Are Ibanez basses collectable?

[drumsnbass]

I dunno the spacing you play, but if it's 17 or so try a Pedulla some day if you 'step up'. I tried a lot of higher end basses, and when I got to a Pedulla MVP5 my GAS ended. Plays like butter compared to everything else I tried.

34"/17.5mm

I have a few other basses with 34/17-18 setups but nothing comes close to the Pedulla.

I have an Ibanez SR-885 that I wish sounded like a Fender 5 string jazz bass. It sounds just ok. But its playability trumps the wide string spacing of Fender 5 string basses. So I live with it. I think it needs a better preamp. The guy I bought it from for $250 put one of the Seymour Duncan ones in that doesn't have a midrange knob. Anyway, I feel that way about their guitars in general, too: great playability, average sound.

 

[Danthaman1971]

Ibanez Sabre SB900le, very hard to come by these days (or ever for that matter)

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Ibanez Studio, Like a Musician but bolt-on and less known (not for the weak-backed, it weighs a ton)

 

[UNICORN BASS]

To put a nail in the coffin of this thread we can use a car analogy. Twenty five years from now the Toyota Prius won't be collectible but it will still look good, run good, and get great mileage.

 

[ColonelZulu]

Really? Not collectible? If people collect them, they are collectibles.
Are they considered higher value than they were when they came out? Are players seeking the older ones specifically?

How about a 1983 Musician MC940?

 

[ColonelZulu]

To some extent. But brand recognition and star use come into play here. Fenders and gibsons aren't super rare but have the recognition os so-and-so having played them back when so more people think they can get a certain mojo if they get the same thing. Not the end-all-be-all on the subject but it comes into play.

Like this guy, maybe?

 

[cyclopsbookworm]

The list for a 940 in 1980 was around $800. Adjusted for inflation, it would list for roughly $2200 today, maybe sell around $1799, maybe go for $800 to $1200 used. About what a used mc940 goes for. That means it's roughly holding its value by market standards. By Ibanez standards that's pretty good, but it's still just at par.

By my standard, something has to actually gain value to be collectible, automatically excluding just about 99% of basses out there. You can still score a killer deal and turn a small profit down the road, but that still doesn't make it collectible.

Also, my above comment was referring to an earlier comment stating somethings collectibility was based solely on its rarity, not the idea that no one ever played an Ibanez on the big stage. Still, if I were to use that specific example, Sting is much more known for his precision tele.

 

[cyclopsbookworm]

Imo basses in general aren't particularly collectible. Some might be exceptions, sure. But for the most part, buy on the used market, try it out, and if you don't jive with it, you'll most likely get your money back, give or take. But that's about it, unless you plan on case storing it in your closet for 30 years. In that case, it would be a very low yield investment.

As a side bar, the market has been really low this year. Aside from a few bonkers sellers asking way too much, the classifieds are littered with killer deals at the moment. Good time to find a score as a lot of folks are hurting for cash.

 

[drumsnbass]

What? You mean the economy is not recovering? The Fed lied? Oh my!

 

[Clark W]

I treated myself to a brand new Ibanez SR400EQM at the end of August. Will it ever become collectable? Don't know, don't care. It's an awesome bass that is meant to be played.

Would I like to own an older Ibanez? Sure, but not for collecting. I look at musical gear as an investment in myself because of the joy it gives me to use it. If I wanted to collect history pieces I'd be buying Fenders or Gibsons, and I may buy one someday. The right deal on a Precision crosses my path and I'd probably take it.

I will say this, Ibanez makes some really nice gear. And their price point is pretty friggin awesome too. Prior to my Ibby, an early 90s Carvin LB70 was the nicest bass I owned, even more expensive than my Ibby, but the Ibby is way more comfortable.



Next bass on my list to buy will be a fanned fret, either an Ibanez Bass Workshop SRMS800 or a Schecter Stiletto Studio-4 FF

 

[B-Mac]

I've been a long time Fender player, but i've really been eyeballing some of the Ibanez basses lately. I've played some of the 5 and 6 strings models at different shops, especially the BTB models and think they are great.

I have something like 6 or 7 basses, and although my wife really doesn't seem to mind, i tell her i don't play golf or work on cars, i collect basses.

So it got me thinking, i really like the Ibanez models, and will probably pick one up some time in the near future regardless of collectability, but are Ibanez basses considered collectable?

You can collect anything....the question is it worth anything? They might not be worth much compared to a vintage rare model Fender or Gibson or Ric or Gretsch or Guild or or or or or...….but to someone who is really into Ibanez probably...someone's trash is someone else's treasure.