Ibanez BTB556

My BTB556MP, Purchased New in 2006, is a 35" scale bolt on 6 string. It has a mahogany body with a maple top and back, a 5 piece Maple/Walnut neck and a satin finish. 22 frets & 2half frets. *Cute*...NOT!! It has an 18volt 3 band preamp with the vari-mid semi-parametric midrange, and "that" Monorail bridge. Plenty of features for the money.

I gig primarily Urban Contemporary Gospel and a little R&B, rock & pop as a hobby. You can never have too many strings in UC Gospel, so after hearing "you got a six?" for the millionth time, I bought this bass. Like so many others, I chose this as a First Six, and I'll get a REAL one later.

This one changes sound drastically depending on the rig you use. It sounds fat and round(read kinda dull and muddy) through my Beringer 3000T head and Carvin 4X10 but it is articulate and clear (comparitively) through my Eden WT500 head and 15T cab.

I don't get a w-i-d-e range of sounds out of it, but its not a "one trick pony" The bridge pickup soloed will give you SOME growl. Both pickups wide open will do a halfway decent Jazz Bassish burp tone. It really doesn't have a distinct personality, but it doesen't cost much either.

It gives me that 35" low B that I need for for my church gig & the high C makes some nice extended runs easier than on a 5. I've used it in the studio, and it is bright and articulate. It is not, however, real "low endy".

There are many basses that are better in the studio and on stage. If, though, you are on a budget and need a six, this one is a decent workhorse (until you can do better).

It came with elixirs and a medium low setup. Okay for slapping (okay...thumbing, this IS a six), good for fast fingerstyle passages.
Fretwork okay.

The elixirs had to go. I play HARD and the coating started to fray. I switched to non-tapered GHS Boomers and redid the setup for them.

Workmanship was okay...not too good, nothing glaringly bad. BUT...the 18 volt preamp has almost 13db lower output than my Stingray, which has only a 9 volt preamp.

I've gigged this bass hard for six months solid...most of that time without a backup. Nothing unusual to report. This bass aged quickly though and looks like a veteran after less than a year. If long lasting looks are important to you, look elswhere.

I have not attempted to contact Ibanez...yet.

I have been playing bass for over 25 years and gigging for over 15. I have owned a Washburn Bantam 5, Yamaha TRB5II, Peavey Cirrus 5, Assorted Fender basses and Fender knockoffs. I currently own this instrument and a Ernie Ball MusicMan Stingray 4.

This bass is a starter six. Sooner than later I will sell it and buy a pro grade six. It is not a professional grade bass and should not be expected to perform as such. But for what it is and what it costs, its okay. Its a nice way to get your feet wet using a six. If you play live regularly or do session work, and decide to stay with a six, buy a Warwick, High end Yamaha or an American-made six...I am.

I bought this Bass a few months ago, I wanted a 6 string for soloing, but was on a tight budget. Tried a 5 string in a local music shop & was impressed so bit the bullet & bought online from GAK for just under #400.00. I am not dissapointed. Not sure where its made but its well made. Maple & Mahogany body looks good, bartolini pickups are excellent. The MR-2 bridge really does give excellent sustain with each string having its own bridge/saddle etc. The controls give a very wide variety of sounds. The Bass is passive, which I prefer as I use external effects if I want additional options. I prefer a pure/raw sound. For the money, I can't find fault.

I can get all the sounds I like out of it. The closeness of the strings make it hard to slap, but with a bit of practice, it sounds great. I don't gig & use the bass at home. Through my Peavey practice amp, or direct into a portastudio or PC, I can get any sound from a smooth rich to a tight staccatto. No noise.

Bass was well set up, It came fitted with a set of Elixir strings which I understand is a big deal. I didn't like them & repaced them with my usual Rotosound FM66's and bought the top C and bottom B seperately. I use a low action & light strings, so I always have to personalise the setup. This was easy and didn't present any problems.

I would have absolutely no reservations about gigging with this bass, it is solid &, being an Ibanez, I expect it would be reliable.

I made some enquiries via Ibanez, actualy it was their uk based distributor, they answered my questions but didn't go the extra mile. I foung the guys at GAK much more helpful. I dont anticipate talking to Ibanez much so I'm impartial on this.

I like to think I play like Pastorious meets Stanley Clarke, but seriously, Have played on and off for 30 years (since a teenager I might add) mainly Jazz Rock (or fusion as we used to call it). I grew up on a Ricky 4001 and I own a Yamaha Fretless & Peavey 4 String. I love this bass, I actually think it feels better that the Ricky did which I always found unbalanced. I would have to replace it if it dissapeared.

5pc BTB6 Maple/Walnut neck
Maple top & back/Mahogany body
Medium frets
MR-2 bridge (17mm string spacing)
DXP-MN6 neck pu
DXP-MB6 bridge pu
Vari-Mid IIIBII 3-band eq
Elixir? equipped

i may have forgotten something, but hey who doesn't???

i play a bit of everything, since i use this bass on 2 bands, (one of them is a cover band).
the bass is very versatile, it has lots of sounds, and you can easilyy find the sound you want from it.
i found this bass to be very silent, with a very full and rich sound. you can make it sound like a million dollars, and like a penny if you know what i mean.
it is an "all terrain vehicle, i use it also on my studio, and it absolutly rocks with any setup i have ever played with.
when i play live i use the behringer bx300t, the ba210, the ba115 and a bass v amp pro, and it just sounds like heaven or hell at my command. when i use it in the studio, i usually only use the bass v amp, wich is more than enough for my needs in the studio.
i don't find anything i don't like in this bass.

the bass came perfectly set up from factory (for my playing needs) no flaws whatsoever, except for the case where it came in wich was a bit twisted, but that doesn't matter for this review.
i live in portugal, the bass came from germany, and it was tuned when i got it out of the case!!!!!!!!!

i would play this bass live without backup anytime!!! it is built like a tank!! it's rugged and defenetly will last as long as i will!! maybe with a few scratches, but hey, that adds personality :P

i never had to deal with them, so i won't rate this part of the review

i've been playing for years now, not always bass, but i know my way around them quite easily. this is the only bass i own and i want no other. if it was stolen or lost i would buy another one and dedicate my life hunting the guy who would steal it from me!
i love everything about it, the sound, the colour, the finishes, everything really.
i compared it with the yamaha john myung models and as far as my liking goes, i liked my btb better.
i wish it had bartolini pickups and electronics, but i'm so happy about the way it sounds, that i don't think i will change them.
if you want a 6 string bass, and like natural wood finish, you have to try this baby out!