New Ibanez Basses for 2017

Earlier this year, Ibanez announced a massive list of new instruments, such as the super aggressive RG6UCS, to be added to their catalog. Out of the 55 new instruments added, 15 of them are basses! Sometimes, we forget to show bass the love it deserves, so today, we’re going to go over some of the new basses Ibanez has graced us with this year!

Ibanez Thermo Aged AVCB9CE-NT:

The versatility of this bass is sure to meet the needs for anyone looking to buy an acoustic-electric bass. The instrument features a 32” scale neck, a Fishman Sonicore pickup, and an Ibanez AEQ-SP2 preamp with a 2-band EQ. The Carbon coating reduces fingering noise from the fretboard, and the Thermo Aged tonewood balances the high end and low end, giving this instrument a bright, clean tone.

Ibanez BTB845/BTB846:

These might just be the most beautiful basses Ibanez has created for 2017; both basses feature a stunning poplar burl top with a beautiful stain. A mahogany body and a 5-piece, 35” maple neck with a rosewood fingerboard provide a warm, clean tone. The basses feature Bartolini BH2 dual-coil pickups and the Custom Electronics 3-band EQ with a 3-way mid-frequency switch, giving these instruments a wide variety of tone options for the musician.

Ibanez Premium BTB1805E/BTB1806E:

Another beautiful instrument, this bass is available as both a 5 string model (BTB1805-NTL) and a 6 string model (BTB1806-NTL). The beautiful ash wing body gives this instrument tonal clarity while the rosewood top gives it a well-balanced tonal range. The 35” through neck is made of wenge, Bubinga, and maple with a rosewood fingerboard. The Aguilar DCB pickups with a 3-band EQ and 3-way mid-frequency switch promise diverse tone and versatility.

Ibanez SR650/SR655:

Like many of the new basses Ibanez features this year, this bass is available in both a 5 string model (SR650-ABS) and a 5 string model (SR655-ABS). The ash body of this bass gives this instrument tonal clarity and a distinct attack when it is played. The combination of P/J Nordstrand CND pickups gives this bass a unique sound that makes it suitable for any genre. The strong yet thin Jatoba/Bubinga neck offers superior playability and comfort for any musician.

Ibanez Premium SR1400-MLG:

Ibanez features its first gloss finish Premium SR bass with a stunning figured maple top lamination and a mahogany body. The Atlas-4 5 piece Wenge/Bubinga neck with a rosewood fingerboard has a slim grip shape, making this bass easy and comfortable to play. The bass also features Nordstrand “Big Single” pickups and Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ, along with a 3-way mid-frequency switch.

Ibanez 2nd Generation “Ashula” SRAS7 fretted/fretless hybrid:

Now this one is wild. This 7 string instrument gives players the option to play fretted or fretless in any situation without having to change instruments. This instrument features some improvements from the SR2010ASC, which was a 6 string bass with the G and C strings on the fretless end. The SRAS7-DEB features the fretless on the low end with an added A string. The fingerboard on the fretless is purpleheart, while the fretted end is rosewood. The different radii (-950mmR fretted, 0mmR fretless) allow a smooth and seamless transition between the two sections. The body of this instrument is ash with a poplar burl top and a Dragon Eye Burst finish. The fretted and fretless parts of this bass are also powered by different pickups; SRAS Super J for the fretted, and an Aerosilk Piezo system for the fretless. This bass really provides the ultimate variety in tonal options, and I’m really looking forward to giving it a try!

Ibanez Bass Workshop SRFF800 multi-scale:

This multi-scale bass creates a bright tone that really brings your playing to life. The ergonomic construction of the 34” neck features fanned frets that coordinate with the angle of the player’s hand, facilitating quick and smooth performance. The 5 piece neck is made with Jatoba/Bubinga. The instrument also features Bartolini BH2 pickups with an Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ.

Ibanez SRH500 hollowbody “Aerium”:

Not only does this bass look unique, but it provides a unique tone and sound to anyone who chooses to play it! This bass is made with a mahogany back and a spruce top to give the instrument a warm, acoustic sound with rich resonance. The elbow cut gives the instrument an elegant appearance and makes playing it a bit more comfortable. It also has an AeroSilk Piezo system to characterize its upright sound.

Ibanez Bass Workshop “SR Cerro” SRSC805:

Ibanez is proud to announce the first SR to feature a single-cut body design, made with mahogany wings and a poplar burl top. The 5 piece neck-thru is made with maple and a purpleheart fretboard, and the single-cut construction reinforces the neck even more. Bartolini MK-1 pickups with Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ and an EQ bypass switch and even a mid-frequency switch allow for precise tonal control and give bass players many different options to choose from. When the EQ is bypassed, the treble control becomes a tone control for the passive circuit.

Ibanez Talman Bass TMB600-NT:

The Talman bass series is part of a re-emergence of a historic Ibanez body shape with a retro look and incredible versatility, allowing this bass to be used in many different genres. A solid ash body gives this bass tonal clarity and a clean, precise attack. Nordstrand CND pickups with a P/J configuration give this bass a versatile setup with diverse tonal abilities. The pre-amp’s flexibility combined with the 2-band EQ and EQ bypass switch allow players to explore many tonal options in any genre.

As we’ve seen, we have a wide variety of new instruments to choose from when we’re looking for a new reliable bass. Ibanez has got a lot of great stuff in store for us this year, and we can’t wait to try their newest products!

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This article written by community contributor Beth McPherson.