2022 Ibanez 1005MS EHB

The latest addition to the fleet is this 2022 Ibanez 1005MS EHB-SFM. The SFM stands for the color “Sea Foam Green”. My wife said it looks like the same color as a “Tiffany’s Box”. As a result, we’ve begun referring to this bass as “Tiffany”.

EHB stands for “Ergonomic Headless Bass”. Headless basses were a bit of a trend with 80’s pop bands, so it fits nicely with the Retroflection vibe. But it really is extremely comfortable and lightweight. At around 7lbs, it is the lightest bass in my collection. One of the main motivations for picking up this particular bass is that my band is adding more modern songs that require a 5-string. My G&L L-2500 is a boat anchor compared to this at over 10lbs. On a 4-hour gig, those extra pounds add up.

At a recent gig, I played the Sire fretless for a few songs before swapping for the Ibanez. The Sire is not a heavy bass at all, but I noticed the difference. The Ibanez was noticeably lighter.

Another interesting aspect is the “ms” part of the name. It stands for “multi-scale”. The frets are not parallel. The length of the low B-string is 2 inches longer than the high G-string. This additional tension adds musical definition to those lower notes, much like a piano which has variable length strings across the note range.

Unfortunately, these Ibanez headless basses are not widely available. I had to buy it online without trying it out first. Online retailers have generous return policy and that reduces the risk of a regretted purchase. But, Tiffany is a keeper. It sounds great, is easy to play and very easy on my back and shoulders.