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Thoughts on the Ibanez BTB1305E?

Discussion in 'Basses [BG]' started by Visirale, Jun 28, 2008.

  1. Jun 28, 2008 #1
    Visirale

    Visirale

    Mar 23, 2003
    Orlando
    I was in guitar center last night and I always make a point to try out a few new basses. Out of all the ones in the room, this one caught my attention the most. I tried the lower series BTB (trans black) and it was ok, but the EQ on it made it hard to get any real usable tones... might have been the cheaper bart pickups. So I went and tried the prestige 1305, and it was really a pretty good bass. A lot of flexibility and some great playability.

    What I don't understand though is how they're making their TOP OF THE LINE instruments in Korea? I would never pay $1500 for this bass, especially since it was made in Korea. Is Ibanez making anything in Japan anymore?
     
  2. Jun 28, 2008 #2
    Marcus

    Marcus

    Dec 26, 2004
    NYC & Vancouver, BC
    While I have yet to try the 1305, a couple of years back I owned a 1206. The quality was good... but in retrospect, I do no think the price is justifiable. I've already confessed on this board to not being a fan of Bartolini electronics and with this bass, it was no exception. The "American" Bartolini setup produced very dark tones. It was nice in a smoother "jazz" environment (especially for high register solos), but when it came time to get dirty, it simply could not cut it.

    Also, there were a couple of imperfections that you would not find on a lower-end Japanese instrument, such as imperfections with the wood, loose tuners and a half-assed setup. This is all from my experience with my 1206, so perhaps others could chime in with their own.

    I strongly believe that if the Prestige line were still made in Japan, it would be a heck of a lot better and entirely worth the money. In fact... I own a Japanese Prestige guitar :bag: Its an absolutely flawless instrument.
     
    Oly Spart likes this.