably play 6 strings, but I would pick a 5 string BTB over an SR almost every time.


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## LordCashew (Sep 16, 2021)

I’ve gigged a loaner BTB 405QM when my main bass was down. It was a solid bass, though a bit heavy, and the OEM Bartolinis were a bit low mid-heavy with less top end definition than I’d prefer.

I personally might prefer the SR ergonomically, but for your use case it sounds like a moot point and the BTB seems to be a better deal. Worst case scenario, you don’t get along with the pickups, but you could toss some great new pickups in it and still possibly save money over the SR. But since you’re using it in the studio, there’s a lot you can do with your DAW to massage out the tone you want, so I kind of doubt it would come to that. Get new strings though. 

On a used bass, you’re looking for basically the same things as on a used guitar. Pots aren’t too noisy, truss rod isn’t seized or broken, etc. I’m not aware of older BTBs having any specific issues other than weight.


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## SamSam (Sep 16, 2021)

If you are tuning down I wouldn't go with the Ibanez Bartolini pickups personally. Any particular reason you are after a six string? I tend to find that the high string barely gets any use in most cases and can make clean recording more challenging for new bass players. 

In fact I started on a 5 string and then when down to a 4 string and will never go back. I own an NG2 and a Super PJ and I would pick the Super PJ every time over my 5. It's just so much easier to nail better/ cleaner takes with less hand noise to worry about.

Unless you really intend to play big lines across the board I would go for a 4 or 5 string


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## odibrom (Sep 16, 2021)

... one needs a 6 string bass to hang clothes to dry... more strings, you know...?

Just kidding, I played both 6 stringers, BTB and SR.

One thing I should mention is that I recently saw my old SR406 (circa 1996/7) and it had its bridge bent due to string pull. PSIORB's bass player also got himself a fretless Gary Willys GWB35 (? - 5 stringer), also with its bridge bent. This to say that that particular bridge design is flawed. If one is to get a 2nd hand bass with this bridge, do get to see in person or get close ups for the bridge base plate seen from low to high string or vice versa. These bridges bend just before the block that holds the strings' ball ends and saddles' intonation screws.

The BTB I used to play had the hardware finish to fade really fast and felt a little difficult to set up, but keep in mind I was a kid back then and my knowledge was very limited (it still is, although not that much as 20+ years ago)... The BTB was from the first series they ver made.

I sometimes miss having a bass to play with, but I don't miss any of these 2 basses I've owned. If I was to get a new one today, it'd probably be mid tier SR 6 stringer, eventually the multiscale one although I very much dislike its inlays.


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## ixlramp (Sep 16, 2021)

I owned a BTB 406 QMBBL, loved it.
The BTB design is better than the SR for sitting because it has a steeper lower horn angle which makes it more stable on your leg. 6 string basses tend to balance at a high angle due to the weight of the neck, so a conventional shallow lower horn angle can make them almost slip off your leg.
Apart from weight, which is perhaps less of an issue for the thread author as they will be sitting, the BTB design is actually more ergonomic and more modern than the SR, despite appearences being the opposite.


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## c7spheres (Sep 16, 2021)

A friend had a BTB 6 and a SR505 and I can say the SR was vastly more comfortable and easier to play. The BTB 6 was a plank and worn my hands out after just a few minutes. Another friend had a BTB 5 string though and it played just as well as the SR so maybe it was just a 6 string bass thing that made it hard to play. The BTB 6 he had was an older one with that asymetrical neck which I didn't like at all. It sounded great though. Better than the SR. Both were modded with EMG's.


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## odibrom (Sep 16, 2021)

the SR series debuted in late '80s early ´90s, the BTB debuted in early 2000s...

There are subtle differences in either the SR and the BTB series. I'm not aware on the BTB ones, but on the SR, there obvious ones between the lower and mid to high tier ones...


