Ibanez EDB605 Ergodyne Bass

I believe this bass was made in 1990 based on the serial although I have not confirmed that yet.
- 34" scale/24 fret
- Active circuit with volume, pickup pan, bass, mid & treble controls
- Maple neck/Luthite body
- Grey 'mat' style finish - nice!

This is one of the most verstitile basses I have ever owned as far as sound is concerned. I can dial-in EXACTLY what I am looking for - a phat bottom end, reduced mids with just the right amount of highs - perfect! The electronics are well designed with very little (virtually none) noise. However, I did shorten up the wires in the cavity and added a ground wire from the circuit board to ensure a good contact to the shielded backplate (although it was pretty quiet before I did this). I will be adding an active cut-off switch so that I can keep it plug in before our shows (just grab and go...).

Of all the basses I have owned over the years and I have owned many this bass has absolutely the best fit and feel of any of them. The closest comfortable basses to this one (and sound) I own (and have owned) are oddly enough other Ibanez basses and mainly the SR series (love Ibanez basses).
The finish is flawless on this bass. I was able to adjust the action and set the neck with just the right amount of relief for nice and low action (minimum fret buzz too). Since this bass was used I have no idea how the factory setup was.

This bass is solid! The hardware is of good quality and tight (all screws are snug - I re-tightened all when I recieved the bass and none where stripped in the luthite body or neck). I can and will depend on this bass as it will be one of my stage basses - I always need backup basses because I have a tendency to snap strings from time to time (and not because they're old either lol).

Great bass overall especically for the money I paid - even at the cost of a new one the value is superb! My bandmates have told me that this bass is the best looking bass that I have played in the band as well (just an added bonus).

Anthony
Bassist for 'The Adopted'
www.myspace.com/theadopted

Been playing my 5-string for about 6 years now and it's never let me down. It has 24 frets if you're looking to play in higher regions, the on-board EQ makes it easy to boost your high and mid as well. Made of a tough material called Luthite. Very comfortable to while sitting or standing. I've played all sorts of styles- plucking, picking, slap/pop, tapping, speed, chords- you name it! It has great versatility and it's easy to adjust it to your particulaar style.

Hass a nice full bottom sound as well as a very clean bright high end. Again, the onboard EQ makes it easy to boost or cut any of region. I particularly like boosting the mid range for a more active sound, this also helps cut through the drums and guitar a little bit.

Wasn't a big fan of the strings it came with, but I've always made it a habit to replace manufacturer strings right away. Other than that it played beautifully brand new (still does 6 years later).

Over 6 years there isn't a scratch on it. The Luthite body is nearly invincible as far as I can tell. I was curious one day and TRIED to scratch the back of the body with a key- didn't do anything! I've never had any problems with any of the hardware. Only maintenance I have to do is replace a 9v battery for the EQ every couple months (unplug the bass when you're not playing it, this will save the battery life).

Haven't had to deal with Ibanez.

Not only would I buy this bass again, I am thinking about buying another to use as a secondary for gigs. There was a time when I wasn't in a band for awhile so I sold all of my gear EXCEPT this bass because I love it so much. I'll never let it go. I don't think you can get more for your money.

its a korean bass, 5 strings, 24 frets, ergodyne with active pickups...

I find it hard to categorize the body style, but I'd say its an all-round bass with 3 knobs for EQ, 1 for volume and 1 for tone... great...

I really can't think of a more VERSATILE bass... I used to play wah wah/slap funk with it, then I got into tapping, and now I'm into chords and high pitched chorus melodies (sort of the bass melodies that Justin from TOOL does) and Industrial kinda thing... I use my Nig muff pi quite a lot with this bass... and I use thin strings as well... IT SOUNDS GREAT!! I can't say how much I enjoy using the high region of this bass... People were complaining about the higher regions probably because they used thick strings... I play POWER CHORDS THAT SOUND AWSOME with this...

the low end is very good as well, but there is a little rattling in the fifth strings some times...

The action and the strings weren't very friendly when I first picked it uop, some 3 years ago... But I solved that easily... Changing the strings was a major help!

God, this bass is tough! But I'm really, really scared of damaging it, cuz I couldn't imagine how hard it would be to find a replacement for it..

