Ibanez BTB406QM 6-String

6 string bass with passive pickups, 18-volt active 3-band electronics with stacked mid with selectable frequency (you may even dial into some kind of funk-wah tone) and a "mono-rail" bridge system which has individual saddles for each strings and actually is very easy to work with when changing the strings. This bass comes with a Neutrik cable plug (locks the cable in - thats' a plus point). Finish was Translucent Blue, headstock and body color matching.

This bass, for the price, sounds GIGANTIC - especially the B-String (kinda like the voice of God!), great high and low frequency dial, added with the VariMid pot (where I did mention some kind of funk-wah tone can be produced =D). It's very easy to adjust your sound wherever and however you play and you'll always be able to cut through the whole band, what more it even cuts thru' small amps like a Fender Bassman 60.....

The set-up was already great when I was trying it out in the shop, what more I did not feel as much of left palm strain dealing with a 6-stringer like BTB406, and in fact, taking its string spacing (17.5mm on the bridge, something like Yamaha's latest BB Series' 5-stringers) into account, I would say that for a 6-string spaced like this, it fit my left hand JUST NICE and EXCELLENT, even for slapping, it generally feels more roomy compared to the Soundgear 5's and 6's....I have played thumped full 19mm spacing 6-stringers like the old Yamaha TRB6 and 6P and after a while, its neck width can tire my hands a wee bit, but I've learnt to get over that hitch over the years.....

Please take GOOD n' PRECIOUS care of this babe and it will surely rock on age to age........if I were to trade off my current 4 and 5-stringers, and if the BTB406 is ever available in Malaysia, I'd go for it....but even if only the 5-string version is available, I may still go for it........

N/c - Bentley Music's generally OK

I have been playing 4, 5 and 6 string basses for nearly 13 years now, and when it was first launched, I think in 2002, I had been pining hard for that model to arrive on Malaysian shores for a long time....comparing this bass with its peers like the Yamaha RBX775, I STRONGLY BELIEVE that soundwise, this BTB will sure emerge victorious - HANDS DOWN! Practically, any type of sound ranging from midrangy funk to boomy, thumping and balladic lows can be dialled quite easily - what more lesser hassle regarding the input jack - Neutrik's a great answer indeed!

Not sure of the year, but i traded for this bass recently. Basswood body, quilt maple top, active pickups, 24 frets, 35" scale, yadda yadda, same as the other ones listed here. 5 pc. Maple/Walnut bolt on neck, 2 soapbar p-ups.. etc.. The only thing i'm not hip on is the finish. very thin, cracked slightly when i accidentally dropped my super light tuner on it. Really dig the neutrik locking cable jack, helps for a stage nomad like me. The neck is perfect; it's wide but feels more than comfortable (how many people really play the 22nd fret on the B string anyway??), level frets, might change the nut out for a brass one. Knobs feel kinda flimsy, but whatever... no case, but i have an extra.. It's a solid 8..

TONS of tonal varieties. 18 volt preamp, bass/treble cut & boost, sweepable mid function. took me a while to get it dialed (I'm a Fender player for 18 years, this was my first active bass), but it's awesome. I run through a GK 800RB w/ ampeg SVT410E, it really helps cut through two LOUD rock guitarists. wish it had a passive option, might have one added. sounds very big, the bass boost is room shaking (i was dubbed "BassZilla" by the sound guy at the last show)... Haven't tried recording with it yet, i will soon.

Not sure of factory set-up, but i needed to adjust the action slightly after the trade. The truss-rod held solid on the trip from Philly to me in San Diego. Again, the finish is my only real gripe. Definitely the only real sign it's a "budget-bass". Everything else is solid, might switch out the plastic nut to a brass nut to increase sustain. Just for giggles i might try a Warmoth 6 string body and switch out the neck, hardware, and electronics.. just a thought... give it a 7 for the weak finish and dent-sensitive body

So far so good. 3 live shows and no neck movement, Hardware seems solid enough. One strap button has already stripped after the 3 gigs (remember it was a used bass when i got it), so i gotta get that changed up. Haven't needed a backup at all. Again, the finish is my gripe. give it a 7 again for finish and damn stripped strap button...

nope.. not yet...

