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Ibanez BTB Club, Part 2!

#481
After researching body woods versus tone the more I think I'll leave the barts in this 556. I suspect the 405 is brighter due to body wood and quite possibly the still broken mid control. I managed to get in the ballpark of it's tone from my 556 by messing with the controls. Not as bright by far but that's OK.... It's a bass LoL.

Can't get as aggressive sounding as my Musicman fretted but that's why I have that bass too!

Now after playing my Buddy's new epi tbird iv I'm going to see if I can get that cool rock Gibson tone from this thing.

One observation.... I've never played a bass with action this low, not even my Alembic back in the day. With finger style I have to be careful to NOT hit the NEXT string too hard (higher visually, lower in pitch) after playing each note. I've played a loong time but never had this technique issue LoL. As the second string becomes my finger's brake, on this bass it hits the frets making ugly sounds.

Would be a shame to raise action, and I can adjust my technique ok when I think about it, but I play with a very dynamic and strong right hand so unfortunately will have to control my enthusiasm with this bass.

A new experience for me :-)
 
#482
dkelley said:
After researching body woods versus tone the more I think I'll leave the barts in this 556. I suspect the 405 is brighter due to body wood and quite possibly the still broken mid control. I managed to get in the ballpark of it's tone from my 556 by messing with the controls. Not as bright by far but that's OK.... It's a bass LoL.

Can't get as aggressive sounding as my Musicman fretted but that's why I have that bass too!
Click to expand...

I have a Musicman Stingray too, and nothing sounds like a Stingray. I assume you're talking about a Stingray.

The BTB series is much more in the Fender camp tone-wise in my opinion.

What I love about my BTB1205E, is that is sounds like a P-bass on the neck pup, and like a Jazz on the bridge pup.

But, when the blend control is in the center, this bass has its own sound. The sound is more like two different pickups blended together rather than two of the same pickups only in different locations.

I would love to hear and play a new 1405E with the Nordies, but I'd be too tempted to buy it.

Mike
 
#483
Cool, good description!

Effectively it's a stingray, US made ebmm S.U.B. 5.

I own both a fretted one and a fretless. Having worked with stingrays in paid session gigs but never having my own... It was time.

The subs I have are essentially 2 band classic stingrays with poplar body wood, rosewood fretboard (pau ferro on fretless), and painted necks. Sound is super aggressive but very versatile, alnico magnet etc. Impossible to tell blind folded if classic 5 or my basses.

So yea, different from my btb basses for sure. But I'll never sell my subs, so just learning my new btb basses and what they can do.

Btbs really are much closer in sound to my alembic series 1, which I stupidly sold years ago.
 
#487
dkelley said:
After researching body woods versus tone the more I think I'll leave the barts in this 556. I suspect the 405 is brighter due to body wood and quite possibly the still broken mid control. I managed to get in the ballpark of it's tone from my 556 by messing with the controls. Not as bright by far but that's OK.... It's a bass LoL.

Can't get as aggressive sounding as my Musicman fretted but that's why I have that bass too!

Now after playing my Buddy's new epi tbird iv I'm going to see if I can get that cool rock Gibson tone from this thing.

One observation.... I've never played a bass with action this low, not even my Alembic back in the day. With finger style I have to be careful to NOT hit the NEXT string too hard (higher visually, lower in pitch) after playing each note. I've played a loong time but never had this technique issue LoL. As the second string becomes my finger's brake, on this bass it hits the frets making ugly sounds.

Would be a shame to raise action, and I can adjust my technique ok when I think about it, but I play with a very dynamic and strong right hand so unfortunately will have to control my enthusiasm with this bass.

A new experience for me :-)
Click to expand...

I can conform from owning a BTB555 and a BTB 406/456 (not sure which one it is exactly) that the 555 is not as bright. However, the 6 string was modded by a previous owner (I think) with EMG's (the higher end ones). I actually really like them which surprised me because I used to have a Spector Re-Bop 5 with EMG HZ's which I did not partictuarly care for.

