New Ibanez EHBs for 2025

[visog]

Three new models announced... this my favourite wood top and Fishman pickups.

 

Others are here - scroll down to the basses: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/news/detail/20241119125609.html

 

[tauzero]

Their numbering system is getting more and more confusing. It was easy enough at the start, the 10 series was base level with Bartolini BH2s, the 15 series was prettier and with Nordstrands, the discontinued 1265 was in the middle with pretty woods and Bartolini BH2s. MS stood for multiscale, S for short-scale, SMS for short multiscale. Now there's the EHB5MSBSP - 5 strings, multiscale, Fishman pickups, painted, so where does it fit and what does BSP stand for? The 1135MS has a prettier finish and Bartolini pickups, so maybe that replaces the 1265, in between the 10s and 15s. And the 1675MS is presumably now the flagship instrument with the pretty body and Fishman pickups.

[LeftyJ]

That EHB5MSBSP though, with the blue hardware and pickups 

They introduced an RG guitar in that same livery too, but it's not on this page because the USA are not getting that model.

 

I'm mostly interested in the lefty version of the SRMS805! They already had a lefty EHB1005MS but I'm not thrilled by the design. The fanning is a bit more subtle on the SRMS (the G is 33" on the EHB and 34" on the SR, and the B is 35" on the EHB and 35.5" on the SR). Thomann already has it listed for €1249, which doesn't sound too bad. The EHB1005MSL is priced similarly at €1319. 

Edited January 13 by LeftyJ

[fretmeister]

I'm interested in the straight fret shortie 5 string. 30 inch all the way.

 

That looks great fun - and comes with good pickups this time!

[tempo]

No more wenge necks in the lineup. That was always the main attraction for me.

[tauzero]

4 minutes ago, tempo said:

No more wenge necks in the lineup. That was always the main attraction for me.

 

I don't remember there being wenge necks, although I have an unreliable memory. There was (and is) panga-panga though.

[tempo]

1 minute ago, tauzero said:

 

I don't remember there being wenge necks, although I have an unreliable memory. There was (and is) panga-panga though.

Sorry, I mean in the whole bass lineup, the prestige basses used to have the wenge/bubinga necks. Probably getting too expensive or scarce now.

[SumOne]

On 12/01/2025 at 17:00, visog said:

Three new models announced... this my favourite wood top and Fishman pickups.

 

Others are here - scroll down to the basses: https://www.ibanez.com/usa/news/detail/20241119125609.html

 

 

Looks good, but I think just traditional black pickups would look better - matching the rest of the hardware and similar to the darker wood stripes. 

 

I quite like the blue one with the pickups matching the fret markers and bridge and 'Ibanez' logo, seems more effort has gone into it all being one coherent look: 

 

 

....ideally I'd like that but as a purple/blue iridescent colour-shift. No point being reserved with this sort of bass!

 

An issue with the EHB1005MS I had though was how soft the matte paintwork is, was really easy to scratch and dent and within about 6 months it has quite significantly worn to a lighter colour where my thumb rubbed just above the B string, so hopefully this one has a bit more protection.

 

Or I like the look of the black one (it has cheaper Bartolini pickups though) apart from it being quite obvious the darker wood is just stuck on top.

 

 

I dunno, I like them all but none are quite what I'd want looks-wise. I'll be petitioning Ibanez for a purple iridescent one though! 

Edited Monday at 13:48 by SumOne

[Lfalex v1.1]

Might be some competition incoming in the form of the new Marcus Miller / Sire M6.

 

Headless. Multiscale (33-35)

 

4,5 & 6 string. 

[matbard]

I hoped in a 4 string EHB fretless