Ibanez Bass Workshop SRMS805 Multi-scale 5-string Bass Guitar - Deep Twilight Reviews

The bass arrived 6 weeks ago. Now, after daily practice, several rehearsals and 3 gigs, I can write this review. My go-to bass has been a Fender Elite J-bass 5 string with Daddario ENR71-5 half-rounds. Played that bass since 2012 and I really love it. Being 72 years old, I wanted something a little lighter and a little easier on my left wrist. Decided to try a multi-scale for wrist relief. This Ibanez 5-string is truly wonderful. The sound is great. The B-string especially pops. I find that I can play for hours without wrist pain. I was a little concerned that the fanned fret would take some getting used to. But, I immediately adjusted to them, and can go back to the J-bass with no problem. Had Sweetwater do a setup. They are unable to perform the 'plek' setup on multi-scale guitars, but their standard setup was good enough. The action is just as I like it, and the intonation at frets 5, 10, 12 and 15 are all accurate. There is a somewhat limited selection of strings for this guitar. Ibanez installs Daddario EXL170-5SL strings. Notice the SL suffix which means 'super-long'. After contacting DAddario, I found that any of the Daddario 'SL' string sets will work. Since I prefer half-rounds, I was disappointed to find that Daddario discontinued their ENR71-5SL half rounds. I decided to go with Daddario ECB81-5SL chromes. These are darker than the half rounds, but sound great on this bass. All DR strings with 37 3/4" scale length (most DR bass strings) will also work. The Fender J-bass has single coil pickups which pick up a lot of hum from LED stage lights. I was hoping that the humbuckers on this bass would solve that problem. LED lights still pose a problem even with this bass's humbuckers - though not as badd as the single coil pickups.

I am a new bass player and admittedly have no clue what I'm doing but I love this bass so much that its hard to put it down once I get started. It sounds and feels amazing.I have no trouble going from this to my 4 string regular fret Yamaha but if I don't play this Ibanez for more than a few days it is super clumsy to get started again... maybe my own problem but it helps me to make practice a priority, so is it really a problem? I thought multiscale basses looked stupid tbh but I read it may help alleviate pain in my fretting wrist (work injury) and it really does. I really love having the low B string available and I look for ways to get those notes in. This is a beautiful bass and my new best buddy!

From the moment I picked up this bass I was in love. The neck is super comfortable to play, I was a bit worried about going to a 5 string but the neck design makes it easier; I never feel I am reaching for notes. The fretboard is well designed, and the multi scaled frets are a non issue. Going into the bass I was worried about having to adjust to multi frets, but that took about 30 seconds. The fingering on the frets feels very natural.

I have had it several weeks now and can't wait everyday to pick it up and play.

I have played on quite a few basses over the years, and to find a Bass that gives you a wide range of dialing in tone, is light... This bass is right for you. I play a variety of tunings, had this as Drop G and currently have it setup as Drop B tuning. Setup was easy and I do not find myself limited on what type of strings I can put on this bass. I use this bass at shows and practice as its tone and playability work great.

First of I have to thank Ty Heimann my Sales contact at Sweetwater. He always has an ear for my relentless questions. But as always he delivered!
I had the nut changed out for a bone nut, changed strings to Jazz Flat wound and set it up low for fast playing. This Bass sings for solo playing and swings or pups for jazz or funk.
The fan fret are so natural to play you don't even know the difference except in how fast and accurate your intonations are now.
The case is solid too.
In short this is Bass number 11 in my 50 year career as a musician. And I am grinning from ear to ear each time I play.
If you're not sure what bass to get call Sweetwater and asked for Ty Heimann you can't go wrong. Period

The quality of the build is nice. The knobs have good friction to them and it is easy to tell where the center position is for the EQ. The toggles work well as well. The frets had no sharp edges. I should note that the intonation set by Sweetwater was spot on. The are no discernible dead spots or wolf notes along the entire fretboard. The finish is superb.

As for playing it, the notes ring out nicely. I did not notice at all the fanned fret design. It plays comfortably and I found chord shapes in the upper registers were easier to make. Perhaps it's because I have XL hands and it has fairly narrow (16.5 mm) string spacing. Ibanez does say that you can move the saddles +/-1.5mm but that does NOT mean you can get 18 mm overall string spacing because you have to move the E and the D strings outward as well, making a maximum of just over 17 mm, which is probably not worth it. That said, the neck is smooth and fast.

