Ibanez BTB Club, Part 2!

[Fulci]

Hi guys.

I have an Ibanez BTB 500 WNF (made in Japan in 1999). Its ash wood is magnificent and it has excellent resonance properties. However, the output sound is rather muddy. I don't know for sure if this is due to the influence of the onboard ( Vari-Mid Hi-Fi 18v) preamp or stock (DFR N4 and DFR B4) pickups. This old model uses a slightly different version of the equalizer circuitry than in later and modern BTBs.

Can you tell me who was pickups and preamp manufacturer for this debut BTB series released in 1999?

I am also interested in the following question to the owners of a similar instrument of the 1999-2000 era - what brings the primary dirt and dregs into your output signal? Is it the influence of a proprietary preamp or the pickups? What is the weaker side of this bass?

Is there a mod (recap) available for this preamp that will make the sound more open, transparent and clear when using the modified stock equalizer in conjunction with stock humbuckers?

And the last question for the connoisseurs - how good is my old stock preamp when using third-party pickups such as the Nordstrand Big Blade 4 ("Warm & Wooly")? Does it make sense to use this VM-3B pre with Nordys?

Thanks colleagues!

 

[thrakkor]

I have the same bass (but year newer) and those are Ibanez pups and preamp. out of my 3 BTBs that have/had the Ibby vari-mid, this one sounds the best (and they all have Ibby pups, too).

one of them I replaced with an EMG BQS (BTB406). Even with the Ibby pups, it sounds great, but different than the Bart equipped BTB. I think the Ibby setups sound a bit darker than the Barts in my BTB1006.

I have never heard of any mods.

If you are going to change pups, you might as well change the preamp, too.

 

[Fulci]

Thanks for your reply. You know, I was surprised that the catalog top line made for the domestic market at the start of sales was offered with such a nondescript sound. I bought this monster for my collection in Japan and hoped to be free from the need to replace anything.

If possible, I would like to preserve the authentic sound of the early BTB, but now this character of sound is unacceptable to my ears unfortunately. The unplugged instrument has some pretty outstanding acoustic vibe and I can hear its real potential. It's frustrating that electric bass sounds so muddy. The tone is quite unexpected - especially for a bright ash deck.

I just have a few more basses and I want to say that this is more of a disguise than some kind of conscious emphasis on dark sound. Maybe fellow owners of a bass guitar of the same year with similar default electronics could record a small demo with different EQ positions (I'm especially interested in the sound of passive pickups in real passive mode versus sound with flat EQ settings).

This ash baby is definitely worthy of a better fate. I just can't believe that such a sound was originally - after all, this is the top line and the first batch of Japanese. It seems they intended to interest professionals and entered the boutique's territory for the quality of workmanship. I just don't want to believe this electronics is SO bad. After all, Japanese bass grannies are pretty good generally right?

 

[Aidil]

Thanks for your reply. You know, I was surprised that the catalog top line made for the domestic market at the start of sales was offered with such a nondescript sound. I bought this monster for my collection in Japan and hoped to be free from the need to replace anything.

If possible, I would like to preserve the authentic sound of the early BTB, but now this character of sound is unacceptable to my ears unfortunately. The unplugged instrument has some pretty outstanding acoustic vibe and I can hear its real potential. It's frustrating that electric bass sounds so muddy. The tone is quite unexpected - especially for a bright ash deck.

I just have a few more basses and I want to say that this is more of a disguise than some kind of conscious emphasis on dark sound. Maybe fellow owners of a bass guitar of the same year with similar default electronics could record a small demo with different EQ positions (I'm especially interested in the sound of passive pickups in real passive mode versus sound with flat EQ settings).

This ash baby is definitely worthy of a better fate. I just can't believe that such a sound was originally - after all, this is the top line and the first batch of Japanese. It seems they intended to interest professionals and entered the boutique's territory for the quality of workmanship. I just don't want to believe this electronics is SO bad. After all, Japanese bass grannies are pretty good generally right?

What are the strings and how long are they on that BTB of yours?

I always "compensate" the dark sounding pickups on my BTB with bright stainless steel strings.

 

[Fulci]

Thanks for the thoughts.

I have some nickel-plated strings now (well, I guess it's Ernie Ball Regular Slinky 105-85-70-50) and I understand what you are talking about since I also used this compensation method with steel strings on other basses before (but later I definitely switched to nickel because of its overtones and stayed on it). Actually, I used to play in bands and even tour abroad before I became an adult and went into some business...

But what I'm talking about here is that I would like to achieve more open and cleaner overtones of the output signal of proprietary humbuckers in general, completely regardless of the strings used. I would like to hear more air, expand the dynamic range of the pickups, being able to adjust the frequency with the equalizer for the selected musical tasks.

