Ibanez Promethean

[StuartV]

I really like my Promethean combo! It works great as a practice/small jam amp. And the head, removed, and plugged into my Aguilar cabs has been a lifesaver backup to my SVT when poor power conditions made the SVT crap out.

It's a darn shame that so many people have shunned them because "Ibanez" is in the name.

 

[heavyfunkmachin]

Here is the link for the BH750:
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IMO worth looking at if it ever becomes available and the price is right.

OMG!

I hope the guys at Thomann go "Harley Benton" on this!!!

 

[tonyp145]

Hi folks, I have a chance to pick up a used P5110 combo at GC today. I've read through this entire thread in the past two days, I'm a little concerned about reliability, but bang for the buck seems undeniable. GC is asking $499 for it which feels a little pricey to me, but I can't find another combination of head/cab or combo that does as much (size, weight, power) for less.

I'm thinking if I pair this combo with a neo 1-12 cab I'll have all the power I'll need and a rig I can easily move. I'm a hobbyist looking to get into a blues/classic rock/dance band, but nothing too heavy or loud.

Anybody want to try talking me out of this? I'm about to go sell my GK MB150S so I'll have the money in a couple of hours. I'll keep an eye on the thread and see if I get any replies. Thanks.

Tony

 

[StraightSix]

Go for it...!

Add a Neo 112 later for a mini Rig of Doom

 

[tonyp145]

Yeah, I was thinking maybe something like this would work well:

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400 watts into 8 ohms and it only weighs 30 lbs. I could pull the head and buy another one for a mini 2x15 500 watts rig of doom ;-)

 

[tonyp145]

Ok, this is my last post, I know this is kind of a dying thread, but I just wanted to report that I picked the amp up on my lunch hour. I took the extended warranty for $50 bucks. I figure GC is betting that the amp won't need anything in the next 12 months and I'm betting there's a chance it will. At least I'll have some peace of mind if it starts hissing or cutting out as some have described here. Really grateful for this thread, it was very helpful as I was researching the product. Wish this day would end so I could go play with it. :-\

 

[TheRealKong]

I now have the Promethean 5110 for about a year. I am impressed every time I get it out to a session or bar gig.

Together with a modified SWR Workingman 212 (Beyma Neo woofers, 600 Watt @ 4 Ohm) I go absolutely lightweight. The cab is about 40 lbs, and together with the Promethean it sounds incredible!

Even the DI ist fine. After one year of using it I only can say good things about this amp.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

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Just as I was ready to make a move on a MarkBass, I see this thing available to order! I'm biased against Ibanez products, but this head looks really cool. Has anyone had the opportunity to try one out/hear it?

For $500, I might just order one through Guitar Center, and if I don't like it I can always take it back. Plus fire engine red would match my Bag Ends, I think.

I've owned Ibanez bass guitars since 1980 and they have always been rock solid. They kind of pioneered the light, fast neck style that a lot of other companies are using nowadays.

As far as I can tell, the Ibanez combos are getting great reviews, and a couple demos on Youtube.com have shown them to be loud and versatile, not to mention, like all Ibanez products, they are built to the highest quality standards.

 

[alaskaleftybass]

Got the P5110.
Got the P110C 1x10 cab a few weeks later.
Have the P5110 Gig Bag as well as the gig bag for the Head only.
Generic two-button foot-switch works the MUTE and VIBE.
Trying like hell to find the money for a second one.

Got an SWR Headlite a few weeks ago.
Hundreds of dollars more expensive, tube front end, and ultimate functionality. Still prefer the Promethean!!!
Although, SWR gives you a nicer gig bag and throws in the Speakon Cable.

Plus, through High-end cabs (Bergs, Aggies, Schroeder) this head absolutely kills!!!

FOR SALE...SWR HEADLITE...USED TWICE!!! LOL!!

Awesome setup! Does the Promethean combo overhang the cabinet? According to the website it's 6 inches deeper than the cab...

 

[swmmojo]

My buddy has the P5110 combo and I loved his combo so I bought one. Mine is new old stock since it is technically new (never been sold) but the combo has been on the demo floor for 1+ years. I got a sick deal w/combo bag and combo for $500! Needless the say, the amp has major hiss and cut out issues. In addition to the obvious issues, my combo doesn't sound as good as my buddy's. I put my head in my buddy's cab and vise versa. The cabs are equally good but the heads are not anywhere close. I've sent my head to Ibanez to do the warranty work. I love this little monster so I hope it gets fixed.

I've read through this thread and see lots of repair stories. I'm curious if Ibanez remedied the problems once warranty work was done. Many of the repair stories were posted 1+ years ago.

Does anyone have status updates on repairs? Did everything get fixed? Is everything still working?

 

[JB36]

I got my combo speaker replaced under warranty quickly and without hassle. I didn't even have to show proof of purchase. I think it was less than a 10 day turn around.

 

[swmmojo]

Thanks JB36! Good to hear. When did that happen and is everything still good? I'm really curious about reliability.

 

[Supertanker]

Mine has been going strong for 3 years now.

Took Ibanez about 1 day to repair (iirc) and I had it back 2 days later.

No issue, sounds great, lots of rehearsals and gigs...

 

[Titania]

I've got a P3115, which I really love. I take it gigging every Friday night for the last 6 months. I've yet to find an amp that is this lightweight that I like better.

Anyone else have one of the Promethean P3115s?

 

[basss]

I've got a P3115, which I really love. I take it gigging every Friday night for the last 6 months. I've yet to find an amp that is this lightweight that I like better.

Anyone else have one of the Promethean P3115s?

Yep - great combo. I've compared it to the GK MB115 and TC BG250 - there were things I liked about each one but the balance of big smooth sound and smaller size of the P3115 won out.

 

[JB36]

Thanks JB36! Good to hear. When did that happen and is everything still good? I'm really curious about reliability.

I don't really use the cabinet that was fixed, but the head has been used for home practice daily and now it sees weekly band practice. I think once it's get through the intial break in period without trouble, it should be good. I think Ibanez is warrantying them for 5 yrs which really good.

 

[swmmojo]

UPDATE: I sent only the Promethean head to Ibanez last Monday via 2-day UPS for a Wednesday arrival. I cannot believe I had a new, replacement head on my doorstep Saturday. They replaced the entire unit! I'm seriously impressed. I'm excited to use this little badass combo. Everything seems to be great.

 

[Supertanker]

Kudos to Ibanez... That's great service...

 

[Hawkeye]

I've had for nearly two years without any problems. Gets thrown in the back seat of the car every week for practice and is permanently set up in my home office / home studio where it's used 5-6 times a week in that setting as well. I've been seriously impressed with this little guy. It doesn't have the big booty on the B string of some other setups but the low end response is adequate. I use my Genz Benz ShuttleMax 6.0 and GB Neox 112 cab for larger situations.

I went into the store where I bought it wanting to try out the new Lakland AJ bass. I test- drove the bass using the Promethean and came out of the store with the amp instead.

 

[swmmojo]

Great to hear. I'm a few weeks down the road with the new head and everything is working great. This little combo is a beast! It's perfect for everything I do.