Ibanez Owners Club

[Woodinblack]

Whilst not having tried either of those, I have a 1505ms and have gone through several other ibanezes. 

In my book, I would love the 1005f, but it would be an extra cost to replace the pickups with nordys or something, which the 905 already has, so I would go for the 905.

[tauzero]

There's also the SRF705 with the Bart MK-1 pickups rather than the Barts in the EHB1005F, plus a piezo bridge.

[Shiveringbass]

Thanks for the reply.

 

@Woodinblack

I'm not sure that I would change the BH2 pick-ups on the 1005f. Interestingly, from feedbacks and what I've heard in the review, their tone seems good for fretless application.

 

@tauzero

I've listenend everything I could hear on the 705 and I must admit that its tone realy don't apeal to me. To my ears, the BH2 are far above the Bart MK and the EHB1005 realy seems more lively than this 705.

 

Thanks

[Woodinblack]

If the sound of the BH2s works for you then I say go for it, not something I would end up keeping (from experience) but it's for you

[Shiveringbass]

Yes, to my ears, in the review, their works pretty good on fretless but it may vary when eraing them in person.

 

At least, they sounds much better than the Bart MK1 of the 705.

 

Unfortunatly there are not much soundlcip of the relatively new SRD905 and the one from Ibanez is crap.

 

[Woodinblack]

6 minutes ago, Shiveringbass said:

Yes, to my ears, in the review, their works pretty good on fretless but it may vary when eraing them in person.

 

At least, they sounds much better than the Bart MK1 of the 705.

 

There is a bit of an improvement I suppose. I owned a 705, and an 805 that had the BH2s on it. and ibanezes with the MKs on them. I have owned quite a few Ibanez's, I still own 4, but none of them have licensed barts on them. 2 have Nords (big single and big split), 2 have USA barts on (both prestiges). 

I really liked the 805, but in the end, as they had just come out at the time it was an additional 3-400 to get some pickups for it, and it wasn't worth it on a bass of that cost.

 

edit - recount.. I actually own 6 ibanezes (7 if you include guitars), but 2 are on the 'probably not staying long term' pile

[SteveXFR]

23 hours ago, Shiveringbass said:

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

 

The EHB has the same Bartolini pickups as my SRMS805. They're pretty weak and lack punch. You can make it sound good if you have a really nice amp but through a normal amp (like my Ashdown ABM600) it just sounds a bit flat and lifeless. I use so much overdrive that it doesn't matter 

[Shiveringbass]

Hello SteveXFR,

 

The BH2 tone seems OK to me but the lack of punch can probably not be demonstrated in a YT video.

Thanks for the notice.

 

It seems that I won't find what I'm looking for in Ibanez range.

 

The EHB has bad pick-ups, the SRD905 has only a two bands eq which is not realy apropriate for a fretless, the BTB and Di Georgio is in 35" scale which I realy can't stand and the Garry Willis lacks of versatility with its single pick-up.

 

I've just realised that my best option may have been to buy that used SR1405 which was for sale at a good price and turn it into a fretless. Nordy pick-ups, 3 bands EQ with 3 mids options...

[Woodinblack]

4 hours ago, Shiveringbass said:

The EHB has bad pick-ups, the SRD905 has only a two bands eq which is not realy apropriate for a fretless, the BTB and Di Georgio is in 35" scale which I realy can't stand and the Garry Willis lacks of versatility with its single pick-up.

not sure why the two band isn't appropriate for fretless, I mean I tend to leave all my eqs flat and do whatever shaping I want to do with some graphic externally, you have a lot more control.

i have a Garry Willis, I don't think the single pickup actually reduces the versatility that much although I am not much of a fretless player

[Simon C]

14 hours ago, Shiveringbass said:

Hello SteveXFR,

 

The BH2 tone seems OK to me but the lack of punch can probably not be demonstrated in a YT video.

Thanks for the notice.

 

It seems that I won't find what I'm looking for in Ibanez range.

 

The EHB has bad pick-ups, the SRD905 has only a two bands eq which is not realy apropriate for a fretless, the BTB and Di Georgio is in 35" scale which I realy can't stand and the Garry Willis lacks of versatility with its single pick-up.

 

I've just realised that my best option may have been to buy that used SR1405 which was for sale at a good price and turn it into a fretless. Nordy pick-ups, 3 bands EQ with 3 mids options...

Hopefully you can hear the pick ups in the EHB series well enough in the attached link to understand that the opinions which state “Bartolinis in these are rubbish / poor / dark / woolly (pick your own adjective)” should come with an  “IMO” rather than being a statement of fact.

