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Ibanez BTB multiscales…sheesh

Don't apologize, this has been fantastic! As someone who has been wanting to get either a BTB 6 (MS or Premium) or an EHB 1506MS for a while, this has been very useful! Thanks to both!

I'm still not quite sure which one will win for me, but since I'm getting married early next year, It's not like buying a new bass is in my top spending priorities right now anyway :roflmao:

Cool man, thanks for that! And yes indeed, thanks again to @J-Rad for the great info! Although... I'm not entirely sure it helped me actually make up my mind between the two basses if I were to pull the trigger on one! ;)

Congrats on the upcoming wedding! Like yourself, no new bass gear for a bit myself... Me and Ms. 5sg are tying the knot in a couple months. :) In the meantime, I've started scrolling back through the EHB Club thread.

5sg.
 
Just found @RenderBroken's nice thread about his 805 MS yesterday, and he included some really nice recordings of the T1 pickups that sound quite good. Check them out here: I bought the new Ibanez BTB805MS.

I'm still a little undecided between the EHB and BTB multi-scales, but his recordings are swaying me in the direction of the BTB. Just not sure about the weight on the BTBs. The ~7lb. mark of the EHBs is pretty enticing, but I keep coming back to liking the aesthetics of the BTB a little more. I also feel like the EHB might be a bit more niche and I might end up only playing it in the 80's band I sit in with.

Luckily I don't have to decide today. :)

5sg.
 
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Just found @RenderBroken's nice thread about his 805 MS yesterday, and he included some really nice recordings of the T1 pickups that sound quite good. Check them out here: I bought the new Ibanez BTB805MS.

I'm still a little undecided between the EHB and BTB multi-scales, but his recordings are swaying me in the direction of the BTB. Just not sure about the weight on the BTBs. The ~7lb. mark of the EHBs is pretty enticing, but I keep coming back to liking the aesthetics of the BTB a little more. I also feel like the EHB might be a bit more niche and I might end up only playing it in the 80's band I sit in with.

Luckily I don't have to decide today. :)

5sg.

It is heavier, but with the right strap, it is not an issue. It is balanced really well. As in, the neck doesnt dip when not holding it. One other point I would make on the BTB805MS, is that is is a neck-through construction. I felt that it was a nice touch with the bass being a 37" 5 string.
 
It is heavier, but with the right strap, it is not an issue. It is balanced really well. As in, the neck doesnt dip when not holding it. One other point I would make on the BTB805MS, is that is is a neck-through construction. I felt that it was a nice touch with the bass being a 37" 5 string.

Would you recommend this bass over any of the BTB Premiums that ibanez sells?
 
It is heavier, but with the right strap, it is not an issue. It is balanced really well. As in, the neck doesnt dip when not holding it. One other point I would make on the BTB805MS, is that is is a neck-through construction. I felt that it was a nice touch with the bass being a 37" 5 string.

Hmmm, although the neck is not as thin as an Ibanez (which is fine because I like 'em a little chunky) that must be what Brice was looking at when they came up with my Defiant 53437 (though I changed it from Volume, 3way switch, tone to VVT with push-pulls for inner/outer/series/paralllel):



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Would you recommend this bass over any of the BTB Premiums that ibanez sells?

I would recommend this over the BTB premiums. I have owned the BTB 1406 Premium which was a amazing in terms of craftsmanship and overall tone. The biggest issue and the main reason I ended up selling it was that the low B string just didn't quite pop. I think most players with experience playing 5+ string basses over the years know what I'm talking about. Perhaps it's different from bass to bass with that model, maybe some have the B and some don't. Here is the obligatory "you need to get your hands on it and try it" comment which is obviously next to impossible given that retailers barely stock anything good. I would just be aware that the B string thing could be an issue.

So after selling the Premium a while ago and coming back to BTBs with the BTB605MS, it's cool because it still feels like a BTB and it's a premium level build. The sound though...it's just on a whole new level. Maybe the new BTB premiums sound better with Aguilars over Nordstrands but I doubt it's more than just a taste difference. The sound difference is not just a much better low B, it's the balance. Everything is balanced with the sound. From string to string across the entire spectrum and the pickups are an ideal match in my opinion.
 
After a week of playing my 605MS... I think I'm selling my D-Roc.

It's a big, heavy bass, in contrast to the much lighter and more compact feeling D-Roc, but I'm getting way more usable tones out of the BTB. There is a thinness and a pick attack 'thing' in the Dingwall tone that I just can't shake, and I find as much as I like playing it, I end up getting taken out of the music because I'm constantly twiddling a knob.

The BTB is... a bass. It's not a P, not a J, not a J on roids, not an ultra modern thing. I can get good bark out of the bridge pick up, decent Pish thunder from the neck, with a surprisingly even sweep between. Ibanex preamps get a lot of shade, but I think it's mostly from people that listen with their brand awareness... this one seems to have more 'voice' vs. the almost complete transparency of the pre on my BTB7, but it sounds good, and all the knobs are usuable. For my rock/alt/prog/metal playing, I'm generally playing with the blend centered, active with a little high mid boost and it sounds good, cuts well and plays nice with a variety of dirt.

sorry to reply to such an old comment, but this was what I didn't like about my D-Roc Standard 5 when I had it. what's the point of a tone knob if that shrill mid ping still wont die down when you roll it all off? I just sold my AB2, which was great, the FDV pickups were much more manageable and the tone control actually worked wonders. I'd like a Multiscale 6 in the future but just cant afford to drop 4-6k on a nice Dingwall 6 with FDVs and Glockenklang. your description of the Ibanez seems like it may be a good choice to look at in the future.
 
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Finally got my hands on an 805, first impressions are less than perfect on the fit and finish the wing joints on the back of the bass are noticeable. There's a small ding by the control pots apparently from the factory, I'm sure I'll add my own dings later but for a new guitar it was a bummer. The sqaured off btb shape on the back worried me at first but it is very comfortable once strapped up. Other than that no complaints I love the burl top I ended up with. The balance of the bass is perfect no neck dive at 10lbs 7oz and the shape of the neck just feels right for a 5 string. Even unamplified this instrument sings the b string is absolutely thunderous and surprised me a bit when I first struck it and I felt it in my guts. I have to assume this is a combination of the tonewoods and sheer mass of the instrument. Once I plugged it in the tone is great with everything set flat I'll take some time to dial it in later and see if i want to play with pick up height. I will say the t1s do feel great as a thumb rest vs some of the other MS basses I have played I didn't even notice it at first until I realized my thumb was going there naturally. All in all i am very happy with what ibanez was able to accomplish at this price but i am an ibanez fan so maybe im a bit biased.
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