Unknown Ibanez Musician Bass

[Nobbe]

Hi All!

i try to find help by identifying my Ibanez Musician Bass.
I tried to find any information already of course, but meanwhile I am getting desperate.

I bought it as used in the early 90's already, mainly because it is a frettless Bass.

After nearly 30 years I am wonder which exact type it is.

The serial number points it as a 1988 production year, but as far as I know, Ibanez stopped the production of the musician Bass series in 1987 already.

Moreover it is a shortscale and I never saw a head plate formed like that from Ibanez.

I post some pictures as well, hoping somebody knows a bit about that Bass

Cheers,
Nobbe

 

[two fingers]

Welcome to TalkBass!!!

The knobs and pickups appear to be from a late 80s Soundgear bass. I got nutn on the body and neck.

Hope you get it figured out though!

 

[two fingers]

There's an Ibanez Musician Club here at TalkBass. I linked this thread there and here's a link for you to head over there.

Ibanez Musician Bass Club

 

[Nobbe]

Thanks for reply!

Maybe it is a mix of both

 

[Nobbe]

thanks for the link!

 

[hypercarrots]

it's an MC402 with lines added. see how the 12th fret bisects the inlay? they wouldn't do that at the factory.
see my post below:

Has anyone ever seen a musician bass like this before? It's an MC402 from 1988. Body and bridge is like an SR924, headstock like an Artstar. Electronics from an SR800. switch and light are probably not stock.
View attachment 3391724
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View attachment 3391726

or they are... i found another
View attachment 3391735
View attachment 3391736

 

[Nobbe]

Thank You a lot!

WOW! That was fast!

I really searched for weeks for an answer!
The fingerboard on my musician Bass are not original.
It needed to be replaced because it was heavily used and not in good conditions anymore

Keep Playing!

Nobbe

 

[hypercarrots]

same headstock style as early artstar basses

same body style and bridge as SR924
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

 

[hypercarrots]

Thank You a lot!

WOW! That was fast!

I really searched for weeks for an answer!
The fingerboard on my musician Bass are not original.
It needed to be replaced because it was heavily used and not in good conditions anymore

Keep Playing!

Nobbe

that inlay is original though. all the SR924 have that inlay.
what does the switch do?

 

[two fingers]

This place always delivers.

Next time, ask here first @Nobbe !!!!!



You're one of us now. We got you!

 

[Nobbe]

that inlay is original though. all the SR924 have that inlay.
what does the switch do?

The switch changes active / passive

 

[Nobbe]

The switch changes active / passive

in active mode it's wasting a lot of energy. After about two hours the battery is exhausted

 

[Tim de Martino]

in active mode it's wasting a lot of energy. After about two hours the battery is exhausted

There must be a short somewhere in the electronics - the battery should last for a long time. It would be worth getting checked out.

Cheers

 

[Nobbe]

There must be a short somewhere in the electronics - the battery should last for a long time. It would be worth getting checked out.

Cheers

Yes, you should be right on this. In my other active basses the Battery lasts a day or more.
In passive mode there is the pickup mixer and volume only.
I might search for an error. Maybe just the cabling, connecting the battery to the preamp and the LED.

To be honest, I did not use this bass an stage a lot. Mostly for practice and recording.

My experience i made playing frettless on stage or in practice rooms are very frustating. Especially on sessions

this does not mind me a lot though

 

[wraub]

@Nobbe
do you unplug your basses when you're not playing them? Even a day seems short for a 9V in a bass...

 

[Tim de Martino]

It would still be months even if you left it plugged in. Maybe six months of lots of normal use and a year or more of more occasional use.

 

[JeroB666]

All my basses are active and I only change the batteries when it stops working (once a year). Are you sure you are not powering your pedals with that 9V too? (kidding kidding )

 

[Bshort0918]

My Ibanez (Soundgear) batteries only lasted a short while. When I got my active Fender Jazz bass I was told to unplug the 1/4 inch jack after playing and the battery should last a year. I didn't know that the Ibanez had to be unplugged to turn it off...I just thought I had to turn off the switch. So now I unplug it and it lasts longer...not quite Fender long, but longer.

 

[LoTone]

Careful, by the look of the head stock you might get sued by Gibson...

 

[Nobbe]

Hi all,

some manufacturer uses remaining parts of different instruments if they fit together, I heard. Seems to be very common.
They will never appear in any catalogues or flyers, neither official price lists.

I guess this could be the case here with this base and would explain the rareness of pictures and informations available

Nevertheless a great bass guitar, though!