NBD - Ibanez BTB747

[Louis Gardner]

Got this monster last week.

I've been playing a 6 string fretless I built in 2001 so it's weird having frets again!

The 35" scale length is certainly noticeable for my relatively small hands, much more so than the extra width of the neck, also the increased string tension that that brings.

Sounds great though and I'm really enjoying it.

[visog]

Golly! Looks like a high F? Is it wound? Does it sound ok?

[Louis Gardner]

1 hour ago, visog said:

Golly! Looks like a high F? Is it wound? Does it sound ok?

Yes, it's a high F with a plain string. I wondered if it would sound a bit thin but it doesn't at all. It also cuts down on the handling noise you sometimes get with your hand moving over a wound string when you are playing other strings.

[Al Krow]

Congratulations! I thought you had just bought the one listed in the FS section (below) - as these don't come up very often(!) but I can see that PUPs are different - I think yours has Barts on it?

What sort of music genres will you be using it for - mostly for solo work or use with a band?

Am I correct that the tuning is B E A D G C F? I'm just wondering whether a B E A D G B E tuning might work also i.e. you would have a six string guitar tuning plus a low B for good measure!

[Louis Gardner]

6 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Congratulations! I thought you had just bought the one listed in the FS section (below) - as these don't come up very often(!) but I can see that PUPs are different - I think yours has Barts on it?

What sort of music genres will you be using it for - mostly for solo work or use with a band?

Am I correct that the tuning is B E A D G C F? I'm just wondering whether a B E A D G B E tuning might work also i.e. you would have a six string guitar tuning plus a low B for good measure!

I hadn't seen the one for sale, so yes this is the new model, with Barts, zero fret, truss rod adjustment at the body end, different woods etc. not sure if the previous version had stainless steel frets as well.

This will be mainly used for working on solo stuff (otherwise known as noodling around at home annoying my wife and kids!) with some jamming with friends. I wanted to try some more chordal stuff which was pretty tough on the fretless, Yves Carbonne I am not!

I also wanted to play about with a 7 string before I started building one I've been designing on and off for a few years.

The tuning is B E A D G C F but I'm sure I'll try B E A D G B E, should be fun having it tuned that way.

[Al Krow]

Sounds fun!

I've recently got an Ibanez 6 and am planning on retuning it to effectively be a 6 string octave down so it has the richness of a bass but the ability to imitate, for chords and solo stuff, a normal guitar (and not needing to relearn a whole different set of string patterns that comes with a Baritone guitar).

I have to admit I've not plucked up courage for a 7, although maybe about to get an 8! (But that's really a 4!)

Hope you get a lot of enjoyment from it.

[Louis Gardner]

21 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Sounds fun!

I've recently got an Ibanez 6 and am planning on retuning it to effectively be a 6 string octave down so it has the richness of a bass but the ability to imitate, for chords and solo stuff, a normal guitar (and not needing to relearn a whole different set of string patterns that comes with a Baritone guitar).

I have to admit I've not plucked up courage for a 7, although maybe about to get an 8! (But that's really a 4!)

Hope you get a lot of enjoyment from it.

I did toy with the idea of getting the ibanez fanned fret 6 but I've wanted the 7 for a long time. They should bring out a single cut fan fret 7 btb

I believe Abraham Laboriel tunes his 6 string E A D G B E, going to have to give that a go.

enjoy the 8 when you get it.