Ibanez Updates BTB Premium Basses
After revamping their standard BTB line earlier this year, Ibanez has now announced an updated version of their BTB Premium basses for 2017. The new 1805E and 1806E BTB Premium basses feature the combination of a rosewood and ash body with a nine-piece wenge/bubinga/maple neck-through design. The neck is also reinforced with graphite rods.
They’ve also changed the pickups to a pair of Aguilar DCB’s matched to Ibanez’s active/passive 3-band EQ. A three-way switch toggles the mid-frequency between 250Hz, 450Hz, and 700Hz. Other upgrades include a refined body arch and a zero fret, which the company says gives open strings a “deeper, fretted tone.”
The Ibanez BTB Premium basses are available with prices of $1,599.99 for the 5-string and $1,699.99 for the 6-string.
Ibanez BTB1805E Premium Bass Specs:
| Construction: | Neck-Through |
| Strings: | 5 |
| Scale: | 35″ |
| Body: | Ash Wings |
| Top and Back: | Rosewood |
| Neck: | 9-piece Wenge/Bubinga/Maple w/Graphite reinforcement rods |
| Fretboard: | Rosewood |
| Frets: | 24 plus Zero Fret |
| Inlays: | Abalone Off-Set Dot |
| Pickups: | Aguilar DCB |
| Electronics: | Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ w/Mid frequency switch |
| Bridge: | Mono-rail V bridge (19mm string spacing) |
| Hardware Color: | Gold |
| Finish: | Natural Low Gloss |
Ibanez BTB1806E Premium Bass Specs:
| Construction: | Neck-Through |
| Strings: | 6 |
| Scale: | 35″ |
| Body: | Ash Wings |
| Top and Back: | Rosewood |
| Neck: | 9-piece Wenge/Bubinga/Maple w/Graphite reinforcement rods |
| Fretboard: | Rosewood |
| Frets: | 24 plus Zero Fret |
| Inlays: | Abalone Off-Set Dot |
| Pickups: | Aguilar DCB |
| Electronics: | Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ w/Mid frequency switch |
| Bridge: | Mono-rail V bridge (17mm string spacing) |
| Hardware Color: | Gold |
| Finish: | Natural Low Gloss |
In his time with No Treble, Kevin has met hundreds of amazing bassists and interviewed icons like Jack Casady, Victor Wooten, Les Claypool, Marcus Miller, and more. He's a gigging bassist performing jazz in Northern Virginia and bluegrass with The Plate Scrapers up and down the East Coast. Kevin appreciates all genres of music, from R&B to metal and everything in between. Connect with Kevin on Facebook and check his performance schedule on his website.