 

I also use this bass live.  One thing it doesn’t lack (IMO) is lack of punch (at least in active mode).  

Edited March 17 by Simon C

[Simon C]

Ahh unfortunately it goes to the thread, not the post.  Here is the link to the video:

 

And the text:

 

“There’s been a fair bit of chat on this thread, other sites and in video reviews about the different pick ups available for these basses.  I’m posting this one so people can hear what is achievable with the stock Bartolinis.  This is the EHB1000S, so the shortscale.

 

The on-board eq is active, a bit of bass boost, low mids boosted a bit, treble boost most (but not all), the way. The pick up blend is centered.

 

I’ve some compression on, but really just to clean up my playing.  I have a bit of drive on from my Spectradrive - not much, but enough to get the top end just breaking up.  The eq on the Spectradrive is set flat.  So not too much processing after the instrument, though the drive is undoubtedly contributing to the sound.

 

if you want to avoid listening to me talking, the playing starts at about 1:45.  And in case you don’t listen to me, the reason it’s not the full song is I was struggling with an RSI at the time I recorded it.

 

I’ve posted this as I think it may be a useful contribution - hopefully I don’t unintentionally send us off topic.“

Edited March 17 by Simon C

[tauzero]

18 hours ago, Shiveringbass said:

The EHB has bad pick-ups, the SRD905 has only a two bands eq which is not realy apropriate for a fretless, the BTB and Di Georgio is in 35" scale which I realy can't stand and the Garry Willis lacks of versatility with its single pick-up.

 

Have you tried any of these out in real life? Or, for that matter, the SRF705?

[Woodinblack]

3 hours ago, Simon C said:

Hopefully you can hear the pick ups in the EHB series well enough in the attached link to understand that the “Bartolinis in these are rubbish / poor / dark / woolly (pick your own adjective)” should come with an  “IMO” rather than being a statement of fact.

 

Absolutely nothing that is a description of how a bass sounds needs to have 'IMO' attached as that is a given. There is no such thing as an object fact about a good bass sound so it would be completely pointless to add. I would take that to be understood by anyone participating in a conversation about pickups.

[Simon C]

6 hours ago, Woodinblack said:

 

Edited March 18 by Simon C

[Shiveringbass]

7 hours ago, tauzero said:

 

Have you tried any of these out in real life? Or, for that matter, the SRF705?

Unfortunatly none of those axes are available in real shop near me.

 

Nevertheless, there was not a single review/test/soundclip of the SRH705 that spoke to me or sounded pleasing to my ears.

 

I agree with you that a bass should be tested in real life but when you've got the same impression each time you listen to a test, moreover by different person, there may be something.

 

For my other statement, they are just objective :

- the Di georgio is in 35" and I can' play on 35",

- the EHB 1005f sounded good to me but people warn me about the BH2

- the SRD905 lacks of mid controls which is, for my liking, a a very important parameter for my fretless tone

- And yes, the Garry Willis may be great in it own right but with its single pick-up, it will for instance never produce that P bass fretless kind of tone.

 

If Ibanez could offer a majority of its models in fretless, instaid of making special runs of them, it would be great. I'm sure that for instance a SR1405 or other 1505 series in fretless could be exactly what I'm looking for.

 

[Woodinblack]

3 minutes ago, Shiveringbass said:

- the EHB 1005f sounded good to me but people warn me about the BH2

 

Well, it might be worth getting one of those, or taking a trip to somewhere it is available and trying it. What I hear in a bh2 might be different to what you hear in it, and my use of a bh2 was restricted to a fretted bass, it might be different on a fretless.

 

3 minutes ago, Shiveringbass said:

If Ibanez could offer a majority of its models in fretless, instaid of making special runs of them, it would be great. I'm sure that for instance a SR1405 or other 1505 series in fretless could be exactly what I'm looking for.

 

Indeed, but never going to happen, its just not how they work.

 

However, there are earlier models - if what you like is a fretless p bass tone, they used to do a fretless with a split pickup, things like this:

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/116095796108 there is a 5 string too, come up from time to time

[Shiveringbass]

Thanks Woodinblack.

 

I'm not particularly fond of the P bass fretless tone but with only one fretless in my gear, I'd like to have it when I need it.

 

That's why a two pick-up solution is what I'm looking for.

 

Yes, my best option is to find a EHB1005 somewhere and hear the beast by myself.

 

Thanks

[campbellbass]

Here is my Ibby. A 1993 SR1306pd. Been playing it alot lately, it absolutely sings and is such a joy to play. Bought it last year. The preamp had been replaced with a Bartolini NTMB/918, but it's still got the original J6 pickups.