Great video! I like how you addressed Ibanez's claim about being 'made for metal' and agree. A Darkglass tone capsule and some brighter pickups would sound awesome in that
I feel like I’m losing my mind. I’ve been watching a lot of demos for Ibanez basses and almost NO ONE in the comments has anything positive to say about bartolini pickups. I personally really like the bartolinis in both of my Ibanez basses. I don’t want a lot of top end, I want a thick, meaty sound for my tone, and bartolinis are good for that. I’ve listened to demos on BTBs with nordstrand pickups and I think they sound significantly worse and more plastic than the BTBs with bartolinis.
Ivan, together with LowEndLobster, you do maybe the most comprehensive bass reviews on UA-cam. I agree with the remark about the Bartolinis. Bartolinis in general are dark-sounding pickups - the MK1s found on most Ibanezes and Corts sound even darker than the BHs this one has. A complete opposite would be the "Nordwall Dingstrand" pickups made by Nordstrand, and trying to mimick the Dingwall sound. There is a girl somewhere here on youtube who has made a comparison between Bartolinis and the "Dingstrands" and the difference is abyssal. They would truly transform this instrurment.
@@IvanBassist Indeed as they are the same form factor. I found the video I told you about. I made a mistake - the initial pickups aren't Bartolinis but "Sandberg booster" pickups... but that just proves the point even more: ua-cam.com/video/v241vPOqCsI/v-deo.html
@@philipbinns6928 it's pretty good , the bass itself feels great and comfortable. iust don't like the pickups . They do sound a little rolled off like Ivan said .
I have the Iron Label SR and play in a bass and drums metal duo. The Bartolini's BH2 pickups are big enough sounding with just the two of us at live shows! The BH2's are darker but I mostly slap and play aggressive so I agree with you on the playing impact you have on the sound. I've had Nordtrand Ibanez basses and for live shows it was too scratchy/thin for a duo with no guitars to mix with but sounded great on it's own. I use a Bass Big Muff blended live, I guess it all depends on the playing context. Great demo Ivan, I might have to check out the BTB version!! Thanks.
I'm definitely interested in this bass. And I say that with the intention of swapping out the electronics. I think at it's price point that it'd be worth it. If anyone is wondering, the bh2 pickups are the D2 / P2 shape.
Great review! I own the same bass myself and I agree on pretty much everything you said! May I ask what distortion pedal are you using on it? I am not getting a good sound from the pedal i own at the moment!
Honestly wish Ibanez would send you more to review. So hard to get my hands on a BTB to try out, but at least based on this I can assume it is similar to all the other BTBs with Bart pickups. Besides for how smooth that neck is, I was able to try our a Soundgear Iron label and that neck and fretboard are so smooth. At this rate I am probably gonna end up with a BTB805MS, but the new BTB25THS might call my name first. Amazing review though! Got my like and subscription
BTBs in general should have a 4 string version... in addition I would say also options for passive pickups ONLY !! I had a BTB in the past, love the body design, but 35 inches length and 'only active' system made me sell the bass.
They chose these pickups to give their bass a darker sound for a reason: it is designed from the ground up as a metal bass. No single coils, only hum buckers, and dark sounding hum buckers for that reason; a metal bass. Also, it is only active pickups, again for that same reason; it is a metal bass. I trust that Ibanez knows what they are doing when they design any bass guitar or guitar. Tom Sisson
Hey man that was a great review and I’m thinking of getting one. Are those pickups thin sounding or do they have a fat bass response? You can never hear a pickup properly till you play it.
Muchas gracias por tus indicaciones , realmente me decidieron para comprarmelo y suscribo todas tus palabras , lo de sonido oscuro lo he arreglado con un previo externo Sadowsky , un saludo desde Spain.
@@IvanBassist Breaks are exclusively for fitting by Ibanez. A buyer looking to swap out the Barts might have to buy Big Splits or any of the other retail builds.
i bought it and returned it... First i dont feel comfy playing a 5 String, i tried it so many times, it just doesnt work. i dunno... An active/passiv Switch would help alot .. If they had a 4 String i'd buy immediatly but it looks like, i'll keep playing Metal on my Fender American Ultra P Bass...
Thank you! Could you tell me what the string spacing is like? I found it hard to slap on one 5 string I trialed because the strings were so closely spaced compared to a 4 string... Really wanted a proper demo, not one with effects, distortion and anything else that makes it impossible to get a feel of this instruments. This was great
The string spacing on the BTB625EX is 19mm. That’s the widest spacing on any 5-string I’ve ever encountered. By comparison, most Ibanez SR 5-strings use a string spacing of 16.5mm. Also, while the spacing on the BTB625EX’s MR5 bridge is fixed, the Premium-level BTBs come with the MR5S bridge which is adjustable up to +/- 1.5mm per string, so theoretically you can get even wider spacing with those basses.