I know i threw out some 7's here, but overall the bass is an 8. Don;t know if i would buy the same model, but it's a GREAT 6'er for someone who wants to break into the world of "the six". The wide spacing is very familiar and the weight is more than comfortable.

First, I need to say that I bought this bass from an individual that had it defretted. So my opinion may not be "paralelled" to the others here.

6 string bass, passive pickups, active electronics with a stacked mid with selectable frequence (very nice) and a "mono-rail" bridge system which has individual saddles for each strings and actually is very easy to work with when changing the strings. Neutrik cable plug (locks the cable in). Very handy if, like me, you always forget to hook the jack in your strap.

This bass, for the price, sounds like a ton of bricks. Especially with the VariMid pod. It's very easy to adjust your sound wherever you play and you'll always be able to cut through the whole band. The bass had been defretted so, I can say that the sound is pretty warm and round. For the price, I just think you can't get anything better. Anything. I just can't wait to have enough $$$ to buy a fretted one.

Since it was defretted, the action was probably improved a lot since the strings don't have to get in contact with any frets. And that's what the seller told me too. But so far, the paint looks good and the neck doesn't bend that much with the changing of seasons we have here in Canada. I even made a little knit on the bass on my drummer's hardware and the paint stayed. Usually, when you've got cheap paint on an instrument, if you make a bump in the wood, the paint tends to lift. But the finish looks pretty good and sticks to the bass. The pickups sound even through all the strings and I didn't see any dead spots so far.

This bass looks like it's as solid as steel. It fell off the back of the stage, banged on my drummer's stands multiple times and my 8 years old son even made it fall of it's stand and still lives.

Never had to deal with them at all.

I've got 6 basses. And I consider that one in my bunch of top end basses (Including my $2500 custom hand made). I never do a gig without it. I never go to the studio without it. I'm very curious about how the higher quality BTB1006 sounds like compared to that one. If you want to get into the 6 stringed bass world and you don't know which one to buy, this is one you should consider. You get more than what you pay for (even new at $875 CAD).

it has 24 frets, lonf scale i think, and a kinda blacky blue finish to it. but you get the general idea of features from the other reviews

the guy who said he couldnt tell the differenve between a more expensive 6 string has hit the nail on the head! with a new set of strings on this, it'l sound as good a anything really, the eq knob gives alot of deep end, and the bass boost and treble boost give a lot of control! in fact if u turn the outer knob on the eq thing while playin, you get a cool wah wah sort of sound! useless, but always a cool thing to lighten the mood in a heavy practice! :-p

the action is really low, and allows u to shred on this thing! the strings are a bit close together for slappin (my opinion) but thats qhy iv got a 4 string! the finish seems to be good but the neck is abit rough, and the nut is plastic, and dosnt the most sturdy of things, might get that replaced, but overall the thing looks great, and feels sturdy. the knobs are plastic too i think, and might get replaced too

iv played this with many gigs, and its always withstood anything iv put it through! I'd have not problems with not bringing a spare, but i always have a 4string for slapping songs anyway!

never need to use it

over all i think this is a smashing bass for the cash, sounds great, feels great, looks great! and even if you dont wanna play a 6 string, ou should get one of these, just to look cool!

Crafted in Korea, transparent blue finish; and everything else is the same as other users have stated or as described on the Ibanez website.

Some points I wish to add:

1. The EQ controls are indeed as good as others have said.

2. The 24th fret only works properly on the C string; awkward to play on the G string and is almost useless on the D string. However, I doubt that this will cause any major problem for me or anyone.

3. The back of the neck is not very nicely made. There's no oil finish and the feels pretty rough. In this particular respect the instrument does present itself as a budget instrument. But hey, you can't ask for everything if you've only paid such an incredibly low price for a 6 string.

The music I play on the bass spans from Rock to Extreme Metal to Jazz to Classical, and I doubt that there's anything this bass can't handle.