I believe that a high-res preamp will help me with this because I would be interested in trying out an outdoor pickup in combination with this particular instrument. Of course (as always) I need to get the most of the undistorted punch and beautiful mids out of this ash monster. To have a classic BTB with its authentic sound (if this sound is enough Hi-Fi, of course) in the collection.

(EMG BQS-HZ 2-Pickup 5-Knob 3-Band Vol - Bl - Treb - Bass - Mid / Mid Stack) is certainly a good solution, but I would like to have a bypass cut-off to use true passive mode by default as well.

Therefore, it would be interesting to listen to these old Japanese BTBs from the very first batch produced in 1999-2000 ONLY, both in a real passive mode and with a good preamp, in order to understand if there is a need to change the pickups in the future.

I'm hoping that old Japanese DFR N4 / DFR B4 proprietary pickups sound decent and reflect the late 90s era approach when this bass line was created. Probably the stock preamp needs to be replaced, or it is simply outdated, i.e. not enough "Hi-Fi" in terms of quality.

p.s. And yes guys I really need to try a new set of strings. I would appreciate a recommendation for this Japanese ash chick given its darker character compared to the later Barto preamp and pickup versions.

 

[lokikallas]

First thing I did when I got my BTB705DX, was trash the existing pre. The pickups are EMGDC's which is awesome, but the pre was basically the same as what you've got. I dropped in an OBP-3 and it sounds great.

 

[Fulci]

Thank you guys for participating. I freshened up the strings, found my best professional touring cable, rubbed the contacts with industrial alcohol... And it worked. Everything turned out to be not as bad as it seemed at the beginning. Well, the increase in audio details is about 30 percent up. I was able to tune the punch and mids I needed on the EQ. This sound is quite acceptable for me on gigs really. It looks like soapbars and EQ are OK...

My main verdict is withdrawn because it is quite a good and flexible touring instrument. But I'm not sure if I would have used it in the studio in its stock mode. I am convinced that with a clean, modern boutique preamp it will sound better even on stock humbuckers.

 

[Nol Taylor]

Thank you guys for participating. I freshened up the strings, found my best professional touring cable, rubbed the contacts with industrial alcohol... And it worked. Everything turned out to be not as bad as it seemed at the beginning. Well, the increase in audio details is about 30 percent up. I was able to tune the punch and mids I needed on the EQ. This sound is quite acceptable for me on gigs really. It looks like soapbars and EQ are OK...

My main verdict is withdrawn because it is quite a good and flexible touring instrument. But I'm not sure if I would have used it in the studio in its stock mode. I am convinced that with a clean, modern boutique preamp it will sound better even on stock humbuckers.

I’m sure this is stuff that you already do, but is your amp or preamp settings flat? My amp settings are dead flat and I keep all of my knobs, obviously with the exception of the volume knob, set in the detent. My 846V sounds like it’s newer than what you have, but if you want a clean transparent sound, every thing flat will help. That way you can add a little bit of high, mid, or low, or cut and boost, and blend when you need to.

 

[InNoRush]

Finally joined the BTB club with a 747. First Ibanez bass, first BTB, and first bass with more that 4 strings. It's... quite the jump.

 

[Bass_Kiwi]

Hi to BTB models owners.
I need your advice.
I own old BTB300BG model. It has Mono Rail II bridge. I want to change the chrome hardware to gold, but sadly, Monorail II in gold is not i production anymore.
So I´m looking for replacement. European dealer said to me, that there is no replacement in gold for Monorail II.
However, I´d like to ask - does anyone know, if any of newer models (Monorail IV for example) could fit in my bass? I´m adding photos (sorry, in Europe we have only metric system). If someone, who has Monorail IV on bass could do the measurments for me, it would by great. I´m not sure what about the hole for string ball...
Thank you for any advice!

 

[Aidil]

Hi to BTB models owners.
I need your advice.
I own old BTB300BG model. It has Mono Rail II bridge. I want to change the chrome hardware to gold, but sadly, Monorail II in gold is not i production anymore.
So I´m looking for replacement. European dealer said to me, that there is no replacement in gold for Monorail II.
However, I´d like to ask - does anyone know, if any of newer models (Monorail IV for example) could fit in my bass? I´m adding photos (sorry, in Europe we have only metric system). If someone, who has Monorail IV on bass could do the measurments for me, it would by great. I´m not sure what about the hole for string ball...
Thank you for any advice!

I own Ibanez basses with Mono Rail II, Mono Rail IV, Mono Rail V, and the latest Mono Rail 5HS. None of them are interchangeable.

