Ibanez GVB1006/36 is $5000 really worth it?

[TheMartianBassist]

I know there's a few threads on this but I feel like this topic can still be discussed in further detail considering this bass is still fairly new.

Check this out:

GVB1006

SPECS
- neck type: GVB 3pc Maple/Wenge neck
- body: Figured Maple top/Alder body
- fretboard: Rosewood fretboard w/Abalone oval inlay
- fret: Medium frets w/Prestige fret edge treatment
- number of frets: 24
- bridge: Mono-rail IV bridge (14mm string spacing)
- neck pickup: Bartolini® P45C-B neck pickup (Passive)
- bridge pickup: Bartolini® P45C-T bridge pickup (Passive)
- equalizer: Aguilar® OBP-3 preamp w/Mid frequency selector (push/pull)
- hardware: color Cosmo black
- price: $4999.99

VS

GVB36

SPECS
- neck type: GVB 3pc Maple neck
- body: Flamed Maple top/Alder body
- fretboard: Rosewood fretboard w/Abalone oval inlay
- fret: Medium frets
- number of frets: 24
- bridge: Mono-rail IV bridge (14mm string spacing)
- neck pickup: Bartolini® MK1 neck pickup (Passive)
- bridge pickup: Bartolini® MK1 bridge pickup (Passive)
- equalizer: EQB-IIISP 3 band eq w/Mid frequency selector (push/pull)
- hardware: color Cosmo black
- price: $1199.99



Is the 1006 worth $5000 for a reinforced Wenge neck, fancier top, fret treatment, better pickups and preamp?
What about buying pickups and preamp for the 36 and saving substantial amounts of money?

The only real IMPORTANT concern in my opinion is the Wenge strip added to the neck of the 1006. This bass has a guitar-size, very slim neck profile with 14mm string spacing and Wenge being a very durable wood I would imagine would help stabilize the neck.
That alone could be a deal breaker with the 36 which only has maple.

Opinions???

 

[NateMan]

I have had a GVB36 for the past couple years and IMHO I have enjoyed the feel and play-ability with what I believe to be a very stable neck. I play with a medium to light touch and have my action set quite low and this bass plays most excellent with no fret buzz or dead spots. It has excellent sustain. I was okay with the typical Ibby sound but recently replaced the pickups with barts and an aguliar OP3 pre and WOW what a difference! It improved better than expected and I am just that more pleased for the few hundred extra I put into her.

I can not compare to the GVB1006. I will tell you though that I own some high end basses and this bass's feel and sound is easily up into the $2-$3k range comparatively. My estimation is that the GVB1006 is most certainly more refined but I would be surprised it would warrant moving me to paying $5k for it.

Just my two cents...

 

[Zebra]

The main item determining the difference between the two I imagine is that the GVB36 is made in Indonesia whereas the GVB1006 is MIJ. The Japanese one should be a finely crafted Prestige instrument with high quality control and attention to detail. The Indonesian one will be nice too, I play a MII Ibanez at a similar price point, but I imagine side-by-side they look and feel like totally different instruments.

 

[Eilif]

I've not got experience with either, but that's a pretty steep jump for a Wenge stripe, electronics, even if it is MIJ. For a MIJ version of a $1200 instrument I'd expect to pay no more than 3k, maybe 4k.

I think I like the top on the '36 better anyway. "Figured" don't mean a thing unless it actually looks better than the alternative.

 

[TheMartianBassist]

I bought the GVB1006 from Guitar Center with the intention to play it for the allotted 30 day return period to see if I liked it, and hopefully keep it. I'm a huge fan of Ibanez basses and I'm also a huge fan of their SR 16.5mm spacing.

Yes, the bass sounded phenomenal. By far the most comfortable 6 string I've ever played. The 14mm spacing was great, took me a few minutes to get used to because frankly, yes, it is a little tight at first.
Tone, playability, comfort, just about everything was to my liking.
I gigged with the bass, rehearsed, slapped, played rock, latin, reggae etc - everything was AWESOME.

