• A triple that could easily have been a home run.

  
  As reviewed by BILL SAMMON on 4/2/2012

  The Ibanez Premier SR1206E bass would be a completely awesome package were it not for a few annoying flaws. First, the good stuff. Literally, right out of the box, the bass was playable with a respectably good setup and was only slightly out of tune. The tuners move like butter. The single truss rod had been loosened for shipping and it turned properly without complaint. The adjustment was made possible by a very handy & thoughtful multi-tool included with the instrument. Once adjusted, the bass played great with no dead spots, fret buzz or other malfunctions. Very comfortable playing weight for those of us with neck & shoulder issues. The single best feature of this bass is that the fretwork is absolutely first rate! All are well crowned & edged with nary a burr to be found. Nice job. The abalone inlay work on the fingerboard is also very good. The bass is strung with Elixir strings, which may or may not be to your preference. They sound & feel very good to me. String tension is very good. String spacing is also surprisingly good for a 6-er. The neck is not too narrow or too wide. It?s very comfortable for fingerstyle, slap, tap & chording. The Nordstrand pickups are single coils and will hum a bit when soloed or off the center detent far enough, depending on your position relative to the amp. Otherwise, they have a clear, strong voice with as much zing as there is beef. Notes are clean & defined at all points on the neck. The EQ is a bit sensitive, but that?s good, as you need not turn any knob too far to get the desired result. Sounds from reggae fat to jazzy growl are easily dialed up. I found that turning your pre-amp up a bit will produce a terrific woody growl when plucking over the rear pickup. This bass should make any soundman happy. Now, for the not so good stuff. Any bass in this price range should have a decent quality gig bag or preferably, a case. There is a bag provided, but it is more like a glorified raincoat. There is precious little padding on the most needed points, no neck support, the handle grips are flimsy and the largest pocket isn?t big enough for 8.5 x 11 sheet music. It?s almost as if Ibanez is disrespecting their own allegedly ?Premier? product with this poor excuse for a bag. They should have included the MB100C case. Very disappointing. The ovankol top, while very nice looking, has a tiny chip on the upper horn where the layers meet. Certainly a QC issue. The wenge neck, although bare wood, has a slightly sticky feel from the sealant, which can be made smoother using very fine gauge paper (progressively 200-400-600). There also should definitely be a separate battery box. Opening the control cavity cover to access the battery exposes a bird nest of excess wiring. Sloppy and attracts noise. Not cool. Shielding job is average. I would imagine that some of these issues get addressed when you step up to the Ibanez Prestige line. I would hope so anyway, as it?s about a $1000 price jump. For that, at least you get a nicer top and a proper case. I would hope the control cavity work is improved as well. Overall, you could do much worse than to enjoy one of these very, very good instruments. If you want excellence from Ibanez, get a Prestige. The Premium line will do as a runner-up.

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• suprise

  
  As reviewed by TIM SHIPMAN on 5/25/2012

  Can I just say don't waste your money on anything else buy this bass,and then order a hardshell case for it. You won't regret it.This bass is more bass for the price than you would get from the competitors. In every department, sound looks, weight.Try this bass before you throw away your money. Then order up a case for it because the gigbag it comes with is nothing to write about.

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• You'll be hard pressed to find another 6 string for this price that is as good.

  
  As reviewed by Gregg Henderson on 4/11/2012

  I purchased the 1206e along with a Ibanez SR5006e Prestige to compare and eventually keep one. Though I haven't made my decision yet, I'm actually leaning toward the 1206e. Why? Well, first it's $1000 less. Craftsmanship is on par with the Prestige though it does have a simpler layout. The single coils produce an in your face thick and aggressive sound with very good, diverse tonal quality while maintaining very good clarity. Plus, this thing is a slap monster! The Prestige has a more subdued, refined sound with extreme clarity. Perfect for Jazz. Playability is right with the Prestige as well. Something I also like is it's lighter than the Prestige. The Prestige however just looks awesome. The 1206e, though a beautiful instrument, when compared to the Prestige looks more ordinary. But again I'm comparing it against the Prestige that has a serious dark Wenge / Mahogany combination going on. Not many production basses look as cool. But like I said in my title, you will have a difficult time finding another Six string for the same price as the 1206e that will be as nice and offer the same overall package. The one thing Ibanez should do is offer a case. The gig bag is average at best and really doesn't offer any serious protection. That's really the only negative thing I can think of. If your looking for a 6 string, you have to check out the 1206e. Don't be surprised if it's your next instrument.

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