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 17, 2021)

SamSam said:


> If you are tuning down I wouldn't go with the Ibanez Bartolini pickups personally. Any particular reason you are after a six string? I tend to find that the high string barely gets any use in most cases and can make clean recording more challenging for new bass players.
> 
> In fact I started on a 5 string and then when down to a 4 string and will never go back. I own an NG2 and a Super PJ and I would pick the Super PJ every time over my 5. It's just so much easier to nail better/ cleaner takes with less hand noise to worry about.
> 
> Unless you really intend to play big lines across the board I would go for a 4 or 5 string



Silliest reply ever...but, I use 8 strings and love them and since I'm purchasing a new piece of gear and I'm not rich, I'm kind of "future proof-ing", I might spend 50 bucks more now but not need to purchase a new instrument if I want the top string

But reality is that the guy selling the BTB406QM (the same @ixlramp mentioned) hasn't answered my message/request from Tuesday, so I looked around and found a 405 (with hard case) for 50 bucks more, so I contacted him yesterday...let's see if he replies
I might set down with the 5 stringer
The scale length sells me on the BTB, but if I can't manage to get a second hand one, I'll go with the SR 6 strings


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## MaxOfMetal (Sep 17, 2021)

odibrom said:


> the SR series debuted in late '80s early ´90s, the BTB debuted in early 2000s...



87' and 99' 

The SR replaced a slightly more blocky and less refined Roadstar Deluxe basses, and the BTB replaced the whacky EDC to some degree, but were their own thing.


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## dax21 (Sep 17, 2021)

Regarding weight, my ash body BTB (although a 4 string) is light as a feather. 

I wanted to chime in with another thing as I recall talking to someone on talkbass about it recently. There is one particular issue with playability of BTBs that some people can't stand while others don't even notice it. The upper cutaway on the body where your wrist rests tends to bruise your skin, a lot. Many people commented on TB about that back in the day. This is because the body has a flat profile, the same way the RGs do. Solution? Sweatband/wristband. The upside of the body profile is that it's extremely comfy to play while sitting down, it doesn't move or slide around the way rounded basses do. 

I think you will like that 5 string.


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## SamSam (Sep 17, 2021)

String spacing is something I would personally consider more than the scale, it definitely has a greater impact on playability than other factors in my experience. 

Although if you are planning to tune down to 8 string tuning just save and get a 37" scale or a Dingwall. Although I did actually prefer the playability of my BTB over my Dingwall NG, the BTB sounded ok (at best) tuned to B while the NG was clear and defined. Taming the low B (and beyond) can be a challenge on budget instruments unless you compress the shit out of your signal and hand noise is definitely something that requires solid technique to work around if you are new to the instrument. You can definitely get away with much less refined muting technique on a smaller neck (much more so than on a guitar where I find adding string doesn't make it much more challenging). 

I've been playing bass in a few bands now for around 3 years and have definitely scaled back as I've gone along. I tend to view 6 string basses as something that lend themselves more to lead work than guitars where we tend to add strings as we tune lower. I would just tune down a five as the guitar strings increase (or the tuning lowers) because the higher notes become somewhat redundant in most user cases anyway (I may be biased as I do not particularly like the sound of the high C anyway and would rather play higher up the neck and retain the warmth of the notes).


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 19, 2021)

The guys are not replying...besides the temptation to write them: "are you willing to sell or not?", I just figured that they're not serious enough to make my purchase go sleek
So I contacted a store that has a second hand 5 string BTB (honey color, which I don't like, but oh well)
Eventually the store will be more serious than those sellers


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 20, 2021)

Purchased the 5 string BTB honey color for 300 € gigbag and shipping included
The BTB 6 string was 200 €, but the seller wasn't deserving an ounce of trust, unfortunately, bummer


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## Crungy (Sep 20, 2021)

Sounds like you got a decent deal, post some pictures when you get the bass!


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## OmegaSlayer (Sep 20, 2021)

Crungy said:


> Sounds like you got a decent deal, post some pictures when you get the bass!


It really seems so
I'm quite annoyed with brand new instruments
Some times you pay a lot and have exotic woods that aren't even on par with budget stuff from 15 years ago


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