Gassin' for the new Ibanez BTB 745

[rujulian]

ive never owned a five string, but yesterday I played the new btb745 from Ibanez and it felt really effortless.

The neck is not as slim as the SR five strings and I like it. Currently I play a P bass and an ATK. Both basses known for having chunkier necks.

I'm considering selling one or both of my current basses to aquire the btb. I like my p bass, but never totally connected with it. I love my ATK. I'll most likely need to keep that one.

Maybe I should mull it over for a few weeks. Make sure it's not just gas...I've been here before.

 

[Saetia]

Go back and play it a few times if possible. Been down the same road before, only a few times have I been let down by my actions lol.

If it helps, theres a Modulus in my stand and I GAS for a BTB.

 

[Arjank]

The 745 looks cool but I a have serious gas for the 1805, what a beauty!!!

 

[fender68]

The 745 looks cool but I a have serious gas for the 1805, what a beauty!!!

View attachment 1096805

You're not the only one!!

 

[rujulian]

The 745 looks cool but I a have serious gas for the 1805, what a beauty!!!

View attachment 1096805

Also very nice. The Aguilar soapbars are a nice touch...I have the Aguilar 4p-hot pickups in a bass. They sound fantastic. I can see why so many builders are putting them in their basses.

 

[danosix]

View attachment 1093397 ive never owned a five string, but yesterday I played the new btb745 from Ibanez and it felt really effortless.

The neck is not as slim as the SR five strings and I like it. Currently I play a P bass and an ATK. Both basses known for having chunkier necks.

I'm considering selling one or both of my current basses to aquire the btb. I like my p bass, but never totally connected with it. I love my ATK. I'll most likely need to keep that one.

Maybe I should mull it over for a few weeks. Make sure it's not just gas...I've been here before.

Yeah, those are very nice, the poor man's alembic to my eye.
One thing I'll mention - one of the only two I've actually seen in the wild was kinda... iffy in finish - the edges of the laminates were "blurry" (ie not sharp separation) and the actual poly finish uneven - Given that it's practically a sealer they should at least be able to get it one without obvious blemishes. Literally the only Ibanez I've ever seen/played with FLAWs in the construction - I mean some of them have the short cuts and cheap outs necessary (and expected) to get their inexpensive stuff in at those prices - but I've never seen mistakes! Could have been a second (though the store wasn't charging as such) and it played fine - they were cosmetic issues.
Anyhoo... the point is give a good once over before you buy - they are VERY nice, but (at least for me) if I god a bass like that home and it had issues like that, it would seriously mar the joy of acquisition a little.

 

[danosix]

The 745 looks cool but I a have serious gas for the 1805, what a beauty!!!

View attachment 1096805

Nice, but that's almost as expensive as it looks, the 745 is the bass that lets you get into a multi-lam, neck through long-scale bass for well under a grand (at least in the US - they're over that in Canada now since our dollar dropped to 75 cents).

I also have to admit that the Premium Series kinda rubs me the wrong way - they are indeed REALLY nice, but I feel like the "good" series should be coming from Japan (which would make it the Prestige Series) - it really shouldn't matter (I'm usually the guy telling people to judge basses on what they are not where they come from) but I feel like PREMIUM stuff should be made in a PREMIUM place (right?) - It also just kinda muddies up the line between the standard and Prestige lines. I mean, at least KOREA which has put in the time to be recognized for its higher end stuff - and most people balk at the $1000+ stuff coming out of Korea from Fender, Guild and Warwick/Framus (especially considering Hofner still keeps thiers under a grand - and they're notorious for over charging for their stuff).

 

[danosix]

View attachment 1093397 ive never owned a five string, but yesterday I played the new btb745 from Ibanez and it felt really effortless.

The neck is not as slim as the SR five strings and I like it. Currently I play a P bass and an ATK. Both basses known for having chunkier necks.

I'm considering selling one or both of my current basses to aquire the btb. I like my p bass, but never totally connected with it. I love my ATK. I'll most likely need to keep that one.

Maybe I should mull it over for a few weeks. Make sure it's not just gas...I've been here before.

Don't sell the ATK - they don't command much used and you'll never get another bass as nice for what you can get for it - literally, ever. If you truly don't bond with your P, that's the trader, they are by far the easiest bass to replace if/when you change your mind and want a P again and if it actually has the F-word on it (Fender, where's your mind) you should be able to get a reasonable trade for it (or even better sell it yourself, you'll do much better than a trade towards a new bass at a store).
EVEN better - save your pennies and have a P and ATK AND a BTB - very nice trio indeed.

 

[rujulian]

Nice, but that's almost as expensive as it looks, the 745 is the bass that lets you get into a multi-lam, neck through long-scale bass for well under a grand (at least in the US - they're over that in Canada now since our dollar dropped to 75 cents).

I also have to admit that the Premium Series kinda rubs me the wrong way - they are indeed REALLY nice, but I feel like the "good" series should be coming from Japan (which would make it the Prestige Series) - it really shouldn't matter (I'm usually the guy telling people to judge basses on what they are not where they come from) but I feel like PREMIUM stuff should be made in a PREMIUM place (right?) - It also just kinda muddies up the line between the standard and Prestige lines. I mean, at least KOREA which has put in the time to be recognized for its higher end stuff - and most people balk at the $1000+ stuff coming out of Korea from Fender, Guild and Warwick/Framus (especially considering Hofner still keeps thiers under a grand - and they're notorious for over charging for their stuff).

