GWB25th
I’m really thrilled and honored to announce the release of my Ibanez 25th Anniversary signature bass. This is a special bass to me and commemorates a significant milestone marking 25 years of collaboration and innovation.
The very first bass Ibanez made for me had a silver metal-flake finish so this unique “Silver Wave Burst Flat” finish on the 25th anniversary model is a call back to how we started. The silver wave fades to a black silver-stained ash body and the ramp gets the same gorgeous finish. To compliment the mono-crhomatic theme the hardware is mostly black with chrome accents on the bridge and tuners. Based on the GWB205 model, it includes the custom Bartolini pickup (radiused to match the fingerboard) and slightly modified NTB2 electronics. The ebony fingerboard ensures a warm sound but you can still use round wounds on it. If you could see the color of the KTS™ TITANIUM reinforcement rods you’d find they compliments the color scheme as well.
These instruments continue to inspire me make music and I hope you find that same inspiration.
This is a limited edition release – but pre-orders are open so I encourage you to secure our little part of bass history through authorized Ibanez dealers worldwide.
GWB20th
Celebrating 20 years of signature basses, in January 2019 Ibanez announced the release of my GWB20th limited edition model. An instant classic, the “Tequila Sunrise” sunburst finish graces the body, ramp and headstock of this fretless 5-string. Also commemorated in this edition is my long relationship with Aguilar with the inclusion of the DCB pickup and the OBP-2 preamp. The bass has an ash top, ramp and headstock with a resonant basswood body and an ebony fingerboard. Unique features are, of course, the finish which hasn’t been seen on any of my previous basses, the adjustable ramp and the triple wing tuners that have been there since the beginning.
GWB1005
Instead of trying to make this bass more affordable, Ibanez has decided to make it perfect. From the beginning of the GWB signature series starting with GWB1, I’ve always played the production, not custom, version of this bass. However, over the years I’ve occasionally found it necessary to make subtle modifications such as filing nut slots to sometimes not-so-subtle modifications like sanding the surface of the neck. I’ve always happily made these modifications myself for a couple of reasons. The first is that I expect that I’m one of the most particular players around when it comes to how a bass sets up and plays and that these kind of details are peculiar to me and not the kind of thing the rest of the bass world would necessarily notice. The second is that I’ve learned that there are limitations to factory production that prohibit the kind of super-fine attention to detail that I give my personal instruments. But all that’s changed with the GWB1005. Hand crafted from start to finish in Japan by master luthiers with over 100 combined years of experience, I can say with confidence this is the perfect bass. I haven’t had to do anything to it. The attention to detail is impeccable and humbling.
One thing you might notice is the headstock. In addition to the black headstock color, you can see that the signature is missing. I realize that as bassists we all are striving for our own “voice” and in the back of my mind, I always thought that it might bother me if the only way I could get the sound I wanted was to play a bass with someone else’s name on the front. So now the signature is on the back electronics cover and is my actual signature – and of course, my got quite tired. But it does give the headstock a clean look.
The next difference is in the adjustments for the string height, ramp and the pickup. Instead of wood screws, we use brass threaded inserts to accept the hex-head adjustment screws for the ramp and pickup. These screws allow for very precise adjustment of the ramp-pickup setup (a critical playability element of this bass). For this adjustment and the string-height adjustment, we provide 2 special-purpose pivot-top hex-head adjustment tools. A single tool handles both the ramp and pickup height adjustment while the smaller second tool adjusts the string height.
The other standout features remain, including custom Bartolini pickup and electronics – bespoke lightweight Sure-grip triple wing tuners – select light ash for the bolt-on body design – 3 piece maple neck with ebony fingerboard – deep cutaway for easy access to the 24th fret – 2 Strap pins on the body to stabilize the bass when it’s leaned against an amp.
The decision to play a fretless bass is not a casual one. The care and attention Ibanez gives this bass shows that it takes your musical choices seriously as well.
GWB205
The 205 slots in between the GWB1005 and GWB35 in price but punches well above its weight in features and value. It delivers all the specs of the 1005 with the custom Bartolini pickup & electronics, ebony fingerboard, triple wing Sure-grip tuners, adjustable ramp and is decked out in the same Tequila Sunrise sunburst finish as the 20th anniversary model.
GWB35
As far as I’m concerned, this the 3rd best fretless bass made on the planet (see GWB1005 & GWB205). Pro-level features with an entry-level price. Where was this bass when I was starting out? Same exact physical dimensions as the GWB1005 – important if you’re interested in transferring your muscle-memory intonation skills to the next level.
Light, resonant basswood body – Ebony fingerboard with lines – Like the GWB1005, the ramp is contoured to match the radius of the fingerboard – same lightweight Sure-grip triple wing tuners – deep cutaway for 24th fret access – Black satin “stealth” finish – I’ve toured and recorded with this bass – In the right hands, it comes very close to being the real thing – see for yourself.
