A Retro Silhouette with Some Real Modern Muscle
The Ibanez Talman Bass series is one of those quiet success stories — a body shape with genuine Ibanez heritage, brought back with a full suite of modern specs that make it genuinely useful for everyday playing. The TMB425B takes that retro-inspired offset silhouette and loads it up with a Roasted Maple neck, a Dynamix PJ passive pickup set, and an active 2-band EQ that gives you far more tonal flexibility than you might expect at this price point.
Five strings open up your low end in ways that a 4-string simply can't — that low B gives you more range without having to shift positions or retune. Whether you're holding down a rock groove, walking a jazz line, or digging into funk, the Talman has the tonal versatility to follow you there. The PJ configuration is a big part of that: the P-style pickup at the neck gives you that classic, punchy thump, while the J-style bridge pickup adds clarity and edge.
This bass has taken shipping damage and it has dent on back and side. (see pictures) Please note, these may not be the only cosmetic imperfections.
Body and Construction
The Talman's body is carved from Okoume — a lightweight tonewood with a bright, resonant character. It balances well on a strap and doesn't fatigue you through a long session. The asymmetric double-cutaway offset shape gives it a distinctive look that stands out from the sea of Precision and Jazz clones on most stages.
The neck joins via a bolt-on joint and is built from Roasted Maple — a heat-treated process that increases the wood's stability, moisture resistance, and tolerance to temperature swings. For a gigging musician who moves between venues with different climates, that matters. The Ebonol fretboard is a synthetic material made from layers of black paper and phenolic resin that delivers a tight, bright response underfoot. Twenty medium frets span the full 34-inch standard scale.
Pickups and Electronics
The TMB425B runs a pair of Ibanez Dynamix passive pickups — a split-coil P-style at the neck and a single-coil J-style at the bridge. Passive pickups keep the signal chain simple and reliable, and the PJ configuration is arguably the most versatile pairing in bass guitar history. You can favor the neck pickup for a warm, full voice; blend in the bridge for brightness and definition; or dial the Ibanez Custom Electronics 2-band EQ to fine-tune the result.
The onboard electronics use a dual stacked-knob layout: one stack handles volume and pickup balance, the other handles treble boost/cut and bass boost/cut. It's an intuitive control setup once you know what you're working with, and it puts real tonal shaping tools at your fingertips without cluttering the body with a wall of knobs.
Hardware
The B15W bridge — designed specifically for 5-string spacing — provides 18mm string spacing across its saddles, which keeps things comfortable for both fingerstyle and pick playing without spreading your hand too far. The all-black hardware ties the aesthetic together cleanly on the Black Flat finish. Open-gear tuning machines round out the package, providing smooth, reliable tuning without unnecessary bulk on the headstock.
The nut width comes in at 45mm (1.77"), which gives you enough room to navigate that fifth string without things feeling cramped, particularly welcome for players new to 5-string territory.
Product Features:
- Body: Okoume — lightweight with bright, resonant tone
- Neck: TMB5 Roasted Maple — heat-treated for enhanced stability and moisture resistance
- Fretboard: Ebonol synthetic fretboard with 9.5" radius and 20 medium frets
- Scale Length: 34" standard scale with 45mm (1.77") nut width
- Pickups: Dynamix P (neck, passive split-coil) + Dynamix J (bridge, passive single-coil)
- Electronics: Ibanez Custom Electronics active 2-band EQ (treble boost/cut, bass boost/cut)
- Bridge: B15W with 18mm string spacing for comfortable 5-string playability
- Hardware: All-black hardware with open-gear tuning machines
- String Count: 5-string (factory tuning: B, E, A, D, G)
- Finish: Black Flat — no case included
Brand: Ibanez
Model: TMB425BBKF Talman Bass
SKU: TMB425BBKF-2ND
Condition: Shipping Damage Special
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