Regarding the EQ, you can get all your standard tones out as you would expect. The character switch (the 250, 450, and 700 Hz toggle) made more a difference than I was expecting. What was really surprising is how good it sounds with the EQ bypassed. I rolled the balancer to the bridge pickup and adjusted the tone knob (which is the treble boost cut in active mode) and got a great jazz sound out of it. The character of the notes with every string is noticeable with the multi-scale. It really has a piano like sound to it.

All in all, a great purchase. Highly recommend it.

I am a guitarist primarily. After joining a project as a bassist that was primarily tuned to drop Gsharp, I picked up a cheaper Ibanez model to get me started, an Ibanez gio205b, and while this is still a wonderful beginner bass, it’s 34 inch scale length just couldn’t really handle the lowered tuning. This SRMS805 handles the tuning with ease. The string tension is magnificent, the fanned frets make the playability of riffs easier as well. The quality of the bass is something of a marvel. I have a feeling these will become a highly demanded product. I hope to see more multiscale guitars and basses hit the product line in the future.

TL;DR just buy it!! If you want the Dingwall NG2/3 sound, it's going to take some work, but doable. Worried about the multi-scale? Don't be - it's awesome and takes VIRTUALLY NO TIME to get used to. If you have huge hands or play "loosely" the string spacing will be a bit tight at first.

For the money, there are very few basses that come close to the SRMS. It sounds and plays better than basses that sell for 3x what this Ibanez does. I've had mine for about 1.5yrs and I have had some minor quality control issues: the volume pot loosened within a few weeks of owning it, the input jack come loose after a couple months, and the nut decided to pop off during a string change. However, these were all easily fixed right at home and were nothing more than minor annoyances. Factoring in the playability and tone I still give this bass an EASY 5 stars for the money. The EQ curve can be a little different to get used to, it's a very mid-heavy bass, tonally. Fortunately the midrange has more variability due to the 3-position mid-center switch and once you learn the sound characteristics it's easy for me to dial in anything from the brutal, clanky Darkglass style sound (combined with the X7 pedal, great combo!!) that I use in Living In False Eyes (djenty metalcore) to a nice burpy midrange, that is almost Warwick-like, by rolling to the rear pickup and playing close to the bridge. I can get a nice, fat slap tone with the pickups centered, slight bass and treble boost, and slight low-mid cut (switch in up position). Mine is currently set up to play F-C-F-A#-D# with heavier strings and it handles everything beautifully.
If you're worried about the multi-scale neck, all I can say is don't even hesitate to try it. When looking down at the neck from a normal playing position all you're seeing is the edge of the fret and the fret markers, and it looks like any other bass. It will feel pretty normal right away, and after some time you'll find it ever so slightly odd to play non-fanned fret basses! Maybe it's because the tension is balanced, but it just feels more "natural" after time. Plus, this isn't as extreme in scale length variance as something like a Dingwall, I think it's a great compromise and a beautiful first fan fret bass. Some reviewers have complained about the slanted nut being sharp on the G-string side, but that has not been an issue for me.
The string spacing is tight: if you're someone with gigantic hands or if you play sloppy, you may find it a bit cramped. Personally, I prefer the narrow spacing, especially for fast finger style or pick playing that requires a lot of fretwork, or tapping, etc. since the Ibanez necks have always been some of my favorite for very fast movement. The only issue I have with the tight spacing is slap, for which I generally use my Jazz bass anyway, since that thing has the string spacing of a four-lane highway. It's been on many, many gigs, on tour, and it's held up great (exceptions mentioned above, no deal-breakers). I cannot recommend this bass enough; 10/10 for value. Phenomenal!

This bass was the solution to my problems with another bass I own that couldn't handle down tuning to A standard and so I got this one. Not only does it sound amazing with and without the preamp it handles A standard and even G standard!

I finally had the money to buy a Dingwall as I really love the low depth on the B. I saw one of these SRMS805s in topaz and originally thought it would be too much because it looked so nice. But I saw the SR logo so I picked it up. Honestly was almost disappointed I preferred it to the Dingwall. It's more natural and comfortable for me to play and the sound is also to my preference.

Grew up playing classical piano and occasionally had big performances on a massive old Steinway grand. That thing was almost terrifying as a child it resonated so much. But felt and sounded amazing hitting some Rachmaninoff or Ravel power ending. I've never heard a bass sound like that but this does. Even when it's unplugged it growls like I ripped off part of that Steinway. The tones are incredibly versatile but I can hear its character through it all.

