A Fusion Bass Legend’s Premium Signature Axe
Revered by legions of fans worldwide (and at Sweetwater), Gary Willis is a fusion bass virtuoso. In addition to having a brilliant solo career and co-founding the groundbreaking fusion band Tribal Tech, Gary has recorded and gigged with music’s best and brightest. Gary’s mastery of the 5-string fretless electric bass is nothing short of phenomenal. Early on in his career, Willis established a preference for Ibanez basses, and through the years, he has worked with the company on a series of signature instruments that reflect — and facilitate — his unique and jaw-dropping playing technique. Ibanez introduced the first Gary Willis Signature bass in 1999. Precision crafted in Japan by senior Ibanez luthiers to Gary’s exact specifications, the Ibanez Gary Willis Signature GWB1005 fretless 5-string bass represents the latest innovations in Gary’s long and fruitful collaboration with the company.
Special features facilitate high-octane performance
Key to his incredible right-hand technique, Gary’s secret weapon — the Willis ramp — serves as a versatile thumb rest while plucking the low B string. But more importantly, it prevents your fingers from digging in too deep, resulting in a lighter touch with more consistent attack and quicker recovery time. You’ll be amazed at how the Willis ramp improves your tone and facilitates lightning-fast note articulation.
Bartolini GWB pickup plus 2-band EQ for killer tone
Ibanez basses are used in every style of music from metal to rock to jazz fusion. The versatile pickups and active electronics let you shape your tone to best fit the gig. The Ibanez Gary Willis Signature GWB1005 features a Willis-spec'd Bartolini GWB humbucking pickup that delivers a huge tonal range to suit any style of music. Bartolini’s excellent NTBT active 2-band EQ is also onboard, giving you a stacked pot for tweaking treble and bass to dial in your signature sound.
Fretless, with fret line markers for spot-on intonation
Gary Willis is a living bass legend, but it was the legendary Jaco Pastorius who first put the fretless electric bass on the map. Believe it or not, there was a time when you couldn’t simply buy a fretless. Any that existed were modified fretted models. Much of the mythos surrounding Jaco’s infamous “Bass of Doom” centers around what, exactly, he did to the fingerboard during the de-fretting process. Common wisdom is that he ripped the frets out and patched the holes that remained with wood filler; sanded, and then slathered the fingerboard with several coats of marine epoxy to withstand the use of roundwound strings. The pertinent point is that the wood filler remained visible. Now, with fretless players at this level, intonation is typically flawless regardless of fret lines, but most of us could use some visual aids when we pick up a fretless. The Gary Willis Signature GWB1005 sports tidy white inlaid fret line markers, as well as side and cool-looking offset front dot position markers.
Ibanez Gary Willis Signature GWB1005 Fretless Electric Bass Features:
- Signature 5-string fretless bass of fusion legend Gary Willis
- Toneful swamp ash body for balanced brightness, warmth, and punch
- Detachable finger ramp (Willis ramp) fosters lightning-fast note articulation
- Hyper-playable titanium-reinforced maple neck with super-smooth ebony fingerboard
- Fret line markers make playing with proper intonation easier
- Bartolini GWB pickup and NTBT 2-band preamp turbocharge your tone
- Volume control with push/pull EQ bypass
- Stacked Bass/Treble boost/cut knobs
- Ibanez Standard bridge facilitates intonation and maximizes sustain
- GW special-design tuning keys; black hardware
- 3 strap buttons for optimized ergonomics
- Precision crafted in Japan by senior Ibanez luthiers
- Hardshell case included