I'm thinking I need to try some different strings than Elixers on the 555 it at some point but they last so so long. I need something with more "personality in a string.
 
#488
Hello, I'm wondering what pick-ups are drop-in replacements for a BTB 405 QM. I know I've seen them mentioned in the threads but that's a lot of reading. I'm thinking Nordies, Bart's, EMGs or Aggies. Any help would be appreciated. I kinda need to show the BTB some love being as I haven't had it out it's case in over a year.
 
#489
evil-g said:
Hello, I'm wondering what pick-ups are drop-in replacements for a BTB 405 QM. I know I've seen them mentioned in the threads but that's a lot of reading. I'm thinking Nordies, Bart's, EMGs or Aggies. Any help would be appreciated. I kinda need to show the BTB some love being as I haven't had it out it's case in over a year.
Click to expand...

Bart 1 , however the IBBY pups in the 405 are amazing IMHO.
Use Dr strings line lo riders for more tension or sunbeams for softer feel to get the most from these babies IMHO. I adore Dr strings.
 
#490
Andy_D said:
I can conform from owning a BTB555 and a BTB 406/456 (not sure which one it is exactly) that the 555 is not as bright. However, the 6 string was modded by a previous owner (I think) with EMG's (the higher end ones). I actually really like them which surprised me because I used to have a Spector Re-Bop 5 with EMG HZ's which I did not partictuarly care for.

I'm thinking I need to try some different strings than Elixers on the 555 it at some point but they last so so long. I need something with more "personality in a string.
Click to expand...

Hz pups are dark heavy passive pickups. Emg actives like 40 model etc are way more HiFi and excellent and are what people talk about when they rave about emg. Select is garbage, hz is OK but too uninspiring for me, true active emgs are great though.

Imho
 
#491
Digital Man said:
Maybe split-coil mk1 pups on your 556 are cause for jazzier single coil tone.:confused: My band and friends those play bass have said that they like Music Man-like tone of my BTB.
Click to expand...

Cool, could be. To be accurate, my btb 556 doesn't sound like a fendet jazz though, just that it's more capable of approximating that sound than my Musicman basses are.

Owning a truly aggressive sounding Musicman bass I know I grab it first for that sound, and the ibanezes don't have the same tone when a/b ing.

They both sound like active basses for sure compared to classic fenders or Gibsons.
 
#492
Guys please help me :)

I am thinking about selling/trading my BTB but I've got no idea how much I could ask for it.

to be precise it is a BTB400QM, 2003 from Korea, Ibanez pickups, vari mid, monorail etc. and it's in a very good condition.

So how much could I ask for it?

I live in Europe...

Thanks!
 
#496
well I can tell you that here in Canada they go from anywhere between $300 CAD with hardshell case (toronto, like the ad below), to $500 CAD with hardshell case (here in Vancouver where things just cost more):

Invalid Link Removed

<caveat>if I get in trouble for posting the above link then I'm sorry in advance for trying to help this reader out when pricing his bass. The link above is to a bass that is roughly 1000 kilometers away from where I live, so no affiliation with my own instruments.</caveat>

how that translates into the rest of the world I have no idea. In fact it may not translate at all. Our pricing is all over the place here.

Great bass by the way... wish my 405QM was red, not that almost-black/brown/purple colour like you see in the pic. In reality it's hard to see anything but nearly black finish on mine, not at all like how it shows in the marketing material you attached above.

EDIT: also on ebay there is one, was asking $479, now he's crossed that out and is accepting best offer:
search for item id 330351644781 <caveat> same thing as above info </caveat>
 
#498
Just got a new BTB 675 That is out of this world! :hyper:

1010596_10200684436466290_2014717704_n.jpg
 
#500
This album was recorded exclusively with my BTB675, DIY in our home studio. Here's the whole thing streaming on youtube. Check it out if you have a minute and let me know what you think! My favorite tracks are "Take Me Home" (kind of a jam-type track, not very representative but so much fun), "Sunrise", and "Breaking Her Window".

 

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