The B string is a lot better than what I'm used, easier to frett and more clear tone. The weight is light and balanced as I like. I play mostly standing and this is the most comfortable bass I've had.

I ended up going with the deep twilight and it looks far better and more nicely finished than I expected for the price. Can't wait to play it more.

This is my first Ibanez and only my third electric bass in 25 years. I have had this bass for about a week now. It is a gorgeous instrament. The fit and finish are incredible and I really like the black hardware. Everything works as it is supposed to. I have been playing with the EQ and mid cut switch and have found a wide range of tones. I can make it soft and subtle and I can make it growl as well. I didn't like the round wounds that came on it but then again I have been playing flat wounds for 20 years so YMMV. I installed a set of half flats and am now happy with the warm tones. It should only get better as the strings break in. The fanned frets look nice and there was absolutely no learning curve for them. The necks is a little narrower than my 21 year old Yamaha TRB-6ii so it is an easy reach for everything.

The low B is nice and tight like my old Yamaha. I spend a lot time playing between fret 7 and 12 on this thing and it has great sound. The bass came with a pretty good set-up and the intonation is right on even with the new strings. I really like the Active/Passive switch. When you switch to Passive the volume is low but that is what having no pre-amp is. The sound is still good in Passive mode. I have never had a battery die in the middle is a set but have always been aware that could happen. That is not an issue on this bass, just flip the switch, adjust the volume, and keeping on going. This thing has sustain for days on all five strings.

I am very happy with the Ibanez SRMS805 purchase and with Sweetwater. I showed a friend a picture of my bass and he declared it "sexy". He is 70, doesn't play guitar or bass, and he is right. This is one sexy bass with great sound. This may just end up my goto bass. Another week or two and I'll be ready to play it with the group on stage.

I am a guitar player first, and wanted a nice bass to record with and to play when I am scheduled to play bass at my church. I wanted a bass that could be my only bass (being a guitar player, this makes the most sense for my applications) and decided I liked the idea of the multi scale. I was fortunate enough to be able to put my hands on one of these before I bought it, and I must say, Ibanez has really created a monster here. The intonation with the multiscale is spot on, the neck is fairly thin and very fast. The multiscale is really comfortable to play and really easy to get used to. I expected to fight it for a while, but after just about 5 minutes or so, I was comfortable with it. I really like the construction of the neck with the Jatoba and Walnut, and the Panga Panga, which I had never used before, feels so smooth. The fit and finish is fantastic, and the tonal options are plenty. Do yourself a favor and at least try one of these out.

Amazing tone with the Bartolini"s. Active eq really cuts through. The multi scale is hardly noticeable as this is the easiest five string I"ve ever played. Looks like a boutique bass and sounds as good! A slap monster but can cover just about anything you"re into.

This is my first fanned fret bass. I purchased my first Ibanez SR series bass (SR1000) way back in 1990 and have since always been impressed with the playability, tone and slim body of the SR models. I have since owned over 50 high end basses, which included mostly Modulus, MTD, Warwick, Zon, F Bass and Fodera.

I came across the SRMS805 in Deep Twilight on Sweetwater's site and after reading the reviews, I decided to give one a try. First off the bass is gorgeous with good fit and finish overall. Playability is outstanding after I set it up with a nice low action. With the EQ set flat, the tone through my Demeter preamp/Bergantino IP powered cab is punchy, open and very growly when played fingerstyle. Slap is cutting and would punch through well in the mix. The EQ is very effective, and I like that with the EQ bypassed it sounds the same as with the EQ in and the controls set in the middle. This allows me to have a great fingerstyle tone in bypass mode, and with just the flip of the EQ switch, I can have a great Slap tone.

As far as the 34-35.5" scale, it simply rocks! It took ZERO time to adjust to the fanned frets, I like that they are not extremely fanned, like say a Dingwall. Going back and forth between this and standard fret basses takes no adjustment at all on my end. So now I finally have an SR series bass with a tight B string, which I believe would work well for drop tuning if desired. Overall for the price, this bass simply can't be beat!

Bass 2 - I was so impressed, that only a week later I ordered another SRMS805, this time in the Brown Topaz Burst. This bass is as equally impressive and the top is just as gorgeous. You can't go wrong with either color. Tonally, it's a little more polite but I find it has a more pleasing slap tone. Still, both sound amazing and play effortlessly. I can easily see these 2 basses being played more than all the others sitting in my guitar rack.

