Ibanez BTB multiscales…sheesh

[PJ Muzikmansky]

I understand these basses are probably marketed towards prog rock / metal players, but I wonder how they'd handle more conventional styles like latin jazz ?

 

[Wretched Banana]

I have a naive question.

I don't have success playing multiscale, so don't know the standards.

There are a bunch of coments about 37" scale here, and I'm unclear if they are pro or con comments mostly, as it is just about 37" and how the marketing hides that, and how some people thing they hid 37" on purpose.

I mean, in a regular bass, 37" scale is huge. too long for most of us. but in multiscale, is that still true?

are people commenting that the 37" is something remarkable because it is longer than you would expect from ibanez? or shorter? or what?

sorry for ignorant comment - please educate me.

34’’ and 37’’ side by side for you. You tell me if 37 is really huge. I hardly notice any difference with the scale or fanned frets.

But the B string sound is very noticeable. The 37 is appreciated here and I disagree with any comment that Ibanez making this not obvious is anything less than incompetent narrative. This sort of bass is targeting the audience that wants 37 inchers. They already have basses that cover other needs, in the very same BTB lineup.

 

[Wretched Banana]

I understand these basses are probably marketed towards prog rock / metal players, but I wonder how they'd handle more conventional styles like latin jazz ?

They handle everything just fine. They are not any different from some XYZ bass when EQed for the task. I use my Dingwall whenever there is heavy clean B string work, which is mostly reggae, rnb, kpop, jpop. I prefer the 34’’ EHB pictured above for most metal sounds.

 

[shade_1313]

I understand these basses are probably marketed towards prog rock / metal players, but I wonder how they'd handle more conventional styles like latin jazz ?

There are people in the Dingwall club here, and in several other Dingwall groups on the net that I check out, who regularly put the NG2/3 to use on everything from worship to classic rock to all kinds of jazz. I doubt the BTB can be said to be more marketed/perceived as aimed at prog/metal than the NG series. I have no doubt the BTB multi scale will be similarly flexible.

 

[two fingers]

I have a naive question.

I don't have success playing multiscale, so don't know the standards.

There are a bunch of coments about 37" scale here, and I'm unclear if they are pro or con comments mostly, as it is just about 37" and how the marketing hides that, and how some people thing they hid 37" on purpose.

I mean, in a regular bass, 37" scale is huge. too long for most of us. but in multiscale, is that still true?

are people commenting that the 37" is something remarkable because it is longer than you would expect from ibanez? or shorter? or what?

sorry for ignorant comment - please educate me.

The other multiscale offerings from Ibanez have had a 35" scale B. That was welcomed by some (as opposed to the Dingwall 37"), and disliked by others as not being worth it for "only" a 35" B.

It's a bit divisive, but likely not as contentious as you are reading into it. Just preferences rather than hard feelings.

 

[two fingers]

34’’ and 37’’ side by side for you. You tell me if 37 is really huge. I hardly notice any difference with the scale or fanned frets.

But the B string sound is very noticeable. The 37 is appreciated here and I disagree with any comment that Ibanez making this not obvious is anything less than incompetent narrative. This sort of bass is targeting the audience that wants 37 inchers. They already have basses that cover other needs, in the very same BTB lineup. View attachment 4525983

I stand corrected. I honestly thought the Ibanez was 35".

 

[Wretched Banana]

I stand corrected. I honestly thought the Ibanez was 35".

Mine is the non-MS version. The MS is 35’’ indeed. It’s not as good as 37 obviously.

 

[mike buzzetti]

SO to you guys that play Multiscale basses do you notice a difference in feel or playing technique ?? Ive never played one before , any tricks/tips ? thanks

 

[Wretched Banana]

SO to you guys that play Multiscale basses do you notice a difference in feel or playing technique ?? Ive never played one before , any tricks/tips ? thanks

Chording and tapping after fret 15 or so become awkward at first as my brain uses the top of the neck as a reference point, and frets are at their most extreme fan at that point. Zero difference in feel otherwise. I needed no adjustment, played flawlessly the moment I picked it up. See pic above, this should be fairly clear looking at them side by side. I am a fairly new bass player with a guitar background.

 

[castlev]

34’’ and 37’’ side by side for you. You tell me if 37 is really huge. I hardly notice any difference with the scale or fanned frets.

