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Yes, those are my production numbers. I had gotten excited thinking maybe this was an earlier one, but the tags and build says otherwise.
I wonder what this will mean for the life of my finger board?
I saw a thread somewhere on here about possibly using CA glue to strengthen/harden the wood. May be an option down the road
Although...
There's one thing that I might do had I own the Portamento 6. I'll swap the factory tuning machines with Gotoh GB350 Res-O-Lite tuners to cut some weight off the headstock.
Yes, the GB350 are quite costly, but these are worth the money to get better balance on such many strings instrument which tend to be neck heavy, even if it didn't have neck dive issue in the first place. Hence, these light weight tuners would give better comfort and playability.
Yet, it's a DIY mod and reversible too, without leaving any marks in case I would sell the bass. And there wouldn't be any loss, cause I could put put them on to the next bass.
There's one thing that I might do had I own the Portamento 6. I'll swap the factory tuning machines with Gotoh GB350 Res-O-Lite tuners to cut some weight off the headstock.
Yes, the GB350 are quite costly, but these are worth the money to get better balance on such many strings instrument which tend to be neck heavy, even if it didn't have neck dive issue in the first place. Hence, these light weight tuners would give better comfort and playability.
Yet, it's a DIY mod and reversible too, without leaving any marks in case I would sell the bass. And there wouldn't be any loss, cause I could put put them on to the next bass.
So I've broken two strings using a phone app to tune my 5 string Porto, wont do that again.. I'm going to order a set of tape wounds, I'm thinking a heavy-ish set, it liked having a bit of tension, bit the strings didn't.. any recommendations for a durable set that will retain resonance and sustain more than anything? The last ones were hex core D'addario NYXL flatwounds, Chrome's I think, the sustain was unbelievable.
I'm a complete noob.
I'm a complete noob.
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I joined the Official Ibanez Club, but not this club exclusively for 'Portys'. I have a 2015 Portamento. I have DR Flats on mine. I bought it used in November 2016. Here are some pix.
May I have a Numbah please?
I own 2 fretless basses, the other being an A/E. I am not very good at playing fretless, but I have fun playing things I've learned on a fretted bass just for a change. I really like playing the Porty with just the piezo pickup.
May I have a Numbah please?
I own 2 fretless basses, the other being an A/E. I am not very good at playing fretless, but I have fun playing things I've learned on a fretted bass just for a change. I really like playing the Porty with just the piezo pickup.
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Hey guys, just got my portamento beauty yesterday, tonally its amazing. The only thing I'm worried about is the fretboard. I thought it was still using rosewood and didnt know it had panga panga, am I gonna have issues with this in the long run? I saw a member said was softer than rosewood. I wanted to put round wounds on it. (Ill get pictures posted later):/
Nice demo! I know this may be much to ask, but could you do the same demo but have the right hand pick closer to the bridge?
Finally got it serviced so I was able to record that demo. The electronics needed re-soldering (again) and one of the potentiometers died so that had to get replaced. Not sure if I'm part of the club since mine technically isn't an SRF705 according to the headstock but I have a feeling that the SR5FMH club would only have me as a member.
Panga Panga is much softer than some rosewood species at 1640.
Panga Panga | The Wood Database - Lumber Identification (Hardwood)
East Indian Rosewood is over 2400. Unfortunately for guitar manufacturers, CITES has limited the sales of all rosewood species now, including some like Cocobolo, that were beginning to emerge as very nice candidates for ebony.
Companies like Ibanez have found their backs against the wall, scrambling to replace rosewood stocks with a comparable wood. I'm at the point myself, of saying that we need to accept the use of synthetic fingerboards, and anyone who knows me, understands how hard that was to type.
As for using rounds; you'll know within a couple of months of using them. Small dents are normal, however if they actually start to groove the board, take it to a luthier, and get it sanded and sealed.
Not sure why fretted instruments need very hard woods for the fretboard. It probably changes the tone a little, but seriously?
Now with fretless, the fretboard is the actually contact point and has a lot more to do with the function of the instrument than on a fretted instrument.
Tradition.
I'd bet that for every 10,000 fretted guitars or basses, there's one fretless made.
That's a waste of terrific wood.
If it's soft enough, it wouldn't hold the frets properly so that would explain why rosewood was used so much. I'd like to see ebony fingerboards on these things but that would drive up the price.
The reason I broke strings trying to tune it was I was attempting an open tuning for bluesey slide fun, could anyone suggest five string open tunings that would be worth trying? I got a Portamento to experiment with sounds, and I'd really like to see what open tuning would do for me, I know I do everything wrong, always have, that's why I didn't get a fretted four to start with.
You put too much tension on a string, and it's gonna break.
Yep. I blame the phone tuning app for not being able to decide what note was being played, as well as my lack of experience, I deleted the app, never again. I don't mind, I don't believe chrome flat wounds are good for the fingerboard, there are already marks from the minimal playing it's seen, and a bit of a flat or raised spot just between first and second fret on the B string which makes an awful racket, which I've been having fun with sonically, but needs to go, it looks like the nut is too low there and maybe the neck needs adjustment, I'll restring it first and see how she do with new tape wounds first
Ok - first of all, there probably wasn't anything wrong with your tuner. Most tuners have difficulty with bass notes, so play the harmonic at the 12th 'fret'.
Second, if flats are marking your fingerboard, there is something seriously wrong with your technique.
And your neck probably does need adjusting after over-tensioning it by tuning up high enough to break strings.
Second, if flats are marking your fingerboard, there is something seriously wrong with your technique.
And your neck probably does need adjusting after over-tensioning it by tuning up high enough to break strings.
D A D G A D seems to be a common blues tuning for guitarists. If you take the lowest five notes and transpose to Bb
Bb F Bb Eb F
No sting is more than a whole step from where it started.
Open G guitar tuning is
D G D G B D
Transposed to E
B E B E G#
Or you good do the 5 higher strings transposed to B
B F# B D# F#
Which is exactly the same as open D transposed to B
Open D guitar tuning is
D A D F# A D
Transposed to B
B F# B D# F#
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Here are a few recently taken photos of my Portamento 4, which I love.
Who is the girl?
A model, who was going to pose with my bass, but it was snowing in New York Saturday night, and I didn't feel like schlepping my bass to the workshop in the snow.
Hopefully next time.
Mike
Who is the girl?
A model, who was going to pose with my bass, but it was snowing in New York Saturday night, and I didn't feel like schlepping my bass to the workshop in the snow.
Hopefully next time.
Mike
