Ibanez SR300E vs Yamaha TRBX304: Deep Showdown (2022)
Torn between Ibanez SR300E and Yamaha TRBX304?
Trust me – This decision shouldn’t be complicated.
With this SR300E vs TRBX304 post, I aim to help you choose the best bass guitar model that will ultimately help you get more from your musical talent.
Let’s start digging:
Ease Navigation for You:
- Body Construction and Materials
- Flexibility in the Neck Profile
- Electronics and Sound Quality
- Quality of Hardware Used
- Comfort and Ease in Playability
- Which One is Best for You?
- And Much More…
Here’s my Quick Comparison for Ibanez SR300E and Yamaha TRBX304 Model:
Ibanez SR300E | Vs | Yamaha TRBX304 |
---|---|---|
Best Value for Money! | Best Beginner-Friendly Bass | |
Under $350 | Price Range | Under $350 |
Double Cutaway Mahogany Arched Body | Body | Double Cutaway Solid Mahogany Body |
13.6 Pounds | Weight | 8.6 Pounds |
Ibanez PowerSpan Dual Coil humbuckers (Passive) | Pickups | Custom-Designed M3 Humbucking Pickups (Active) |
3-Band EQ with 3-Way Power Tap Switch | Electronics | 2-Band EQ with 5-Way Performance Switch |
1 Master Volume, 1 Balance, 3-Band EQ Knob | Control Layout | 1 Master Volume, 1 Balance, 2-Band EQ Knob |
Accu-Cast B120 Bridge Configuration | Bridge | Vintage Fulcrum Bridge Configuration |
SR4 5-Piece Maple/Walnut Neck + Jatoba Fretboard | Neck Profile | 5-piece Maple/Mahogany Neck + Rosewood Fretboard |
Excellent Active Electronics for Wide Range of Tonal Options | Best For | Great Playing Comfort + Amazing Hardware |
4.6/5 | ScoreGuitar Rating | 4.5/5 |
Buy SR300E | Best Deal | Buy TRBX304 |
Ibanez SR300E and Yamaha TRBX304: Comparison Overview
Both these bass models are quite popular among the bassists due to their core features, but there are some differences that might make one bass model better than the other for your specific needs.
Let’s start with the:
Body Construction and Materials
Like most of the bass guitars under $350 Price, both of these models feature a Solid Mahogany Tonewood body in a stylish-looking double-cutaway shape.
Mahogany is a quite popular material for bass guitars due to its ability to produce a warm, full, and smooth-sounding tone. And that’s why both these basses are doing a great job delivering the punchy growl with a great sustain.
TRBX304 bass comes with a well-finished contours-shaped body that is nicely optimized for comfort, whereas the SR300E model has a compact and arched body design with elongated horns.
To be fair, I find both these basses really great in terms of playing comfort, especially if you’re seeking long hours of play.
Winner: Tie – SR300E and TRBX304 Bass
Flexibility in the Neck Profile
Flexibility and the overall stability of the neck is another crucial factor that can completely change your bass guitar experience.
The SR300E model comes with a 5-Piece Maple/Walnut Neck profile. It is a Bolt-on neck joint that provides you incredible smooth action. It is combined with a 24 frets Jatoba fretboard, which is almost as good as Rosewood but costs less.
On the other Hand:
The TRBX304 bass also sports a 5-piece neck profile but with a combination of Maple and Mahogany, which is quite common in high-end bass guitars.
On top of that, you’re getting a well-dressed 24 Frets Rosewood fretboard that makes this bass very balanced and comfortable to play, even for players who are just starting out.
Coming towards flexibility and comfort, With a J-style skinny neck profile and compact body design, SR300E bass clearly edges out the Yamaha TRBX304 model. Its narrow neck is just perfect for playing chords and some other quick stuff.
Winner: Ibanez SR300E Bass
Electronics and Sound Quality
Ibanez SR300E model features two PowerSpan Dual-Coil humbucker pickups at bridge and neck position. Although both of these pickups are passive but produces a stronger signal and high-frequency response, thanks to their smart design exposing pole piece.
A powerful 3-Band EQ active preamp system is introduced by an Ibanez here that gives you more room for lots of tonal variations. Along with that, you get a nice control layout and 3-Way Power Tap Switch on the top that allows you to get pretty much every single sound out of this bass.