Everyone thinks that going from 34 to 37 inches means the first fret will be 3 inches further away but it's only 1.5 inches, the bridge is moved 1.5 inches back, giving a total of 3 inches afaik.

 

[mike buzzetti]

Chording and tapping after fret 15 or so become awkward at first as my brain uses the top of the neck as a reference point, and frets are at their most extreme fan at that point. Zero difference in feel otherwise. I needed no adjustment, played flawlessly the moment I picked it up. See pic above, this should be fairly clear looking at them side by side. I am a fairly new bass player with a guitar background.

Thanks man , My old bass player has one ( I play gtr + bass ) he never mentioned that he had to change anything , I could not find a WEight for these basses on the website ?? weird or I am blind LOL

 

[Wretched Banana]

I could not find a WEight for these basses on the website ?? weird or I am blind LOL

Ya, that’s a good point. Ibanez doesn’t advertise an average weight for instruments, but BTBs tend to be on the heavier side from what I’ve seen on Sweetwater, unfortunately. We’ll have to wait and see.

 

[A9X]

I could not find a WEight for these basses on the website ?? weird or I am blind LOL

I've never seen them put a weight up on any of their basses ever. Makes sense considering the variability of weight with individual pieces of wood, no matter what they or any other company put up they'd be damned if they do and damned if they don't.

 

[mike buzzetti]

I've never seen them put a weight up on any of their basses ever. Makes sense considering the variability of weight with individual pieces of wood, no matter what they or any other company put up they'd be damned if they do and damned if they don't.

They could do 8.5lbs +/- .75 lbs !!
just a tolerance
Any guess as to the weight :"?? 8-9 lbs

 

[dkelley]

The other multiscale offerings from Onanez have had a 35" scale B. That was welcomed by some (as opposed to the Dingwall 37"), and disliked by others as not being worth it for "only" a 35" B.

It's a bit divisive, but likely not as contentious as you are reading into it. Just preferences rather than hard feelings.

thank you, exactly the info I Was looking for.

 

[dkelley]

34’’ and 37’’ side by side for you. You tell me if 37 is really huge. I hardly notice any difference with the scale or fanned frets.

But the B string sound is very noticeable. The 37 is appreciated here and I disagree with any comment that Ibanez making this not obvious is anything less than incompetent narrative. This sort of bass is targeting the audience that wants 37 inchers. They already have basses that cover other needs, in the very same BTB lineup. View attachment 4525983

thank you. I know what 37" scale would look like, but am just interested in if it less ridiculous when it's fanned frets. good picture. I personally have trouble playing 35" non-fanned fret basses, because I'm so used to 34" scale that the 35" scale isn't right under my fingers without watching while I play, and also is a little too much of a stretch. But when it's fanned, it isn't quite the same.

Still, ok, now I know from the other poster also that 37" is too long for many folks like me, so that is where the spec for the ibanez is interesting.

These are big hand fanned fret basses.

gotcha

 

[A9X]

They could do 8.5lbs +/- .75 lbs !!
just a tolerance

Do Fender, RIckenbacker, ESP, Cort, Schecter etc publish average weights? Last I looked, no, so why should Ibanez? Some don't publish anywhere near the level of specs Ibanez do.

 

[Wretched Banana]

They could do 8.5lbs +/- .75 lbs !!
just a tolerance
Any guess as to the weight :"?? 8-9 lbs

I've seen plenty of 10lbs+ on Sweetwater when shopping for BTB in the past two years.

 

[mike buzzetti]

Do Fender, RIckenbacker, ESP, Cort, Schecter etc publish average weights? Last I looked, no, so why should Ibanez? Some don't publish anywhere near the level of specs Ibanez do.

I rarely buy new instruments so I have never looked , mainly old school 60's and or used , I do appreciate the specs they have like on the neck and EQ

I was looking at the
Ibanez SRMS805 and it appears the main difference between the BTB and SRMS is the pickups being Bartolini not Ibanez , also Graphite reinforced neck BTB and string spacing is 18mm on the BTB and 16.5 on the SRMS .

 

[Windreaper]

I still don't get why Ibanez extends the fretboard past the nut. It looks so sloppy.

Ibanez is by no means the only culprit. Early ESP Ltd multi-scale basses were made the same way, but they eventually got around to redesigning the headstock area. Let's hope Ibanez does the same if the sales are good enough.