From its premium multilayer tonewoods and comfortably contoured body to its premium Nordstrand pickups, the 25th-anniversary BTB Standard 5-string electric bass from Ibanez delivers luthier-grade boutique quality at an off-the-shelf price. Featuring an ultra-stable 5-piece maple/walnut through neck and okoume body wings, the BTB Standard’s unique tonewood combination is a recipe for complex harmonics and epic sustain. Your fingers will fly on the silky-smooth rosewood fingerboard with stainless steel frets and elegant block inlays. The body and neck heel are sleekly sculpted for sumptuous playing comfort and unfettered access to all frets. And spec’d with two Nordstrand Big Single pickups and a 3-band EQ, the BTB Standard pumps out fat, growling tone by the boatload. Boasting advanced electronics and an eye-popping special Silver Blizzard Matte finish, the Ibanez 25th-anniversary BTB Standard 5-string bass is one of those instruments that demands to be played in front of an audience.

Massive, aggressive tone from Nordstrand pickups

With its “super-packed” coil, the Big Single is considered by Nordstrand to be the tonal giant of its pickup offerings. Ibanez spec’d a pair of these aggressive-sounding single-coil monsters for the 25th-anniversary BTB 5-string. In addition, you have the powerful sound-shaping capabilities of Ibanez’s custom 3-band EQ, which gives you control over boost/cut for bass, mid, and high frequencies, plus a mid-frequency switch to fine-tune your midrange. Along with the master volume and pickup blend controls, this instrument’s superb electronics let you quickly dial the perfect tone for any occasion. Fingers, thumb, or pick — the 25th-anniversary BTB Standard’s electronics have you covered.

Neck-through design ensures exceptional sustain

Descended from the upright bass, electric bass guitars traditionally sported four strings. Then, along came extended-range basses with five and six strings. Adding more strings makes the neck contend with higher tension that can lead to warping. The 25th-anniversary BTB solves that issue with its 5-piece maple/walnut through neck. The multi-piece, graphite-reinforced, neck-through design guarantees the neck’s stability. Tuning machines, the nut, pickups, and the bridge are connected directly to the neck, ensuring optimal vibrational transfer and optimized sustain. Thus, the neck comprises, effectively, the entire instrument: the sleekly sculpted body wings are only affixed for playing comfort (and killer looks). Pick up an Ibanez 25th-anniversary BTB, and you’ll experience everything neck-through construction has to offer.

It’s all in the details

Ibanez’s obsessive attention to detail has made the company a global guitar and bass powerhouse. That same detail-oriented construction is one of the many things that helped the 25th-anniversary BTB make such a splash at Music Experience. It comes with stainless steel frets that will last through years of hard touring. The zero fret lets the bass achieve exceptionally low action for silky-smooth playability. What’s more, the MR5S bridge/tailpiece enables you to customize the string spacing to fit your evolving needs as a player. And like all Ibanez basses, the 25th-anniversary BTB 5-string includes high-quality tuning machines for rock-solid tuning stability. Add it all up, and you’ve got a boutique-grade instrument. The Ibanez 25th-anniversary BTB Standard 5-string electric bass has what it takes to propel you to the top of your game.

Ibanez: a brief history

Ibanez began its life in 1908 as the Hoshino Gakki company in Nagoya, Japan. However, the company didn't get into the guitar business until 1929, when they started importing Salvador Ibanez guitars from Spain. In 1935, Hoshino Gakki began building Spanish acoustic guitars under the "Ibanez Salvador" name, which was later shortened to "Ibanez." Although Ibanez began manufacturing electric guitars in 1958, the company was relatively unknown in the West until the 1960s, when they started producing guitars based on American designs. By the late 1980s, Ibanez had stopped producing derivative guitars and had begun manufacturing the original designs that the company is now known for. Ibanez is also famous for their effect pedals (most notably the Tube Screamer) and guitar amplifiers.

What Ibanez Says...

Without a doubt, your instrument should equal the quality of your effort. At some point the word "boutique" comes to mind: Select-grade materials, neck-thru construction, and top quality components, all in a meticulously crafted instrument. But what about the price? That's where Ibanez comes in. Our ability to build small-shop quality into inspiring yet affordable instruments is showcased by BTB series basses.

5pc Maple/Walnut neck with Graphite reinforcement rods

The 5pc Maple/Walnut neck provides tonal clarity and superior attack.The Graphite reinforcement rods provides massive sustain and excellent stability.

Neck-through construction

The neck-through construction contributes to massive sustain and smooth access to high fretboard positions.

Rosewood fretboard

Rosewood fretboard provides a well-balanced solid tone with a focused mid ranges.

Medium Stainless Steel frets

The Stainless Steel frets are durable and long-lasting.

Okoume wing body

The Okoume wing body provides a bright and solid sound.

Nordstrand Pickups

Nordstrand™ "Big Single" cram a meaty single coil into a soapbar-style pickup, producing a full-bodied, powerful, aggressive tonal texture, while still retaining the clarity that's characteristic of single coil pickups.

Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ w/Mid frequency switch

Ibanez Custom Electronics 3-band EQ is our latest refinement on the concept of simple, straightforward, no-nonsense EQ control. The Boost and Cut for the Mid Control are each centered on slightly different frequencies, an innovation that delivers a preset range of the most favorable bass tones.

MR5S Bridge