Lunatique

That's a Stradi, from Poland: http://www.stradi.pl/ The others are: https://lairat.com/en/basses/basses-categorie/ http://padalka-guitars.com/basses/ I've also edited my original post with these links.

Is that Kylie Minogue?

I actually got back into playing music mainly because I wanted to make bass cover videos of songs I love. I was previously a professional composer and songwriter, but decided to get out of the business and keep music as a hobby. I was never a good bass player, but it's my favorite instrument to play. It's been over a year since I decided to get back into playing bass (after almost 10 years break), and I pretty much had to start over as a beginner. But because I have an intermediate background in guitar and a little bit of bass, I was able to get in shape relatively quickly, and currently I'd say I'm about intermediate. I've now almost mastered these two songs I plan to record cover videos of: The first one took almost a year to master, due to some of the fast runs that are quite challenging for someone starting over again at middle-age (I'm 47). The second one's a bit easier, but has some challenimg slap lines near the end that I'm trying to master. I'm in the early stages of learning these next two (and they're far more diffcult than the previous two, due to the jazz elements): This last one is by far the most difficult, since it has a bass solo and it's also Eddie Gomez on upright (which I'll play on my EUB). Realistically, I think it's far too difficult for my current level, but I'll take as long as I need to master it.

The loose treble/bass knob I had to disassemble and tighten was definitely a QC issue. I also forgot to mention the white marking on the knobs are pretty rough and uneven. I'm going to have to touch them up too. I'm now the third or fourth person who's posted about shoddy manufacturing of their EHB basses (on talkbass), and considering how few people have received theirs currently, it seem like a QC issue. Maybe we're unlucky and these are just coincidences, but if more examples pop up, it"s going to be a bad look for Ibanez. I have three other Ibby basses and they're all fine. This might be a rare anomaly.

Don't have time to do fancy "professional photography" of it, so for now I just took a couple of phone pictures. I had been drooling for the new Ibanez headless basses ever since I saw the leaked photos a while ago before they were even announced. The specs and the design ticked all the boxes for me, and I only wished it had more choices for finishes. Once I had seen enough videos posted about them and was sure they were what I had hoped, I placed orders for two of them--the EHB1505 and the EHB1000. My intention was to replace my main 4 and 5 strings with these (Ibanez SR650 and Dingwall NG-2 5-string), as I just didn't want to deal with headstocks banging into stuff or getting the tuners knocked out of tune anymore, and I never got as comfortable on the multi-scale as I had hoped--normal scale still feels more natural to me. After a period of agonizing wait, the EHB1505 finally arrived today. My wife made me spray everything down with alcohol as I unboxed, due to Covid-19 concerns (we're in Northern California and it's currently in lockdown). The bass is a bit heavier than I had hoped, weighing 7.9 lbs. Considering it's a headless with chambered body, I think it could be a little lighter. I was hoping for 7.5 lbs or less, but I guess I can't compared it to something like the Strandberg Boden 5-string, as that body's got a large chunk of its corner missing, so it's bound to be significantly lighter (it's about 6.5 lbs.). The neck is thin, fast, and smooth. I love how low the action is but without any fret buzz--this is by far the best action I've ever played on a basd with default factory setup. But from here on things went bad. In the brief moments I was able to play a few lines without problems, it sounded awesome--punchy and aggressive. The neck feels significantly faster than my Dingwall NG-2 5-string, which in comparison is chunkier. I also much prefer darker fingerboard for better contrast against the strings (when I got my NG-2, I was bummed when I saw maple fingerboard was the only option). Now, on to the bad. The electronics are not put together properly at all. There was no sound from the active preamp, and the treble/bass knob was very loose. When I jiggle it, it would make loud static noise. I unscrewed the back cover and checked, and it seemed okay, then I took off the treble/bass caps with the smallest Allen wrench supplied with the bass (there are four sizes included) and tightened the knob. That gave me back sound for the active preamp, however, there was still stuff loose with the connections, as the sound was intermittent, punctuated with loud static noise, and if I tried to use the treble/bass, mid/frequency knobs, touching them made the loud static noise too, and applying light pressure to the instrument cable at where the jack is, created the same loud static noise. Even slapping the strings caused the noise, and at their worst, they sounded like the loud pop you get when you plug/unplug your bass without turning down the amp first. It was basically unplayable, and needed to have to electronics repaired/tightened/whatever. I'm not an electronics expert so I had no idea how to troubleshoot and fix it myself, and I was going to call Guitar Center and tell them send me a replacement and return this one (unless I figured out how to repair it myself). For $1,500 the quality control is unacceptable. What the hell is happening with Ibanez's quality control in Indonesia? I tried to troubleshoot a second time and opened up the back again, and this time, I found the problem. It was a friggin' badly soldered wire that has disconnected from the connector jack, and I'm guessing every little movement I made caused it to connect/disconnect, creating all that noise. I'm glad it wasn't something more serious, because I just need to redo the soldering on that wire and it'll be fine. Despite the negatives (which fortunately were things that were easily fixed and not deal-breakers), I love this bass. It plays so smoothly, sounds great, is easy on the eyes, and I'd be happy replacing my Dingwall with it. Don't get me wrong, the Dingwall is an amazing instrument, and to another person it could be the perfect bass, but unfortunately, I just prefer normal scale, headless, and darker fingerboard. I hope when my EHB1000 arrives in May, it won't have any QC issues. I already know the Bartolini BH2 pickups are a bit darker than the Nordstrands, and I'm fine with that, because I don't always want the more aggressive sound of the Nordstrands.

