Ibanez Owners Club

[nilorius]

3 minutes ago, LeftyJ said:

 

Before Squier was bought by Fender (in 1965) they only made strings. So I do hope you were joking 

Of course! 😉

[Doctor J]

58 minutes ago, Obrienp said:

I think Ibanez had innovation forced on them to a large degree. They started off making Fender, Gibson and Gretsch clones but ran foul of US brands’ legal departments: hence the sought after “lawsuit” models. That forced them into coming up with designs which wouldn’t attract litigation. Ironically, the US brands inadvertently created a genuine mass market rival to their own products by pushing Ibanez to innovate 😀. Perhaps we should all be grateful to Fender, Gibson, etc for that!

 

There were never as many lawsuits as people think. For most of what people call "lawsuit" instruments, there was no lawsuit. It's another misued and abused term like "vintage" to try to make FS ads seem more intriguing and appealing 😉

 

It's more a Japanese cultural thing - Kaizen, continuous improvement. You'll notice most Japanese brands, not just Ibanez, make a particular model for a year or two, then release a new model and make that instead of the previous model. On it goes. They continually try to refine their instruments to incorporate manufacturing, electronic and ergonomic progression. Churning out the same thing for 70 years, with the occasional rebranding exercise and perhaps slight paint shade change, is sadly a business model our American friends embrace once the innovators sell out to bean counters and shouldn't be accepted as the norm.

[Doctor J]

.

Edited February 14 by Doctor J

[tauzero]

4 hours ago, Doctor J said:

It's more a Japanese cultural thing - Kaizen, continuous improvement. You'll notice most Japanese brands, not just Ibanez, make a particular model for a year or two, then release a new model and make that instead of the previous model. On it goes. They continually try to refine their instruments to incorporate manufacturing, electronic and ergonomic progression. Churning out the same thing for 70 years, with the occasional rebranding exercise and perhaps slight paint shade change, is sadly a business model our American friends embrace once the innovators sell out to bean counters and shouldn't be accepted as the norm.

 

I'm not sure that it is the fault of the bean counters. Fender (and, in the bike world, Harley-Davidson) have attempted the occasional innovation but they have been marketing flops as their core customers are utterly resistant to change.

[Doctor J]

I hear that bandied around a lot but it's just a lazy excuse, in my opinion. What innovation? Most of Fender's output for the last 40+ years has been jumbling up existing parts and slapping a name on it. The only one which springs to mind and was remotely different (for them) was the Dimension. In a world where the L2000 and Stingray had created and filled that market 40 years ago, where was the space that the Dimension fit into in order to be successful? If their competitors are really 40 years ahead, perhaps it the other brands who actually innovate which keep Fender and their continuous regurgitation cornered in the past?

[Obrienp]

43 minutes ago, tauzero said:

 

I'm not sure that it is the fault of the bean counters. Fender (and, in the bike world, Harley-Davidson) have attempted the occasional innovation but they have been marketing flops as their core customers are utterly resistant to change.

At the danger of getting off the Ibanez topic: what about the parallel universe series (or whatever it was called) and some of the reintroductions in recent years? I know it looks like they just take their parts bin, throw it in the air and wherever it lands introduce that as a new model, however rubbish, rather than the thought through designs released by Ibanez. Fender and Gibson seem to be able to sell as much of these as they can churn out. The really cynical marketing ploy IMO, is the plethora of signature models, which mostly seem to be based on bog standard models (perhaps from a few years back) with somebody’s name on it, made in Mexico but sold at USA made prices. Nothing you couldn’t do yourself by buying a Squier, or standard MIM and fitting some aftermarket hardware.

 

BTW isn’t it the beanies who kill the innovations if they don’t sell? Bottom line controls everything in US corporations. Executives are focused on “shareholder value” and the three month reporting cycle.

