Ibanez AEGB24E Electric Acoustic Bass

[expatmuso]

Does anyone have experience with this bass? It's a short scale (32 inch neck) with a small body. It came out recently and looks to be a decent bass. Or could possibly recommend something similar?

I have a Cort SJB-5F, which is a good all around acoustic bass considering the price. But I find it a little too big, both the neck and body, so thinking about getting something a little smaller.

Here's a video of the Ibanez

 

[MD]

I don't, but check the ABG Club - pretty sure there's a few Ibanez's kickin' around there.
Acoustic bass fetish club Part 2

 

[Michael Vee]

I got one in mahogany sunburst when they first started shipping in June. I like it a lot so far. It is my first 32" scale bass- I have many 34"s and a number of 30"s. 32" is a comfortable midpoint of tone and playability.

The factory strings make me think they are black coated phosphor bronze acoustic strings. They are a bit stiff, but sound good. I'm going to be asking Ibanezers here on TB if other new AEGB24E owners like other string choices. Expatmuso, let me know if you have specific questions about the bass.

 

[expatmuso]

Thanks for the report Michael Vee. I have a couple of questions.

1) is the thumb rest useful/comfortable?
2) How is the quality of the tuners?

THanks!

 

[Michael Vee]

1) is the thumb rest useful/comfortable?
2) How is the quality of the tuners?

The thumb piece is in two levels, the lower level is against the body and then it has a higher level. The tip of the thumb goes into the joint between the two. If you have really large hands, it might not be quite big enough, but I find it usable as a thumb rest. It extends between the end of the fingerboard to about three inches from the bridge, which offers quite a range of tones. I feel it works well vs. floating the thumb on and off the strings.

The tuners are comparable to what Ibanez uses on their other bass lines in that $400-700 range. They are metal, easy to turn and hold tune well.

 

[JimmyJam1969]

Thanks for the useful info! I wanted to pick one up. But playing it in the store, I felt the thumb rest was too close to the E string for my style of play. Probably fine for others.. just my old habits.

I do like the concept just not the placement.

I couldn’t tell in the store… would it be possible to move it further from the E string?

 

[Michael Vee]

Thanks for the useful info! I wanted to pick one up. But playing it in the store, I felt the thumb rest was too close to the E string for my style of play.
I couldn’t tell in the store… would it be possible to move it further from the E string?

I don't think so.

 

[Michael Vee]

Revisiting this thread. Since the original AEGB24Es came out in 2022, Ibanez has introduced two variations.

1) A natural high gloss top model came out in 2023: AEGB30E This is an AEGB24E, but for whatever reason Ibanez chose to give it a different model number.

2) A fretless model in mahogany sunburst came out in late spring this year: AEGB24FE

The fretless is retailing at $500, while the other three are still at $450.

 

[Michael Vee]

I have now replaced the factory strings that came on my AEGB24E. These are listed on the Ibanez website as being "Ibanez IABS4XC32 Carbon coated" strings. I never liked the way those felt or sounded. Very rough to the fingertips, and not a particularly pleasing sound.

My replacements are D'Addario ETB92M nylon tapewounds. I am so impressed with the combination! More so than I have been impressed with new strings in years. That's how much of an improvement the D'Addarios make. This bass absolutely sings now.

I also "installed" a D'Addario Screeching Halt soundhole cover. It's not an exact fit due to two things: The cover is just a bit too big for the AEGB24E soundhole. Also, the fingerboard extends down to the soundhole, so I had to cut a bit off that side of the cover to get it to fit. The thumbrest does not fit flush to the body, there is enough gap that the soundhole cover fits underneath it. The cover is bowed inward somewhat, but is not in danger of falling inside the body.

These basses have a very basic, cheap rosette, so covering it with the soundhole cover is not a big loss, visually.

The cover definitely reduces the bass's tendency to feed back when amplified, without dulling the resonance from the body. I'd love to get a soundhole cover that is an exact fit someday, but the D'Addario works fine for now and was only $10.

I might mention that this is my only hass with a traditional soundhole, all the other semi-acoustics have f-holes.

While installing the strings, I cleaned the fingerboard and oiled it, cleaned the body thoroughly and waxed it. It makes such an improvement in the appearance of the bass. One wonders why guitar importers don't specify basic cleaning and waxing should be done before shipping. It makes an inexpensive instrument appear to be more one of a higher price point.

In playing the AEGB this morning, it became apparent to me that medium scale (32") is perfect for my left hand reach. I can play four notes anywhere on the fingerboard, chromatically up or down, without any stretch or shift. On a 34", I generally have to shift to get to the fourth note in first position. Then, on a 30", the notes are a little too close together. 32" is made for me.

Overall, I am now very pleased with my AEGB24E! I'll be using it at church on Sunday and will report.

 

[jd56hawk]

I have now replaced the factory strings that came on my AEGB24E. These are listed on the Ibanez website as being "Ibanez IABS4XC32 Carbon coated" strings. I never liked the way those felt or sounded. Very rough to the fingertips, and not a particularly pleasing sound.

My replacements are D'Addario ETB92M nylon tapewounds. I am so impressed with the combination! More so than I have been impressed with new strings in years. That's how much of an improvement the D'Addarios make. This bass absolutely sings now.

