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Ibby Talman TMB100

It's a nice bass. I picked the Soda Blue one up for 159.99 at a GC.

I know there has to be some gear snobs reading this thread and rolling their eyes. However, the TMB-100 is objectively a decent instrument.

I can see where it is lacking if you compare it to some boutique instruments, but for the money it's a well-executed, mass-produced bass. They managed to make the design pretty ergonomic and functional (e.g. the setup is good, preamp works well, etc.), and its fun to play to boot.

Some of my impressions :
  • Bass doesn't seem to neck-dive
  • Fender P bass Style Neck
  • Body has a gut contour, and forearm contour
  • Tuners -- Better than I expected, I wouldn't replace them
  • The bridge isn't anything special, just a standard bent steel plate
  • The hardware (knobs, strap buttons, etc.) are all metal
  • Jack plate is curved, or dome shaped, like on the surface near the knob (looks nice)
  • Pickguard is sort of cheap looking to me, others might like it
  • Frets were put in well, no fret sprout possible, rolled edges
  • The frets were level enough for a pretty standard bass setup, about 6/64" string height
  • Pickups are ceramics
  • The P pickup is hot but sounds like a P
  • The J pickup sounds a bit weak and thin for my tastes solo'd but it blends well
  • The preamp was surprisingly useful
It's a good bass. For the price I'm happy. If it's stolen I'm not out much money, but it's still gig-worthy. I'd take this to jam sessions or dive bars. Wherever.

I'm going to play with my J pickup height and see if I can improve it a bit.
 
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It's a nice bass. I picked the Soda Blue one up for 159.99 at a GC.

I know there has to be some gear snobs reading this thread and rolling their eyes. However, the TMB-100 is objectively a decent instrument.

I can see where it is lacking if you compare it to some boutique instruments, but for the money it's a well-executed, mass-produced bass. They managed to make the design pretty ergonomic and functional (e.g. the setup is good, preamp works well, etc.), and its fun to play to boot.

Some of my impressions :
  • Bass doesn't seem to neck-dive
  • Fender P bass Style Neck
  • Body has a gut contour, and forearm contour
  • Tuners -- Better than I expected, I wouldn't replace them
  • The bridge isn't anything special, just a standard bent steel plate
  • The hardware (knobs, strap buttons, etc.) are all metal
  • Jack plate is curved, or dome shaped, like on the surface near the knob (looks nice)
  • Pickguard is sort of cheap looking to me, others might like it
  • Frets were put in well, no fret sprout possible, rolled edges
  • The frets were level enough for a pretty standard bass setup, about 6/64" string height
  • Pickups are ceramics
  • The P pickup is hot but sounds like a P
  • The J pickup sounds a bit weak and thin for my tastes solo'd but it blends well
  • The preamp was surprisingly useful
It's a good bass. For the price I'm happy. If it's stolen I'm not out much money, but it's still gig-worthy. I'd take this to jam sessions or dive bars. Wherever.

I'm going to play with my J pickup height and see if I can improve it a bit.

The TMB100 is a classic example of good for the money. Anyone who can't figure that out should be avoided.
 
Here's a couple better pics of mine (might help people decide on a color) :
 

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Same song, but played with the low E and F like Bernard's original. This bass certainly works well on this old Chic bassline. It plays so easily and I think it is less than 8 lbs. I believe it could take a lower action without buzzing. Ibanez has a winner with this bass.
 
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