Phil Maneri’s
BASS
LAB
Ibanez brings forward-thinking design to the moderate-priced tier with a $1,500 active, set-neck bass equipped with piezo pickups and a diminutive headstock. It’s a bold design statement that takes its cues from a small contingent of seriously high-end basses that pushed the envelope of what’s acceptable on-stage for a bassist. Although not for the Fender purist, these instruments can assert another dimension of performer personality without sacrificing utility. Here we see both in a package at a very competitive price point, given what it’s got under the hood.
The 3-piece maple neck wears a dark ebony board that hides graphite stringers inside the core to strengthen and assist sustain. It’s set deep into the body – a sandwich of maple and walnut, layered in interesting and uncommon way. The lumber adds up to quite a lightweight bass.
The electronics in here are very interesting. On the magnetic side, there is a higher-end Bartolini “CandyBar” pickup that functions like a Precision Bass in that it has two coils side-by-side underneath the hood to cancel hum. It’s quite narrow though, almost like a Jazz Bass, so its point source is clear and uncluttered by the phase cancelations of a wider spread. It feeds an active bass/treble boost/cut preamp that sounds good (and looks rather unassuming in the cavity, which is fully shielded). In addition, there are a set of piezos in the bridge saddles they call “AeroSilk.” Those mix without tone adjustment, save a passive treble roll-off.
What’s interesting here is the use of the single-source magnetic. A very good, but not common, choice, save for the Precision Bass. The piezo is possibly unnecessary, although it does add some string noise texture that some people like. It might be a different beast if it was fretless with flatwounds. That could be very compelling…
Outside the pickup, the remaining hardware and such are fairly typical for instruments coming out of Indonesia (hence the affordable price). It’s well-constructed, though, and the joinery is first rate. One interesting design cue is the tight peghead machine arrangement. Its looks crowded and in some ways odd, but the way the tuners are oriented and the way the strings lie across the neck through the nut and all the way to the edge of where it breaks off the tuner, it’s a completely straight line. That straight line, especially off the nut, decreases any weird string annoyances from kinking or bending a string, at install and over time. This prevents “falsing” and tuning issues and increases string life. Subtle, smart and completely intentional.
The ergonomics are better than you’d guess for as weird as it looks. Great balance and weight, however you choose to play it. The very light weight adds to the concept of an instrument you could easily play all day without much effort holding it up. The bass looks cool and functions very well, giving the “under $2,000 set” some seriously high-end teases that could inspire a player in ways you can’t get to with a Precision. At this price point, it’s a bold and wise addition to the Ibanez lineup. It may not sell like crazy, but it will definitely sell, especially to those pining for high-end Euro design instruments on a more reasonable budget.
Ibanez Affirma AFR4FMP
CONFIGURATION
| Strings: | 4 |
| Style: | Double cutaway |
| Overall Length: | 44 3/8” |
| Body Dimension: | 19 5/8” long x 11 3/4” wide at lower bout |
| Body Contouring: | Moderate |
| Weight: | 7.5 lbs |
NECK
| Scale length: | 34” |
| Neck width at nut: | 1.569” |
| Neck width at 12th fret: | 2.103” |
| Neck width at joint: | 2.282” |
| Neck thickness at nut: | 1.017” |
| Neck thickness at 1st fret: | .815” |
| Neck thickness at 12th fret: | .882” |
| Neck thickness at joint: | 1.407” |
| String spacing at nut: | .3787” |
| String spacing at saddle: | .742” |
| Fingerboard radius: | 12" |
| Descriptor for neck shape: | Flat D |
| Peghead break angle: | 12 deg |
| Bridge break angle: | 15 deg |
| Afterlength at nut: | 2 ¼” to 5 1/16” |
| Afterlength at saddle: | 1 ½” |
| Attachment: | N/A |
| Pocket gap: | none |
| Truss rod type/access: | Dual-action / body end |
| Fret count: | 22 full and 24 for G string |
| Fretwire: | 102 x 46 |
ELECTRONICS
| Pickups: | Bartolini split-coil J-type, Aerosilk piezo system |
| Pickup location(s): | 12 15/16” from 12th fret |
| Electronics: | Ibanez 2-band EQ, Aerosilk piezo circuit |
| Controls: | Magnetic volume, Piezo volume, Magnetic Treble & Bass, Piezo active tone |
| Shielding: | Paint |
| Preamp circuit voltage: | 9v |
CONSTRUCTION
| Body Material: | Maple/walnut |
| Neck Material: | Maple |
| Fingerboard: | Ebony |
| Body Finish: | Satin polyester |
| Neck Finish: | Satin polyester |
HARDWARE
| Strings: | D’Addario XL |
| Gauge: | .045, .065, .085, .105 |
| Attachment: | At bridge |
| Bridge/material: | Proprietary / black |
| Nut: | Plastic |
| Tuners/color: | Gotoh-type / black |
| Knobs/color: | Dome-top knurled metal / black |
| Pickguard: | N/A |
| Control cavity cover: | Plastic (separate battery cover and separate piezo access) |
GENERAL
| Company: | Company: Ibanez/Hoshino USA 1726 Winchester Rd, Bensalem, Pa. 19020 Phone: 215-638-8670 Fax: 215-245-8583 Email: ibanez@hoshinousa.com https://www.ibanez.com/usa/ |
| County of origin: | Indonesia |
| Warranty: | One year |
| Price: | $1,499.99 |
| Options: | 4 or 5 string, walnut or maple top |
| Accessories: | Hybrid hard case/bag, multitool |
| Available colors: | Natural satin finish - maple or walnut |
| Acquired from: | Hoshino USA |
| Dates: | Spring 2019 |
| Locals: | Washington, Ohio |
| Test gear: | Genzler MG-800, BA210-3 & BA12-3, Line 6 Helix Floor, Tsunami Cables |
TEST RESULTS
1-5 (unacceptable to impeccable)
In-hand
| Features: | 4 |
| Tonal Flexibility: | 3.8 |
| Ease of Use: | 4 |
| Aesthetics: | 3 |
| Ergonomics: | 4.5 |
| Tone: | 4 |
| Value: | 4 |
In-hand Score
3.90average
On-bench Score
4.71average
On-bench
| Overall construction | 5 |
| Wood choice | 5 |
| Materials choice | 3 |
| Joinery | 5 |
| Fretwork | 5 |
| Fit and Finish of adornments | 4 |
| Quality of finish work | 5 |
| Ease of repair | 5 |
| Potential range of setup | 5 |
| Balance on knee | 5 |
| Balance on strap | 5 |
| Overall electronic quality | 4 |
| Solder joints, wire runs | 4 |
| Clarity | 5 |
| Noise | 5 |
| Shielding | 5 |
| Quality for Price Range | 5 |
SONIC PROFILE:
Low: Pillowy, abundant, but not incredibly focused or tight
Mids: Present, but slightly reserved due in part to lack of bridge pickup
Highs: Piezo allows for plenty of air and shimmer, magnetic pickup works well with EQ to provide ample high frequencies.
TONE-O-METER
An innovative step in the evolution of the bass guitar, with some ultra-modern styling and sonic options to boot. Neither the aesthetics nor the tone won’t be for everyone, but that’s the beauty of a large brand like Ibanez taking the plunge into such adventurous design – they can afford to do it and will no doubt continue to tweak and improve over time! Definitely a strong consideration for someone looking outside the norm.