I also "installed" a D'Addario Screeching Halt soundhole cover. It's not an exact fit due to two things: The cover is just a bit too big for the AEGB24E soundhole. Also, the fingerboard extends down to the soundhole, so I had to cut a bit off that side of the cover to get it to fit. The thumbrest does not fit flush to the body, there is enough gap that the soundhole cover fits underneath it. The cover is bowed inward somewhat, but is not in danger of falling inside the body.

These basses have a very basic, cheap rosette, so covering it with the soundhole cover is not a big loss, visually.

The cover definitely reduces the bass's tendency to feed back when amplified, without dulling the resonance from the body. I'd love to get a soundhole cover that is an exact fit someday, but the D'Addario works fine for now and was only $10.

I might mention that this is my only hass with a traditional soundhole, all the other semi-acoustics have f-holes.

While installing the strings, I cleaned the fingerboard and oiled it, cleaned the body thoroughly and waxed it. It makes such an improvement in the appearance of the bass. One wonders why guitar importers don't specify basic cleaning and waxing should be done before shipping. It makes an inexpensive instrument appear to be more one of a higher price point.

In playing the AEGB this morning, it became apparent to me that medium scale (32") is perfect for my left hand reach. I can play four notes anywhere on the fingerboard, chromatically up or down, without any stretch or shift. On a 34", I generally have to shift to get to the fourth note in first position. Then, on a 30", the notes are a little too close together. 32" is made for me.

Overall, I am now very pleased with my AEGB24E! I'll be using it at church on Sunday and will report.

Great choice for strings...best acoustic-bass strings made.
One thing I can't find, though...does it have C-shaped neck?

 

[Groove Doctor]

I have now replaced the factory strings that came on my AEGB24E. These are listed on the Ibanez website as being "Ibanez IABS4XC32 Carbon coated" strings. I never liked the way those felt or sounded. Very rough to the fingertips, and not a particularly pleasing sound.

My replacements are D'Addario ETB92M nylon tapewounds. I am so impressed with the combination! More so than I have been impressed with new strings in years. That's how much of an improvement the D'Addarios make. This bass absolutely sings now.

I also "installed" a D'Addario Screeching Halt soundhole cover. It's not an exact fit due to two things: The cover is just a bit too big for the AEGB24E soundhole. Also, the fingerboard extends down to the soundhole, so I had to cut a bit off that side of the cover to get it to fit. The thumbrest does not fit flush to the body, there is enough gap that the soundhole cover fits underneath it. The cover is bowed inward somewhat, but is not in danger of falling inside the body.

These basses have a very basic, cheap rosette, so covering it with the soundhole cover is not a big loss, visually.

The cover definitely reduces the bass's tendency to feed back when amplified, without dulling the resonance from the body. I'd love to get a soundhole cover that is an exact fit someday, but the D'Addario works fine for now and was only $10.

I might mention that this is my only hass with a traditional soundhole, all the other semi-acoustics have f-holes.

While installing the strings, I cleaned the fingerboard and oiled it, cleaned the body thoroughly and waxed it. It makes such an improvement in the appearance of the bass. One wonders why guitar importers don't specify basic cleaning and waxing should be done before shipping. It makes an inexpensive instrument appear to be more one of a higher price point.

In playing the AEGB this morning, it became apparent to me that medium scale (32") is perfect for my left hand reach. I can play four notes anywhere on the fingerboard, chromatically up or down, without any stretch or shift. On a 34", I generally have to shift to get to the fourth note in first position. Then, on a 30", the notes are a little too close together. 32" is made for me.

Overall, I am now very pleased with my AEGB24E! I'll be using it at church on Sunday and will report.

How are you enjoying this bass?

I have also found 32” to be perfect for me… and am looking for a 32” ABG with cutaway. Ibanez are the only big brand that does them (boutique brands rare in Oz).

Does the thumb rest dampen the body & affect tone?
Is it removable?

TIA

 

[Michael Vee]

I took my AEGB out to play at church this morning and it did a great job.

However, I discovered that the bass will not fit in my Mono Classic gig bag. I used it anyway, but wasn't able to zip it closed. This is typical- many of the Ibanez semi- or hollowbodied basses are too deep to fit in a standard tight-fitting bag like the Mono Classic.

Neither would it fit in any of the other Ibanez hard cases I own.

Ibanez does not list an HSC that is specifically made for an AEGB bass. Those of you who've bought an AEGB, what are you using for an HSC or gig bag solution?

 

[Michael Vee]

How are you enjoying this bass?

I have also found 32” to be perfect for me… and am looking for a 32” ABG with cutaway. Ibanez are the only big brand that does them (boutique brands rare in Oz).

Does the thumb rest dampen the body & affect tone?
Is it removable?

TIA

As mentioned earlier in the thread, I really like the way the bass sounds and plays with the D'Addario tapewounds. The thumb ramp is a cool feature and is very usable. The neck is quite comfortable for my smaller hands.

I doubt the thumb ramp dampens the body or affects the tone to any appreciable degree. I believe it would be removable, but if you get one of these, you'll probably choose to leave it on- it's very handy.

 

[Michael Vee]

As it turned out, Ibanez does make a gig bag that fits the AEGBs: Ibanez PowerPad IABB540.

IABB540 | BAGS | ACCESSORIES-BAGS | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars

IABB540 at Ibanez. Ibanez offers electric guitars, bass guitars, acoustic guitars, effect and pedals, amps, plus guitar accessories like tuners, straps and picks.

www.ibanez.com

Now how well it fits, I don't know. It probably is sized longer than the AEGB so it can also fit 34" scale AEBs as well.

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