Back to navigation


Premium Bass with Full-bodied Tone





This article was


Written By





Our Product Research Team





Get to know them!





We’re fortunate to get our hands on some of the finest instruments available today, and we can confidently say that the Ibanez Premium SR1600D 4-string bass punches above its price range in every way. Sporting a toneful African mahogany body, a gorgeous poplar/burl top, and a rock-solid 5-piece panga panga/purpleheart neck, the SR1600D is a boutique-quality instrument with flawless playability, looks, and tone. A pair of Aguilar DCB pickups react exceptionally to your playing style while imbuing monumental sustain. The 5-piece neck is titanium-reinforced, with premium tuners on one end and a Mono-rail bridge at the other. Round it out with custom Ibanez electronics and 3-band EQ, and you get a full-force 4-string bass that's perfect for every playing situation imaginable.





Aguilar DCB pickups capture the intricacies of your tone





As a bassist, it’s impossible to overstate the importance of your tone. NYC’s very own Aguilar knows this better than most, and their DCB pickups respond fantastically to dynamic playing without compromise. Pluck, slap, and thump the SR1600D and you’ll quickly hear the Aguilar difference, with full-bodied tone and seemingly endless sustain on tap. Plus, you have the powerful sound-shaping capabilities of Ibanez’s Custom 3-band EQ, which gives you control over boost/cut for bass, mid, and high frequencies; a mid-frequency switch to fine-tune your midrange; and an EQ bypass. No matter what tonal texture your music calls for, this instrument’s superb electronics will get you there fast.





Mono-rail bridge enhances definition and sustain





Ibanez specified their excellent Mono-rail V bridge for the Premium SR1600D. Unlike single-body bridges, each Mono-rail saddle is completely separate from the others. This does two things for you. First, since they aren’t connected, the saddles create minimal sympathetic vibration. This prevents unused strings from ringing. Second, each saddle is double-anchored, allowing energy to transfer efficiently between the string and the body. As a result, bassists here at Sweetwater are raving about the SR1600D’s astonishing clarity and sustain.





Ibanez: a brief history





Ibanez began its life in 1908 as the Hoshino Gakki company in Nagoya, Japan. However, the company didn’t get into the guitar business until 1929, when they started importing Salvador Ibanez guitars from Spain. In 1935, Hoshino Gakki began building Spanish acoustic guitars under the “Ibanez Salvador” name, which was later shortened to Ibanez. Although Ibanez began manufacturing electric guitars in 1957, the company was relatively unknown in the West until the 1960s, when they started producing guitars based on American designs. By the late 1970s, Ibanez stopped producing derivative instruments and began manufacturing the innovative original guitar and bass designs that the company is now known for. Ibanez is also famous for their effect pedals, most notably the Tube Screamer. Sweetwater is proud to offer to you such a fine line of distinguished musical instruments.





Ibanez Premium SR1600D Bass Guitar Features:


Poplar burl top, African mahogany body


Atlas 5-piece panga panga/purpleheart neck with KTS titanium rods


Bound panga panga fretboard, abalone oval inlays


Medium frets with premium fret edge treatment


Graph Tech Black TUSQ XL nut


Aguilar DCB pickups produce full-bodied tone


Ibanez Custom Electronics with 3-band EQ


EQ bypass switch (passive tone control on treble pot)


3-way Mid frequency switch


MR5S bridge (16.5mm string spacing)