Really solid strap buttons, nice hardware, I never used a backup...

I have no clues about warranty...

I just love this bass, the main reason is for its VERSATILITY! It work wonders in every style! It works wonders with effects too, if you're into that... My favourite aspects are the ease to play chords and how nice it sounds with fuzz distortion. It has DA COOLEST looks, if that's important for you... The only thing i sorta don't like is the ocassional rattling of the 5th (B) string when playing fast... If you're a trash/death or any sorta metal that requires excess "speed" I'd suggest you'd have a tall/higher B string tension, but leaving the other strings, for better soloing... this bass is excelent for soloing as well, I might add...

It was made in 2003, in Korea, I bought it when it was 2 months old
Its (ufcourse) a 5-string with 24 frets
The body is luthite, nek is made of Maple and is pretty fast, a bit heavy though but there's no problem with the balance
There's one volume knob and a balance knob for the pickups and 3-band equalizer
The Pickups are active ibanez humbuckers

I play thrash and black metal and it fits it great!!
The sound is very dark, warm and low and very phat!!
It can be played for any style of music and this quality cannot be found anywhere else for this price!!!

The bas playes pretty damn fast
But when I bought it, some adjustments had to be made to the string and pickups but its that way with almost every new bass.
The finishing is great and almost undestructible.

Before I bought this bass I already owned a EDB500 for a few years(it has the same body) An there isnt a scratch on it!! These basses are built like a tank! Ive been to hell and back with this bass and it still is in great condition. It has never given me any problems.
I always bring a backup but I've never needed it, I play around 20 gigs a year...

never needed it.....

Ive been playing for 7 years now and I own A EDB 500 as well
I play with a SWR workinman's 4004 and 1x15 + 4x10 cabinets
I use a ADA preamp and poweramp

If it where stolen i would hunt down the thief and painfully torture him to death, in other words, i'd get a new one..
I love this bass simply because it gives me exactrly what i need, great tone and lots af power

Best u can get for this money and a lot more!!!!!

Its a 5-string 03 model made in korea,with easy access to all 24 frets. The body is made of a synthetic material called luthite (making the bass a little heavy, but still perfectly balanced) It has a pewter finnish that looks amazing. It's an ERGODYNE model so it fits my body perfectly both seated and standing. It includes a volume control, bass, mid-range and treble as well as balance. Ive given it 10 because its everything i wanted in a bass and at a cheap price. Plus it came with a set of Elixir strings on it (normaly about fifty quid a set)

I CANNOT STRESS THE GREATNESS OF THE SOUND ON THIS THING! I can achieve all types of sound from this, i can play death, gore, black, thrash, hardcore, heavy metal, classic rock, heavy hometown, funk, soul, fusion, blues, pop and i even did an R'n'B track with this baby. I only use an 130 watt Ashdown combo but it gives off phat tone. Ive had no trouble with highs or lows, even de-tuned! It always sounds crisp and clean. Its better than some top range basses ive used, both live and in the studio. One of the only better basses ive used was a Carl Thompson custom.

action was a bit poor, but i sorted it out straight away. The pickups were fine though as was (and still is) everything else.

This bass is tough as sun-dried shit! Never before have i encountered a bass that was this durable. Ive never had any faults with it, its never scratched and it doesnt even pick up finger marks! I always gig without backup when using this bass! its simply never needed! I use Elixir strings (costly but the best) so they wont break.

Ive never needed any support, it came in perfect condition and has stayed that way!

Ive been playing it for about a year now and its miles better than my J-bass. I used to work in a guitar shop and i played and tuned about 2000 guitars everyday, and i kept coming back to this one. Ive only played 2 better basses, The warwick Thumb and the Carl Thompson rainbow bass. But nothing anywhere near this sort of value for money. If you buy it from a shop ask if somebody can sort out the action as soon as it arrives, but apart from that...BUY THIS BASS NOW!!...GO ON....HURRY!

Body....Luthite
Neck....Maple
Electronics....3 band EQ, Two humbuckers, volume switch, balancer.

The looks of this bass is amazing. The B.C. Rich Warlock doesn't scare me as much as this thing does. This bass honestly makes my heart skip beats when I look at it. And it's loaded with features.

