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NBD - ESP LTD B-1005MS a NG2 alternative?

Bassprofessor

Bassprofessor

Mar 26, 2021
179
423
42
#1
NBD!

I have got a Dingwall NG3...and (you may call me a monkey's uncle in a moment) I love the building quality and foremost the 37", but I am not satisfied with the pickups. (just my opinion, if you are fine with them, I totally get that!)

I also have a Ibanez EHB1506MS...and I love the Nordstrand Big Splits to the moon and back, but I am not satisfied with the 35.5" scale. Nothing against a 35.5", but if you have/want to go into unknown depths, fanned frets aren't helping a 35.5" much.
I wanted a bass with NG3s scale lenght, but with EHB1506MS' pickups.

So I cried a little in my pillow, but my prayers were heard apparently.

ESP LTD B-1005 MS...37"-34" scale with Nordstrand Big Splits Pickups!

Apparently this isn't a new release, but I have never seen it before...so...better late than never!

Other Features:
Swamp Ahs body with solid Zitricote top, Wenge and Purple Heart neck with Pao Ferro Fingerboard.
1.85' bone nut with 24 frets. Gotoh tuners and a Hipshot bridge
Active and Passive mode (more on that later) and adjustable midfrequenzy.

I am yet to make long term testing, but I played some and now he has time to acclimate, but two things I instantly noticed:

1. He is really heavy...10.4lbs. That's on the upper end.
2. I played him and thought to myself "holy...! That thing has so much power! What a powerful tone! I try passive mode....oh, THAT is the passive mode." No joke...just brutal...

I will do a review in the near future to tell a little bit more and show his sounds, and I will do something INSANE: I show the tone with my Darkglass Alpha Omega Ultra, but also WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION SHOWING THE NATURAL SOUND!

"But Robert...a fanned fret without distortion?! Have you gone mad?!?!"
"Maybe, but someone has to do!"

In all seriousness: There are some videos with it on the net, but as on so many fanned fret bass videos, here also 95% are running through half of the Darkglass family, totally covering up the natural sound of the bass.

May you stay well and creative!
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ESP13.JPG

-Robert
 
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#8
This is another one of those basses that re-enforces what I've come to think about fives or sixes: The stiffer/harder the body and neck, the better for conjuring those low notes clearly.

Ash body, and the neck and top made of all those hard African woods, THIS is the kind of wood recipe (although these tend to make an axe heavier than lighter, so it may be an untenable recipe for those wishing for lighter instruments) that really, in my experience, make a five do the business in the deep end, as well as generally be nice and clear up and down the neck. And what a neck joint, with a deep cutaway for those high notes. SIX bolts.

Congrats.
 
#14
I had one of these, great sounding bass and very responsive to different fingering positions and styles. Ultimately it was too heavy for me. I eventually sold it to help finance a D-Roc standard. They can be a little tough to find a case for since they are so long, I have a Music Area gig bag that fit mine but I don't think they're making it any more. If I had kept it I would have had the nut filed down a little, the lower corner really dug into my finger when I was playing on the first two frets.

I will say that I wasn't thrilled with the pickups in my Combustion, I ended up replacing them with Lace Alumitones which I like a lot more.

Enjoy the bass!
 
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#15
Bassprofessor said:
NBD!

I have got a Dingwall NG3...and (you may call me a monkey's uncle in a moment) I love the building quality and foremost the 37", but I am not satisfied with the pickups. (just my opinion, if you are fine with them, I totally get that!)

I also have a Ibanez EHB1506MS...and I love the Nordstrand Big Splits to the moon and back, but I am not satisfied with the 35.5" scale. Nothing against a 35.5", but if you have/want to go into unknown depths, fanned frets aren't helping a 35.5" much.
I wanted a bass with NG3s scale lenght, but with EHB1506MS' pickups.

So I cried a little in my pillow, but my prayers were heard apparently.

ESP LTD B-1005 MS...37"-34" scale with Nordstrand Big Splits Pickups!

Apparently this isn't a new release, but I have never seen it before...so...better late than never!

Other Features:
Swamp Ahs body with solid Zitricote top, Wenge and Purple Heart neck with Pao Ferro Fingerboard.
1.85' bone nut with 24 frets. Gotoh tuners and a Hipshot bridge
Active and Passive mode (more on that later) and adjustable midfrequenzy.

I am yet to make long term testing, but I played some and now he has time to acclimate, but two things I instantly noticed:

1. He is really heavy...10.4lbs. That's on the upper end.
2. I played him and thought to myself "holy...! That thing has so much power! What a powerful tone! I try passive mode....oh, THAT is the passive mode." No joke...just brutal...

I will do a review in the near future to tell a little bit more and show his sounds, and I will do something INSANE: I show the tone with my Darkglass Alpha Omega Ultra, but also WITHOUT ANY DISTORTION SHOWING THE NATURAL SOUND!

"But Robert...a fanned fret without distortion?! Have you gone mad?!?!"
"Maybe, but someone has to do!"

In all seriousness: There are some videos with it on the net, but as on so many fanned fret bass videos, here also 95% are running through half of the Darkglass family, totally covering up the natural sound of the bass.

May you stay well and creative!View attachment 4258671 View attachment 4258672 View attachment 4258673 View attachment 4258674 View attachment 4258675
-Robert
Click to expand...
That’s a really nice package. It looks like they got it right.
 
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#17
Bozendoka said:
I had one of these, great sounding bass and very responsive to different fingering positions and styles. Ultimately it was too heavy for me. I eventually sold it to help finance a D-Roc standard. They can be a little tough to find a case for since they are so long, I have a Music Area gig bag that fit mine but I don't think they're making it any more. If I had kept it I would have had the nut filed down a little, the lower corner really dug into my finger when I was playing on the first two frets.

I will say that I wasn't thrilled with the pickups in my Combustion, I ended up replacing them with Lace Alumitones which I like a lot more.

Enjoy the bass!
Click to expand...
Thank you so much! I also have a T40 and a Dean 12 string...so my back knows that I am an ass to him ;)

What makes me curious...as I posted months back, that I am not 100% satisfied with the Combustion pickups, people went TOTALLY crazy, grapping their pitchforks and torches and started harrassing me.

This time I get here and on FB so many messages from people who aren't to keen about the pickups from the NG series. ;)
 

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