NBD: Ibanez EHB 1000S

[Sté]

After my short-scale revolution due to the Sire U5, i started to look after a 4 strings short scale with 24 frets. ( Yes, i'm using the fret 24 from during solos  )
And i've seen than Ibanez has proposed a shortscale version in EHB familly. (Three years ago i've been closed to receive a EHB 1500 DEF for my 50's birtdhay gift, finally dismissed by a Markbass Kimandu at last minut)
So it was a now perfect occasion to finally grab one.
She's arrived few days ago, and is a wildest animal than my Sire at first glance. It's been a real work to make her become softer.

Unplugged: very nice resonance, nice vibe; already singing. Neck is one of the most comfortable i never played. Slightly wider and less thicker than the U5 one. Neck wood is absolutely beautiful. Fret work is perfect, thin frets i dig.
Weight is 7,16 pounds. Perfectly balanced when strapped, straight wrist to play and not any discomfort to play F note on E string. Very smooth touch. Small defect already beat to death in the EHB topic: inlays are near to invisible on fretboard and neck edge. I will have to add some visible dots on neck edge.

First plug in my amp: Heeeelp me !!! Deaf sound, rough, becoming aggressive as soon as i touch the preamp. So, after a deep dive in the TB EHB topic, i've tried all advised modifications:

- In first remove the neutrik jack lock lever. It was really painful to remove the cable

- Move a connector on the circuit board: + 6db. Meh, more level and a very little more clarity but more overdrive as soon as i touch the preamp

- Move a second connector on the circuit board: VMS -> BE3Q: voicing change. Not very better, still deaf and rough tone. A little more trebly but in an agressive way.

- Wiring modification from serial to parrallel: Night and day ! Pickup are becoming suddenly more precise, sound more open. Preamp strats to be nice and effective. It still misses something in the mid department. Voicing is very mid-scoop and too trebly. Of course preamp can now correct things but it doesn't seem to add some thickness to the overall tone. Something is still missing.

 

Ok, plan B: give back stock soapbars to my Markbass Kimandu, and get her actual Bartolini US BC4CBC to put it in the EHB.

4 holes drilling in the bass: original BH2 have two holes when my bart US have 3 -> Welcome to the sound and power of US bart: much more beautifull mid, and bartolini flavour all around. The bass is more precise, powerfull; even in passive mode. But overall tone is still a little deaf side mainly on the E string, as if the power would take precedence on note definitions. Strange.

Ok, so mixing this impression with previous modifications tried, i decide to re-wire the US barts in parallel. And finally: WOO HOO ! Same night and day impression than with the BH2 but this time with nice mids, beautifull treble. The Preamp start to work nicely, and perfom sweet little corrections.

 

Pickups:

Neck side: if you're after a PB tone, this bass is not for you. Nice round neck sound but on the modern side.

Bridge side: close too jazzbass sound.

Two pickups together: It could be a jazzbass, on the Marcus Miller side. But always with a little something more modern.

 

Notice:

- Bass came in a gigbag, with a ramp (too thin and a little curved. I will re-do another one), schaller straplock and Allen key.

- "Zoundhouse" in Germany is a really serious shop: quick sending with a strong cardbox in another stronger cardbox. Bass in perfect shape, perfect set up. (First time i don't have to touch anything; plus the original d'addario strings are those i use.) A shop to trust !

 

Finally: i've had some work, spend some time to make it suit my taste; but i'm really happy with it. I really don't understand why Ibanez didn't think at minimum about a serial/parrallel switch as it really needs it. I'm really happy: nice bass with a modern sound and an ouststanding playing comfort.

I will not say GAS is dead cause you all will laugh but with my Sire U5, i've now the perfect duet to cover all fields; and they are the two most comfortable basses i've never played.

Next step: find color paint RAL for making a matching ramp, add some visibles dots on the neck side, and make some soundclips. To be followed

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Enjoy ! 

[fretmeister]

I did all the circuit plug swaps when I had a 5 string, but there's only so much you can do with those pickups.

 

I put Aguilar DCB pickups in mine in the end. It was a close choice between those and Nords but the 5 string needs 6 string pickups due to the slant frets. It's a lot easier to get different pickups for parallel frets - and now EMG even do some Bart sized options.

[Sté]

Here are the soundclips: bass plugged in Focusrite Scarlett 2i2

 

Pickups are Bartolini BC4CBC, with parallel Wiring. There are a zillion possibilities, so i've reduced scope to more common positions: 

 

- 3 sounds in passive mode

- 3 sounds in active mode starting with 12 o'oclock set up, then pushing a little mids with vari-mid button, then pushing slightly bass when arrived in high-mids with vari-mid

- 1 sound in active mode with both pickups and slap technic

 

These 7 sounds have been played with classic right hand technic (alternate 2 fingers and slap) 

 

- 1 sound with 75% balance to neck pickup and slight low mid boost (my actual tone). For this last one, i play with my right hand technic mixing thumb, index and middle, with floating hand from neck side to bridge side

 

notice: for all active sounds i've rolled off a little the treble button cause even at 12 o'clock it was a little too much treble for my taste. 

 

Enjoy ! 

 

 

 

[Sté]

Hello again, 

 

Few more sounds about the Vari-mid tweaking: for each pickup position, I've set up bass at noon, treble a very little rolled off, and the Vari-mid at +50% level. Then i've started to play with the Vari-mid to high-mid maximum, and slowly came back to low-mid. I've played the same thing each time to clearly show differences. 

 

 

Enjoy ! 

[Sté]

Hello again !

 

Some improving details

I continue to make this bass perfect to me, by correcting a stock “defect” (kind of): neck edge inlays. This problem is now well known and a lot discussed for this EHB family: neck edge inlays (even on fretboard sometimes) are difficult to see, and close to impossible when light is low. This is the case on mine and her roasted maple neck. The luminescent function is not really working after 15 minutes, and become completely invisible.

So no 36000 solutions :

- Make it changed by clearer ones by a luthier. Too much money for me.

- Make it myself: too risky. I don’t have enough tools to make it precise and don’t want to have to perform varnish on neck in case I damage it by replacing the inlays.

- Add some adhesive inlays over originals. Cheap and easy. But how many time little adhesive dots will stay on the neck before falling ? Then I had an idea inspired from my day-job work: in aeronautic world, when we glue a label on a part or assy, we are adding some varnish on top and around to make it strong and avoid the label to peel off. So after a short search about tooling to use in this

case, I’ve found eyeball stickers perfect for the job.

Let’s go !

 

So I bought some edge inlays and put it over originals ones

 

 

 

Then masking around these new inlays with eyeball stickers and tape, to protect neck.

 

 

Then with a small brush, varnish application on the inlays and areas between inlays and eyeball stickers.

 

Then after one minute wait, eyeball stickers removing to avoid varnish to dry on it.

 

And here we are. We’ll see if it’s efficient.

 

To finish it, a small magnet glued with double-side tape as picks home; like on all my basses.

 

 

Next and final episode: the ramp. But Ibanez didn’t replied yet to my request about the paint RAL they are using on their instrument for Seafoam green color. As I’ve found a lot of different shade of seafoam green, I would like to be sure to have the closer one.

(If someone here know this Seafoam green paint RAL used by Ibanez, it would be greatly appreciated)

To be followed ..

 

[Stub Mandrel]

I got 3/32" dots cut from high strength vinyl on a Cricut machine. Very durable... the ones on the 'busy' parts of the neck last a long time.

[lemmywinks]

Not sure why ibanez chose those fret markers instead of proper Lumunlays which do appear on other Cort builds at that price point. The ones on my Modern 5 stay bright for ages.