[JoeEvans]

Fender have got themselves into a weird situation where there most desirable products are the ones they made 50+ years ago, or ones made now that are as similar as possible. If I ran the company I think I'd set up a team of weirdos somewhere to make short-run limited edition instruments with really experimental styles and hardware, then focus on quality control, new finishes, and general perfection in the core range.

[Wilco]

Ok to post this for sale link here? Seems potentially pertinent to anyone following this thread.
 

https://www.basschat.co.uk/topic/488936-ibanez-btb-1905-premium-5-string/

Edited February 14 by Wilco

[ASW]

I believe this purchase which arrived today grants me admission to the club.

 

It's the EHB1506MS. It's my first 6 string, first Ibanez, first multiscale, first headless and my first experience with Nordstrand pickups!

 

I had tried one of these out by accident in PMT about a year ago. My friend was trying out a guitar and one of these was set up plugged into an amp. I thought it was the oddest looking bass, but was surprised how comfortable and easy it was to play.

 

Now that I have one, my opinion hasn't changed. Well made, lightweight, easy to play and sounds great. I've read that some others have found quality issues, but no problems so far. The Neutrik locking jack is pointless in my opinion, but not a problem for me as I have a Gibson Les Paul that I bought new in 2008 which has one and has never caused me any issues.

 

The look of the bass doesn't fit the usual aesthetic of the music I'm playing in the one band I'm in at the moment playing bass (Allman Bros, Dire Straits, Clapton, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates etc). However, I don't much care and I don't think my band mates or the audience will either.

 

I'm looking forward to experimenting with it!

[crazycloud]

6 hours ago, ASW said:

The look of the bass doesn't fit the usual aesthetic of the music I'm playing in the one band I'm in at the moment playing bass (Allman Bros, Dire Straits, Clapton, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates etc). However, I don't much care and I don't think my band mates or the audience will either.

I played music from all these bands up until I went to 6s more recently, using an XL2. No one in the audience cared a jot.

 

Congrats on the new axe. I'd love one myself.

[glassmoon]

11 hours ago, ASW said:

 

It's the EHB1506MS. It's my first 6 string, first Ibanez, first multiscale, first headless and my first experience with Nordstrand pickups!

To say that is a thing of beauty is to downplay the meaning of the word beauty!!!!

A stunning instrument - and welcome to the World of Ibanez  

[ASW]

8 hours ago, glassmoon said:

To say that is a thing of beauty is to downplay the meaning of the word beauty!!!!

A stunning instrument - and welcome to the World of Ibanez  

Thanks! I do like the look of it, but also acknowledge it is certainly not a traditional looking bass!

 

It buzzed on the higher frets of the the top two strings and the Low B did too all over the fretboard. I measured the action and it was far lower than Ibanez recommend in their manual.  I raised the action and straightened the neck by tightening the truss rod and it's buzz free and very easy to play now.

 

I'll definitely consider other Ibanez instruments in future. Perhaps a fretless EHB!

[NT1991]

21 hours ago, ASW said:

I believe this purchase which arrived today grants me admission to the club.

 

It's the EHB1506MS. It's my first 6 string, first Ibanez, first multiscale, first headless and my first experience with Nordstrand pickups!

 

I had tried one of these out by accident in PMT about a year ago. My friend was trying out a guitar and one of these was set up plugged into an amp. I thought it was the oddest looking bass, but was surprised how comfortable and easy it was to play.

 

Now that I have one, my opinion hasn't changed. Well made, lightweight, easy to play and sounds great. I've read that some others have found quality issues, but no problems so far. The Neutrik locking jack is pointless in my opinion, but not a problem for me as I have a Gibson Les Paul that I bought new in 2008 which has one and has never caused me any issues.

 

The look of the bass doesn't fit the usual aesthetic of the music I'm playing in the one band I'm in at the moment playing bass (Allman Bros, Dire Straits, Clapton, Christopher Cross, Steely Dan, Hall & Oates etc). However, I don't much care and I don't think my band mates or the audience will either.