Whereas:
TRBX304 electronics also comes with some really great features. It is equipped with Yamaha’s Custom-Designed M3 Humbucking Active Pickups that deliver the best definition of your tone with the highest possible output.
Instead of 3-Band EQ like SR300E, Yamaha went with 2-Band EQ knobs in combination with a 5-way selector switch. This switch covers you with different playing styles including Slap, Pick, Flat ( i.e. Neutral), Fingerstyle, and Solo, and allows you to dial EQ settings instantly.
Whether I talk about Ibanez or Yamaha, definitely we’re looking at some higher quality electronics. But if I went into the nitty-gritty of these systems, I prefer to go with the SR300E model, as it covers a wide tonal range and provides you more controls to optimize your tone.
Winner: Ibanez SR300E Bass
Quality of Hardware Used
When we talk about the best bass guitars, the hardware side of the things also plays an important role.
For the SR300E model, Ibanez goes with the Accu-Cast B120 Bridge Configuration. It is a big chunky bridge which is almost like a little cheaper version of the one that’s on their sr800 bass. This Bridge provides amazing stability to strings even if you go crazy with your strumming.
Along with that, you get an Ibanez standard tuning machine heads that take care of the tuning very well.
On the flip side, the TRBX304 model comes with a Vintage Fulcrum Bridge Configuration with four fully adjustable saddles. You get Yamaha’s standard die-cast tuning machine heads here, which allows you to maintain the tuning stability, even if you use higher gauge strings.
Personally, I find Yamaha’s hardware quality a little better here. Not only it is durable but also provides ease in maintenance.
Winner: Yamaha TRBX304 Bass
Ease in Playability
Usually, this is the deciding factor for many players, whether or not they want to continue with the particular bass guitar. But that’s not the case here.
Believe me, both bass models are completely nailing their jobs in terms of providing comfort and enhancing overall playability.
Both basses have a deep double-cutaway body design that allows you access to all 24 frets of the bass. Whether I talk about the body finishing or control knobs layout, I’m getting a head-to-head competition here.
Although SR300E is a little heavier than many cheaper basses but you’re getting a super comfortable body that feels amazing against your body and appealing to even professional bassists. That’s why, It’s one more time, a draw!
Winner: Tie – SR300E and TRBX304 Bass
Best Suitable for
SR300E
If you’re looking for a future-proof bass guitar that is loaded with excellent features and provides you great value for your money, I highly recommend you to get the SR300E model.
TRBX304
If you’re Looking for a Beginner-Friendly Active Bass Guitar that opens up whole new doors of possibilities for you, TRBX304 will be a great choice for you.
Ibanez SR300E vs Yamaha TRBX204: Pros and Cons
Here I’m putting the pros and cons side by side just to make your job even more easier:
Ibanez SR300E Model
Pros:
- Compact & Arched Body Design with Elongated Horns.
- 5-Piece Maple/Walnut Neck Profile for Smooth Action
- Powerspan Pickups for Stronger Signal & High-Frequency Response
- More Room for Lots of Tonal Variations
- Big Chunky Bridge Provide Amazing Strings Stability
Cons:
- Might Feel Little Heavy in Weight!
Yamaha TRBX304 Model
Pros:
- Well-Finished Contours-Shaped Body for Comfort
- High-End Maple/Mahogany Neck Profile
- Active Humbucking Pickups for Highest Possible Output
- Vintage Fulcrum Bridge Configuration with 4-Fully Adjustable Saddles
Cons:
- Presets doesn’t provide much control over Mid-range Frequencies
- Required a One-Time Little Setup in the Beginning
Check Demo Sound: SR300E vs TRBX304
Ibanez SR300E vs Yamaha TRBX304: Which is Best?
In the end, I decided to leave you with these takeaways:
- Both Basses are Worth your Money: In terms of price-to-performance ratio, the TRBX304 model is Equal to SR300E. you won’t go wrong with Either.
- Yamaha TRBX304 is Best for New Bassists: Not only TRBX304 model is light in weight, but also very beginner-friendly. It has all the features every beginner will need to make a dent in their music style.
- Ibanez SR300E is Better Option for Intermediate Players: Ibanez SR300E is a fully decked-out bass model that’s best used by an experienced bassist. While possible, it will be hard for a beginner player to squeeze the full value out of it.
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