i think that Ibanez is one of the rare brands whose made used basses has no stable price - it can be lower or much higher the new one and it should be right and must be accepted.
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Why
- Thread starter woody357
- Start date
Exactly! I know quite a few Bass players with older MIJ Ibanez's that will never part with them.
The look good, Play great and sound wonderful.
Buy them used and they will hold their value.
I wouldn't say there resale value is that bad. They lose a few hundred, but no bass is bullet proof.
Ibanez basses are well made and feature rich for the price. However, they are a working man's bass. They don't have a "vibe" or a famous legacy to support them. In the 90s they made a reputation as a "metal" bass, and I don't know if they have ever redirected that.
Ibanez basses are well made and feature rich for the price. However, they are a working man's bass. They don't have a "vibe" or a famous legacy to support them. In the 90s they made a reputation as a "metal" bass, and I don't know if they have ever redirected that.
Thats just what they want you to think, man. Ever wonder why there is both the "eye" sound in Ibanez and the bottom of the line under the logo makes a triangle? They're in on it. Illuminati dude.
To me, a big part of it comes from the way the Japanese do business in musical instruments.
They are relentless in turning over and over and over a given model name or series from one year to the next. Think of all the different basses that Yamaha has called 'BB', and the hundreds of different 'Soundgear' models that Ibanez has sold, just to name two. In Japan, 'vintage' anything is not valued. You can't go to Japan and find that they value a certain car (with a few rare exceptions) that's even 10 or 15 years old. And this mindset applies to most consumer products.
Most of us think selling 'original recipe' Yamaha BB's or Ibanez Musicians as an ongoing product, slowly developed over the last how many years (as Fender or Gibson do)would be a no-brainer, but that is a complete non-starter with the Japanese. So, it's hard to build residual value into a given name as the product make-up is always churning, and rolling over with THIS year's version. The rare exception like the George Benson guitars (and there's been close to a dozen variations in those . . . . .) where a given piece has been in continuous production for a long time is rare. Culturally, they are driven into a completely different concept of 'brand identity'.
This is one of those things I wouldn't dare complain about personally. A lot of guys are suddenly overwhelmed with the 'gee, I really need a Fender' reflex, and lots of these wind up on the barely-used market, often for less that what the best ones are really worth. So do me a favor, keep pondering why you don't like a PJ, whether you should get a maple or rosewood fingerboard, should you update to a BadAss bridge, and keep those Ibanez used prices low for us. Thanks, Guys ! This mass hallucination also works for most 'other' brands of bass, so buy more Fenders ! ! !
They are relentless in turning over and over and over a given model name or series from one year to the next. Think of all the different basses that Yamaha has called 'BB', and the hundreds of different 'Soundgear' models that Ibanez has sold, just to name two. In Japan, 'vintage' anything is not valued. You can't go to Japan and find that they value a certain car (with a few rare exceptions) that's even 10 or 15 years old. And this mindset applies to most consumer products.
Most of us think selling 'original recipe' Yamaha BB's or Ibanez Musicians as an ongoing product, slowly developed over the last how many years (as Fender or Gibson do)would be a no-brainer, but that is a complete non-starter with the Japanese. So, it's hard to build residual value into a given name as the product make-up is always churning, and rolling over with THIS year's version. The rare exception like the George Benson guitars (and there's been close to a dozen variations in those . . . . .) where a given piece has been in continuous production for a long time is rare. Culturally, they are driven into a completely different concept of 'brand identity'.
This is one of those things I wouldn't dare complain about personally. A lot of guys are suddenly overwhelmed with the 'gee, I really need a Fender' reflex, and lots of these wind up on the barely-used market, often for less that what the best ones are really worth. So do me a favor, keep pondering why you don't like a PJ, whether you should get a maple or rosewood fingerboard, should you update to a BadAss bridge, and keep those Ibanez used prices low for us. Thanks, Guys ! This mass hallucination also works for most 'other' brands of bass, so buy more Fenders ! ! !
Yes...part of the problem is that well, the high quality Ibanez basses look very similar to their cheaper line of basses. An example that comes to mind is the older MIJ SR800 bass, it was at one point the Prestige quality basses of the Ibanez bass line. Problem is it looks like and sometimes gets misidentified as one of their budget cheaper, run of the mill GIO GSR basses. They look pretty darn similar. I bought my MIJ SR800 for $80 because they didn't know what model it was. There was no identifying model number on it, it wsa on a sticker on the back of the headstock that has since fallen off. It may look like a GIO but it certainly doesn't play like one.
Almost any bass that is made out of a custom shop will take a larger hit. The more personalized the less market is available. That is why outfits like Carvin or PRS lose so much value.