@@peterd9427 A lot of 4 string basses do use 19mm spacing. However I can’t say whether or not “most” do ‘cause there are so many different 4 string models out there. I’ve seen plenty of 4 strings with 20mm spacing and others with 16.5mm spacing. And everything in between. The first bass I bought and learned on - a 4 string 1983 B.C. Rich Eagle - has 17.5mm spacing, so that spacing feels most natural to me, even when playing 5 string and 6 string basses, and especially when playing slap. String spacing is less critical to me when plucking. My current bass of choice is a 5 string Ibanez BTB605 Multiscale. It comes from the factory with 18mm spacing but that’s adjustable at the bridge. I have mine squeezed down to 17.5mm. Measuring the string spacing is easy: just take a ruler or caliper that’s calibrated in millimeters and measure from the center of one string to the center of a string next to it. Take this measurement at the saddles, meaning the portion of the bridge that moves up and down / forward and backward to facilitate adjustment of string height and intonation. You can double-check by measuring from the center of the E string to the center of the G string, then dividing by 3 (on a 4 string).
Thanks so much. I think I'll be fine with the 35" scale, but I mainly slap. The only 5 string I played had its strings too narrow for me the "pop" effectively. Who knows what the string spacing was, just much narrower than my 4 string! I'll measure my bass tonight :) I'm pretty sure I'll get this bass, but worried about buying it without trying it first, I always do... Love Primus' style so adding a low B will be fun whilst strumming the higher two strings. Thanks for the help
@@IvanBassistlate to the party but my research suggests this model is outfitted with the MR5 which is a static bridge horizontally. The MR5S which is the updated version has the side to side string spacing adjustment option. Drives me crazy because if this model had the MR5S and non-proprietary sized soapbar pickups, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. But it misses the mark because of it. I believe you can get a few models of US Bartolini's to fit for a swap, but I'm still looking for direct confirmation from someone who has done it outside of what the Bart website says.
Nice! Is it different to the one in this video? Cos the ones I seen for sale aren’t like this. The finish in the same but the shape is slightly different, the electronics are different and the fretboard has an angled type of design…
Yeah this would have been better with Fishman or EMGs or even those nordstrand. Not to say the pickups are terrible just not really Iron Label material.
@@IvanBassist I agree, I even owned an ibanez myself as my first 5 string. It is not that they sound bad, but they usually don't click with me. On the other hand I really want to try out the sr mezzo after seeing your review now. I like that mid scale boominess it has, very nosy sound with nice trebble. And most other mid scale basses are in higher price ranges. Also I have tiny, inflexibel hands and learned some chordal playing lately and for a few tracks had to tune down to D and use a capo on E or they would have been completely unplayable to me. So maybe it might be a worthy investment.
I don't think it sounded dark. I think it sounded extremely thin! A guitar will eat this alive if it's set up to sound so thin. At 1st the bass was turned up And then the bottom kept falling out and it sounded like a dying ukulele!! Bass guitar for metal can rock without neutering the sound. And the black hardware and black body.. A waste of time . This bass would be drowned by a high hat plead with popsicle sticks! Turn up the low end and bring the thunder!!
@@IvanBassist I've had 3 btbs and I keep returning for them because of the feel but every time I get disappointed of the pickups, thank God there are some options to replace them awful pickups
Great video! I like how you addressed Ibanez's claim about being 'made for metal' and agree. A Darkglass tone capsule and some brighter pickups would sound awesome in that
Indeed! Some fishman or nordys would be nice
Finally someone made a demo - thank you! I am going to purchase this bass 100% 🖤
Awesome! Let me know how you like it once it arrives!
Thanks, Ivan. That's about the coolest bass ever! I like demos like yours where guys review products with great playing. It's like a lesson!
Thanks for the kind words, Marc! I appreciate it!
I think we can all appreciate the honesty of this review. Great playing as always (both the metal intro and groovy “outro”). Enhorabuena!
Bedankt!!
@@IvanBassist 😂😂😂 don’t speak Dutch, left the Netherlands when I was a baby… pero español si! Así que ahí va: de nada hombre! 😜
@@thewetterbass valio la pena el esfuerzo 😂😂😂
I feel like I’m losing my mind. I’ve been watching a lot of demos for Ibanez basses and almost NO ONE in the comments has anything positive to say about bartolini pickups. I personally really like the bartolinis in both of my Ibanez basses. I don’t want a lot of top end, I want a thick, meaty sound for my tone, and bartolinis are good for that. I’ve listened to demos on BTBs with nordstrand pickups and I think they sound significantly worse and more plastic than the BTBs with bartolinis.
