Ibanez Affirma AFR5-WAP, Plus a look at the history of the Affirma! - LowEndLobster Review 

Thank you for watching and being a part of the community :)

Thanks :)

Thanks Ray!

Thank you!

Thank you Raymond

Thanks Mike :)

:O I would TOTALLY mess with one of those.

I totally agree.' Literally the only reason I have not bought one yet.

It's one of those designs that'd benefit so much from different options. Dual hb without piezo? Full on piezo fretless? Multiscale? So many possibilities, it'd be a shame if they didn't go with it.

Thanks Jeff!

Thanks Chuck! Congrats! They're very unique and 'different' basses.

Thanks Jon :), glad you liked it!

Hahahaha, thank you my friend! Playing every day and being surrounded by basses definitely helps! I remember when I started, I felt like a bear coming out of a musical hibernation. Feels good :)

Thanks Ray! :)

Thanks Ross! Do you mean the SR1600B in that blue finish with the white pickup covers?.... YES.

That's awesome! I love the finish options they have... I wish they had some cool transparent colors though. A trans blue with the flame maple would be nice... and I wish they did a fretless. I might get someone to convert my reissue to fretless honestly. I love em too. My rating was an objective one, but I adore this thing and the story behind it. Thanks for watching and sharing your story my friend!

Thank you :) This was a fun one to make

Thanks Charles! Honestly, I have a P10 here and the B is actually quite solid, though 35" wouldn't hurt as the M series with 35" scale has a better B. More Sire content coming soon :)

@@LowEndLobster I have the M7 ash 5str , great tone but .....short on mojo , have BB P35 on the way , great bass

@@LowEndLobster a question ....how much do you think the headstock angle affects B string tension ...and laminated or quarter/sawn necks ......a slight mystery to me

Woah, that sounds KILLER! I've never seen any modded ergodynes. Do you have any pics!? DM me on IG or join the Discord!

@Metalbass Just curious did you change any of the hardware and electronics?

Hehehehe. Agreed, this is the best affirma but you can get a lot more bass for your money elsewhere.

@@LowEndLobster What bass would you most recommend at that price range?

Thanks Hodari!

Thank you Marco!

Total foreplay

DUDE! I actually had a battery drain issue with mine too. I fixed it, there was some contact between the pot closest to the jack and the jack itself causing battery drain. I popped a little piece of cardboard between em and no more drain. I forgot about it but you reminded me. Great comment, thank you!

@@LowEndLobster Thanks for doing this review. I find that playing these basses through a Gallien-Krueger Backline 250 yields a very versatile combination (with the 410 BLX cabinet). I have a Korg AX1 connected, but hardly need it for anything with this bass.

Thanks Ruben :)

Me too. The affirma holds a special place in my heart.

It's here :)

@@LowEndLobster And it's beautiful :') Thanks for the review. Although part of me wishes you had made this review sooner since I bought this bass as my first and only bass, I'm mostly glad you didn't because I likely wouldn't have gone with this one and I am so happy I went with it. But I definitely do think your recommendations are accurate, I'm probably the odd one here lol

( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)

Unfortunate how?

These are very unique and awesome. Mine's with Dale but I want to get it back and put on some flats, I think they might add a whole new dimension to this bass

@@LowEndLobster I agree on the flats idea. It might warm up a crispy tone from the piezo pickups. And give an accent tone from the bass & strings that might be a new thing. I check out Reverb for a Poplar Burl one. Although I think I like the dark Walnut better. There is a lot of different colors available. I'm not sure if I like the flat finish. I have a couple like that and it drives me crazy to keep it clean looking.

:)

I still owe you guys a strap-balance video looking at multiple instruments. This'll be on there as well. Thanks as always my friend!

Glad you liked it ahaha

Thanks James! This is definitely one of the most untraditional instruments I have.

One of the originals? Yeah they're very very rare!

Thank you! I saw TesseracT last year, it was awesome!

@@LowEndLobster I remember seeing them live only once, but yeah. AFRs aren't a one-trick pony despite of having a single magnetic pickup. They're tone machines. Oddly, the older one sounded abit better to me? I can't be the only one thinking that way xD

@@WildWildWeasel They're definitely versatile, just not in the traditional sense. I'm contemplating swapping out the Bart in the reissue, honestly wasn't impressed with it. I think the original sounded the best as well, though I really appreciate the added level of control you get in the reissue with the dual volumes and separate Piezo tone control. I also want to get a new fretboard on the reissue.. unlined fretless... hnnnngggggg

@@LowEndLobster The reissue does the styling and most of the things right, but yeah, to me the pickups sound somewhat muddier and more plasticky, unlike on the other one which sounds alot more organic imo. Must be the preamp, since that is what usually colors the sound the most. Also the frets, yeah... x.x

Thanks Jon! I was just thinking about putting flats on this.

