Ibanez BTB33. 33" w/Ramp

[Willy Franklin]

and they posted a video:

 

[bassplayercyp]

whats the string spacing? 16.5 mm or 19?

 

[gabal]

whats the string spacing? 16.5 mm or 19?

Maybe someone will ask in The Namm, i hope 16,5mm.....

 

[gabal]

I asked at Thomann and the string spacing is 17mm

drool

 

[bassplayercyp]

I asked at Thomann and the string spacing is 17mm

drool

17 mm look very goood to me..thanks by the way

 

[porteous]

BTB's string spacing is 19mm for 5-strings, and 17mm for 6-strings, it says on the website of Ibanez about the string spacing in the Mono-Rail Bridge on the BTB's, but I hope that the space change in this model, at least 17mm........

The word from Ibanez is that the BRB33 will have 17mm string spacing (unlike other 5-string BTBs)

 

[Nivek91]

This is on my list big time!! Seems too good to be true. Anyone know the price?[/QUOT

They run for 999.99.

 

[slombovia]

My opinion: Such promise: Such disappointment.

The Ibanez Bass Workshop gets an HIGH grade for creativity and adventure and deserve it. Great designs in the BTB7E, this BTB33 (I did this in the late 80s and Matt Garrison is known for his Fodera like this), and IMO especially the Portamento 5 fretless. If they were built in Japan or the U.S.A. I'd be interested.
But IME they get a LOW grade for execution in these wherever-built instruments. This is supposed to be the good stuff...

A) I played a BTB7 at a local shop and it was unplayable. After their tech set it up it was medium playable but not at the level a 7-string bass should be. And the gloss sticky neck... & uneven fretwork on each of these...
B) I played a newer BTB7E at the local GC and the action was half an inch, well at least 10mm! No truss rod in existence can pull that much front bow back nor is it good practice. My custom 6-string basses have straight necks. STRAIGHT and low action. The truss rods are for subtle adjustment under 1mm. This same new BTB7E had terrible amounts of glue in the seams. Unacceptable. There were some raw edges at seams as well.
C) OK, the sound of the Portamento 5 was superb (great pickup/preamp design). Its playability was medium though. The mwah, buzz, or growl should be even all up and down the neck. It wasn't.

Why would the BTB33 not have similar problems? I thought I should share my experiences with you.
But let's end on a positive note: Hey Ibanez! Great ideas! Cool basses! Keep at it and resolve the production to be as good.

And to all of us, try them if you can find them and good luck that it may be a good one. And if we try the mail-order that is so big for Ibanez, be prepared to send back a couple times in order to get a good one. You know the 7-stringers actually sounded really good as well with those radiused CAP arch pickups. So despite the production and playability issues we have cool designs that sound good, too. Almost there...

 

[gabal]

I've played several Ibanez "no japan" Basses and don't have that problems slombovia

The 17 mm is a good notice for me!!

 

[wvbass]

The truss rods are for subtle adjustment under 1mm.

I'm not so sure I agree with this statement.

And fwiw, I have seen basses with extremely high action that can be set up to play well with some truss rod adjustment, saddle heighy adjustment, and the occasional shim. Of course, I've seen some that you can't fix too, and Ibby necks are thin enough that I would think a 7 string might have problems that a 5 string wouldn't.

 

[slombovia]

I agree with your FWIW, wvbass. I just meant truss rod, all by itself, on a good neck, is for small adjustment, not major bow fixing on a bad neck.

 

[laklandplayer]

I own a btb675 and its a great bass. Dual truss rods, thin profile neck, comfortable to play and no dead spots. It sold me on buying the 33. I tried the single cut and it sounded great too but the weight was the deal breaker for me. I was never a fan of ibanez in the past but they've stepped up their game. I'm also playing a schecter riot session 5 and its excellent too. A different animal but lightweight and fun to play

 

[slombovia]

I hope you enjoy the BTB33. Please let us know how it goes. Once upon a time I had a blast on an EADGC 5. Been on sixes since 1994 and 35.5" since 2004 but was considering adding something like the BTB33 to my arsenal again before the BTB33 came out. Shorter, lighter, less strings - might be a fun one to switch to at times. I had talked to David Segal at NYBW about it for a possible future project. Then I saw the BTB33 and got excited until I remembered my experiences with other high, new Ibanez models. So I hope I just got bad samples and hope somebody gets a BTB33 I can try. I'm also curious about the fanned fret 6-string SR - different direction... it's late.

 

[Ibby]

It looks awesome!

Does anyone know the weight?

 

[laklandplayer]

Probably 10 lbs or so

 

[laklandplayer]

My BTB33 Shipped over the weekend from GC's warehouse in Kansas. I hope the cold weather that we are having doesn't do a number on the instrument while in transit. I'll post a review when i receive it.

 

[wvbass]

My BTB33 Shipped over the weekend from GC's warehouse in Kansas. I hope the cold weather that we are having doesn't do a number on the instrument while in transit. I'll post a review when i receive it.

I'm jealous.

But...it probably isn't too much warmer in the warehouse.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

I forget- which Stevie song are they playing in that vid?

 

[laklandplayer]

Got mine today! WOW!
Very lightweight the neck feels great and the sustain is excellent and no dead spots.

 

[wvbass]

Got mine today! WOW!
Very lightweight the neck feels great and the sustain is excellent and no dead spots. View attachment 562407

Weird. You got a new bass in 2015 and took a picture of it in 1982.