 

[Wicked G]

I've never seen a BTB in person, only in pictures and they just never really caught my attention until I saw 1 in person on Tuesday. OMG they are freaking beautiful and I had to have it.
Below is my BTB 740.

I love the open pores on the back and on the fretboard plus the Bartolinis sound very similar to my Cort A4+ FMMH.

I'm really digging this bass and I was lucky enough to find it used with not a single scratch or dent on it with brand new strings. Anyway I just thought I would share my happiness with the BTB Club.

 

[InNoRush]

I've never seen a BTB in person, only in pictures and they just never really caught my attention until I saw 1 in person on Tuesday. OMG they are freaking beautiful and I had to have it.
Below is my BTB 740.
View attachment 4029329 View attachment 4029330 View attachment 4029331 View attachment 4029333 View attachment 4029334 View attachment 4029335

I love the open pores on the back and on the fretboard plus the Bartolinis sound very similar to my Cort A4+ FMMH.

I'm really digging this bass and I was lucky enough to find it used with not a single scratch or dent on it with brand new strings. Anyway I just thought I would share my happiness with the BTB Club.

I feel the same way about my 747. Bought it because I wanted a 7 string, and thought it looked ok in the photos, but it's just way prettier in person.

 

[Wicked G]

I feel the same way about my 747. Bought it because I wanted a 7 string, and thought it looked ok in the photos, but it's just way prettier in person.

Yes, way prettier in person. I'm playing it right now through an Orange 4 Stroke 350 and I am really enjoying the piano like tone while still being growly. I think I am going to switch out to a Genz Benz Streamliner and see how it sounds through that.

 

[Wicked G]

Yes, way prettier in person. I'm playing it right now through an Orange 4 Stroke 350 and I am really enjoying the piano like tone while still being growly. I think I am going to switch out to a Genz Benz Streamliner and see how it sounds through that.

So I did use my BTB740 last night with my band through a Genz Benz Streamliner and 2 GK NEO 112's. What a seriously good combination. Very happy with my purchase.

 

[Shanannigan]

Just had some H66CBC Barts come in for my BTB Terra Firma. I'm waiting on some switches to be delivered as I plan to wire in a toggle switch to choose between Inner SCs/Dual Coil/Outer SCs.

 

[Shanannigan]

New pickups are in, I'll just give a quick summary of my immediate impressions.

Instead of putting in a selector switch for both pickups I decided instead to put in two separate 3-way switches to select between the 2 single coils and humbucking for each pickup individually. That gives me 15 different pickup configurations to choose from over the standard 3. I like having a lot of options so I'm happy with the results.

I'm very happy with these pickups. They feel much more "alive" compared to the stock BH1s, most surprising to me is that the output level is much higher. I had to drop the volume on my amp by half of what it was to be at roughly the same volume as before.

The dynamic range is much bigger and more intricate. Whereas before I felt that this bass wasn't very responsive to articulation, it's now extremely responsive giving me a much broader pallet to play with.

I had previously installed an OBP-3 in this bass which was also an improvement. I'm definitely going to be making the same changes to my fretless BTB down the road.

 

[Tom F]

Have liked the design of the BTB for years, but have been locked into a mostly Fender style groove for a while. The natural one below (‘01 BTB1005e, MIJ, early version with the Ibanez branded pickups and sweepable mids) showed up locally, and I jumped on it. Not 2 weeks later the burst one (‘17 1905 with Aguilar DCB’s) popped up on eBay. I threw an offer on it, expecting to get turned down, but to my surprise the seller accepted and I find myself with 2 excellent BTB’s.

Will probably end up only keeping one, as my recording computer and interface both need to be replaced. But man is it a hard choice. The 1005 is a little darker and thumpier in its basic nature. The 1905 is a little more clear, although it can get plenty thick. Don’t have a strong preference between the sweepable mids (or as my phone autocorrect suggested, the sweet ole miss) vs the 3 position switch on the 1905, but the 1905’s active/passive switch is a really nice touch. Ultimately, they sound way more similar than different to my ears.

Neck profile is more or less the same between the two. I haven’t gotten on with many 35 inch scale basses in the past, and the string spacing is wider than I’m used to, but no complaints over here. Have been having a blast with these the last few weeks - there *are* other things I could sell, but those choices might be even more painful than this one. Really so need to get better pics in natural light.

My 4 strings politely asked me to pay attention to them earlier tonight.

 

[pbass2go]

Picked up a 03' BTB406QMBBL (that's a long number...) and was using it in the variety band before the lockdown. What a great bass. Love the color

 

[Watchootognbout]

Some time next week I will take delivery of a used BTB 676 from Reverb.
My very first Ibanez bass.

Reverb photo.