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Ibanez RB888

pflash4001

pflash4001

Dec 2, 2011
2,166
169
#1
I have an old RB888 that my mom and dad bought me for $200 in 1987 when I was a kid. I still play it and its a cool little bass. Recently, I ran across the guy who sold it to me. We got to talking about it and he looked at a paint chip on the back and realized he's the one who sold it to me 25+ years ago. He practically begged me to sell it back to him, but since it was MY first bass (first I played was a Rickenbacker, but that was my dad's bass, this was MINE) and a gift from my folks, I don't want to sell it. I WAS, however wondering what it sold for new when they were built and what would be a current production model in a comparable price bracket in today's market. Oh and the serial number is F833346. Can anyone help me date this instrument? Here are a couple of pics...

Ibanez4.jpg


Ibanez5.jpg


Ibanez3.jpg


Ibanez2.jpg


Ibanez1.jpg
 
#5
I have only seen 2 others. One fretless one played/owned by Sting and another one that I remember from right around the time I got this one in a Richard Marx video. I think the song was "Hold On to the Nights."
 
#7
I love that CT 5 string. It sells really cheap now. I don't remember it being super expensive, but they weren't cheap either when my parents got it for my 18th birthday some 21 years ago. I still love that bass. It's in beautiful condition, too. It's VERY well taken care of.

CT3.jpg


CT2.jpg


CT1.jpg


CT4.jpg
 
#11
I could have sworn it was at least a couple of years older than that. Thanks for the info. Maybe it was my 16th birthday when I got it. Anyway. I really like that bass. The original owner still wants to buy it back. There are a lot of great Ibanez basses out there that are really great, aren't expensive, but have very little info available...I'd still like to know the original price and what would be a comparably priced model in their current production line. Can anyone hazard a guess?
 
#12
If your bass had only 5 numbers (83346) instead of 6 (F833346), it would have been the 1983 model :) The F represents the Fuji-gen Plant where it was made, this is for all basses and guitars that were build from 1984 till 1996.

The 8 stands for 1988, the first number 3 for the third month (March) and the rest, 3346 means 3346th bass guitar made :)

But about the price when it was released I can't find anything. Very hard to find info about that. If you want something for that pricerange, take a look at their SR series. Very popular for all budgets.

Or perhaps you can find a used SRX at Ebay :) Also good basses for the buck and a bit more punch and output than the SR series :)

pflash4001 said:
I could have sworn it was at least a couple of years older than that. Thanks for the info. Maybe it was my 16th birthday when I got it. Anyway. I really like that bass. The original owner still wants to buy it back. There are a lot of great Ibanez basses out there that are really great, aren't expensive, but have very little info available...I'd still like to know the original price and what would be a comparably priced model in their current production line. Can anyone hazard a guess?
Click to expand...
 
#13
Mr_Music90 said:
If your bass had only 5 numbers (83346) instead of 6 (F833346), it would have been the 1983 model :) The F represents the Fuji-gen Plant where it was made, this is for all basses and guitars that were build from 1984 till 1996.

The 8 stands for 1988, the first number 3 for the third month (March) and the rest, 3346 means 3346th bass guitar made :)

)
Click to expand...

That sounds good, but it's wrong. The bass was made in June, 1983. I know, because that model was discontinued a few years before 1988. I've owned several mid-80's Ibanez basses and guitars, and they all had one letter and six digits in the serial number.
 
#14
Mr_Music90 said:
If your bass had only 5 numbers (83346) instead of 6 (F833346), it would have been the 1983 model :) The F represents the Fuji-gen Plant where it was made, this is for all basses and guitars that were build from 1984 till 1996.

The 8 stands for 1988, the first number 3 for the third month (March) and the rest, 3346 means 3346th bass guitar made :)
Click to expand...

Are you sure it's not June 1983? (Letter = month, next two numbers = year). I don't think Ibanez was making any Bean basses by 1988.

-Alex
 
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#18
I just posted about this bass yesterday. It was also my first bass and is currently in pieces. I took it apart for some reason when I was 16 because that's what dumb kids do. All of the hardware was put in a ziplock bag which has since been misplaced by a neat freak ex gf. PLEASE, if anyone sees any of these basses for sale for parts let me know. I'd love to put it back together and mess around on my first bass again. I played my first shows with it and I'd like to take a trip down memory lane.
 

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