I found the problem. It's a friggin' badly soldered wire that has disconnected from the connetor jack. I'm just going to redo the solder and it should be fine.

Okay, folks, I've got some bad news. I got my EHB1505 today, and it's got problems. The quality control on this batch of headless basses is horrendous. I've already seen at least two other people post about the shoddy work done on their EHB models, and now I'm adding myself to that list. Before I get into what's wrong, I'll just say that I love how fast and smooth the neck feels, how low the action is but without any fret buzz--this is by far the best action I've ever played on an instrument with default factory setup. In the brief moments I was able to play a few lines without excessive static noise, it sounded awesome--punchy and aggressive. And it plays a lot smoother than my Dingwall NG-2 (probably because I love thin/fast Ibanez necks). My EHB1505 weighs 7.9 lbs., and considering it's a headless with chambered body, I think it could be a little lighter. I was hoping for 7.5 lbs or less, but I guess I can't compared it to something like the Strandberg Boden bass, as that body's got a large chunk of its corner missing, so it's bound to be significantly lighter (it's about 6.5 lbs.). Now, here's what's wrong with it. The electronics are not put together properly at all. There' no sound from the active preamp, and the treble/bass knob is loose and when I jiggle it, makes loud static noise. So I unscrewed the back cover and checked, and it seems okay, then I took off the treble/bass caps with the smallest Allen wrench supplied with the bass (there are four sizes included) and tightened the knob. That gave me back sound for the active preamp, however, there's still stuff loose with the connections, as the sound is intermittent, punctuated with loud static noise, and if I try to use the treble/bass, mid/frequency knobs, touching them makes the loud static noise too, and even applying light pressure to the instrument cable at where the jack is, creates the same loud static noise. It's basically unplayable as is, and needs to have to electronics repaired/tightened/whatever. I'm not an electronics expert so I wouldn't know how to troubleshoot and fix it myself (but if any of you wants to give a tutorial, I can try), so I'm going to have to call Guitar Center and tell them send me a replacement and return this one (unless I figure out how to repair it myself). For $1,500 this is unacceptable. What the hell is happening with Ibanez's quality control in Indonesia?

C'mon, post pictures! What's a bass porn thread without pictures? 😉

It's a good thing that Ibanez brought it back with the current version--except without the drop tuner.

What are some of the most beautiful basses you've ever seen in your life? Let's fill this thread with them! Shown in the photos are: https://lairat.com/en/basses/basses-categorie/ http://padalka-guitars.com/basses/ http://www.stradi.pl/

In terms of sound, this has much more in common with the NS Design Radius line of products than the Ibanez SRH series, as it doesn't really try to go for that upright-ish sound at all, while the SRH series is more like a copy of Rob Allen's basses. I guess the choice is down to whether someone wants a more acoustic-bass-ish sound or a more upright sound. I have never come across any bass that can do both.

