Ibanez mudbucker copy?

hieronymous · January 16, 2014, 05:18:15 PM

For some reason found myself trolling through my local craigslist and found this:

http://sfbay.craigslist.org/eby/msg/4290401423.html

Anyone heard of these? Worthwhile or waste of money?

gweimer · January 16, 2014, 05:39:10 PM

Well, what I remember about Ibanez in the '70s is that they were well made, good wood, and sucked. Everyone who got one that I knew of replaced the pickups immediately. I still don't care for the sound of them.

Chris P. · January 17, 2014, 01:27:34 AM

Good sounding or not: With this box it is a nice piece of history!

Granny Gremlin · January 17, 2014, 07:08:51 AM

I dunno there Gweimer, I had buds with 70s Ibanez LPs (6 bangers) that were better playing, looking and sounding than anything Gibson was making at the time. Might have been a differant story with basses. The one EB3 ho I had was not so great - it wasn't a proper Ibanez but one of their lower end budget sub-brands though.

Maybe I got a pic actually... yep.

And yes, that was the original fin.

Anyway, the seller's asking price is too high - you can sometimes get a real mudbucker for that much (wish there was an under-the-hood shot though). ... his price for the 5150 half stack, is somehow amazing however.

chromium · January 17, 2014, 11:51:23 AM

Man that EB-3 copy looks wild! I kinda like the bowling ball finish, or "crazy space burl" as the case me be!

Years back, I bought an Ibanez 2365b (who needs marketing weenies with a name like that!) to use at the more unsavory gigs. It looked nice - like a sunburst 70s jazz bass with blocks - and was kind of a dud when I got it... but it turned out the pickup height was to blame. After tweaking it a bit, it really came alive and man that thing would growl away! I sold it to buy something else at some point, but still kinda miss it. So I guess I liked its pickups well enough!

That one was built kinda cheap - like chunks of mystery maho sandwiched in between spruce(?) veneers on the front and back (for the benefit of the sunburst). But soundwise and playability was not bad at all for ~$200 for the entire bass.

I have had (and still do) some KILLER Japanese stuff from that era - my old Ibanez 8-string rivaled the quality of the American fancy pants basses of that era, and the Greco-Roland guitars and bass are all really top notch.

That said- I have no idea about that mudbucker copy!

I'd probably pass at that price, though, and go for a Novak or something...

uwe · January 17, 2014, 01:41:10 PM

Avoid. Sounds like a mudbucker on tranquilizer. Have it in my Ibanez Flying V.

godofthunder · January 19, 2014, 09:01:32 AM

I agree with Uwe's assessment. Though it would be cool to have just in your parts box just in case. I'd pay 50-75 for it if I had to have it.

Psycho Bass Guy · January 19, 2014, 11:35:17 AM

Quote from: Granny Gremlin on January 17, 2014, 07:08:51 AM
his price for the 5150 half stack, is somehow amazing however.

The way it's worded, I think he's just selling a 5150 2x12 cabinet.

Granny Gremlin · January 19, 2014, 01:18:09 PM

The price made me think that too. The price is still good (as in not overpriced like the pup) if just the cab, just not amazing, as it would be if it is actually the "half stack." I'm sure he got a lot of calls on that one.

hieronymous · January 20, 2014, 06:48:24 PM

Thanks for the feedback - was only really tempted for a second, don't have a bass to put it in! Have thought about putting a mudbucker in my AlFemBic but don't really need it - certainly don't need to put in an inferior pickup...