The sound is full, dark, and industrial. Sounds similar to the K5 without warm wood sound and the $750 price tag. I laughed when I was reading some of the reviews. How could anyone say this bass doesn't sound awesome. It also sounds different than the average wood bass, but that is a good thing if you're in a rock band. My friend plays a $1,300 custom Carvin and this bass sounds much better. Just turn the mid-range knob down and you'll sound just like Fieldy's K5. But you'll look like King Kong. I can't get over the massive look to this thing.

I had to make a few adjustments but it was alright.

You can't get a more reliable and durable bass. I've been playing this bass for a year now and I still haven't scatched it. The only bass that could be stronger is one made out of metal. I'd rank this one a 20 but it only goes to 10.

Haven't needed them at this point.

This bass is a dream for the gig man. If you're playing lots of gigs, this bass will look good till the day you stop playing bass. Sound is awesome. This bass will sound as good as most high dollar basses out there. It doesn't sound warm like wood basses, which is a very good thing for me. The sound is dark and industrial. Unless your frontman looks like Brad Pitt, all eyes are going to be on you and this wicked looking bass.

This bass is made from luthite which I heard was similar to graphite. It comes loaded with contols: Humbucker pickups and a nice set of sound control knobs: Lows, mids, highs, pickup balancer, and of course the volume switch. I've heard people dog on the bridge but I didn't see anything wrong it. The color is killer and it makes my heart beat faster just looking at it. Anyone that owns this bass can testify to that. I'm giving this bass a 10 score on this section because it is loaded with good solid features.

The sound is incredible concidering I paid only $600 for it. If someone doesn't know anything about tuning, I can honestly say this bass sounds equal or better than many high end basses. I've heard someone say that the highs are not very good, but I disagree. I play through a GK backline 12" and get a lot of compliments from my band members about my sound including the clear and punchy highs. The lows are the best feature though. The bass puts out a Korn type of sound due to the awesome lows puts out. I wouldn't waste the extra money on the K5 when this bass looks better and sounds just as good. I'm giving a 10 on this section because it sounds better than my friends $1,500 musicman. Imagine that?

Set up was weak. Who ever is in charge with this part of the guitar building process should be fired. I had to adjust it alomost immediatly after receiving it. But you should learn how to do that anyway and it's really no big deal, but it's nice to have it ready to play when you buy it. No flaws though. Great bass but a terrible set up crew.

You can't get a more solid bass. This has to be the strongest bass in the world unless they make one out of steal. Everything is tight and solid. I suggest always having a backup though. What if you broke a string like I did once? Know bass is good enough to not have a backup. This is my #1 bass during gigs. This bass deserves a solid 10 on this section. Show me a bass more solid and reliable than this one and I'll buy it for you.

Haven't dealt with them. I'm not sure about the warranty, I think it's a year.

This is an awesome bass!! I really don't know why I haven't seen more of them around. Maybe people are scared to buy something other than wood? Luthite is a strong product. Because this bass looks awesome, sounds awesome, reliable, extremely solid, and fairly inexpensive, I'm going to have to give this bass a 10 rating overall.

Luthite formed body
24 fret maple neck
3 band active eq
2 humbuckers
its the same as all the others (they are all even the same color)

Here are some features I think it SHOULD have
active/passive option
the pearl white that the four string model is available in
different pickup configurations

The sound is very good IF you don't mind that it does not do highs very well, there is no sizzle here. I'm currently playing it through a Hartke 4000 amp through a homemade 1X15 and a Peavey 4X10 cab. I also run an Aphex Bass Exciter to try and get some of those missing highs. Where the bass is a little shy on the high end, it is outspoken on the low end, you can go dark, or you can go really dark. the active electronics are a little noisy (I threw in a bypass on mine) and a little sterile compared to high end active pieces.
Overall I usually like the sound, but occasionally I find myself wishing for more bite.

This is a worthless section due to the fact that everyone likes there setup a little different than everyone else, all I can say is if you don't like it, change it ... nuf said.