But by the end of the 30 days, I still ended up returning it.
I couldn't get over the fact that I just spent close to $5000 on a bass that looks, plays and feels exactly like any other regular SR model. There's nothing special about this bass that demands $5000.
I know these are not necessarily the most important reasons, but if I'm spending that much money I want EVERYTHING about the bass to be to my specifications.
I totally dislike the color and finish. On both the 36 and 1006. I did not notice anything special about the "Prestige Fret Treatment".
To me personally, buying the 36 and upgrading the pups and preamp is the way to go on this bass.

But that's just my personal opinion.

 

[TheMartianBassist]

I have had a GVB36 for the past couple years and IMHO I have enjoyed the feel and play-ability with what I believe to be a very stable neck. I play with a medium to light touch and have my action set quite low and this bass plays most excellent with no fret buzz or dead spots. It has excellent sustain. I was okay with the typical Ibby sound but recently replaced the pickups with barts and an aguliar OP3 pre and WOW what a difference! It improved better than expected and I am just that more pleased for the few hundred extra I put into her.

I can not compare to the GVB1006. I will tell you though that I own some high end basses and this bass's feel and sound is easily up into the $2-$3k range comparatively. My estimation is that the GVB1006 is most certainly more refined but I would be surprised it would warrant moving me to paying $5k for it.

Just my two cents...

How much did the pups and preamp cost you including installation?

And which Bart's did you get?

 

[The Basstard]

I couldn't get over the fact that I just spent close to $5000 on a bass that looks, plays and feels exactly like any other regular SR model. There's nothing special about this bass that demands $5000.
I know these are not necessarily the most important reasons, but if I'm spending that much money I want EVERYTHING about the bass to be to my specifications.

Though I have stated elsewhere that I do appreciate the differences between the two models, I can relate to what TheMartianBassist is saying here. It's like spending a huge wad of cash to have Ferrari build you a custom car and what you wind up getting looks exactly like a Ford Focus. Ferrari quality and performance, sure, but still.....

 

[MobileHolmes]

I'v not played either, but 5 grand is really getting into the upper echelon of basses (assuming that's street).

 

[TheMartianBassist]

I'v not played either, but 5 grand is really getting into the upper echelon of basses (assuming that's street).

It MSRP'ed at $4399 at GC when I bought it. After taxes it wasn't too far away from $5000.

 

[MEKer]

$5K----------my gawd, think of what basses--yes, bassES you could get for that total of money that would be just as good if not better. Or, great amp and 1 (or 2) great bass(es).
$5K.............not in my book.

For me, I say...pshaw, as I look at the specs and see nothing special at all.

 

[AndreasR]

While I think Ibanez usually makes great quality instruments in every single price range these instruments are kind of overpriced. If you had to choose one of these go for the GVB36 since its value is closer to its price.

 

[5544]

The only real way to tell if the difference is worth it is to put a blind fold on and have someone hand you the bass one at a time.

 

[Eilif]

It MSRP'ed at $4399 at GC when I bought it. After taxes it wasn't too far away from $5000.

Good to know. I'm sure the 1006 plays really great and is well made, but for that kind of scratch, I'd be looking at some of the more custom work coming out of the USA, Japan, Korea, etc. If I'm dropping over $3k, I want something at least a couple steps away from off-the-shelf, but that's just me.

 

[Les Fret]

Is there anyone who owned both models? I have the GVB36. Would like to know how the 1006 feels and sounds in comparison.

Are both the 36 and 1006 stil being made? Or are they discontinued?

 

[ERIC31]

For $5K I’d be completely paranoid to even take it out of the house, much less gig with it in the places I’ve played over the years (VFW/Grange halls, dive bars, warehouses, garages, parks, etc)

Now the $1200 version is more realistic for me although none of my basses cost anywhere near that much.

