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New Ibanez (headless, multiscale)

#201
Glorp said:
What I'm really getting at is that It seems strange/annoying to release an instrument with those selling points without bothering to throw those numbers onto the spec sheet. It would've taken someone at Ibanez like 20 minutes to get that information together.

I also don't have a huge amount of faith in manufacturer's included gig bags and cases. With the exception of my American Elite bass's reasonably skookum case they've always been a bit of a let down.
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It's difficult to quote weight on objects made from natural materials, like wood, since they can vary quite a lot. Once Sweetwater has them in stock, they will post individual weights, and you can check there.

You can estimate the overall length from the images, since you know the scale length. Just use your cursor to get the relevant pixel positions, then multiply.
 
#202
groooooove said:
I don't really see many people actually using them out in the trenches.
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Alessandro of Slipknot has been playing a headless bass for a few years. Next to Metallica, they are the biggest band in metal.
I just saw a video of Eugene from Jinjer playing one. Monster player and they are a big up and comer.
The Strandberg Boden bass is getting popular. I don't know if the design is for me, but modern bass players are into ergonomics and conscious about weight. I guess this design addresses the age old problem of neck dive.
 
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#203
nonohmic said:
Wut?!

Why the big ass cutaway tho, just reduce the overall size. No?
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Looks like the cutaway on the treble side is to allow access to the 24th fret of the bass side of the neck.

It was an issue I ran into with the dingwall combustion a friend brought round, and several other fanned fret instruments, with the fanning and aesthetics, I'd have to have my left elbow all the way around the neck to reach upper registers on lower strings. Mind you, it was only for one or two riffs, but maybe Ibanez thought ...ahead
 
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#204
socialleper said:
Alessandro of Slipknot has been playing a headless bass for a few years. Next to Metallica, they are the biggest band in metal.
I just saw a video of Eugene from Jinjer playing one. Monster player and they are a big up and comer.
The Strandberg Boden bass is getting popular. I don't know if the design is for me, but modern bass players are into ergonomics and conscious about weight. I guess this design addresses the age old problem of neck dive.
Click to expand...

good to hear some folks like it

to be clear, i haven't played any music resembling metal in many years... my observations are largely in the fusion and jazz world, what i see my friends playing, and so on. not a fair sampling of the public when it comes to who might like a headless bass
 
#206
I was really excited about the EHB1506, but I think it's just ugly, at least from the pics. I bet we won't get them down here anyway.

Maybe, just maybe after I get some money later in the year, if still GASing over a new bass, importing a BTB846V might solve it.
 
#207
lucas303 said:
I'm probably jumping the gun here, but who should I look to preorder this from once orders start opening up? I've never done that so I don't have any experience with it.
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Sweetwater always offers preorders but they don't necessarily get things first. I'd be surprised if these are hard to come by though, Ibanez stuff is usually easy to find so not sure a preorder really makes sense.
 
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#208
groooooove said:
good to hear some folks like it

to be clear, i haven't played any music resembling metal in many years... my observations are largely in the fusion and jazz world, what i see my friends playing, and so on. not a fair sampling of the public when it comes to who might like a headless bass
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Metal is increasingly incorporating jazz, progressive, and fusion elements. Bass players are riding 8th note roots anymore.
I could see jazz or fusion guys going for something like this. Those genres are supposed to be about pushing musical boundaries, right? Players like Tony Levin, Mike Manring, and Victor Wooten push the bass into all sorts of unconventional places. Guys playing standards won't go for it, but they are followers, not leaders, so they are always stuck in the past.
What it comes down to is if it adds anything. Weight matters. Ergonomics matter. Looks don't. If these designs truly improve something, they will stick. When they tried headless basses in the 80s the implementation was bad. The basses were awkward and hard to play. If these latest models have addressed those flaws, and the inherent balance problems basses have, they will grow. If not, they won't.
People thought multi-scale basses were a flash in the pan. Boy were they wrong.
 
