Ibanez Signature Adam Nitti ANB205 5-String Bass Review

A bassist’s dream, that’s what the Ibanez Signature Adam Nitti ANB205 5 String Bass is…

…From its stunning looks to the wide range of tones, and features for ease of use from changing those tones, to making adjustments as you see fit.

The ANB205 5-string plays like an extension of your body right out of the box, as any bass should. It came set up just the way that I prefer, low action and everything adjusted just right in between. The bass is designed to Adam’s specifications and the production model is the same exact model that he performs and records with. Quite a few signature basses are made, then the artists themselves make their own adjustments and fine-tune their signature bass, this is not so with the ANB205.

Now, to point out a few minor things…

Will you sound exactly like Adam? Of course not, unless you have his fingers and the exact technique that he uses, which I doubt. However, that should not discourage you from getting one of these basses. You can always study with him through his Adam Nitti Music Education website where he will give you personalized feedback and critiques.

The ANB205 is extremely well crafted, from the 3-piece maple neck, maple fretboard with black rectangle inlays and medium frets, providing crisp tones, along with the transparent red burst swamp ash body; it has an extra cut on the lower horn to make it easier to access the higher frets.

The electronics consist of Bartolini 59CBJD passive pickups, which can provide both modern and classic tones along with the Bartolini NTMB+F 3 Band EQ, which also has a 3-way midrange toggle switch for 250Hz, 500Hz, and 800Hz. The electronics have controls for volume, balance, with boost/cut for treble, mids, and bass.

The bridge is the Hipshot bridge, and I almost forgot to mention, the truss rod adjustment for the neck is a wheel at the heel of the neck. This makes for easier truss rod adjustments.

Last but not least, is the finger ramp. I don’t want to say I saved the best for last, because I love everything about the ANB205, but the ramp is a great feature that Adam has on this bass. The ramp actually helps you control how deep your fingers dig into the bass, allowing for a more balanced attack, plus I really think it does help you play faster, as you are not digging into the strings as much.

My final thoughts on the AND205? 

You definitely need to check this bass out! I have a feeling you will be adding it to your collection once you do and performing a lot with it.

Check out the Ibanez Signature Adam Nitti AND205 5-String Bass at Ibanez.com or at an Ibanez music retailer near you!

Click to check out my conversation with Adam Nitti about the AND205