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Ibanez BTB Club, Part 2!

#1,821
armybass said:
Mike that’s awesome. I have a few nice preamp pedals that I use live and am going to give all of them a good try before I bail on the preamps in my new BTB’s.

Oh yeah I don’t think I have posted them here yet. Just got these two on Thursday and Friday.

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armybass, you have the two Ibanez basses which I had really wanted, the SRF706 and the BTB685MSC. Not that the BTB685SC (the original rosewood fretboard version) that I have is worse. It's just that I had wanted to own a 5 string bass with maple fretboard and 19mm string spacing for quite some times. The BTB685MSC surely meets all criteria. And the other one, the SRF706, which is the 6 string version of SRF705 that I have, I gave up an old 6 string fretless bass of mine for the SRF705, which obviously couldn't truly replace the old one.

I've asked the local Ibanez distributor for both models (the BTB685MSC and SRF706). Unfortunately, none could be brought in despite being made here in Indonesia. They said because Ibanez principal didn't list the two (as well as many others) for our market.
 
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#1,823
The single cut is very cool. I’ve had several Ibanez basses and liked every one. Sr500 and 600, ATK800 and now sr650 and the BTB. Always excellent quality and light. Read so much negative about the stock preamp but when I swapped one with a I bart didn’t see a miraculous tansformation.

The SRSC is on my wishlist.
 
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#1,824
The Premium models are always far better made than the standard models. They really put the time on the details, especially the fret and neck work. The BTB 1606E and BTB1406 (defretted) premium basses are my main instruments. You are so very correct about the upper sharp corner. I don't know what they are thinking on that. The bass needs a forearm cut. My right arm was bruised the morning after every gig. I fixed it though. I had my luthier cut both basses, to make the edge in the forearm area smooth and rounded. Then he sanded and matched the stain. No more sharp corner on the firearm....problem solved. They really need to fix that though on future models. It is a design flaw on otherwise wonderful basses.


irbass said:
I got the BTB 20TH6, I’ll do a small review, of the bass quality

I’m 40 years old, I had around 12 BTBs 5 and 6s all made in Korea. Sold the last one 7 years ago.
Because of finances issues I sold all my great basses this years but to keep on track I decided to get The BTB.

By the time i was playing Ibanez BTB all of them use to be really good basses.

The BTB 20TH6 looks really good, the feel of the Neck is the same as Before, Frets work is good but not great as the old ones.
Black hardwares looks great. Good pups, preamp bad as always.
The Body is bad. Looks like they didn’t sand it. You can feel bumps with your finger in between all of the wood Joints. The top wood looks good, but edge around is bad the way they did it. The paint is ok.
The worse thing of all is The edge of the body is so sharp, ( Bad Design ) it marked my arm so badly with 15 minutes just trying the bass. Not a comfortable bass to play.

I used to say good things about BTBs, But for the price they are charging for it now, It’s ridiculous, for what they are delivering.

Preamp is a must to replace but
I don’t think I’ll mod it, because I’ll let go soo. Soon. Or maybe I can waste my time and sand the edge of the bass, stain it again, polish and loose price when i decide to sell it, But save the arm.
Ibanez BTB lost the quality they use to have. This one will be the first and last of the made in Indonesia for me.

I hope it helps if you decide to get one, so you already know what to expect.

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#1,825
It's at least somewhat consoling to read that others have the same issue with the forearm cutaway on their BTBs. I rectify it by wearing a sweatband but often I will forget it for rehearsals and have a bruise the day after. Pretty much the only issue I have with my BTB after spending almost a decade with it as my main bass.
 
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#1,826
Hey crew. Looking to change the bridge around on my 575. The hardware is toast and the finish is gross. I looked high and low for someone to get me a set of the monorail mk2 bridges in the cosmo white, but the most I could find are two units (from Ibanez Rules and DrumsEtc) and that's it. Seem to a decent amount of cosmo black units but I'm over that finish.

As far as I know the monorail systems are not interchangeable, but I'd be happy with swapping to a hipshot bridge. Feel free to let me know if this a horrible idea or not.
 
#1,827
Yeah, they aren't interchangeable. You can't swap them with Hipshot's... Even amongst Ibanez own Monorails (MR-II, IV, V) aren't. Each generation of the MR bridges has different dimensions and more so cause they were installed countersunk.
 
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#1,828
Aidil said:
Yeah, they aren't interchangeable. You can't swap them with Hipshot's... Even amongst Ibanez own Monorails (MR-II, IV, V) aren't. Each generation of the MR bridges has different dimensions and more so cause they were installed countersunk.
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That's what I was learning after researching for some time. It's a shame. I'm having trouble intonating because the hardware is fubar and the saddle is rubbing against the housing due to the pitting material.

I'm sure it would cost an arm and a leg to have a luthier convert the bass to something like a hipshot kickass bridge.

I did find this - Quality Classic Electric Bass Metal Single Bridge With Screws Accessories Tools | eBay

Looks to be a knock off of the mono-II
 
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#1,832
Here's my BTB...
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#1,837
Symphony2040 said:
Ibanez is releasing a fretless BTB for the Deep Twilight model. There will also be a 6 string version!

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Saw that announcement yesterday! I am VERY tempted, as I have been wanting a fretless 6 and I really miss my old BTB 6'r. Really wish Ibanez had shown up for Summer NAMM, maybe would have known about this one in advance.
 
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