Ear training is not my strongest suit. If something is clearly out of tune then I can definitely hear it, but in the context of multiple instruments playing together and in the hands of a professional musician playing melodically challenging music, I don't think I can hear the problems. Also, I think maybe jazz is more forgiving of intonation since so much of it relies on passing notes (which to non-jazz musicians sounds like sour notes) and there's so much modulation and key change and complex harmony, that if there are slight intonation issues, they'd likely just blend right in. How would y'all rate Eddie Gomez overall? He seems to be one of those upright bassists who sometimes makes it onto "best upright bassist" lists, and sometimes don't. Would he be considered middle-tier among other jazz upright bass players?

Oops! My bad.

Yes, it is indeed the NS Design Omni Bass CR5. It's a curious beast, as it's 34" scale like an normal electric bass, but the fingerboard radius is like an upright, which allows you to bow it as well. The CR models have both piezo and magnetic pickups, so it can sound like an electric fretless as well as electric upright, or a blend of both. The Ibanez take on this doesn't sound anywhere near what an upright sounds like. Just compare the YouTube videos of both and it's comical how far off the target the Ibanez is (and I'm saying this as an Ibanez fanboy -- four out of six of my basses are Ibanez). Ergonomically, the NS is amazing, because not only can you put it on a tripod, you can also use the special Boomerang strap system, which allows you switch from upright position to normal horizontal/slanted electric bass position in a second.

EDIT: I posted in the wrong thread.

I don't gig anymore so I just need a nice practice amp. I'm using a Phil Jones Flightcase BG-150, and I have a Rane ME30B graphic equalizer to correct the room mode at my usual practice spot.

I grew up with Masahiko Satoh's "Amorphism" album, which I still love to this day, and Eddie Gomez was the bassist on it. He's a legendary player but it seems he's not as highly regarded as some of the other big names. I personally love his playing because he's always melodic and entertaining, while I find many upright bassists boring to listen to. Someone did upload the album to YouTube, but the sound quality is terrible because the stereo imaging and the center are strangely skewed and anemic sounding compared to the actual CD. But if you like what you hear, just go buy it.

I have the SRH500F and I love it. It's basically like an affordable Rob Allen, and I'm thankful it exists, otherwise I'd be GASing so hard for a Rob Allen (that isn't to say I don't--but it's well controlled when I have the Ibanez alternative). I love how thin and fast the neck is, how light the bass is, and how simple the controls are. In terms of playability, it's probably my favorite among all my basses. The flatwound strings that came with it are a bit muffled for my taste, so I put La Bella Black Nylon tapewound strings on it, and it sounds more articulate and agile.

The best "recommended headphones list" I've ever seen, and have trusted for many years, is this one: https://www.innerfidelity.com/content/innerfidelitys-wall-fame-over-ear-open It has recommendations for all price ranges and applications, and the list is put together by one of the most authoritative and trusted headphone professional in the world. I've followed his career and advice since the early aughts. For myself, I'm one of those "head-fiers" who have bought, sold, traded, and auditioned many headphones over the last couple of decades. My currently headphones are: Audeze LCD-2 - For critical listening (music production) and leisurely listening in my studio. Aeon Flow Open - I just recently got this to replace the LCD-2, and only because the LCD-2 is a little heavy for me. Tonally the LCD-2 is more accurate and punchy, but with my custom EQ correctly the Aeon Flow Open can sound very similar, and it's far more comfortable to wear. Sennheiser HD650 - For leisurely listening and practicing bass in my bedroom. Audio-Technica M50 - For traveling or closed-back listening. I have no used for closed-back critical listening currently, but if I did, I'd upgrade this to something a bit more high-end. Klipsch X6i - For traveling, when I need the convenience of in-ear instead of full-sized headphones. Hifiman RE400 - For when I need in-ear while in bed at night. When I use headphones, I ALWAYS apply custom EQ to correct each model to sound as neutral and accurate as possible, whenever possible. (I use sine wave test tones and selected testing music to even out the frequency response.)

I've used Hearos for many years, but I don't know how it compares to the other alternatives suggested in this thread: https://www.hearos.com/collections/all-consumer/products/earplugs-high-fidelity-series-with-free-case

I bought Payson flats recently and they work perfectly fine ony NG-2 5-string. No issues at the nut. The winding is extraordinarily smooth--feels almost like the strings are sheathed in smooth plastic.

Another vote for PJB. Just get whatever the cheapest one you can find used, and it'll be far better than anything else you can get that's not PJB. I searched high and low and owned/tested a bunch from various well-known brands, and none even came close to the fidelity of PJB.