Agree 100%
That’s great, though. You don’t have to worry about having to upgrade your pickups 😁😁
The BH2 Bartolini Ibanez started using a couple years ago sound way better than the MK1 Bartolini they were using for awhile too.
@@nickpicc yeah I have one mk1 bass and an mk2 bass and there’s a significant difference in clarity
Agree with you. 👍
Ivan, together with LowEndLobster, you do maybe the most comprehensive bass reviews on UA-cam.
I agree with the remark about the Bartolinis. Bartolinis in general are dark-sounding pickups - the MK1s found on most Ibanezes and Corts sound even darker than the BHs this one has. A complete opposite would be the "Nordwall Dingstrand" pickups made by Nordstrand, and trying to mimick the Dingwall sound. There is a girl somewhere here on youtube who has made a comparison between Bartolinis and the "Dingstrands" and the difference is abyssal. They would truly transform this instrurment.
Thanks!
Luckily, changing pickups is an easy mod 😁
@@IvanBassist Indeed as they are the same form factor. I found the video I told you about. I made a mistake - the initial pickups aren't Bartolinis but "Sandberg booster" pickups... but that just proves the point even more:
ua-cam.com/video/v241vPOqCsI/v-deo.html
I love how you cant be bought, even though they sent it to you for free, you were so completely honest and still had good criticisms
Ingretity and transparency are very important ☝🏽
I have this bass coming in today to me from Germany 🔥 can't wait to play it ! Great review by the way 🤘
Awesome! Let me know what you think once it arrives :)
how do you like it?
@@philipbinns6928 it's pretty good , the bass itself feels great and comfortable. iust don't like the pickups . They do sound a little rolled off like Ivan said .
Well articulated and insightful review, some of the best on UA-cam!!
Thanks for the kind words! Glad to hear you liked it!
I have the Iron Label SR and play in a bass and drums metal duo. The Bartolini's BH2 pickups are big enough sounding with just the two of us at live shows! The BH2's are darker but I mostly slap and play aggressive so I agree with you on the playing impact you have on the sound. I've had Nordtrand Ibanez basses and for live shows it was too scratchy/thin for a duo with no guitars to mix with but sounded great on it's own. I use a Bass Big Muff blended live, I guess it all depends on the playing context.
Great demo Ivan, I might have to check out the BTB version!! Thanks.
Thanks for watching! Those new BTBs look pretty awesome
The best bass review i have ever seen. Thank you
Thank you for watching! :)
Thank you for the honest review, I am torn between this one and the BTB805MS-TGF and now I tend more to the latter one.
Happy to help!
Me encanta ese bajo!! Muy buen Review! 👏👏
Gracias, Sergio!
I'm definitely interested in this bass. And I say that with the intention of swapping out the electronics. I think at it's price point that it'd be worth it. If anyone is wondering, the bh2 pickups are the D2 / P2 shape.
Great review! I own the same bass myself and I agree on pretty much everything you said! May I ask what distortion pedal are you using on it? I am not getting a good sound from the pedal i own at the moment!
I agree with having the option of different pickups. I don’t like the bartolini’s but would love Nordstrands
my absolute dream bass
Honestly wish Ibanez would send you more to review. So hard to get my hands on a BTB to try out, but at least based on this I can assume it is similar to all the other BTBs with Bart pickups. Besides for how smooth that neck is, I was able to try our a Soundgear Iron label and that neck and fretboard are so smooth. At this rate I am probably gonna end up with a BTB805MS, but the new BTB25THS might call my name first.
Amazing review though! Got my like and subscription
Thanks for the support!
BTBs in general should have a 4 string version... in addition I would say also options for passive pickups ONLY !! I had a BTB in the past, love the body design, but 35 inches length and 'only active' system made me sell the bass.
Agreed. Well, they’ve built a 4 string version for the bass player of Tesseract. Maybe a production series of that will come :)
You could have nodded it passive very easily. The pickups are passive. Only the preamp is active and would have needed to be removed.
@@bobbyzig3879 Thanks Bobby. I have spelled it was also because of the scale length!
The composite fret board is interesting wonder how it would hold up long term.
I have owned a few Ergo 905s & currently own one. They are upwards of 20yrs old. Still feels NEW. LOOKS new.