Yeah, those are very nice, the poor man's alembic to my eye.
One thing I'll mention - one of the only two I've actually seen in the wild was kinda... iffy in finish - the edges of the laminates were "blurry" (ie not sharp separation) and the actual poly finish uneven - Given that it's practically a sealer they should at least be able to get it one without obvious blemishes. Literally the only Ibanez I've ever seen/played with FLAWs in the construction - I mean some of them have the short cuts and cheap outs necessary (and expected) to get their inexpensive stuff in at those prices - but I've never seen mistakes! Could have been a second (though the store wasn't charging as such) and it played fine - they were cosmetic issues.
Anyhoo... the point is give a good once over before you buy - they are VERY nice, but (at least for me) if I god a bass like that home and it had issues like that, it would seriously mar the joy of acquisition a little.

Yeah, those are very nice, the poor man's alembic to my eye.
One thing I'll mention - one of the only two I've actually seen in the wild was kinda... iffy in finish - the edges of the laminates were "blurry" (ie not sharp separation) and the actual poly finish uneven - Given that it's practically a sealer they should at least be able to get it one without obvious blemishes. Literally the only Ibanez I've ever seen/played with FLAWs in the construction - I mean some of them have the short cuts and cheap outs necessary (and expected) to get their inexpensive stuff in at those prices - but I've never seen mistakes! Could have been a second (though the store wasn't charging as such) and it played fine - they were cosmetic issues.
Anyhoo... the point is give a good once over before you buy - they are VERY nice, but (at least for me) if I god a bass like that home and it had issues like that, it would seriously mar the joy of acquisition a little.

funny you should say that. It's actually the first thing I noticed about the finish was the thin strip of mahagony (maybe) between the top and body looked a bit rough cut...

 

[danosix]

funny you should say that. It's actually the first thing I noticed about the finish was the thin strip of mahagony (maybe) between the top and body looked a bit rough cut...

Yeah, actually affects nothing, but it would BUG me to no end.

 

[rujulian]

Don't sell the ATK - they don't command much used and you'll never get another bass as nice for what you can get for it - literally, ever. If you truly don't bond with your P, that's the trader, they are by far the easiest bass to replace if/when you change your mind and want a P again and if it actually has the F-word on it (Fender, where's your mind) you should be able to get a reasonable trade for it (or even better sell it yourself, you'll do much better than a trade towards a new bass at a store).
EVEN better - save your pennies and have a P and ATK AND a BTB - very nice trio indeed.

Lol. I've decided not to sell my ATK..it really is a great bass..the p bass is a Squier CV 70's with Aguilar pickups in it..there's absolutely nothing wrong with it..the fret work is great. it's sounds huge..and the neck is really nice..
My gas for the btb has settled and I'm content with what I currently have!

 

[danosix]

View attachment 1096984 View attachment 1096983
Lol. I've decided not to sell my ATK..it really is a great bass..the p bass is a Squier CV 70's with Aguilar pickups in it..there's absolutely nothing wrong with it..the fret work is great. it's sounds huge..and the neck is really nice..
My gas for the btb has settled and I'm content with what I currently have!

Very nice - is that one of the 90s Korean or Japanese ones? I've always loved that caramel burst those ones came in, I was disappointed when they reissued them with only the Musicman style 70s 3Ts (which is what mine is - it's nice, but not as nice as that). Also - where'd you get the Tort guard? I actually don't want tort on the mine (though it looks gorgeous on THAT colour) but I'm hoping maybe they make other colours (specifically clear) I know I can make my own p/g, but especially with a clear one I'd have to be REALLY careful and I'm very impatient.

 

[rujulian]

Very nice - is that one of the 90s Korean or Japanese ones? I've always loved that caramel burst those ones came in, I was disappointed when they reissued them with only the Musicman style 70s 3Ts (which is what mine is - it's nice, but not as nice as that). Also - where'd you get the Tort guard? I actually don't want tort on the mine (though it looks gorgeous on THAT colour) but I'm hoping maybe they make other colours (specifically clear) I know I can make my own p/g, but especially with a clear one I'd have to be REALLY careful and I'm very impatient.

Thanks. The ATK is an Indonesian made one..it's just a natural ash body..the lighting just seems to make it that colour.
I found the bass at a local buy and sell this past November. It was missing the pickguard but everything else was in great condition. I actually ended up commissioning a local luthier to design, cut and mount the pickguard. I was originally going to just go black but figured may as well go different. I don't even know if he used a template to design it or just sorta free handed it but it came out great..

Here's another pic with more neutral lighting...

 

[eastcoasteddie]

View attachment 1093397 ive never owned a five string, but yesterday I played the new btb745 from Ibanez and it felt really effortless.

The neck is not as slim as the SR five strings and I like it. Currently I play a P bass and an ATK. Both basses known for having chunkier necks.

I'm considering selling one or both of my current basses to aquire the btb. I like my p bass, but never totally connected with it. I love my ATK. I'll most likely need to keep that one.

Maybe I should mull it over for a few weeks. Make sure it's not just gas...I've been here before.

I am starting to develop some serious GAS for this one as well. I have played it a few times, and each time I do, I like it more.
I love the neck, I love the finish, and I love the tone. The bridge pickup solo has a monstrously nasal growl...