Ibanez GSR200 Electric Bass: Review

The Ibanez GSR200 electric bass has some good features, but it isn't the best deal available. Other brands, such as SX and Yamaha, offer better body woods, better tones and lower prices than the $200 Ibanez GSR200. Still, it is a popular entry-level bass, and it does have some things going for it.

The Basics

The Ibanez GSR200 features an agathis body, maple neck, and rosewood fretboard -- close to the Fender standards, excluding the body wood. It has classic Ibanez stylings, with the tilted-back headstock and simple body style that distinguish it from Fenders and their clones.

With active electronics and both split- and single-coil pickups, the GSR200 provides a good range of tones. The pickups themselves are OK, and upgrading them is recommended.

Unlike a few low-end basses I've played, this one has extremely good body/neck balance, without the "neck dive" some Fender clones are notorious for. This comes at a price -- the body is painfully heavy on the GSR200, and after an hour or two it's hard to keep it strapped on.

Fit and Finish

My GSR200 came with a black finish, with no visible flaws anywhere on the bass. The natural maple neck even had some flaming in it. The one aspect of the finish I didn't like was the headstock color. Regardless of the body finish, Ibanez GSR200s have black headstocks that can look great (black body) or strange (white).

This particular unit was bought from a friend, so I can't comment on the factory setup. However, mine managed a lower action without fretbuzz than any other beginner-level bass I've played. Though the neck is a bit wide for my taste, it is still fast and easy to play.

Sound

Here's where the GSR200 shows its weaknesses. Though it has lots of tonal options, none of them approach the quality I get from SX basses. To make matters worse, those basses are often half the price of this one. It's not bad for a new player who isn't too picky about tone, but the lack of solid timbres can be a real bother for anyone else.

My bass may just be a lemon, but enough Internet reviews say the same about the GSR200's tones to make me wary of discounting my own experience.

Final Verdict

It has some nice features, but I can't recommend the Ibanez GSR200. It's missing what counts -- good tones -- and its weight doesn't help. For similar features, but better tone, I would suggest any SX SPJ Precision/Jazz bass, which has the same pickups but with passive electronics.