Ibanez BTB-405 QM - Need your opinion - (again)

i don't know about the other ibanez models, i've got an SR and it took me FOREVER to find the right tone on it. i loved how it played, and that's why i bought it, and i had no idea what any of the knobs did. after about a year i finally started getting the EQ to where i wanted it, and really started wrenching a tone out of the beast. it may just be you're tryin to find the right combo.

 

I own a BTB1006 limited edition (so they say) and I just returned it actually. It was a decent bass, it had some good tones but I'm considering buying a high end fretless maybe.

Main reason was not because tone sucked, it had 6 strings and I couldn't get use to it. I didn't like the high register notes. But tone wise it was pretty good. But then again, I've become kind of a Warwick player now.

Ibanez did a good job on the BTB's for sure, you should look into it.

 

I'm not a fan of the BTB 4xxs. The ones I've tried had subpar fret and nutjobs and somewhat uneven finishes. Not crazy about the EQ, either; sounds muddy when set to flat, and needs some twiddling to sound decent. On the bright side, the B is pretty tight and the monorail bridge is pretty cool. At this price, though, I'd trade features for better construction.

 

I've got a 405QMTK for about 2 / 2.5 months now, and i can talk about it for hours, and hours..

but there is only one thing i can say about it at this moment :

The BTB 405 QM is THE best bass available.

period.

 

Well the BTB is a lot better than the rest of their family (I did not like the Garry Willis model at all) and I never did like Ibanez but I had to have the 1006btb. Looked good but sounded "decent". It costed me about $1300 and for that price - you can get a better quality bass.

Let your ears do the buying...

 

The btb405 definately has a lot of tonal flexibility and a great b string, but I found myself constantly twiddling with the controls to find something that I liked.. For the price, it's awesome, and there isn't a whole lot in the $500 range that can beat it ( except maybe the mtd kingston).. I ended up returning mine and getting a used '92 musicman bass instead =] Nothing like a nice worn in musicman with a 3 band eq heh..

 

MTD kingston isn't even remotely near the BTB..

the only bass that is a competitor for the BTB is the Spector NS2000Q5.

 

I love mine, I love it so much that I would father its children... I don't know how that conseption would be possible but hey it's a great bass:

-Consistantly fat/thick tone that stays tight and focused no matter what eqing you use.
-The tension is supirior to any 34" scale and most 35" scales, yet it still has that playablity and comfort that Ibanez is so famouse for.
-Mono Rail bridge helps note to note clarity with no string interferance making your playing true; I also think it improves the basses tension.
-Beautiful in my eyes, the the look of the woods coming trough is always a plus to a bass' apeal IMO.
-Play Monster, It has the best and most consistant articulation of any bass and it stays in tune.
-So much more...

I could go on ranting about that bass for hours. I love it.

 

Bigfeet & AllodoX, the dark sith of Talkbass

i 100 % second bigfeet's points..

- Neck is bolt on with 6 bolts, a big plus
- Good-sized tuners that feel very solid
- big stringspacing is devine for fingerstyle.
- it has a wide neck, not thick.. makes it very nice to play
- big, solid knobs on the controlls
- long, THICK screws on the strap-buttons
- locking output-jack (!)
- very versatile EQ, it can truely go from Fender to Musicman, to Fieldy, to Concklin and all the way back to rickenbacker if you want to..
- 35" scale makes the B-string very tight. Makes it also perfect for Drop-A tuning.
- 2 truss-rods (!) make it possible to tilt the neck for even more versatile relief.
- Very funky transparant colours over quilted maple.
- PERFECT balance.. this thing does NOT tilt over..
- 18v electronics. big plus
- Workinghorse.. this thing just makes you go on and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and on, and... well.. u get the idea

it's just the ultimate bass(tm)

 

well i love my BTB... not as much as Allodox but still love it so much

 

what about the BTB1005?

 

if your gonna go ibanez, then imo the btb would be the best way to go. i think they sound better than the sound gears, and are also pretty easy to play.

theres definatly others that imo are better sounding than the btb, if you do a search youll see lots of them.

 

Oh, I would trade all my basses for one of those... the custom one would be nice too. GAS!!!


BTW, If you ever get the chance to try out an EDC705 go for it. I got mine for 563 (american) brand new, I get some real great deals.

The EDC basses are very accurate and punchy with great lows, it lacks warmth but more then makes up for it in clarity... I love that bass too but I would really like to try out the ATK405 but I don't foresee that in the near future.

 

Phooiee ! 405 is way better

 

Like I said, I had the 1006 limited and I mean it was decent. I think its WAY OVER PRICED for sure. I got a full refund back on it. It sounded just decent and it looked awesome BUT the high C didn't do it for me. The price i paid ($1250) did not do it justice.

 

The BTB-405 is a great bass. I found its string spacing a bit wide, but that might be because I am so used to my Yamaha BX-1. I'd own one, but the availability of the maple fretboard is why I chose the MTD Kingston 5-string, though it was close for a while.

 

I have the BTB505tkf (no longer made) and i LOVE it. The tones you can get with this thing are MIND boggling. I like to max out the mids and sweep the mid frequency while tapping w/ my left hand a la Justin Chancellor for a wah-type effect. HOWEVER, I am forced to part ways with this beauty, for i need money for more "serious" stuf (ie-car payments, christmas gifts, etc.) SO, if you want a BTB505tkf(transparent black flat) for somewhere between $570-630 (random numbers....I'm ok w/ any ammount in between), let me know. my email is [email protected].

email me for pics

 

considering it's still ibanez i'm still skeptical about the btb's.. i've tried a couple, and they didn't suck at all, but... i'm a passive player, so more knobs just make me tweak on my sound more than necessary. i play less and twiddle knobs more. shavo from system of a down quoted me EXTREMELY cheap prices on btb's, but when i was ready to buy one (about a 10 months ago), he mentioned that he switched to Gibson Thunderbirds and wouldn't let me buy an ibanez.. ahh , the beauty of sponsorship... or was he not happy with the btb's??? i won't know till i ask him....