5 STARS all around, including Sweetwater's AMAZING customer service, thank you Kris Eckman!!

I have the six string model of this bass and I without a doubt will say it is the best bass I've played and owned. Maneuvering is super easy and the multi scale necks allows for enhanced comfort while playing.

Everyone from jazz to tech death metal players would absolutely love this bass!

I absolutely love this bass. The quality is top notch in every area. It has a vast array of capable tones and each of them sounds amazing. Mine came with low action and no fret buzz. I tuned it down 2 keys and it plays great, no floppy top string. The neck is thin, smooth and fast. The frets feel great. You get used to the multi-scale fret placement in a matter of minutes. Then you forget that it is different than a standard bass. This is my 8th bass and is already my favorite, even over my Fender that was twice as much. I highly recommend buying this model.

Right out of the box this bass blew me away with the finish, detail and amazing quality. It tuned up easily and stays in tune, even with the stock strings this bass has amazing tone and feel. Probably the smoothest neck I've ever played. I've had it a month and haven't touched a thing, all stock, no pedals. Just enjoying the all around tone it has. Amazing instrument

I couldn't be happier with this bass, the fan fret comes very naturally. Virtually took no time to adjust. Beautiful craftsmanship, I was really blown away by the quality... Ibanez does it right and they nailed it with this multi-scale soundgear!!!

This bass is amazing! I'm a guitar player that has gotten more serious with bass while playing bass on our worship team. I've been playing a borrowed Fender P-Bass Special (PJ setup) 4 string. I knew I wanted a 5-er of my own for extended range and knew the reputation of the SR series. I decided on this bass because of the multi scale feature for the B string, reviews, and of course looks.

This thing is beautiful to play, comes set up (to my liking, anyway) from the box, and the finish is flawless! I haven't played it at church yet, but the flexibility in tones on my small practice amp at least match the P-bass I've been using. I'm actually enjoying the longer scale lengths across all 5 strings! There is a small learning curve for the B string (for those that have only played a 4 string), but a fairly natural transition for a guitar player, actually. As for adjustment to the multi scale.... there isn't one. I haven't noticed any issues with the fanned frets whatsoever.

I'm giving a 4.5 for two reasons (one is a complaint against the industry, in general):

1.) Why can't you get a case or at least a gig bag included these days without buying a $2500 guitar?! That said, the Gator GL-BASS case DOES fit well and is a solid buy for this bass.

2.) There is a little bit of remnant glue/dust in the input jack area and screw holes for the neck area. You can't see it at all without seriously inspecting them, and it shouldn't take much work to clean it up. Otherwise, the fit and finish is absolutely perfect!

For those new to Sweetwater, this was my first purchase with them. Compared to Musicians Friend, I have to say the service and shipping/turnaround time is quite literally impressive. So long as the pricing stays competitive, I'll now be choosing Sweetwater over all other retailers for gear. I GOT TO PICK WHICH ACTUAL BASS I BOUGHT, and they even sent me the pro photos! I ordered on a Saturday, recieved on Tuesday (Monday was a bank holiday). What more can I say? Impressed all around!

I've got to be honest. When I first got this bass in Nov 2020, I was in love. To this day I have a lot of fun playing it. When it's in active mode the tones that come from this bass are warm and punchy. I PLAY FLATWOUNDS. I still get a lot of crack when I slap and all in all I get a nice punchy tone. I've seen many people complain about the pickups but for me the soapbars are great honestly.
However, this was my first bass.
I've played many but this was the one I decided to purchase due mainly to the active/passive feature and of course the multi-scale.
To my dismay, It's almost as though this bass was made to only be active. When I play in passive I'm yet to confirm what the issue is but my gain becomes a whisper. I've only had about three weeks of playing in passive mode that I can say my gain levels were reasonable. I've run the bass through an amp sim stompbox and through my UAD Apollo and all I'm saying is.... HOW can it be that I've had to max out the gain on all these various tools when I'm in passive but in active it's not even an issue??
Worst of all. I've changed the battery multiple times so I can only deduce that it MUST be the wiring.
I hope that Ibanez can get their wiring together because aside from that issue I personally have no issues with this bass at all.
Mayyybe I should've got the EHB?