Before I bought it I'd also tried out Yamaha TRB6 II, and even though the TRB did feel like a 'more expensive' instrument (you can tell the difference by the look, the controllers, the tuning nuts, etc.), the sound of the two was, surprisingly, not that different. In fact, I tried out both on the same day and couldn't tell any difference between the two as far as the sound goes. Moreover, the EQ controls on this bass does allow you to get a huge variety of tones out of it.

Great sound; both slappable and tappable. I wouldn't go as far as saying that this bass plays like a dream, but it's not that far from it.

The set-up was already great when I was trying it out in the shop. The low B is pretty tight and doesn't rattle a lot as long as you don't play it too hard.

Not many flaws to be found except for the slightly 'cheap' quality of the neck.

The transparent finish is beautiful.

Can't make any useful comments here, because I've only owned it for 2 days!!

The reason for my rushed review is given below in the 'Overall Rating' section.

1 year warranty and 1 year free set-up from the shop.

Firstly, I'd just like to explain why I write this product review when I've only owned it for 2 days. I'd been doing quite a lot of research on the net before I bought this bass. With as low a budget as 800 pounds and a strong desire for a six string, the Ibanez turned out to be the best choice at the time. However, after phoning, emailing, as well as visiting at three major bass retailers in the UK and a not as big local shop, I realised that this bass is quite difficult to get hold of in the country: I've even heard from the small shop that Ibanez had discontinued this model! At first I wanted to get the black one, but none of the retailers could get hold of one and only one of them had this 6-string model in stock (which is the shop I bought this bass from). Hence I think if anyone in the UK is in the same kind of situation as I was, I'd urge him/her to buy this bass if he/she sees one!

I've been playing for five years. Apart from the 4 string Squire Precision which I bought (and paid 285 pounds for) when I started on the bass, I own no other bass and have never laid my hands on any real high-end instruments (the Yamaha TRB6 II I tried out before buying this bass is probably the most expensive bass I've ever played!) The Squire is my first love, and I still love it. But the number of frets (19) and the neck-bending problem it's been having, plus the urge and the feel of a real need for a six string, made me decide it's time to get myself a second bass. And so far I'm most glad that I bought this bass: it is really fantastic value for the money paid and the best thing I can ask for.

If it were stolen or lost, I wouldn't buy it again but would lock my self in my room and cry, because I don't have the money. However, if were asked to choose again which 6 string to buy, I'd stick with this one for sure!

Passive single coil pickups, 18v circuit, 35" scale, monorail bridge, basswood bosy with a thin flame maple top

Out of the boox, the major problem with this bass is the slapdash approach to the electronics. The preamp has been poorly wired and the control cavity has no shielding whatsoever. The hollow plastic nut doesn't help either. However, #100 will fixc all of the above problems - get a decent nut fitted, copper foil in the control cavity and a decent setup and it's a very different beast.

The stock strings are awful, the intonation is usually out and the action poor. Still, this is what I'd expect on any budget instrument. As I said #100 will sort this out.

This bass is very well put together. I haven't owned it that long - 7 months - but it has been carted round parts of Europe in a gig bag without problems.

N/A. I've never had a problem with Ibanez basses and if I did, I'd take them back to the store

This is a good bass. It's quite an impressive looking instrument with an attractive finish.

i like it, smaller people may not enjoy this though as its a very large bass to handle.

i cant find a single flaw in this guitar.

cant argue. i did have to get my own strings before it was perfect though, but the default set are never good so i cant hold anything against it.

mine was in perfect condition when i got it BUT thats probably just because of the music store i got it from. they had already adjusted it so i really cant say that its perfect from the start.

in my opinion its a 10 from the moment i got it, for everyone else it might be a bit different.

ive already put this thing through a torture test and its holding up well. not a single scratch on it. its hit a few walls, amps, doors etc etc and i cant find a single dent. i do keep extra batteries around though, as that sort of thing just happens and there is nothing you can do about it.

im not sure as i have a outstanding music store that has done a great job keeping it in prime condition and tweaking it to the most minor details so im happy.

