Cort A5 Custom-Z vs Ibanez Btb-675

[Scorn]

Good Day fellow Bassist

Looking for a new Bass and have found two that tickle my fancy. The first that caught my eye was the Cort A5 due to its price for features and then found the custom Z model which i prefer the look of compared to the stock look, however I have recently seen the light of the Ibanez Btb-675 which has similar features for what looks to be a similar price.

Both are 5 string
Both are Neck through
Both use Bartolini Pickups (not sure of the difference between them)
Both look great in the natural wood finish
Both are between $1300 - $1700 AUD from what i understand.

Id love to hear peoples thoughts on the differences between them or possibly a better model thrown into the mix if such a thing exists?

[Woodchuck]

They also have different scales lengths. The BTB's 35"

[tercesyrev]

The BTB pictured here is a 1305e prestige, last model for the BTB prestige line. These have custom Bartolini pups and electronics. Sound is huge and refined. Even though the BTB is 35' scale it's very easy to play. The 675 is Walnut (i think) and has the Bart MK pick ups. Both BTB models are nice but I would take the Prestige. Just my two cents

I've never owned a Cort but have played them. Unfortunately it's usually in a music store and they're never set up properly. Inevitably you have to play both and decide. Good luck

[IngerAlb]

These basses are made in the same factory, so the craftmanship quality will be the same. They do sound very different though. Corts tend to have a rather nasal tone, while BTBs are focused on huge articulated bottom end. IMO you should try them both before ordering one, both these basses have a distinct sound and feel which might not be what you're looking.

[Scorn]

Thx for the info.

Originally Posted by tercesyrev

The BTB pictured here is a 1305e prestige, last model for the BTB prestige line.

Well spotted, you know your Ibanez's. I wouldn't be looking at a prestige model because the $ do play a part in my decision. I would be looking at the standard 675 series which use a Bart MK2 pup as opposed to the Cort which uses the MK1 pup (i think). So the standard 675 is a darker wood grain and the prestige is lighter coloured timber?

Originally Posted by IngerAlb

IMO you should try them both before ordering one.

Luckily enough i found the most helpful salesman at an out of town music shop who has ordered in a btb-675 for me to have a go of and told me that if i wasnt happy with it he'd send it back, or just keep it in stock to sell. Its rare that i come across salespeople who are genuinely interested in customer service. Ill try it out in a few days, and make my decision as i have played a cort a5 about 6 months ago and dint mind it.

Unfortunately my decision may be one decided upon aesthetically as im sure they will be sound great, just love the shape of the btb and that darker wood grain is beautiful.

I think this is closer to the model im looking at...

[IngerAlb]

Yeah, that's more like it

Well like I said, BTBs - especially the higher end models - are perfectly crafted; I've owned a few, and my ex 770PB was spot on. Thing is, no matter how much I've tried, I couldn't bond with those basses, something was missing. That's why I said you should try one and see how much you like it. They're sure good looking though And it's normal since the whole idea of the BTB line is to bring some boutique quality to a mass produced bass - that's why they tend to use woods and electronics not so commonly found on mid priced basses.