They chose these pickups to give their bass a darker sound for a reason: it is designed from the ground up as a metal bass. No single coils, only hum buckers, and dark sounding hum buckers for that reason; a metal bass. Also, it is only active pickups, again for that same reason; it is a metal bass. I trust that Ibanez knows what they are doing when they design any bass guitar or guitar.
Tom Sisson
It’s not active pickups. It has an active preamp.
I've always wanted an all black BTB. Wish I could find one to try. Who knows when they'll be available,
Would love a review of the SR Iron Label, it's multi-scale and has passive mode, seems there are almost no videos of it on yt.
Hey man that was a great review and I’m thinking of getting one. Are those pickups thin sounding or do they have a fat bass response? You can never hear a pickup properly till you play it.
They do have a fat response
@@IvanBassist cool thanks keep up the good work
Good video! Is this bass light or heavy? I know it's Mahogany but some instruments made with that wood don't really feel that heavy.
I don’t remember unfortunately
Very good review. Do you know is that only made for 5 strings or is there 4 string version available?
I believe there’s only a 5 string version available
How does this compare to the IBANEZ SRMS625EX?
Hey Ivan! What kind of guitar strap are you using in this video?
You mean the one at the end of the video? That’s a Gruvgear SoloStrap Neo
@@IvanBassist Nice! Thx!
Real cool and raunchy sound!
Muchas gracias por tus indicaciones , realmente me decidieron para comprarmelo y suscribo todas tus palabras , lo de sonido oscuro lo he arreglado con un previo externo Sadowsky , un saludo desde Spain.
Saludos!!
Big Breaks would be better for it. Good review, Ivan.
Yeah, those would be a good alternative!
Thanks for watching, Mike!
@@IvanBassist Breaks are exclusively for fitting by Ibanez. A buyer looking to swap out the Barts might have to buy Big Splits or any of the other retail builds.
i bought it and returned it... First i dont feel comfy playing a 5 String, i tried it so many times, it just doesnt work. i dunno... An active/passiv Switch would help alot .. If they had a 4 String i'd buy immediatly but it looks like, i'll keep playing Metal on my Fender American Ultra P Bass...
I realy like your pratice bass line for the sound exemple. Can you share it?
Thank you! Could you tell me what the string spacing is like? I found it hard to slap on one 5 string I trialed because the strings were so closely spaced compared to a 4 string... Really wanted a proper demo, not one with effects, distortion and anything else that makes it impossible to get a feel of this instruments. This was great
This one has a much wider spacing than the SR series by Ibanez. Pretty comfortable!
The string spacing on the BTB625EX is 19mm. That’s the widest spacing on any 5-string I’ve ever encountered. By comparison, most Ibanez SR 5-strings use a string spacing of 16.5mm.
Also, while the spacing on the BTB625EX’s MR5 bridge is fixed, the Premium-level BTBs come with the MR5S bridge which is adjustable up to +/- 1.5mm per string, so theoretically you can get even wider spacing with those basses.
@@oil_can Thank you! Is it true that most 4 strings also have a 19mm spacing? (I'm not sure how to measure my 4 string.)
@@peterd9427
A lot of 4 string basses do use 19mm spacing. However I can’t say whether or not “most” do ‘cause there are so many different 4 string models out there. I’ve seen plenty of 4 strings with 20mm spacing and others with 16.5mm spacing. And everything in between.
The first bass I bought and learned on - a 4 string 1983 B.C. Rich Eagle - has 17.5mm spacing, so that spacing feels most natural to me, even when playing 5 string and 6 string basses, and especially when playing slap. String spacing is less critical to me when plucking.
My current bass of choice is a 5 string Ibanez BTB605 Multiscale. It comes from the factory with 18mm spacing but that’s adjustable at the bridge. I have mine squeezed down to 17.5mm.
Measuring the string spacing is easy: just take a ruler or caliper that’s calibrated in millimeters and measure from the center of one string to the center of a string next to it. Take this measurement at the saddles, meaning the portion of the bridge that moves up and down / forward and backward to facilitate adjustment of string height and intonation.
You can double-check by measuring from the center of the E string to the center of the G string, then dividing by 3 (on a 4 string).
Thanks so much. I think I'll be fine with the 35" scale, but I mainly slap. The only 5 string I played had its strings too narrow for me the "pop" effectively. Who knows what the string spacing was, just much narrower than my 4 string!
I'll measure my bass tonight :)
I'm pretty sure I'll get this bass, but worried about buying it without trying it first, I always do...
Love Primus' style so adding a low B will be fun whilst strumming the higher two strings.
Thanks for the help
Do you think it'd be better to buy this bass than a stingray special?
Those are two very different sounding basses. What are you looking for?
