Joeyfivebags Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 http://www.ibanez.co.jp/products/page14_jp.php?cat_id=2&series_id=32&data_id=63&color=CL01#.U8VGMZRdWyo Not sure over 2 grand for a 34-35.5" fan is the best price, isn't that in afterburner territory? At least one of the big name brands is starting to embrace fan frets though. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
eude Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 Great to see main stream brands trying some of the more forward thinking ideas. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
HowieBass Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I know all the top end basses are made in Japan so that certainly adds a wad of cash to the asking price (funny how made in Japan meant little back in the 80s). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
White Cloud Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Japanese built Ibanez SR's are exceptional, professional tools. This model looks fantastic. Well done Ibanez! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I had a quick noodle on one of Grand Wazoo's Dingwalls at the Herts bash - not as weird as I thought it would be... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
theyellowcar Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 [quote name='TheGreek' timestamp='1405444937' post='2501966'] I had a quick noodle on one of Grand Wazoo's Dingwalls at the Herts bash - not as weird as I thought it would be... [/quote] Likewise, and I'd only ever played a fiver once or twice before so it should've been a double whammy. It was actually really comfortable! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dood Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 The Novax Fan Fret system I think is absolutely brilliant! It makes total sense and tonally is what every bass player needs in their life. Sheldon Dingwall (of Dingwall Guitars) has the system nailed I think with an extended 37" scale length for a B string. Sounds superb and as others have already said, it's actually surprisingly easy and comfortable to play a Fan Fret bass. Even a 6 stringer! Yeah I'm a fan. I'm pleased to see other companies giving it a go too. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 I'm neither for or against, if I found one I liked id buy it but I havent found the B string to be particularly any better than on a well built 5 of 34", id say they have a better B than my stingrays but no better than some 35" high end stuff without the wonky frets, GB and Alleva etc have nothing to worry about ime/o, like I say neither good nor bad for me overall. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cocco Posted July 15, 2014 Share Posted July 15, 2014 That looks lovely! Not my bag but I do like it. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Nice... if it's a through neck it could be a real goer... especially at a sub-Dingwall price point. Those features are killer: monorail, nordstrands... What's 380,000 yen in new money? Do we agree that 35.5 on a B is long enough?... I'm hearing a 'no' from the Dingwallers... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geilerbass Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 Woooahh... As someone who's been a fan of SR's for a good decade, though recently switched to Dingwalls, this just blows my mind! I agree though - 35.5 isn't long enough for a B string. The Yen's up at about 170 to the pound, which makes it a bit over 2k at face value. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
visog Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 £2K! sh*t the Bed! I'd go the whole Dingwall hog for that... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geilerbass Posted July 17, 2014 Share Posted July 17, 2014 [quote name='visog' timestamp='1405626315' post='2503865'] £2K! sh*t the Bed! I'd go the whole Dingwall hog for that... [/quote] Considering a new Canadian-made ABZ was around £1800 new (when I last checked), that's probably a sensible option. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) A good B string is all about construction, not scale length. If the bass is properly made then 35.5 will be fine. If it's not then no extra length will make any significant difference. Personally I'd have gone for 34 on the E and around 31-32 on the G and see what that made the B scale length. IMO the higher strings on a bass benefit from a short scale length than 34". Edited July 18, 2014 by BigRedX Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 The B string myth is self perpetuating because most cheap five string basses are less than 35 inches, most expensive 35" or more have a good B string as they quite rightly should. I tried a dingwall directly against a GB rumour, to my ears the GB just had the edge but by an irrelevant amount, they were both great so it would not have been the deciding factor over other differences between them if I was seriously in the market for one. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Musicman20 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 (edited) I don't buy into the 'longer scale makes a B better'. It doesn't. See Sadowsky and Musicman. I've played a few 35" scale basses and found the B to be fairly loose feeling. Edited July 18, 2014 by Musicman20 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
miles'tone Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 Go Ibanez. The deciding factor on what makes a good B string is the string itself. If you buy flubby strings it won't matter what your scale length is. Get a nice high tension string and you're golden. In my humble and ting. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 That only works if the neck can take the extra tension though,as brx says the construction needs to be good first and foremost, most basses over a grand have a pretty good neck, some cheaper basses have a great B with 34" but naturally the better necked basses tend to be expensive, this also helps as the electronics are often good too. My double bass is around 39" 105cms?, the neck is stronger than any electric bass but the E string sounds just like an e string to me I like my rays because they are a halfway house IMO, on one hand the B won't bother a dingwall or a Roscoe etc but on the other hand I quite like the timbre of the E on the B string and now favour it over the open e. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted July 18, 2014 Share Posted July 18, 2014 I like the look of that. I have a Dingwall combustion, which I love very much, and a collection of Ibanez (which I do to). The Dingwall has the best B String, but it is also the most expensive, so I have no idea if that is the scale and if I was totally honest I would say that the 37" scale is possibly a bit long for me with my less than huge hands. I am very sold on the fan frets but if I could have a fan fret that was 35 - 32, that would be perfect. And if Ibanez did a slightly cheaper version of that, I would have it in a shot (where slightly is underestimated!) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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