Ibanez BTB405QM 5-String Electric Bass Guitar

Feature:
The 24 volt Dynamix pickups are awesome. I absolutely love the Mono-Rail II bridge, It makes the bass easier to tune and stays in tune much better than most basses. The EQ is also one of the very best allowing for an immense variety of tones without any noise.

Quality:
The product quality is unparalleled in anything I have seen or played previously. I have no doubt I will be playing this bass 20 years from now and beyond. I find that its only weakness is that I have to replace the two nine volt batteries about every three to four weeks, but everything else makes it completely worthwhile. I don't buy or look at basses for beauty, but this is one of the most beautiful basses on the market. One thing I find very curious however, is the finish. I own the transparent black model, but it doesn't look anything like any picture I have ever seen. It looks 10 times better. Any picture I have ever seen online has a brownish tint to it, but in reality it changes color in different light. when I first purchased it I thought it had a green tint then, when I took it home it looked more of a gray or charcoal color. In my opinion it looks way better in person than any photo I have ever seen.

Value:
I purchased this bass not long after it first came out, so I payed near its srp, or about $650 and I have no regret having payed that much. Now it is easy to find under $450 and I challenge anyone to find a better bass anywhere for near that price.

Desirability:
Extremely sexy, I would sleep with it if I could.

Sound:
This is without a doubt one of the best basses i've ever played. the sound is amazing. The tones you can produce are endless. The overall quality of this bass is simply impressive. I play mostly punk with this bass but it has changed the things I play tremendously. I play more emo now because I get so much more feeling while playing this bass. It has truly made me a better bass player.

Ease of Use:
This is undoubfully the finest bass I have ever played. It has amazed me from the first note I played at the music store, to everything I have accomplished since I purchased it. I personally have not found another bass that's easier to play, and instantly get the sound and quality out of it that I am looking for. This was my first 5 string bass and the only thing I had to get used to was the width of the neck, not that it was hard to play, but but just the feeling in my hand. I actually feel it is easier to play than many 4 string basses.

Support:
I have not had one single problem with this bass, so I have no idea how thier customer service is, but isn't it better when you don't even have to think about that.

Overall:
I currently own this 5 string and one other 4 string. I don't think I will ever replace this Ibanez btb405, but I would like to supplement it with another 4 string, however I have been searching for over a year to find a 4 string that makes me as happy as my BTB405 and I have been unable to do so.

Feature:
As stated, comes with Elixirs out of the factory.

Quality:
Custom shop looks on a beer budget; the pictures really don't do the instrument justice.

Value:
At this price, you can't go wrong.

Desirability:
Simply a gorgeous bass; I always get complimented on mine!

Sound:
I personally don't care for the stock I banez pups. I replaced the stock pups in mine with a set of Barts and now it sounds just incredible. BTW, at this kind of price I recommend getting this bass over the the newer ones with the Mark-I pups; by the time you buy top of the line Barts and you have them installed, it will run you about the same amount of money. I used a set of 72M55's on mine and they sound wonderful.

Ease of Use:
Ibanez claims this is a more traditional bass than their Soundgear models, I agree. For those of you who, like myself, like the feel of a big chunk of lumber, this is for you; when you strap it on, it feels like you are slinging a bass!

Support:
This a "not applicable item". I have never had a problem with an Ibanez product.

Overall:
A bass that will last you a lifetime. I only gave mine a nine because of the stock pups and electronics, that being said some people like them. As previously stated, I replced the pups on mine, and I also replaced the stock elctronics with an Aguilar OBP-3 onbooard pre-amp. My ax is at least on a par with the older 1200 series that used to come with bolt on necks and it still holds its own quite nicely with the newer through neck models.