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Ibanez RD500
List: $680
The RD series (Roadgear) of basses by Ibanez is a deviant replacement of the now defunct ATK models. The RD only retained the ATK`s pickup combo, it moved away from the latter`s more conventional body design & its 2+2 tuner configuration at the headstock. The outline of this bass is very un-Ibanez I must say.
Construction/ Fit/ Finish
The RD500 is one well-made Korean. Stunning looks aside (thanks to the quilted maple laminate top), a thorough inspection revealed a top-notch finish. My only grip with this bass is the misaligned string retainer at the headstock. However, a quick reference to the Ibanez catalogue revealed it to be an intended dislocation to even out the string/ nut tension there. Neck-wise, the RD sports a wider & thicker profile than its other sleek sibling, the SR model. The RD also sports a more rounded rear, a C-profile & rather Fender-esque.
Playability/ Tone
I was a skeptic when it comes to the RD500`s overall balance as its severe treble side cutaway (reaching the 24th fret) left this side of the body with a rather minute horn, inadequate to sustain a balancing act when lapped. I was wrong. The RD rests in perfect equilibrium on my thigh, keeping it in place was effortless. Upper fret access is rather restrictive despite the generous cutaway, your thumb would be effectively impeded at fret number 16; look at the pic above & you`ll know why.
The sound of the RD is a healthy fusion of bottom end thumping & clear midrange resonance. Thanks largely to the Duncan Ibanez pickups. The active on-board pre-amp does very little to clarity but it adds tons to volume- this RD is one of the loudest 4-stringer I`ve come across, especially the bridge humbucker activated in isolation. Nope, that`s not the end of it; the volume knob doubles as a coil-splitter (push-pull activation) so you get very single coil-like tones from the Stringray type bridge humbucker. There you have it, an expansive tonal palette at your disposal.
Last say
Why should you bother with a bass which is riding on stolen attributes to forge its individuality? Re-look at the RD500, do you not see: a Fender Jazz/ Musicman Stingray/ Cort Curbow? Heck, even the headstock reminds me of a certain Suzuki bass… Why? Because it`s one fine tonal chameleon. Many of us would overlook the RD series because of its virtually peculiar outline. The better players out there would not judge this bass by its arguably unsightly persona, but revere it for its righteous tone. The RD500 also comes with Elixir strings by default. For $680, you can`t go wrong.