The luthite SEEMS durable (i have seen an EDA body broken badly around the control cavity, and yes, luthite is an ugly substance)but if I had it to do over I would choose a wood bass (its easy to repair, easy to refinish, and it has more air in its tone)
The bass is stable, keeps its tune, does not require constant neck adjustments, and all the hardware seems top notch.

They forge blindly ahead ... so would I.

I've been playing a couple of years as a hobby, if it were stolen I'd probably replace it with a S.U.B. 5 or a Carvin.

It's amazing how every review here seems to agree. This is a great bass. Hint hint for those interested.

Same setup as everyone else. Made in Korea, 24 fret, 5-string, active electronis with 3-band eq, luthite body, grey pewter finish, Ibanez ergo-dynamix pickups, 34" scale yadda yadda yadda.

Beautiful. From playing rock and metal on Saturday nights to jazz combos weekdays to church on Sunday morning, this thing has always sounded great. Clear highs, clean mids, and big lows.

This has been my main bass for 5 years. It's never sounded bad. (Unless I tried to make it sound bad, which was fun now and then, but hard to do.)

I've been tweaking the thing on and off for a couple of years. I remember I was happy with the factory set-up for a while, but then switched to heavier strings, and messed everything up. Ended up dropping the action quite a bit, tweaked it, and now the thing plays like a chocolate dream.

The only real factory flaw was that the balance pot was a bit dirty. Contact cleaner solved it quickly and cleanly.

Also, note that yes, the luthite material itself is a disgustingly ugly orange color which you will see if you wear through the finish. Also note that if you have very oily skin or sweat a lot, the pewter finish will eventually blacken and become quite glossy. Not a bad thing, mind you, but it's a little bit annoying when some less-touched portions of the instrument are a lighter color (i.e. the headstock, the spaces between the knobs, etc.)

I threw it out of a 2nd story window to prove to a friend how durable it was.

I knocked off the bridge strap button, but the thing was still in tune.

Only time I dealt with the company was when I was having my old bass (an SR400) repaired. They not only faxed me all necessary warranty information within a couple of minutes, but also provided me with quite a comrehnsive list of local authorized repair centers, and then made the necessary arrangements so I wouldn't have to.

Nice.

Looks great.
Plays great.
Sounds great.
Durable as hell.

Playing for 12 years, and prefer this to almost every other bass I've ever touched.

I use a variety of rigs, from a Peavey T-Max w/ 4x10, to an Ampeg BA115, to my rock rig, Ampeg SVT2pro with SWR 8x10. It consistently sounds good through everything.

The ibanez ergodyne bass EDB605 is a 5 string bass with a luthite body (a synthetic material). The luthite body is beautifuly resinant and makes the guitar look damn sexy! The 5th string is really handy for when your jamming in e flat (which used to really piss me off on a four string. Its 24 fret and the luthite body makes the high notes purr! Its got active controls which are really kool - bass, middle, treble, volume and pickup selector knob. Bad point is the luthite is quite heavy, so if your doing a long session make sur theres a chair nearby. Also, the 5th string makes slap quite hard.

Due to the active pickups, this bass can make an enormous variety of sounds without touching the amplifier. When using its built in graphic equaliser (bass, mid and treb) in conjunction with its pickup selector and its amplifier, theres no stopping you! When used with the controls on an amp, the range of sounds just gets bigger. The 5th string tends to distort a hell of a lot with a poor amp (one of those small practice amps) coz its so damn low, so you really need a decent amp.

Action was pretty high when I got it, but thats easy to fix (you just stick an alan key in and turn it). There was also a dry joint on one of the wires to the jack socket, which came apart after a month, but I just soldered it back on and its been fine since. Thats a one off kinda thing anyway.

The luthite makes it very durable, which is perfect for me coz im very clumsy and knock it all the time. If it was wood there would be marks all over it, but as it is theres not a scratch. Iv had this bass a year and a half and theres no damage. One thing is youv gota remember to replace the battery for the active pickups (I forgot about it and when it stopped working I got in a panic).

Havn't ever delt with the Ibanez, no need to. I bought from a shop in london so I duno.

Great bass just quite heavy. go to:

http://www.ibanez.co.jp/world/country/frame_uk.html

for the specs, picture etc