 

[TheMartianBassist]

By the way just a quick update on this thread.
I just checked the Ibanez website.
It seems like now BOTH the 36 and 1006 are getting the Aguilar OBP3 preamp.

Only difference is between the budget MK-1 pickups on the 36 and the fancier P45C Barts on the 1006.

So in essence you’re paying THOUSANDS more for some pieces of wenge in your neck, a “prestige fret edge treatment” (which I’m sure feels great but you could get done for $50 at your local luthier), and a “figured” maple top, instead of “flame maple” top. Whatever that means.

At this point, buying the 36, getting your own fret beveling done locally and swapping out the pickups is the most obvious choice.

Just my two cents.

 

[Pep]

Here’s my take. Right now Sweetwater has 5 of these in stock ranging from 9 lb 12oz to 10 lb 2oz. That alone for me is a deal breaker. My basses are all under 9 lbs.
All 5 of these have the Bartolini EQB-111S 3 band, not the Aguilar OBP3.
The pickups are still the MK1-6.

The two things that are concerning is (1) the flame maple top is virtually non-existent.
Check the attached photo. They all look like this.It’s kinda blurry which really kills the looks.
Also this bass is now $1499.

 

[J Wilson]

To me, it's a marketing mistake by Ibanez.

Certainly, the MIJ one is top shelf. But then to market a clone (color, looks, equipment list) that's THIS close to that one for FIVE GRAND less . . . is just asking the consumer to be smart, buy the very close Indonesian version, swap out to the electronic package of the MIJ version, and do something else with the $3-4000USD they just saved. Plus in the current economic climate, these kinds of rare Japanese production axes have taken BIG price jumps: Go look at the MSRPs for the Yamaha Nates, JP's, etc.

The smart way would to have made the Indonesian version with a few noticeable this-is-why-it's-cheaper features to prime the pump to buy the MIJ version if you REALLY wanted the Good Stuff, where the average guy could get a sense of why the 'real' one is more expensive. But then that gets problematic as when done right, Indonesian production has gotten VERY, VERY good when the budget allows.

It may be the MIJ MSRP is a way for them to recoup costs on any and all Japanese production, not simply costs for this one model. Like all 'Japanese' majors that sell 'round the world (ESP, Ibanez, Yamaha for example, not companies like Momose, Bacchus, Moon, etc.), few of their 'world' models are built in Japan, but spread 'round the Pacific countries.

 

[TheMartianBassist]

These basses have always been notoriously heavy. Which definitely is a consideration.
Would be a tough pill to swallow for me as well at 10 lbs.

I just checked again on the Ibanez website.. both 36 and 1006 have the OBP listed…unless it’s a typo on their end, or sweetwater have old stock. I’m not sure.

Also $1500 for a bass, no case included. Even further insult

Here’s my take. Right now Sweetwater has 5 of these in stock ranging from 9 lb 12oz to 10 lb 2oz. That alone for me is a deal breaker. My basses are all under 9 lbs.
All 5 of these have the Bartolini EQB-111S 3 band, not the Aguilar OBP3.
The pickups are still the MK1-6.

The two things that are concerning is (1) the flame maple top is virtually non-existent.
Check the attached photo. They all look like this.It’s kinda blurry which really kills the looks.
Also this bass is now $1499.
View attachment 7400339

 

[Les Fret]

To me, it's a marketing mistake by Ibanez.

Certainly, the MIJ one is top shelf. But then to market a clone (color, looks, equipment list) that's THIS close to that one for FIVE GRAND less . . . is just asking the consumer to be smart, buy the very close Indonesian version, swap out to the electronic package of the MIJ version, and do something else with the $3-4000USD they just saved.

I agree. The GVB1006 is way overpriced. It is listed 6500 euro (!!) in Europe. Should be around 3000 euro or so if you ask me. You buy a really nice custom bass for that money and save some. I am not sure why they ask that much for the GVB1006. I bet they didn't sell much of those for that price. I have the GVB36 by the way. It is not really heavy for a six string. Love the 14 mm string spacing.