FOR THE PRICE this bass, in my mind, is perfect. im not saying its the greatest bass ever and everyone should play one, but for the price i paid i must say its an excellent bass.

the only thing i dislike about this bass is the bridge, the mono-rail bridge. its supposed to stop strings vibration from interferring with other strings but it doesnt really help that much i find.

NOTE: i do realize that i gave it all 10s, for the $835 i payed for it its a perfect 10. im simply judging by its value vs the price

Korean made 6 strings bass, basswood body with flamed maple top, transluscent dark blue color and matching headstock. Maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, 35" lenght, 24 frets on C,G,D strings, 23 on A,E,B strings, large string spacing (very close to a 4 strings, the same as my Yamaha basses. Controls are pickup blend, volume, low, high, mid + frequency pot. 2 9V batteries needed, and a screwdriver to open the batteries compartiment :-( . Locking output jack.

Can I ask for more?? I'd love it with an ebony fingerboard.

I have to admit I'm disapointed by the sound. Maybe I should adjust the pickups or check the batteries, But It doesn't sound as good as the 4 strings and the 6 strings I tried in another shop. The sound is a bit "muddy". The high contrl is too high to clean the sound, and the bass control is more "low-mid" than "bass". The parametric mid control helps to get "The" sound. My Yamaha RBX765A bass is more versatile. Gotta check those pickups. I play different kind of music, from funk to blues and hard/prog rock. My amps are Hartke 1400 in a 4*10" cab, Trace Elliot SMX 250W with 15" speaker, or the practise amp trace elliot boxer65. I feel like something is missing in the sound when I play alone, but the bass sounds great with the band (Guitar+drums). Sounds great in slap, and the string spacing is big enough to play a lot!

Great action!! The right string height for the neck. The neck is quite wide, and long (35" scale). No adjustement needed. Plays like a dream (and yes, I have big hands). I'll have to adjust the pickups because I don't like the sound I have now. And move the pickup blend pot and the volume pot. I use the blend pot a lot and it's the one in the middle, where you can't get it easily.
The finish is almost perfect. The plastic nut was not cleanly cut, the power wires in the electronic compartment are not well isolated, but the rest is great.

Still not tried to play live, I got to get used to that 6th string before... The finish on the body doesn't seem to be very hard, and there are already a few fingernail scratches above the pickups! The strap buttons are large enough to hold the bass when you (try to) jump on stage. Seems to be built for a thousand years.

No contact, and hope I'll never have to ;-)
1 Year warranty.

I'm playing bass for 8 years now. I own an old ibanez 4 strings (with new Basslines pickups), Yamaha RBX765A 5 strings (my main fretted bass. The best, I only whish it had a 35" scale...) Yamaha TRB5FII (5 strings fretless, 35" scale) Status Energy 4 strings (The slap&tap bass). I also have a warwick quadruplet tube preamp and an old boss me8B multi effect. I wanted to go to 6 strings for some songs. I tried Hohner B-Bass, Cort, Yamaha TRB6, Yamaha RBX6 John Myung, Aria, Washburn. I love the 35" scale, so, no hohner, no cort, no aria, no washburn. The TRB was too expensive at the time. The best was the Yamaha Jong Myung (AAAAAAAAhhh the ebony fingerboard) but weight too heavy!! Then I tried the Ibanez BTB6 in a shop in Germany. Not very light but not as much as the RBX6JM! I just wish the one I bought here in Belgium had the same sound as the one I tried in Germany.
In summary, great 6 strings bass, but not recommended to small hands!

This bass has a basswood body with a lamined top (flamed maple), and maple neck. It has passive Ibanez pickups but active eq (two 9V batteries needed !). There are five controls: vol/balance and bass/treble/mid(semi-parametric). The finish is transpartent dark blue. The bridge is a mono-rail model (great!). 23 frets on B/E/A/D and 24 on G/C.

