8-string Ibanez Iceman

[hieronymous]

http://www.gbase.com/gear/ibanez-custom-made-8-string-bass-natural#

Originally owned by Steve Miller. In San Jose, CA.

[chromium]

Wow - Cool!  Never seen an 8str Iceman before.

The neck looks beefy on that thing!


I just restrung my Ibanez Studio with a D'Addario EXL170-8 set, and there seems to be a huge difference in tension between those and whatever was on there before.  Haven't decided if I like it yet.  I kinda miss how pliable the old strings were.

What strings do you all run on your 8s?

[Dave W]

$3500? At that price, it doesn't speak of the pompitous of love. 

[dadagoboi]

Beautiful bass but short scale and a 4 saddle 3 point, no thanks.

I just restrung my Ibanez Studio with a D'Addario EXL170-8 set, and there seems to be a huge difference in tension between those and whatever was on there before.  Haven't decided if I like it yet.  I kinda miss how pliable the old strings were.

What strings do you all run on your 8s?

I don't like the EXL 170 gauges, especially the high strings.  I've been using a few different sets on different basses.  I've found it's less expensive and more flexible to use a preferred 4 string set and individual strings.  You can buy a dozen guitar high "G" string gauge pak for around $2.25 from MF and a 3 pak of a single gauge high EAD for $4.50

For a light set I use an EXL 220 (40-95) fundamental and 22, 25, 35, 45 on my Robelli.  On my current build I'm using a nickel 45-105 Allparts ($5) and the 22, 25, 35, 45.  The high strings are Hamer gauge.  I like the way they balance the fundamentals compared to the D'A 18, 28, 40, 50.  You could use a MF set  ($8) for the fundamentals.  I like fresh strings, building my own sets eases the pain of changing them often.  Works out to less than $12.

IMO it's a big advantage to have extra high Gs, they break more often/go dead faster than the other 7 wound ones.

[Shark]

http://www.gbase.com/gear/ibanez-custom-made-8-string-bass-natural#

Originally owned by Steve Miller. In San Jose, CA.

Holy cow. That's a rare piece.

[Shark]

Beautiful bass but short scale and a 4 saddle 3 point, no thanks.

+1

[chromium]

It's a veritable bargain compared to the $5K Lesh Ibanez from last month!   

Thanks for the tips, Carlo.  I figured you would have some experience with this!  I think it is the heavier gauge octave strings in the D'Addario set that bug me.  I'm going to try a mixed set like you describe when the Rickenbow arrives.

[hieronymous]

On my 4003S/8 I've been using the Rickenbacker 8-string set, but those are out of production AFAIK.

[uwe]

"Beautiful bass but short scale and a 4 saddle 3 point, no thanks."

Why do you assume short scale with this one?

Playingwise, I think short scale makes more sense on an 8-string than on any other bass. It is the recipe to combat the ultra-high tension of the octave strings.

I've used Ric, GHS, Rotosound, Musicvox and custom-combined 8-string sets (D'Addario with guitar strings as octave strings - watch out that they are long enough, I didn't   - or even Thomastik Flats with Ric octave strings). I can't afford to be choosy with 8-string sets, when I see a pack I buy. The Ric strings were tension-wise tough, especially the octave strings, there was hardly any gauge difference between the octave D and the octave G, yet you had to tune it five halfsteps higher. 

[uwe]

$3500? At that price, it doesn't speak of the pompitous of love.  

Given that this seems to be a real one-off Ibanez custom shop piece (and not an aftermarket variation) - none of the then current Ibanez Iceman basses were neck-thru (the newish SDA is the first one to be), the pups are nothing like on the regular models either, rather seem to be taken from the Musician series, the bridge combo is nothing like on any regular model as well -, I think the price is alright even without the celeb factor. Icemans have their fans, one-off factory 8-strings from a major brand are rare.

[dadagoboi]

"Beautiful bass but short scale and a 4 saddle 3 point, no thanks."

Why do you assume short scale with this one?

Playingwise, I think short scale makes more sense on an 8-string than on any other bass. It is the recipe to combat the ultra-high tension of the octave strings.

Placement of the bridge and how it looks in the picture with SM make me think it's SS.

To me the full effect is better with a long scale, better sound on the fundamentals, the high notes don't care about the scale.  More difficult to play but worth it.  No problem with the 3 piece double trussrod necks on my Dean8 and Hamer12 or the single rod Warmoth on my RNR81.  That's with a 45-105 fundamental and 22-45 high set.  My Robelli needs 40-95 for the fundamentals.  The single rod one piece neck can't keep the neck straight with heavier set.

[uwe]

"Placement of the bridge and how it looks in the picture with SM make me think it's SS."




Good eyes, Duce, I have to say. That three point is indeed very far into the body, more so than on any long scale Iceman I know and I own half a dozen. Also: It was of course made for a guitarist and you know what their little girlie hands like.

[Highlander]

Being that you have a track record when it comes to Icemen (excluding the Russian front) are you considering this Lady...?

[dadagoboi]

Good eyes, Duce, I have to say.

Thanks, it helps to be sitting 2 feet away from a 43 inch 1080P monitor.

[uwe]

Naw, much as I like Icemans and this is a collectible for sure, I have to restrain myself once in a while. Icemans are great lookers and not bad basses, but they do nothing that other basses can't do as well or even better.