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#209
TerriblePeril said:
Looks like the cutaway on the treble side is to allow access to the 24th fret of the bass side of the neck.
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The reason for the very deep lower cut is because the leg cut is further back, and that is because the Centre Of Mass is further back with a headless design (which is what makes it balance better on a strap). The leg cut has to be below the COM at playing angle to make it balance on the leg.
There have been many poorly designed headless basses that use a standard body shape, and they fall off your leg backwards, they do not balance on the leg at all.

With the leg cut further back the bass is left-shifted when on the leg and closer to the horizontal positioning when on a strap (as they state).
Also saves weight and helps to redistribute weight towards the rear.
 
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#210
socialleper said:
Metal is increasingly incorporating jazz, progressive, and fusion elements. Bass players are riding 8th note roots anymore.
I could see jazz or fusion guys going for something like this. Those genres are supposed to be about pushing musical boundaries, right? Players like Tony Levin, Mike Manring, and Victor Wooten push the bass into all sorts of unconventional places. Guys playing standards won't go for it, but they are followers, not leaders, so they are always stuck in the past.
What it comes down to is if it adds anything. Weight matters. Ergonomics matter. Looks don't. If these designs truly improve something, they will stick. When they tried headless basses in the 80s the implementation was bad. The basses were awkward and hard to play. If these latest models have addressed those flaws, and the inherent balance problems basses have, they will grow. If not, they won't.
People thought multi-scale basses were a flash in the pan. Boy were they wrong.
Click to expand...

Stranberg's offerings have absolutely exploded in the guitar virtuoso world (and of course beyond), so I think musicians of all types are/will be starting to think "what is that?" when it comes to multiscale and headless. Up until now it was really just Dingwall and Strandberg in the production market, so Ibanez has a huge opportunity here at a lower price point. I guess you could also debate Keisel's recent entries. The first time I picked up a friends Strandberg Boden guitar I said "wow, this thing is amazing, I want one!". Then I saw the price of the Boden bass. I can't imagine I'm the only one with that reaction. Granted the Strandberg neck is something that sets it apart from the pack, but the Ibanez offerings seem to have some great features, at a substantially lower price point.
 
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#211
gscroggin said:
Stranberg's offerings have absolutely exploded in the guitar virtuoso world (and of course beyond), so I think musicians of all types are/will be starting to think "what is that?" when it comes to multiscale and headless. Up until now it was really just Dingwall and Strandberg in the production market, so Ibanez has a huge opportunity here at a lower price point. The first time I picked up a friends Strandberg Boden guitar I said "wow, this thing is amazing, I want one!". Then I saw the price of the Boden bass. I can't imagine I'm the only one with that reaction. Granted the Strandberg neck is something that sets it apart from the pack, but the Ibanez offerings seem to have some great features, at a substantially lower price point.
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The Boden bass does seem pretty nifty. If Ibanez can get close at a lower price point, that would be awesome. I like the finish more than the Boden.
 
#217
Can I just say, this would also be sick if there was a short scale variant?

With that said, the 5 string multi is calling to me. Im already 100% in on both headless and multiscale from my guitars(ormsby and kiesel), and it looks like ibanez got the formula right here.
 
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#219
Phew,
the new pics and specs online make me feel like I dodged a bullet.

I always liked the idea of having a fan fret Ibanez 6 string, but the only model they made was the SRFF806.
That looked cool, but I have two issues with the SR series (string spacing too narrow and the recess for the 1/4" plug) in general, plus that one only came as a bolt on which I never liked much on a bass like that.

So when that EHB pic got released, they had me instantly curious. Nordy's on a fan fret 6 by a company that will have that combo still in the affordable range?
But the string spacing is very close to the SR and it's a bolt on again. I guess I'll pass.
Maybe someone will sell his BTB 6er to get the EHB and I can snag something up for cheap.
 

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