@@IvanBassist a bass that would be good for metal and rock while not being too aggressive. I also plan to detune a lot
@@anotakudetective1546 Check the new BTBs fanned fret if you plan to detune quite a bit
@@IvanBassist I usually play my bass guitars up high on a strap. Would a 37 inch be comfortable for that?
How does the btb iron label cost.
I have this bass, this is monster guitar bass
Awesome! Hope you're enjoying it! 🤘🏽🤘🏽
Dude! Did you see the new multiscale BTBs?
Yep. They look good
Is the string spacing at the bridge adjustable to 17mm?
Not sure. Ibanez website probably has that info :) I believe you can move the saddles 1.5mm to either side, but don’t quote me on that
@@IvanBassistlate to the party but my research suggests this model is outfitted with the MR5 which is a static bridge horizontally. The MR5S which is the updated version has the side to side string spacing adjustment option. Drives me crazy because if this model had the MR5S and non-proprietary sized soapbar pickups, I'd buy it in a heartbeat. But it misses the mark because of it. I believe you can get a few models of US Bartolini's to fit for a swap, but I'm still looking for direct confirmation from someone who has done it outside of what the Bart website says.
What is the weight on this bass, i have a bad back and weight is very important
I don’t remember. Sorry! Try to find a local dealer and ask them if possible
VERY GOOD BASS
Thanks!
Just got mine
Congrats!
@@IvanBassist it gives me bruise in arms because of the body shape edges. And i dont like locking jack but other than that it is awsome
Nice! Is it different to the one in this video? Cos the ones I seen for sale aren’t like this. The finish in the same but the shape is slightly different, the electronics are different and the fretboard has an angled type of design…
I wish they'd make bolt on 4 string))) also, Ivan, it is a great demo and video!
Thanks! A 4 string would be cool!
Dat lick at 0:32 ❤️
B7b9 b13 🔥🤘🏽
@@IvanBassist The perfect excuse to play whatever your heart desires! 🔥
usas calibre .40 o .45?
45
Big fan of bartolini pickup, but Bh2 and mk1 are just to muddy for me
I agree ☝🏽
Yeah this would have been better with Fishman or EMGs or even those nordstrand. Not to say the pickups are terrible just not really Iron Label material.
Yeah! Fishmans would have been cool!
I'm totally agree with you
На новый год подарил себе такой бас. Осталось подарить себе комбо-усилитель под стать. Автору канала спасибо, и успехов
Hi dude. This bass from Indonesia?
I believe so, yes
Yeah I feel like most other pickups even in Bartolini would be better
I dont like the lock in the jack. And the edgy body.. the rest is good 😊
Oof! Good tone
Gnarly, right?
I don't know why but I have never heard an ibanez bass and thought wooow I want that bass. They sound kinda lifeless to me
And that’s alright. That’s why there are so many different brands out there 🤘🏽
@@IvanBassist I agree, I even owned an ibanez myself as my first 5 string. It is not that they sound bad, but they usually don't click with me.
On the other hand I really want to try out the sr mezzo after seeing your review now. I like that mid scale boominess it has, very nosy sound with nice trebble. And most other mid scale basses are in higher price ranges.
Also I have tiny, inflexibel hands and learned some chordal playing lately and for a few tracks had to tune down to D and use a capo on E or they would have been completely unplayable to me.
So maybe it might be a worthy investment.
Ibanez makes a metal af bass... proceeds to put the bartolinis they put in all their basses. Come on.
nope-- they put Aguilars too
wake up
I don't think it sounded dark. I think it sounded extremely thin! A guitar will eat this alive if it's set up to sound so thin. At 1st the bass was turned up And then the bottom kept falling out and it sounded like a dying ukulele!! Bass guitar for metal can rock without neutering the sound. And the black hardware and black body.. A waste of time . This bass would be drowned by a high hat plead with popsicle sticks! Turn up the low end and bring the thunder!!
Strings are not black
😂😂😂 Get some DR Black Beauties and you’re good
Kind of a bummer these basses are just black an not really that different from the standards
Yeah. I wish they added some extra exclusive goodies to this model!
Bass is not meant to be bright.
When is Ibanez wonna stop using those horrendous pickups? Worst pickups for the genre
They even use them on some of their prestige models, haha. I guess they have some sort of deal with them 🤷🏽♂️
@@IvanBassist I've had 3 btbs and I keep returning for them because of the feel but every time I get disappointed of the pickups, thank God there are some options to replace them awful pickups
They do sound a lot brighter with Nordys:
ua-cam.com/video/-SqBYh8Y2kI/v-deo.html
@@IvanBassist They use custom US made Bartolini on the prestige models. Sound way different (and better)