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Any current "standards" BTB are spec'd up to par with other's higher grade instruments.
I've owned 2 standard and 1 Premium BTBs. One of the standards is the default I bring out for most gigs. It's a true work horse instrument despite it has yet equipped with graphite reinforcement rods nor stainless steel frets like that BTB745 of yours.
OTOH, I sold the only Premium one I've ever had cause I didn't gel with it and I don't feel any loss.
Nice looking bass. I have a poplar burl top on my 846v, and whilst it's grown on me, I'd have bought sooner if it looked more like yours.
Picked this up last week. Made in Japan BTB515WNF. Included original case.
I hope someone can help me with a quick technical question. I have a pair of early 2000s BTBs, a 400 and a 405. Does anyone have the specs on the frequencies of the active electronics (treble and bass boost/cut, and frequency range of the vari-mid)?
So I'm selling the BTB846SC. Or at least I've listed it on facebook marketplace. So this is a stupid question but I'll ask it anyway. What tuners are a direct replacement for the OEM tuners, or what tuners are recommended that don't require enlarging the holes in the peghead? Bass is definitely for sale, but I love it (even though I can't get my mind around using all 6 strings) and the tuners are the one weak link on this otherwise top-shelf instrument imho.
Thanks,
John
Thanks,
John
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I've owned roughly 6-7 Ibanez BTB Premium basses but thus is by far the best one I owned. Had Nordstrand DC pickups, Aguilar OBP-3 preamp and Custom knobs made by D-Cline Designs.
Unfortunate that you have to be apart with your BTB Single Cut. I love my BTB 5 string Single Cut (the 1st iteration, BTB685SC). It has been my go to bass in the last 5-6 years.
Gotoh GB350 Res-O-Lite is what you seek. I have them on 9 out of 10 Ibanez basses.
So my band has recently gotten into more downtuned territory, and my 34" EBMM Sterling 5 is showing weakness in that territory (even in plain D standard), so I'm considering buying a 35" or a multiscale to remedy that.
As a long-time Ibanez stan the BTB was my primary candidate, until I went online and looked at the prices. Those are... Definitely not what I remember those basses costing. A BTB Standard is around 1500 CAD, and a BTB Premium is 2600 CAD + tax on Long&McQuade. That's the same price as a US-made EBMM, or a Fender Ultra(!).
What the heck happened? Is this (frankly insane) pricing specific to Canada, or has someone found a way to mine cryptocurrency on Ibanez BTBs?
(strangely, EHBs appear to be significantly cheaper -- I would have expected the other way around)
As a long-time Ibanez stan the BTB was my primary candidate, until I went online and looked at the prices. Those are... Definitely not what I remember those basses costing. A BTB Standard is around 1500 CAD, and a BTB Premium is 2600 CAD + tax on Long&McQuade. That's the same price as a US-made EBMM, or a Fender Ultra(!).
What the heck happened? Is this (frankly insane) pricing specific to Canada, or has someone found a way to mine cryptocurrency on Ibanez BTBs?
(strangely, EHBs appear to be significantly cheaper -- I would have expected the other way around)
even used BTB prices are outrageous these days here in the States. They used to have both affordable and premium models. I think they also ruined the 6 string BTB models over the last say 10 years by moving to a narrow string spacing. Wide string spacing, 35" scale and bigger body used to be the whole point of the BTB as alternatives to Sound Gear models.
totally agreed. My BTB405QM was $599 brand new in 2002/2003. The BTB406 string model was $649. BTB400 4 string $549. Made in Korea. My head is still stuck on 15 -20 yr old prices.
It's funny, the workshop series are what pulled me into the BTB club: 33" 6string 16.5mm spacing
Ibanez definitely has muddied the BTB series stuff, I don't think the workshop ones should have been part of BTB. They should have just started a new top-level WS "Workshop Series" schema or something (like SR, BTB, etc)
It was a BO not a NT and I think the pickups tuners and bridges have been significantly improved. Plus now there is neck reinforcement stock as well as a nice hippie sandwich b
In Australia the SR is a cheap painted, front routed and control plated, single piece neck instrument. Prices for a single 4H are towards $A4500. And I can't get a 6.
Compare to the BTB1836 I wanted which I can still pick up new for around $A2600 from the few shops that still have old stock. Compare the spec; the BTB is a better bass all around.
My BTB846v is just about a year old and I paid about $A2k for it new. Sixes always cost more in the same model spec. I used the 6s as comparison as I had been saving for them a while and knew the costs. The SR4H I looked up prices today.
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Same here. I really lusted after the 1836 but I don't like 35" basses. Then I saw the BTB33 and wanted one but couldn't fine one, and then they brought out the 846v and I bought the first one I saw. Lucky as apparently they one brought in a couple for the whole country (I've been told 2).
My primary weapons are an EBMM Sterling 5 HS and a Stingray Special HH (really, EBMM and Ibanez are the only two bass brands that have earned my complete trust). "Cheap" isn't a word I'd use to describe them. They're exquisitely-crafted, robust instruments, whose main strength I nonetheless have to admit lies in their electronics. Put simply, I've never touched a bass that sounded as stupidly *good* as those two. The preamps are incredibly well-voiced, the 5-way pickup selector is something I dearly miss anytime I have to play on something that has a blend knob instead, and the pickups... Oof, those pickups. Snarling beasts indeed.
With all that being said: LEMMY ALMIGHTY FOUR THOUSAND FIVE HUNDRED DOLLARS!?
That comes out to about ~4100 canadian bucks, or ~3200 USD, right?
Yeah, no. Frankly, no mass-produced instrument is worth that much. For that kind of money, I'd expect something well into boutique hand-built territory.
Given the choices you had, I too would have gone for the BTB. Well, if I wanted a 6 I'd have gone for an Ibanez SR, but that's beside the point.
Anyhow. Here in Canada, here's how the prices look like for 5-strings (sourced from Long & McQuade):
- EBMM Stingray Special 5 HH: 2850 CAD
- Fender American Ultra Jazz Bass V: 2800 CAD
- Ibanez BTB 1935 Premium: 2600 CAD
- Ibanez BTB 845 Standard: 1450 CAD
As you can see, that's a *much* closer spread than in Australia. And the BTB Standard costs what I would expect the Premium to.
I owned a Premium SR1206 until not that long ago (sold it because 6-strings were no longer my thing, and because super-thin 24-fret necks with massive tension from lots of strings don't like the Montreal weather variations that much), and while that was a mighty fine bass, it was still Indonesian-made, needed a fret leveling out-of-the-box and was just not worth 2600 bucks, no matter how many slices of exotic wood you add to the neck (for reference, I got it for 1450 new).
But in general, it feels like there's some serious price hike going on with Ibanez: the SR Prestige series are in the 3500 CAD price range, and even the Japan-made RG guitars start at 2600 (and I got mine for 1500 or so a mere 4 years ago).
I don't like how the market looks right now. I think I'm gonna stick with the basses I already have.
Looks about right.
That was my point. Lots of the Fenders are up there too.
I already had 2 SR 6ers. Well 4 if you include the SRC6s. One of the SRs was the lowest model in 17, the SR256 and was perfect out of the box, just needed the typical minor preference setup.
If I were looking for a 5 today, I'd go for the SR too as I prefer 16.5mm separation.
Not a fan of the Stingray's ergonomics, but if I needed that specific tone, I'd build one from Warmoth as the electronics are available cheap. I reckon I could do it for about 1/3 RRP of a factory one locally.