I mostly play jazz-fusion and progressive rock: this bass sounds great! Very good bottom - warm sound a lots of punch, treble clear but not agressive. With the active eq you can really get every kind of sound (the mids control is awsome). The lows can be very very lows but stay "tight". I play it through a GK 800RB with Hartke XL-410 cab or in smaller gigs trough a Carvin probass 200 combo: easy to get a good tone quickly! In any case I can get "the" sound. I now set eq flat on the amp, and I adjust the sound on my bass! With a DI-box: very good to (for the same reason: the built-in preamp is great!) I've just used it in studio: the lows are again very impressive!

When I bought it I've adjusted the setup by myself to my needs, but it was quite good, fret works great too. Nothing else to say: great features!

The hardware looks serious, the bridge is very well-build. The finish of the body is beautifull BUT seems very very "fragile"... . I wonder how long it will last, I'm not very confident with it.

I use it without on stage without a backup, no probem (but I always have two backup 9v batteries!)

I play bass for 14years. I also own a G&L 2000, a Warwick Corvette five strings frteless, an Heartfield DR5C and a Steinberger 4 strings. The BTB is the most versatile bass I own... the G&L is a very good instrument but definitively not the same "philosophy" than the BTB. I mostly use the Ibanez on stage and in the studio (exept for fretless parts of course), because... I like it! It's beautifull (to my taste) sounds great, it's polyvalent, it's easy to play, very very god eq: it's definitivelly a very good instrument for the price, i've tried lots a gear and I don't remenber such a good quality/price rate! If it was stolen I'd buy it again for sure!

This was made in 2001 and it has a quilted maple top and basswood body. A very sleek/professional transparent black finish. Its got 24 frets and this is a 6 string bass. I have no idea if this is a laminated top or whatever but I doubt it. Passive p/u's, active eq, GO TO THE IBANEZ SITE to look up specific features on this model. The EQ is incredible.

I was very skeptical about the BTB series. I never dug Ibanez basses. I own a Warwick Thumb 5 and its been my fave and only bass I use. I wanted to get the range of a 6 string (anything more like that Conklin junk 7 string is excessive) so I decided to test out a BTB series. I was very surprised to say the least. I tested this bass at 8 different music stores. All through different heads. They all had the same BTB406QM in transparent black. All of them sounded good. I was able to get LOTS of tones. I mean I was shocked. This is definitly an improved Ibanez bass. I hated the SR series and the rest of the line but just had to give this a chance and I am glad I did. Bottom line is the tone of this bass is very very good. I'm still in awe at what I can do with this BTB 6 string. It suits my style for sure! I'm a progressive fusion player/alternative rock (where I mainly use the Warwick, BUT...).

I bought the BTB from AMS(my theory was hoping that the bass had never been played and that it was in 100% condition) and received it by UPS. Opened up the box - extreamly excited - like a boy on XMAS day - and the bass was 100%. It played EXACTLY like the other 8 I tested at various stores. I felt the strings were crappy and the action needed to be adjusted a tad, plus the truss rod just a tad. I had a tech do it for me. I HIGHLY SUGGEST putting on DR strings on the BTB and have it set up by a tech (unless u know how to do it). The set up was decent but it needed to be tweaked to be 100% for me.

The BTB seems like it can withstand live playing. The only thing is the lacker, i bet it can scratch very easy and/or nick easy. So got to be careful on that end. As far with everything else - its strong.

Who knows...

For the price this is a great value. 6 strings, quilted maple top, nice pro transparent black finish, locking jack input, passive pu's, active eq (which is impressive for sure!), MR2 bridge (which is ingenious!) with individual saddles, this is really an awesome bass. Granted its no Warwick or as strong as a Warwick bass but in a funny way it comes close. Trust me when I say you can dail in any tone. For a 6 string I was impressed with the sounds that came out of this bass (And I use to HATE Ibanez). I find myself using the BTB more than my Thumb. Very very weird! I compared this to the Spector 6 string, Dean, and that junk Conklin. The BTB is by far the best value and sounding 6 string bass. Quality is up there but I don't think its top notch. Still, you can't go wrong with this bass.