Baby brother to the Thunder Row favourite Ibanez SR-5006E Prestige Bass is the Ibanez SR2010ASC, otherwise known as the Ashula hybrid.
From the Ibanez website:
Most bassists like the sure and true notes of fretted basses, while others prefer the fluid and expressive tone of the fretless. Ibanez decided to give bass players a little of both - in one bass! Introducing the SR2010ASC Ashula, the world’s first fret/fretless hybrid bass guitar.
Four fretted strings are tuned normal E-A-D-G to cover cool bass lines, while the two fretless strings are tuned to the same D and G as the fretted strings for more fluid and dramatic fretless solo work.
Ashula features a Light Ash body with 5-piece Jatoba/Bubinga neck, with onboard Ashula EQ. The special humbucking Sonic Arch pickups are double coiled in a single-coil housing. Get the best of both bass worlds and go hybrid with the SR2010ASC Ashula bass, only from Ibanez.
SPECIFICATIONS:
Neck Material: 5 PIECE Jatoba/ Bubinga
Neck Type: Ashula 6
Body: Light Ash body
Frets: Fretless/Fretted hybrid
Fingerboard: Rosewood
Bridge: Mono-Rail IV bridge
Neck PU: Sonic Arch
Bridge PU: Sonic Arch Mini
EQ: ASHULA EQ
HW Color: Chrome
NECK DIMENSIONS
Scale/Length 864mm/34"
a: Width at Nut 53mm
b: Width Last Fret 85mm
c: Thickness 1st Fret 19.5mm
d: Thickness 12th Fret 21.5mm
Radius 400mm
PICKUPS
Bridge Pickup
Name: SONIC ARCH MINI
Model No: SONIC ARCH MINI
Construction: Humbucking
Magnet: Ceramic
Description: Humbucking coil construction in half size pickup housing.
Designed for fretless strings.
Neck Pickup
Name: SONIC ARCH
Model No: SONIC ARCH
Construction: Humbucking
Magnet: Ceramic
The Ibanez YouTube channel offers a three-part demonstration of the sounds possible with this very interesting instrument.
Part 2 is in Italian, but there are subtitles.
What do you think, TR members? Is the Ashula up to snuff? There were some comments posted that the fretless strings sound like a trumpet rather than a full fretless bass. The fact that there are only two of them could be the reason. No E or A fretless means all your fretless work is all in the higher range.
Hmmm...I guess you could drop the tuning.
She's a beauty, but is this hybrid bass worth the $1000.00 price tag? The fretted SR-5006E Prestige usually goes for about $2000.00 - $2500.00. Is this hybrid a decent, lower priced way to cut your teeth on a fretless?
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