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Ibanez Ibanez Bass Workshop EHB1505 - Pacific Blue Burst Flat
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Description
Utilizing experience and knowledge up until now, Ibanez has developed ultimate ergonomic basses, the EHB basses, which feature the deeply considered headless design. The EHB's headless construction and specially designed body enable the player to maintain a similar playing position whether seated or standing. Its contoured, ergonomic design and chambered body make for a lightweight, well-balanced, and comfortable instrument that's excellent for long sets or practice session. There is extra carving on the back of the body behind the lower horn for easier upper fret access. Also, the top half of the back of the body is slanted which allows the bass to rest slight closer to the player's body for better control and a more ergonomic feel.
The EHB1505 features a stunning Poplar Burl top and an African Mahogany body for a warm tone with rich resonance. The 9-piece Panga Panga/Walnut neck provides superior note attack, tight lows and increased sustain with the Panga Panga fretboard. Highly durable stainless steel frets accentuate tonal brightness and will not rust. Luminescent side dot inlays provide clear visibility in dark environments and the truss rod adjustment is located at the end of neck for easy access.
The single-coil Nordstrand™ Big Split pickups feature split coils with hum cancelling construction for less noise. Its tone character is a hybrid P/J style and provides a rich and strong, yet well-balanced tone, which fits well with various kinds of playing styles. The Vari-mid 3-band EQ features a variable mid-frequency control which allows you to dial in an incredibly wide range of sounds. There is also an EQ bypass switch for passive operation with the treble control acting as a passive tone control when the EQ is bypassed.
The MR5HS bridge is designed especially for the EHB basses and features wide intonation range. Each bridge piece is independently and securely attached to the body for maximum vibration transfer, and the saddles are adjustable for string spacing +/-1.5mm, answering every bassist's individual string spacing demands, no matter what playing style. Teflon washers are used on each tuner for a smooth tuning action.
Schaller S-Lock strap lock pins and a Neutrik locking jack hold the strap and cable securely, and a detachable finger ramp and a gig bag are included with each instrument.
The EHB1505 features a stunning Poplar Burl top and an African Mahogany body for a warm tone with rich resonance. The 9-piece Panga Panga/Walnut neck provides superior note attack, tight lows and increased sustain with the Panga Panga fretboard. Highly durable stainless steel frets accentuate tonal brightness and will not rust. Luminescent side dot inlays provide clear visibility in dark environments and the truss rod adjustment is located at the end of neck for easy access.
The single-coil Nordstrand™ Big Split pickups feature split coils with hum cancelling construction for less noise. Its tone character is a hybrid P/J style and provides a rich and strong, yet well-balanced tone, which fits well with various kinds of playing styles. The Vari-mid 3-band EQ features a variable mid-frequency control which allows you to dial in an incredibly wide range of sounds. There is also an EQ bypass switch for passive operation with the treble control acting as a passive tone control when the EQ is bypassed.
The MR5HS bridge is designed especially for the EHB basses and features wide intonation range. Each bridge piece is independently and securely attached to the body for maximum vibration transfer, and the saddles are adjustable for string spacing +/-1.5mm, answering every bassist's individual string spacing demands, no matter what playing style. Teflon washers are used on each tuner for a smooth tuning action.
Schaller S-Lock strap lock pins and a Neutrik locking jack hold the strap and cable securely, and a detachable finger ramp and a gig bag are included with each instrument.
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Reviews
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3.0/ 5 2 Reviews
5 StarsLightweight & innovative Design
3 of 4 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Vaudreuil-Dorion, Quebec
This bass was very intriguing to me as it is compact and lightweight. If you ever play gigs 3+ hours of playing time, you know your shoulder does not appreciate a heavy bass with neck dive.
Sound-wise, I would say it is solid and uncoloured. Its somewhat generic and sterile, but you can sculpt the sound via the onboard EQ or at the amp. This may be a positive or negative depending on what you are going for. I see a lot of demos with distortion and heavy music. That's not really my thing, so can only say is sounds pretty good on more standard stuff. If anything, it has a slight mid forward character with the mahogany body and panga panga neck. Overall it is very clean and precise. I always appreciate active preamps that have a passive switch, so you don't get stuck if your battery dies.
The 34" B-string is decent. I may try some different strings. I think they come with D'Addario XL's. The B-string might benefit from a taper or exposed core. The 35" fanned fret model has a better sounding B-string, but I tried one and preferred the overall feel and sound of the standard straight fret model EHB1505, which surprised me a little as I am primarily a fanned fret player.
I am generally not a fan of burl tops, but think it looks good on the pacific blue burst. It looks like the Milky Way. The matt finish is not going to be as durable a poly finish, but it also does add a certain intimacy to the feel of the instrument. Same with the neck, it has a raw open pore feel with the panga panga (wenge) that some people will probably love or hate. If you absolutely need a smooth finish, you may want to look at the one of the models that have maple necks.
I think the string spacing of 18mm at the bridge and the neck are a good middle-of-the-road size; not too wide, not too narrow. The neck is a thick-ish C shape. Also not too thin or too thick, but definitely not like the SR series super thin (back to front) if that's your thing.
The glow-in-the-dark side dots are a nice touch, but the pearl fingerboard dots get lost a little and their positioning makes it so the B-string obscures them. I would have preferred the dots in the centre or a longer bar or oval shape for visibility.
The back has a wedge contour instead of the standard belly contour. It makes is sit a little differently when played standing on a strap. I don't know if that's better or not, but something you might want to consider.
