I need an opinion. Should I go for a Brice bass for 500, Try to save for an Ibanez, or Give in the the RedSub? No clue. I need to know. As an intermediate bassist, I hate the sound of a 35/34 inch B. So, I should go for 36 or 37. Please help.
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Multiscale basses
- Thread starter Ezrah
- Start date
Well, I don't have experience with a lot of fanfret basses, but I do feel that my Brice Defiant 53437 punches higher than its weight, and a 37 inch B is a wonderful thing. Many here will say that the pups are not the greatest, OK they aren't, but I can definitely live with them. Then again I have a LOT of tonal control since I modded mine to be VVT with switch pots so that I can play them in series, parallel or single coil mode (inner or outer).
This is one of the LAST basses I will ever part with... if ever:
A couple of things here:
a) Have you ever played a multi-scale bass, and if so, which one(s) ? They work great for some people and not so much for others, just like pretty much anything else.
b) There are quite a few 34" and 35" basses where the B string leaves nothing to be desired, they just tend to cost more, at least IME.
Out of the options you've mentioned, Ibanez gets my vote.
This is my 8-string multi-scale marvel, and all I can say is that “it works”… awesome tension across the board, and much easier access. While here the idea was to make such large instrument more playable, the same would apply to any number of strings. Totally recommended.
Give some serious consideration to where the fret break point is on each of them in relation to what you will play mostly on it. If you play mostly within the first 7 frets, a la Jamerson/Dunn/Hood, then a break point around the 7th or 8th fret will give you less slope in that region but more above the 12th. Conversely, if you are into pyrotechnics that take you often north of the 12th, al la Jackson/Davis/Philpot/ et al, then a break point around the 10th will give you less slope in that upper region but more in the lower.
Personally, I have real trouble adapting my playing to the steeper slope below the 7th on my six string and I almost never attempt to fret a note on the B or E above the 12th, so I would prefer a break at the 7th or 8th fret. Of course, off the shelf you may not have a choice but still be aware.
Personally, I have real trouble adapting my playing to the steeper slope below the 7th on my six string and I almost never attempt to fret a note on the B or E above the 12th, so I would prefer a break at the 7th or 8th fret. Of course, off the shelf you may not have a choice but still be aware.
i just brought my 4 and 6 string dingwalls to my dads place tonight to jam a bit and compare. I can with confidence say the f# on my dingwall had about same clarity as the b on his 35 5 string fender jazz. The B… knocked the jazz 5 out of the park. It was a slaughter.
a 36 or 37 b is a nice thing. IMHO if you will be using them a lot, you owe yourself the proper tool for the job. i am not saying you need to go dingwall… but they are that good. also… as someone who had a dingwall import… just as good as the Canadian stuff for playability/tone.
Which Ibanez are you referring to?
The EHB's are 35" for the B and the various SR models are 35.5". Not sure they have anything longer. I have an EHB and I love it too.
I would suggest adding Spector Dimension to your list. I have one and an ABZ and the Dimension is a close 2nd to the ABZ to me.
Good Luck!
EDIT: Ah, nevermind, the BTB's (I always forget about those...
)I had a Brice multiscale. Horrible instrument. The action could not be lowered. Why? Because the saddles were already bottomed out. The atrociously high action was there to stay unless I felt like taking out each saddle and grinding off material. There were other issues with it too, I got rid of the instrument. Perhaps some of what comes out of their factory plays nicely. Perhaps.
IMO Ibanez is a safer bet.
IMO Ibanez is a safer bet.
I bought a dingwall online, without playing it first. It's a great instrument, but man, the stretch from fret 1 to fret 4 is rough. I think its important to play these instruments before deciding.
Just from general bass world knowledge,
Go Ibanez. It's like choosing a Honda, realbile, can take a beating, can go very high mileage but still works good, and fun to drive even for the price!
(Honda fanboy bias forgive me)
Go Ibanez. It's like choosing a Honda, realbile, can take a beating, can go very high mileage but still works good, and fun to drive even for the price!
(Honda fanboy bias forgive me)
I don't think there is a better quality bass commercially available now that offers more options for a lot less money than one would expect to pay than an Ibanez.
For sure, I love Yamaha, many other affordable brands, but Ibanez is just one of those if you want this you can get a lot for your dollar. I guess ESP as well but they sadly have never really push too much into the US other than the Heavy Metal scene in my opinion, which is too bad they make some amazing models for all genres.
Playing guitar, I used to be a Les Paul/ES335 snob. I wouldn't have even considered an Epiphone, yet I ended up with a few and was left quite impressed by the quality for the money. Ibanez just has so many different styles and options available to bass players and I think the quality speaks to modern CNC machine ability to reproduce bodies and necks to pretty exacting consistency. The hardware is also of high quality for the same reason.
I also think TB contributes to a lot of desire for the next best thing. There are an awful lot of "drool worthy" custom boutique, high end basses and I can certainly see their appeal. When it comes to multiscale basses, there seems to be a wider financial gap between them and Ibanez, but not so much (for me) to cause me to spend that kind of money on a bass that is only marginally better.
I know some will argue that point, but if I am already satisfied and feel the quality of my SR206 really couldn't be improved upon, any gains would probably just me being more fussy about such things than I am. I used to be that way.
I've been playing bass since 1970 and I've only had 1 fanned fret bass in my hands. It felt so strange to me that I put it down immediately. Play before you buy.
I know exactly what you mean, but I realized that playing the 37" Dingwalls means that you need to adjust your technique a bit. I found myself making small left hand movements up the fingerboard to make that stretch smaller and more manageable.
Great review man, I have had this bass open in my tabs for prolly 1.5 yrs. I saw the blue color come and go due to my procrastination. Have read the TB threads on it but to see you come out the woodwork and drop it, gives me the confidence I need to grab this guy. Would EMG pickups fit in there or would I need to take it to the shop?
Thank you all, however, to clear up some questions..
I play heavier music, and prefer 5 or 6 strings
I find 35 inch B strings aren't long enough, 35.5 is better, but 36 or 37 is good.
Sometimes, that B becomes an F# or G.
I have played many multiscales, and love the feel and sound of every one I've tried (Ibanez BTBs, and the new SR multiscales, Dingwall Z3, Afterburner, NGs etc. Spector Dimensions too.)
I find that my price range is barely above 1000$, after saving for years, Further on that, I would go for the used market.
I play heavier music, and prefer 5 or 6 strings
I find 35 inch B strings aren't long enough, 35.5 is better, but 36 or 37 is good.
Sometimes, that B becomes an F# or G.
I have played many multiscales, and love the feel and sound of every one I've tried (Ibanez BTBs, and the new SR multiscales, Dingwall Z3, Afterburner, NGs etc. Spector Dimensions too.)
I find that my price range is barely above 1000$, after saving for years, Further on that, I would go for the used market.