 

I'm looking forward to experimenting with it!

Beautiful bass! I have the 5-string version and absolutely adore it, love having the benefits of fanned frets without the sometimes ridiculous scale length (for me at least).

 

Definitely agree on the locking jack, its the one aspect of the bass I don't like.

[tauzero]

8 hours ago, ASW said:

I'll definitely consider other Ibanez instruments in future. Perhaps a fretless EHB!

 

It would be nice if they did one with a 1265 or 1505 body rather than the painted one.

[tauzero]

6 hours ago, NT1991 said:

Definitely agree on the locking jack, its the one aspect of the bass I don't like.

 

It can be de-locked. The little screw that holds the locking bits in may be a crosshead or it may be a Torx, which is the only tricky bit about the operation.

[ASW]

11 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

It would be nice if they did one with a 1265 or 1505 body rather than the painted one.

Absolutely. If it was a 1505f, it would have Nordstrand pickups too. I've yet to try the Bartolinis but it appears more people than not dislike them or prefer the Nordstrands.

 

On another note, I had a look at the 1005f at Peach and the weight is stated as 7lb 14oz, compared to my 6 string with frets which is 7lb 11.5oz. Still light, but interesting to me that less strings, smaller pickups and removal of frets makes a heavier bass. I wonder if it's the different woods and richlite board used or just the variations in each bit of timber.

[horrorshowbass]

I'm back in the club

[tauzero]

1 hour ago, ASW said:

Absolutely. If it was a 1505f, it would have Nordstrand pickups too. I've yet to try the Bartolinis but it appears more people than not dislike them or prefer the Nordstrands.

 

That might change for a fretless as the somewhat aggressive nature of the Nordstrands might not suit fretless as well as the Barts.

[ASW]

3 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

That might change for a fretless as the somewhat aggressive nature of the Nordstrands might not suit fretless as well as the Barts.

Thanks, that's good to know. I'll have to try one out at some point.

[nilorius]

EARLIEST IBANEZ BASS 1961 - Is it true ?

 

[Simon C]

20 hours ago, ASW said:

Absolutely. If it was a 1505f, it would have Nordstrand pickups too. I've yet to try the Bartolinis but it appears more people than not dislike them or prefer the Nordstrands.

 

On another note, I had a look at the 1005f at Peach and the weight is stated as 7lb 14oz, compared to my 6 string with frets which is 7lb 11.5oz. Still light, but interesting to me that less strings, smaller pickups and removal of frets makes a heavier bass. I wonder if it's the different woods and richlite board used or just the variations in each bit of timber.

FWIW I have Barts in my EHB1000S.  I like them.

Edited March 10 by Simon C

[horrorshowbass]

45 minutes ago, nilorius said:

EARLIEST IBANEZ BASS 1961 - Is it true ?

 

Wow that’s crazy. 
very cool

[horrorshowbass]

20 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

That might change for a fretless as the somewhat aggressive nature of the Nordstrands might not suit fretless as well as the Barts.

I found the nord big singles a little dull on my sr600 (swapped nords in) should have kept the Bart’s.
depends what you want. I love the humbuckers on the sr300.
I think some Ibanez had proprietary Nordstrands in them as opposed to the US ones so your mileage may vary….

[SteveXFR]

Since I left the band in December, I haven't played my SRMS805. I've only played my old Squier P Bass, until tonight.

The Ibanez plays so nicely and sounds nasty. I tuned it up to C to play some Kyuss. Bloody lovely. 

 

This was the last time I played it in my old stoner/sludge metal band. 

 

 

 

[Shiveringbass]

Hello,

 

Looking for a good and affordable fretless.

 

My two contenders are :

- EHB1005f : not conventionnal in its look but realy good tone from what I've hard in you tube clips

- And the new SRD905 still quite unknown and not so exciting wit its 2 bands EQ.

 

Have you got an opinion on those two basses ?

 

Thanks