NBD: Sticking around.

[Rip Topaz]

I actually got this a couple weeks ago, but after spending some quality time with her, I've decided she's a keeper.

I got this in a trade, and given my track record with fivers, I wasn't expecting to fall in love.

Boy was I wrong. Something about that big chunk of fretboard keeps me reaching for it even over my P's. So totally different than the P's, with active electronics and dual humbuckers.

I've tried to make the switch to fivers before, and always end up coming back to my four stringers. Not this time. Don't get me wrong, I still love my passive Fenders, but this is just a fun bass.

So here we have it.

2004 Ibanez BTB405QM. Big ol' chunk of bass. The active vari-mid EQ is awesome. I can get any tone I want, after taking some time to get used to what she has to offer.

I've decided to hang into this one for awhile.

 

[Dr. Vegetable]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

That looks awesome. Tell me more about that bridge - is that really five pieces? That almost looks like you can bend the individual strings by pushing on the tabs?

Happy NBD!

 

[dystrust]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

That looks awesome. Tell me more about that bridge - is that really five pieces? That almost looks like you can bend the individual strings by pushing on the tabs?

Happy NBD!

It may not be exactly the same, but Hipshot makes individual string bridges like that. A potential downside is that when using them with passive pickups, the ground wire needs to touch each individual bridge / saddle. With actives, this isn't an issue.

 

[Rip Topaz]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

The bridges are Ibanez's Monorails. By using a separate bridge for each string, it supposedly isolates each string from sympathetic vibration, or something like that.

 

[Funkfingers]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

Several manufacturers produce those individual saddle units. One benefit is that luthiers can give bespoke customers whatever string spacing they desire.

 

[PipeRain]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

I was really leary of getting a fiver when I got my Jackson but I am really glad I did now. It's fast becoming my "Go-To" bass. Also I think those monorail bridges look hella cool.

 

[DBras]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

Sweet man! I have the same model in the purple finish. I fell in love too. Congrats man! It's the only bass you'll ever need again!

 

[JOLLY]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

I love those bridges like that. The first time I played a bass with a bridge like that was at NAMM a few years ago. It was on a high end Yamaha Nathan East Model. Man, that was one fantastic bass.

 

[Rip Topaz]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

Sweet man! I have the same model in the purple finish. I fell in love too. Congrats man! It's the only bass you'll ever need again!

Purple? I haven't seen a purple one. Can we see yours?

Lol. The only bass I'll ever NEED is my trusty 60th Anniversary P-bass, loaded with Chromes. But the BTB is a definite keeper, too.

This is my third try with five-string. The last two times I tried fivers, I sold them or traded them and returned to fours. This time, I'm loving the fiver's massive fretboard. I guess third time is a charm, or something like that.

I find it odd that as small as my hands are (I've got girly hands!), I always gravitate towards basses with huge necks. And let me tell ya, switching to my P after a few days with the BTB, and I can FLY around the P's neck. I really like the 35" scale. There's definitely a second BTB in my future, maybe a singlecut sixer.

 

[DBras]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.


Here she goes. It's a deep purple color

 

[Rip Topaz]

Re: NBD: Sticking around.

Nice!! I've heard lots of people say they look different under different lighting. But yeah, looks like purple to me.