In addition to the other reasons already given, I think there is still a perception hanging around from the '80s and early '90s that Ibanez makes instruments for metal and that's it. It's silly, but I do think a fair number of players quietly prefer not to be seen with a brand that they think of as the instrument of choice for loud teenagers making noise in their parents' basement.
They may be fine instruments but they seem generic rather than iconic.
Years ago I went into a startup restaurant in Wichita KS, that sold burgers,
and for some reason they thought that having 50 different burgers on the menu was a good idea. (Anybody remember this place?)
Anyway, I looked up at the menu, got confused, walked out, and never came back. I have the same problem with Ibanez.
They have way more models than I’m willing to put the time an effort into critiquing. How many different SR’s are there alone.
This is why I don’t have any Ibby basses, although I do have a practice amp which is solid.
057912
and for some reason they thought that having 50 different burgers on the menu was a good idea. (Anybody remember this place?)
Anyway, I looked up at the menu, got confused, walked out, and never came back. I have the same problem with Ibanez.
They have way more models than I’m willing to put the time an effort into critiquing. How many different SR’s are there alone.
This is why I don’t have any Ibby basses, although I do have a practice amp which is solid.
057912
This in a nutshell.
They are extremely nice basses for the money. But they are also mass produced in numbers no other manufacturers can match.
So, even if a bass is reeeeeeeeally nice, if there are 550 of them for sale at any given time, the value will suffer.
You will never see an extremely "rare" or hard to find recent Ibanez. There's no such thing. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting 5 Ibanez basses.
What I was trying to reply to Maxdusty was that you can substitute 'Fender' and 'Squier' in place of 'Ibanez' and 'Gio': This is how advertising and marketing guys stay up nights trying to build brand values, and the problems inherent with building your price structure by leveraging other world economies, and those two are hardly alone in that endeavor.
Maybe because most Ibanez basses have skinny necks?
There is also the fact that when doing a well balanced easy playing bass they knock it out of the park, but when the try to design a theme bass like the Jet King, they don’t know how to do cool.
There is also the fact that when doing a well balanced easy playing bass they knock it out of the park, but when the try to design a theme bass like the Jet King, they don’t know how to do cool.
On the flipside of tgat coin is the lack of support for their discontinued basses. I’ve got an older Ibanez and there are no parts beyond common things lije screws and machine heads available for it unless you get lucky or buy a donor bass.
I posted this same dilemma in another thread. Received a handful of helpful responses but then I did an "Ibanez Bass" search on Reverb. Holy cow...not sure where to start: 405, 505, 655, 755, 805. 1005, bolt-on, neck-thru, some with full gloss finishes. Wish someone would draft the definitive guide to Ibanez offerings.
Riis
I am not an Ibanez player. But to my uneducated eye, there are 100's of models that look very similar with very similar naming conventions. I have no idea what the difference is between a cheap, mid pried, and expensive Ibanez. (this excludes signature or copy models). I find this kind of branding so confusing, that I just pass on by.
Here is a partial list from the Wiki:
Here is a partial list from the Wiki:
- ARTCORE Series- Archtop Basses
- AFB200 – Hollow-body bass guitar
- AGB200 – Semihollow-body bass guitar
- ATK Series
- ATK 300 4 string model
- ATK 305 5 string model
- ATK 1200, the Prestige version of the standard ATK, has extra neck pickup
- ATK 800E, to be released in 2012, a Premium version of the standard ATK. Has extra neck pickup
- ATK 805E, to be released in 2012, a Premium version of the standard ATK. Has extra neck pickup, 5-string model
- Blazer
- BTB (Boutique Bass) Series
- BTB 400QM (discontinued)
- BTB 406QM (Special Edition 6 String Model)
- BTB Prestige – High-end range which are made in Japan.
- Ergodyne Series - Bodies made from Luthitepolymer.
- EDA Series
- EDB Series
- EDC Series
- EWB Series
- GARTB 20
- GATK 20 – More affordable version of the ATK.
- GAXB Series (discontinued)
- GSR Series- A lower-cost version of the Soundgear Series
- GSR 100 – The original GSR bass guitar (Discontinued)
- GSR 100 EX
- GSR 105 EX
- GSR 180
- GSRM 20
- GSR 250 M
- GSR 200
- GSR 200 FM – The GSR but with different color designs such as sunburst.
- GSR 205 – Nominated for Ibanez's "Best of Model" award
- GSR 205 FM
- ICB (Iceman) Series
- JTK (Jet King) Series
- JUMPSTART Series- Similar to the GSR Series, named for the Jumpstart Pack which comes with amp and other accessories.
- Musician Series
- ROADGEAR Series
- SRX (Soundgear) Series
- EX series
- Roadstar Series
- S series
- TR Series
