Why

[JIO]

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:

• 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

There's something to be said about this - a few brands suffer the same problem; too many models and not easily remembered names/ways to refer to them (GARTB 20?). Using Fender as an example - there is a handful of models and and number of versions of those models offered over the years. Each has an easily remembered name; P (Precision), Jazz, Mustang, Jaguar, and a few others of less popularity - but they still have names, not numbers or a series of letters. How a company frames their offerings is a big part of marketing/selling them.

 

[whero]

Why



do people start threads with titles so brief or cryptic you have no idea what they're about?
If you want to know the answer to a question, ask the question in the headline, not halfway down the page.

Other than that, this is the answer:

Cuz they’re already low priced and they make a zillion of them?

 

[grillman]

From a marketer point of view, the answer to any of those threads is ‘bad positioning’.

 

[Spidey2112]

Same thing can be said for G&L.
Good news for anyone shopping used.

Most certainly...

 

[mellowgerman]

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.

I think this might have a lot to do with it. I started getting into music at this time and Metal was what all us young kids at the time associated the brand with. This made a lot of us want Ibanez basses, but I think that was a double-edged sword too because it may have driven away a lot of folks who weren't into metal and that association may have stuck with many.
I wonder if others would agree that the prime of their legacy up until now was the late 70's with Musician basses and Artist guitars? Some big names were endorsing them then. Maybe they experienced a slump after that, tried to get into the rock/metal scene more and started offering more models to appeal to a wider clientele, maybe lowering prices to make their product more accessible? I don't know, just spit-balling ideas...

 

[micguy]

Maybe because most Ibanez basses have skinny necks?

One other factor for me. I can't play skinny necks, regardless of whether it's on an Ibanez or a Jazz bass. My hands are just too big. I love the weight, not the necks.

 

[juggahnaught]

Dunno. Lots of basses fail to hold the value of their purchase price. Should a premium Ibanez cost more than it does? Probably. I’ve seen some really nice ones out there, but the market is a fierce one.

Maybe it’s an identity crisis. Can anyone describe the Ibanez sound or feel in 50 words or less? What’s the opposite of iconic? Do Ibanez basses have a signature sound?

Daily driver bass. Easy playability; fast, technical neck. Lightweight instruments, modern tone. Basses that are made to be played, not admired. In one word, versatile.

I love my SR506 and I don't see myself ever getting rid of it. It is literally my daily driver and I'll use it until I can't. I will probably pick up more Ibanez instruments down the line; I love the way they play and feel (and I like the way they look). Keep them cheap! The value for the price can't be beaten.

 

[socialleper]

I think this might have a lot to do with it. I started getting into music at this time and Metal was what all us young kids at the time associated the brand with. This made a lot of us want Ibanez basses, but I think that was a double-edged sword too because it may have driven away a lot of folks who weren't into metal and that association may have stuck with many.
I wonder if others would agree that the prime of their legacy up until now was the late 70's with Musician basses and Artist guitars? Some big names were endorsing them then. Maybe they experienced a slump after that, tried to get into the rock/metal scene more and started offering more models to appeal to a wider clientele, maybe lowering prices to make their product more accessible? I don't know, just spit-balling ideas...

Their guitars have more of a legacy and hold their value more.
There are some late 70s early 80s designs that are still popular, but lets face it, they are not-a-Fender so there isn't a lot of value to that. There are dozens of those, as well as a painfully over saturated Fender market.
When it comes to basses there isn't a real "iconic" model or players. The one everyone probably remembers is Fieldy from Korn. So there you go. It isn't a fair assessment of the brand, but preceived value is everything in markets.

 

[Chrisk-K]

Ibanez is forever linked to hair metal and that’s why.

 

[mikewalker]

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'....

Not unlike the Toyota Corolla... there must be 30 different iterations of that, same name but different car almost every year (slowed down a bit recently!)

 

[DJ Bebop]

If my tax refund was higher last year,I might have owned an Ibby BTB676.

Thanks, Obama

, kiddin'

 

[DJ Bebop]

Not unlike the Toyota Corolla... there must be 30 different iterations of that, same name but different car almost every year (slowed down a bit recently!)

Isn't Fender doing that like, All The Time?

 

[mellowgerman]

Their guitars have more of a legacy and hold their value more.
There are some late 70s early 80s designs that are still popular, but lets face it, they are not-a-Fender so there isn't a lot of value to that. There are dozens of those, as well as a painfully over saturated Fender market.
When it comes to basses there isn't a real "iconic" model or players. The one everyone probably remembers is Fieldy from Korn. So there you go. It isn't a fair assessment of the brand, but preceived value is everything in markets.

I would probably consider Sting and his Musician bass to be the biggest bass legacy they have thus far. The Police were pretty big at that time. But yes, for the 90's definitely Fieldy haha ohhhh dear sweet Fieldy

 

[fhm555]

JOOC, what might you be looking for?

Riis

A pickguard for a Jet King would be a nice start. I can send out my old one and have one made but it would cost about half of what i paid for the bass, and i’ve followed every lead on the net from the official Ibanez parts catalog to Fred’s old git-tar parts. Basically anyone on the net claiming to have new and/or used Ibanez parts.

 

[Ellery]

Why don’t Ibanez basses hold their value. The prestige and premium bases would cost twice as much if made by other companies.

Stop complaining you'll drive up the prices!!

 

[Fender_Bender]

I asked a variant of this the other day querying whether the higher end Ibby’s had a lower resale than Fender etc. I guess this thread answers that. As a non Ibby owning outsider I concur with the idea of way too many models with abstract names that change yearly. I’m going to keep my eyes open for a used higher end model with exotic woods and Nordy’s etc. though.

 

[fhm555]

Why don’t Ibanez basses hold their value. The prestige and premium bases would cost twice as much if made by other companies.

Oh and BTW, the best bass player i know plays Ibanez basses. He’s the kind of guy who can walk in cold and play whatever is called for, or throw him into a trip hoppy bro countryish acid jazz improve and he’ll just fall in and lay a seamless foundation. I asked him why Ibanez and he said he started on them and could never find any reason to change.

 

[cool breeze]

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

EXACTLY! Thread closed.

 

[JDMcDorce]

I wonder if they'd benefit from the Fender/Squier, Gibson/Epiphone system, where the cheap ones don't reflect on the more-expensive ones.

Maybe, but it would probably take 20-30 years for it to become a factor in the value of used equipment. Not sure if MM/SUB or ESP/LTD splits help the MM or ESP resale values, then again, both are further down the list for overall market volume.

 

[Nev375]

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

This is how I feel about Darkglass pedals. I know they are good, but with the price of admission there's a lot of pressure to buy the RIGHT one. And then you worry they will release a better one next year which turns out to be the one you REALLY want.

Meanwhile there are other companies producing only one or two tried and true classics.