SR300DX Review

Soundgear series 4-string electric bass guitar featuring an agathis body, 3 piece maple neck, and the popular PHAT bass boost.

Features:	9.7
Sound:	9.7
Action:	9
Reliability:	9
Impression:	9.3
Overall rating:	9.3
Users rating:	8.3
Comments:	6

overall: 9

Featured review by: B1GfOot, on october 31, 2006

Purchased from: Arties Music (World of Music)

Features: The SR300DX that I have is a 2006 model made in Indonesia. It has 24 medium sized frets, a 34" scale bolt on neck. The neck is maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The body is made of Agathis and is nicely finished in either Candy Apple Red, Jewel Blue or Black. The bridge is the Ibanez B100 and is of very high quality. Featuring a 2 band active electronic/pickup configuration this bass gives control over bass and treble cut/boost as well as pickup selection between neck and bridge. The pickups are the Ibanez DXJ and DXP models. The bass comes with two allen keys for configuration and a short practice cable. // 9

Sound: On first impression this bass seems able to suit plenty of music styles. It has such a range of settings with the treble/bass knobs and the ability to use the J or P pickup or both and anywhere between. I am using a Peavey MAX 158 15 watt 8 inch speaker practice amp. This combo produces some room shaking bass (for a 15 watt amp) but is able to produce crisp high tones. The variety of sounds available is limited to the players imagination. // 9

Action, Fit & Finish: The bass arrived with great intonation and was strung well. I cannot see anything that remotely looks like a flaw in the instrument. It is well constructed and done so with care. I must say that I do not believe this bass came with any flaws. The tuning pegs are tight and hold tune well, the nut is made of graphite and fits well. This bridge is solid and well finished. One thing I did notice, however, is when I was practicing with headphones on as I rolled the treble/bass knobs there was a tiny click as they rolled over the middle point of the knob. This is inaudible without headphones on however. // 9

Reliability & Durability: From what is apparent without having played Live with this bass yet I can say that I believe it will stand up to Live playing very well. It holds tuning well and all the hardware is solid and well constructed. The strap buttons are tight and feel secure. I believe I would use this bass without a backup and not fear anything going wrong with it. // 9

Impression: I play many styles of music from blues/jazz to rock/metal and funk and it seems capable of suiting all these styles and more. It came from the factory with a great low, but not low enough to buzz, action and is great to slap on. I looked up bass guitars for weeks and compared what I could afford with features on all the major companies before I chose this bass. I am happy with my choice and would be very upset if it were stolen, lost or damaged. I love everything about this bass and cannot think of anything to hate about it. I like having the control of my sound right there in reach on my bass without having to strole over to the amp. I also am very pleased with how great every fret down the neck on every string sounds. In summation I am very pleased with this bass and am glad that I chose it over the competitors. // 9

Reviewed by: unregistered, on january 05, 2006

Purchased from: ULtimate Guitar

Features: // 10

Sound: I can get a ton of sounds from this thanks to the DXP, DXJ pickups, and the PHAT bass boost. It's pretty good with metal. But it's great with pop/slap grooves and jazz grooves. Great indie stuff too, I use my fingers most of the time It gets great harmonic tones too if you use the DXJ pickup along with turning the treble and bass PHAT boost all the way up. I personally run it through a Behringer or an Ampeg. It's got great variety in tone. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The action was great, but it did give me some buzz at the 14th and lower frets. The finish was awesome it's got a candy apple red finish, which is really sparkly and flashy. The controls were spot on. You can reach the 24th fret effortlessly, but as I said the fret buzz at the 14th and higher frets (if the strings are attacked a bit hard). And the strings were a bit oxidized, but thats nothing a new string change can't fix. But for the fret buzz I'd give this bass an 8 in this category. // 8

Reliability & Durability: I'm pretty sure this guitar will withstand live playing. I've dropped this bass quite a few times and it still keeps on going without any problems, except getting knocked outta tune, but that's if it lands on the headstock hard. // 10

Impression: I play some metal, some jazz, but mostly slap and indie. This suits my style perfectly. I've been playing bass for 5 months, but I've been playing guitar for 3 years. I've compared this to other basses namely the Musicman Stingray. This bass can hold its own against the Stingray. If this bass were stolen or busted beyond repair, I'd probably save up and buy a new bass, because I bought this as a beginner's bass. I love the finish, PHAT boost, and the great variety of tones you can get from it. Only thing I wish it had was a fretless neck, but thats right now and I'd only want a fretless for some jazz lines like Jaco Pastorius. Some humbucker pickups like the ones on the Stingray would be cool for Slapping but thats just me. // 10

overall: 9.4

Reviewed by: bass man trav, on october 08, 2005

Purchased from: Long And McQuade

Features: Soundgear series 4-string electric bass guitar featuring an agathis body, 3 piece maple neck, and the popular PHAT bass boost.

- 24 frets
- One volume
- One tone
- Treble and tone knobs
- 4 strings
- DXJ and DXP pickups. // 10

Sound: This is a rock and roll bass player or a metal player. I play this throgh a 50 watt Yorkville amp and it sounds great. The bass can get really bassy sounding or it can get a high trepple sound. // 10

Action, Fit & Finish: The guitar is set up perfectlly, you can reach the lowest frets with ease and the tunning knobs work good. Frettwire is put in well and doesnt hurt your hand from sliding it over. Silver hardware. // 10

Reliability & Durability: The hardware seems like it would last for a while except on mine the strap knobs were lose and I had to tighten them on a regular basis, so that I wouldn't drop my bass when I was playing. // 8

Impression: This bass is a great starter guitar but is of such quality it could definitly be anyones step up. If this guitar was lost or stolen I would freak out but I might look somewhere eles because there are better basses that I can afford. // 9

Comments

[Shredmaster42]

I gotta snatch me one of these! Great reviews,keep it up!

[-Ozz-]

I play the SR 350FM. Its the best bass ive ever played! Very cheap, hot looking, quality sound. Look no further!

[ravenouscabbage]

sound like a pretty sick bass. i think ill get one.
thanks for the reveiws!

[blackmummy]

thats not even the ibanez sr300!!!?? sr300 has no phat bass boost?? wtf?

[samaxx]

sr300 HAS phat boost, can you read?

[samaxx]

by the way, where is the normal sr300?