Over 25 years ago, the SR established Ibanez as the leader in innovative bass building. Throughout the years, Ibanez made fretless versions of this classic for a limited number of esteemed Ibanez artists. Now, the Ibanez Bass Workshop makes this much sought after option available to SR players everywhere with the introduction of the SR Portamento.
The SR Portamento offers a Rosewood fingerboard that extends the length of the standard SR neck to a hefty 30-fret length. Several years in the making, the SR Portamento's new AeroSilk piezo system delivers an uncanny touch of hollow-bodied openness, and realizes the innovative Upright Double Bass sound to blend into the mix that both inspires and redefines the role of the solid body bass.
30 Fret Neck
The SR Portamento features an extended 30-fret Rosewood fretboard for playing in upper registers usually only accessible on an upright.
5pc SR Maple/Bubinga Thru-Neck
The SR Portamento features 5-piece Maple/ Bubinga thru-neck for increased sustain and superior tone.
Piezo Level Control
On the back of the SR Portamento are recessed controls assigned to each individual string to control the volume of the Ibanez-exclusive AeroSilk Piezo pickup. Perfect string balance and response can be achieved by adjusting the volume to accommodate different string gauges.
Custom bridge for AeroSilk Piezo System
The Custom bridge is created specifically for the optimum performance of the AeroSilk Piezo pickup system. Unique plastic saddles were designed to work in concert with the piezo pickups and enhance the acoustic "stand-up" quality of the sound.
Bartolini MK-1 Pickups
The MK-1 pickups are a split coil design that provides a very wide frequency range and enhanced definition for maximum accuracy. The Neck and bridge pickups have equal response, like traditional single coils, but without the hum and noise.
AeroSilk Piezo system w/Active tone control
The EQ section incorporates the controls of the Bartolini pickups with the AeroSilk Piezo system. Controls include a neck volume, bridge volume and bass & treble controls for the Bartolini MK-1 pickups and a Master volume and a tone control for the Piezo system.
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SPECIFICATIONSSRF705 Portamento 5-String Fretless Electric Bass
neck type: SRF5 5pc Maple/Bubinga neck-thrubody: Mahogany wing body
fretboard: Rosewood fretboard
fret: Fretless
bridge: Custom bridge for AeroSilk Piezo system
neck pu: Bartolini MK-1 neck pu (Passive)
bridge pu: Bartolini MK-1 bridge pu (Passive)
equaliser: Ibanez 2-band eq
hardware color: Cosmo black
Neck Dimensions
Scale: 864mm/34"
Width at Nut 38mm
Width at Last Fret 62mm
Thickness at 1st 21.5mm
Thickness at 12th 23.5mm
Radius 305mmR
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks Normal wear and tear Power surges Dust, internal heat and humidityOther plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks) For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax. Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold Plans are renewable on new gear*Limitations and exclusions apply. See terms and conditions for program details
Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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Let me start with the bad, since it'll be a fairly short list.I think the overall craftsmanship could be better, but then again, it is made in Indonesia, and not Japan, as I had wished it was. It's considered an SR700 series, so you'd really have to base it off of the quality of that line of series. Also, it's been about a week or so and Im convinced that I need to adjust the truss rod, because Im having to raise the action a bit too high just to avoid the growing amount of string buzz.
I also wish it had an overall volume control knob. But I can live without it.
Now the good...
I've been searching for the "right" fretless for a long time. It seems like sometimes the manufacturers simply put a fretless neck on their basses and call them fretless. But the truth is, that's not all that makes it a fretless. The pickups, the materials, the wood, it all matters, in order to get that nice warm fretless growl.
Id say the portamento has it covered. The neck feels awesome, and unlike the SR series, it's a neckthru construction, which in theory increases the sustain, and when I play it, I actually feel the strings through the body and into my torso, which for me is a must when playing. The pickups sound good and I believe they're completely perfect for the setup.
The overall weight of the bass is slightly more than average, so shoulder fatigue is un avoidalbe. For me, atleast.
Im giving it a 5 star rating because Im only the 2nd reviewer, so I don't want to mess up the ratings just because I feel like the craftsmanship could be slightly better for 950. But Im also a perfectionist.
The back of the bass looks a bit cluttered, but I guess its a good thing you cannot see it when you're on stage. I feel like less plastic could have been used. I hope the portamento lives on and gets the deserved sales and marketing, so that it doesn't go extinct.
Definitely buy this if you don't want to spend another grand on a Warwick. It's well worth the money and sounds and feels like a DREAM!
Ibanez SRF705 Portamento 5-String Fretless Electric Bass Flat Brown Burst Rosewood Fretboard
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Intonation is wrong on the 12th fret mark but it can be somehow adjusted (or just ignore the marking).Beautiful instrument, fun to play.
Soundwise the piezo does sound like a double bass with proper strings. Otherwise very standard sound, a bit too 'active' for my taste. Too bad it doesn't work in passive.
Ibanez SRF705 Portamento 5-String Fretless Electric Bass Flat Brown Burst Rosewood Fretboard
.FIRST TIME WITH A 2.5 OCTAVE VERY IMPRESSED PLAYS CLEAN MAKES YOU BRING YOUR "A" GAME PLAYED IT TODAY WILL BE GOING BACK TO PURCHASE !!!!!!!
Ibanez SRF705 Portamento 5-String Fretless Electric Bass Flat Brown Burst Rosewood Fretboard
.Wanted a bass more suited to play with my bluegrass group, but couldn't afford the new car I'd have to buy to haul around an upright. So I knew I wanted a fretless bass with piezo pickups and this one fell closest to my budget, and I really couldn't be happier.
The Bartolini pickups are decent but don't even come close to the warmth and thump of the piezo in my opinion, and really produce a nasty buzz when you turn up the tone on the bridge pickup, so I basically never use those.
Another thing that doesn't seem useable to me is the upper half octave on the fretboard. Maybe with some tweaking it could be balanced out, but the strings just kind of thump up there without producing much sustain on an actual note...doesn't really bother me because you need the precision of a violin player to accurately hit notes that high on a fretless neck.
In my opinion this bass is ideal for mimicking the percussive, warm thump of an upright, and as such will work with any style of music to which an upright (played pizzicato, obviously) is suited. If you're looking for a fretless for jazz fusion or something to give you that Jaco growl I'd stay away from this. I'll use this baby for my bluegrass and smooth jazz, working on buying a 6 string Modulus Quantum for when I wanna be like Jaco.
Ibanez SRF705 Portamento 5-String Fretless Electric Bass Flat Brown Burst Rosewood Fretboard
.I found this to be a very well throught out bass. You can tell that Ibanez design this from the ground up to be a fretless bass. Not just a fretless neck on a fretted body. A lot of tone to this bass. Very fast action and easy to play. Some of the Jaco songs I was playing on my fretted bass when played on this bass just seem to come alive and was so much easier to play. Adding this to my collection of basses is a greatly needed tool that I will be using a lot more then i thourght i would. Thanks Ibanez for creating a quality bass that I can preform with and didn't have to break the bank to purchase.
Ibanez SRF705 Portamento 5-String Fretless Electric Bass Flat Brown Burst Rosewood Fretboard
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