The included Schaller Straplocks are a nice touch. Those are the ones I use and it's nice not to have to change out strap pins.
My bridge pickup did die on me and the bass had only been out of the house once and was pampered the whole time. L&M repaired it under warranty (as well as filed the fret sprout). Apparently, the wire from the pickup came off. Not a great sign for a bass in this price range.
Where this bass really shines is the weight. Mine comes in at 7.5 lbs which is really good for a 5-string with a full sized body. If you have shoulder and/or back problems, this about as good as it gets. If you are used to a 9.5 lb bass, this thing is going to feel like a feather.
The gig bag is an insult for a bass in this price range. Shame on you Ibanez! The gig bag is so cheap and flimsy and seems like it was made for a hollow body guitar. It has almost zero protection. I quickly sold mine for peanuts and replaced it with a Gator Transit guitar gig bag that is so much better.
So, overall I would say it is a good bass. You'd have to decide if it has the features you like and think are worth it, as it is not a cheap bass. I know the price of instruments have skyrocketed in the last few years or so, but I would have expected it to be lower for bass made in Indonesia. That being said, kudos to Ibanez for trying something significantly different and offering fanned fret versions of it. Now do something about that gig bag!
Sound-wise, I would say it is solid and uncoloured. Its somewhat generic and sterile, but you can sculpt the sound via the onboard EQ or at the amp. This may be a positive or negative depending on what you are going for. I see a lot of demos with distortion and heavy music. That's not really my thing, so can only say is sounds pretty good on more standard stuff. If anything, it has a slight mid forward character with the mahogany body and panga panga neck. Overall it is very clean and precise. I always appreciate active preamps that have a passive switch, so you don't get stuck if your battery dies.
The 34" B-string is decent. I may try some different strings. I think they come with D'Addario XL's. The B-string might benefit from a taper or exposed core. The 35" fanned fret model has a better sounding B-string, but I tried one and preferred the overall feel and sound of the standard straight fret model EHB1505, which surprised me a little as I am primarily a fanned fret player.
I am generally not a fan of burl tops, but think it looks good on the pacific blue burst. It looks like the Milky Way. The matt finish is not going to be as durable a poly finish, but it also does add a certain intimacy to the feel of the instrument. Same with the neck, it has a raw open pore feel with the panga panga (wenge) that some people will probably love or hate. If you absolutely need a smooth finish, you may want to look at the one of the models that have maple necks.
I think the string spacing of 18mm at the bridge and the neck are a good middle-of-the-road size; not too wide, not too narrow. The neck is a thick-ish C shape. Also not too thin or too thick, but definitely not like the SR series super thin (back to front) if that's your thing.
The glow-in-the-dark side dots are a nice touch, but the pearl fingerboard dots get lost a little and their positioning makes it so the B-string obscures them. I would have preferred the dots in the centre or a longer bar or oval shape for visibility.
The back has a wedge contour instead of the standard belly contour. It makes is sit a little differently when played standing on a strap. I don't know if that's better or not, but something you might want to consider.
The included Schaller Straplocks are a nice touch. Those are the ones I use and it's nice not to have to change out strap pins.
My bridge pickup did die on me and the bass had only been out of the house once and was pampered the whole time. L&M repaired it under warranty (as well as filed the fret sprout). Apparently, the wire from the pickup came off. Not a great sign for a bass in this price range.
Where this bass really shines is the weight. Mine comes in at 7.5 lbs which is really good for a 5-string with a full sized body. If you have shoulder and/or back problems, this about as good as it gets. If you are used to a 9.5 lb bass, this thing is going to feel like a feather.
The gig bag is an insult for a bass in this price range. Shame on you Ibanez! The gig bag is so cheap and flimsy and seems like it was made for a hollow body guitar. It has almost zero protection. I quickly sold mine for peanuts and replaced it with a Gator Transit guitar gig bag that is so much better.
So, overall I would say it is a good bass. You'd have to decide if it has the features you like and think are worth it, as it is not a cheap bass. I know the price of instruments have skyrocketed in the last few years or so, but I would have expected it to be lower for bass made in Indonesia. That being said, kudos to Ibanez for trying something significantly different and offering fanned fret versions of it. Now do something about that gig bag!
Posted by SMB on Apr 3, 2022
Cool Factor
1 of 3 customers found this review helpful
Features
Quality
Value
Overall
Product Experience I own it
Closest Store Ottawa, Ontario
I just bought this bass. The multi scale is awesome and new to me and the Pacific Blue Burst is beautiful. It has lots of options and nice hardware. I like the adjustable mid freq. Other than that though, its pretty boring. Comparing this to my SR1805 and BTB1805 it's not even in the same league (even though it has the same pickups at the SR). I'm not sure if its the wood, or lightened body but the tones don't even compare. The finder ramp wont adhere to the body due to the planes not lining up, I guess. It feels light and kind of cheap and the plastic knobs are a real let-down. I'm also very disappointed that this expensive bass ships in a guitar gig-bag.
Posted by Tyler on Jan 30, 2021
Available In Gear Hunter
Sale Price: $1,489.00
Store Location: Ontario, Peterborough, 129 Aylmer Street N, K9J 3J7
Email: [email protected]
Phone: (705) 742-5332
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| Product | SKU | Qty |
|---|---|---|
| Ibanez Bass Workshop EHB1505 - Pacific Blue Burst Flat | 720404 |
