Sting's "Soul Cages" Fretless

[Dave Vader]

Excellent, thanks for this, i got one of these last year off ebay for £25, though it was in a sorry state, big crack down the front of the body, no hardware at all, and the truss rod on the neck had had the nut snapped off. I've been thinking it weighed too much to be basswood, and here it is, alder, explains the tone.
Mine's up in about a million threads now, so I won't post it again, as the state of it will make a couple of you guys cry.
At least I know the model number now, time to go hunting for a second....

 

[RickC]

Ha; was just talking about these in another thread.

To the poster who got their's at Daddy's Junky Music, that's where I found mine too!

Mine is light as a feather btw.

/rick

 

[EddieG]

Here we go on with the documentary of this unique bass:

Pics of a Soul Cages Concert in Germany (11/1991). Invalid Link Removed

What did the five fingers say to the face?

 

[nofretz]

here's the rb999 on craigslist:

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[cslabs]

I'm the original owner of an '83 RB888 bought as a floor demo model from Thoroughbred Music in Sarasota, FL around 1984 or 1985. It was my first bass and it has served me well playing many different styles of music.

@andreaska, your knobs are indeed the originals but seem to be missing the serrated rubber ring at the top (see attached pic).

These knobs also appeared on the Roadstar II guitars of the same era, I have a 1982 RS405 with an identical pair.

-Frank

 

[nofretz]

thanks for the info frank. i'm on the lookout for a pair of these...

 

[Eublet]

i'm thinking of having this bass "THORed" to get the look and sound of the epoxy board:

http://www.woodwiz.com/epoxy/

i see that a couple of you have used this guy before. anyone else have a better recommendation?

Highly recommended! I'm listed on his website for one of my basses he did. Excellent, excellent work. It DOES liven up the tone a lot, and adds a glassy sheen. I really recommend it for passive basses that have a tone control to help control that sheen it adds. Depending on the preamp, an active treble control might not work as well, unless of course you want that glassy top end!

 

[cslabs]

Dug a bit more, these knobs are known as "Sure Grip II" and come in black (part #4KB1JH1B) or gold (4KB1JH1G). They should still be available from Ibanez directly as replacements.

Otherwise, Rich Harris at ibanezrules.com has some listed in his parts inventory at $10 each. No affiliation other than being a satisfied customer.

-Frank

 

[Dave Vader]

ah what the hell, I was just playing her last night, and my Ibanez deserves to be posted here as well, sorry about the state of it, I got bored half way through refinishing, and decided I liked the train-wreck look.

 

[andreaska]

... BTW, Andreaska, how did you trace the serial #? Thanks again!

The letter correspond to the month (A = january, B = february, ...)
The following 2 figures are the year.
The remaining figures are for the running numbers of guitars or basses in the month of production.

Andreas

 

[pflash4001]

ZOMBIE THREAD!!!

I just bought a fretless RB888 on eBay about 10 mins ago. I have an 83 fretted RB888 that my parents bought me used for my 15th birthday in 1988. I ran into the guy who sold it to me recently. I still have it and the guy who sold it to me still wants me to sell it back to him. It's not for sale, though. So I now have two. A fretted and a fretless. I saw someone looking for a case. Someone has a NOS case for this bass on eBay now, priced pretty well, too, considering how hard they are to find. I hope this helps someone.

 

[nofretz]

I was watching that auction (out of curiosity) haha. Congrats! So is it a factory fretless or a conversion? I always wondered if it was even offered that way. Sting's is obviously modified (shiny black with no lines/dots). Anyway, hope you like it.

 

[pflash4001]

I asked the seller that same question. He says it was built fretless. I always thought they were offered fretless. It wasn't until I read this thread that I had doubt. I really like the fretted one I have, but I hadn't played it in a long time. My son has been taking it out and noodling on it. I started messing with it again. I think I'll be giving it some more attention now. I can't wait to hear the fretless. That pickup is nice and beefy, but very clear and clean too. My fretted bass had a machine head break on it about 20 yrs ago too. I couldn't find the original tuners back then and since it was my only bass at the time I ordered a set from Carvin. I only replaced the one broken one, so for years it's had 3 original Velve Tune IIBs and the one Carvin tuner. I actually also found one today too. I went ahead and got the one Velve tuner and will install it as soon as I get it. Woohoo

 

[nofretz]

I always get compliments on the tone when I play mine. I'm not sure how much of it is "in my hands" or whatever, but I can get almost spot on Jaco tones from this guitar--more so than any Jazz fretless I've had. Strange.

 

[dje31]

I remember, before I got my first good bass, really wanted an 888 / 999, but not sure if I ever saw one in the flesh. Or if I did, it was out of my price range.

Still kind of a neat piece of kit...as if a Spector NS-2 had a fling with a Steinberger L2 / XL2.

This has revived an interest in finding one, if not getting one used, cheap.

 

[pflash4001]

I've often wondered what this bass cost new. What would a comparable bass in ibanez's current line be as far as price? I got my fretted one used 25 years ago for $200. I never saw one of these new. I have no idea what it sold for but I'd love an idea. There seems to be very little info for this bass out there...

 

[Mdrummey]

Good call on the Ibanez fretless.

That four piece band for the Soul Cages/Ten Summoners Tales era was absolutely ON FIRE. Hearing the way Vinnie Colaiuta plays on these tunes is so inspiring.

 

[nofretz]

Sting's forthcoming album has Vinnie and Dom on the bill. Hopefully it will deliver a similar (yet new) feel.

 

[jammybastard]

Did they ever make a short scale version?
Sting's bass always looked 3/4 to me.

BTW - the best show, aka Sting's Birthday show, from the Soul Cages tour was recently posted on YT. Taken from Japanese Laser Disc, great quality.

 

[bholder]

Here are some info/pics/brochure scans of a very special bass in my collection.

It is a 1983 Ibanez Roadstar II RB888MB.

I had it modified from a rosewood/fretted to ebony/fretless fingerboard.

Those two knobs shown inside the case compartment came on the bass. I'm assuming they are the factory knobs, but they were so ugly that I replaced them with black metal ones. I kept them just incase I ever found out they were original. The pics of my bass on the brochures below is too small to help me with this.

Here are the brochure scans:

NOTE: 3 basses are shown on this pamphlet, but look for the pics/info about "RB888MB" for info on Sting's bass (pictured in bottom right of both scans).

Here are a couple of video caps with Sting playing the bass:

Sting playing "Mad About You" on SNL...

and "Mad About You" on the Soul Cages Concert. Note the shiny glare on the fretboard. His mod must have had a laquer coat over it.

I hope this thread helps someone, or at lest entertains someone.

Please post or PM any comments or questions.

Thanks for looking/reading!

I haven't had my Bean out in a while, thanks for the reminder! It's so tiny it hides behind the others.