Do it! I used Ernie Ball Group V strings this time and it is still bright and snappy but I don’t have to subdue the highs as much to be musical and the midrange is less harsh. Broken in will be better. Next time I will use GHS precision flats.

@@LowEndLobster they make bolt on ones, if it wasn't you then some other channel has touched on the ones that are made so you can use existing screws on the bass.

@@LowEndLobster www.zero-mod.com/models.html But yeah, get stuff made get stuff made custom stuff rules I love artisanal shit especially when it sounds so damn good

russell zauner I was going to make him one with the same material I made his Strat Bass out of. Have you seen the video?

russell zauner ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-ZCdgGltfsAU.html

Thank you! Lobster will take the bullet so you don't have to ;P.

Thanks! Once it gets here I'll let you know ;)

Good idea!

@@LowEndLobster oooo that is a GREAT idea - engineered magnet companies use it too, to demonstrate field patterns - instantly putting it to old smoov-e leaps to mind. All that utter shite I speculate about pickups and tone and the field spread can now be debunked ha ha ha Good call!

That's Nino!... It's for sale ;P

Thanks Jake! Yeah man, they nailed it with the reissue! It's also nice that the reissues are widely available :)

They both felt roughly the same. They pretty much nailed replicating the construction of the original in the reissue.

The dress is on back order ;P

Every time I'm on camera and say it I'm always like boooouuurrrll poouplur hahaha

Hahaha glad you liked it ;P

Agreed! I would loooove a fretless

Indeed, definitely has an old school vibe to the tone. Great observation!

Thanks! I agree, I dig the controls on the new one the best

It is out there! Rolf designed this in the late 70's/early 80's! It is very comfy

Thanks Michael! Ah the EDA, a very interesting instrument. You definitely have a rare finish on yours. Honestly, if you dig the feel of the instrument I'd say you should swap the guts for something more worthwhile. The stock electronics on that bass were definitely not the strong point.

@@LowEndLobster like I said, I’m a guitarist so don’t know much about bass. I saw bartolini makes a pickup the same housing, but otherwise I’m not sure. Also, not sure how much money I would have to/ want to put into it

Lol, yep the luthite didn't do the design any favors. IMO the walnut one is the best looking, then the natural flamed maple. Not a fan of the burl, plus they're like $400 more.

@@LowEndLobster It's an exceptional ride for being Indonesian. I know Ibby gets a fton of stuff built there but, this is so much further an improvement on the original I'd like to see it get prestige or even j.custom treatment. It's a very very wicked 5 and would make ESP look VERY HARD SIDEWAYS at FGN for committing such a spiritual crime against their neighbors lol

@@LowEndLobster also, maybe you want to check out the whole testament series from earlier this year...but SteveD's is the best. HE HAS CHICKENS LIKE I DO!!!!! lol james hetfield only has BEES! ru-vid.com/video/%D0%B2%D0%B8%D0%B4%D0%B5%D0%BE-pDT-9CxtJv8.html

I see it!

This is the internet, pics or it didn't happen ;P

There's even enough room in the slot there on that body where I could put a hipshot like thing that just pops it from finger ramp, to fingerboard extension, to out of the way, like my Ibby WD7 weeping demon wah switches between free floating/motion actuated and always tensioned to zero on the pot/stomp activated.

I had a response about 20 sentences long that said something about improving it already with multiple interlocking wedges as the granular plane adjustment foundation as well as force amplification/reduction in the right places. See: Computing Mechanisms and Linkages, Antonin Svoboda; archive.org/details/bluejersey112_mechanisms_Svoboda/page/n57/mode/2up

@@LowEndLobster Once I get a bench up, I'll build it and you can watch. Should take about three 15 minute sessions. Maybe one 20 minute session if I get a 360 cam.

@@LowEndLobster Yes, livestream. Imma start flexing my deep hardcore bench skills so EVERYONE CAN LEARN WHO THE BOSS IS OF THE HOT IRON. Remember, this is my name, and I'm a professional ha ha ha superdroid1 at linked in dot com, no lie. bored af because industry gave me over a quarter century of hardcore engineering builds to fix and deliver and now they don't want me no mo that I can't pick up heavy things and put them down in another place.

Hahaha thanks! ;P

Honestly, I'm not much of a pedal dude and haven't ventured into the realm of compressors in a long time. Have you tried lowering the treble side of your pickup?

Awesome! Which kind did you get?

Yep, these are really cool instruments but definitely fall under the Eastwood EB-1, Nordstrand Acinonyx category of "you buy one of these because you want THIS bass".

Thank you Freddo! I just got this bass back from my friend and will soon be doing a revisit and will string with tapewounds! Stay tuned :)

Great comment! Thank you :)

Thanks Rob!

I don't want an angry Cardi B showing up at my house.... Meg is always welcome

Hey Philip! I appreciate the suggestion. I don't use a strap because there's a lot of variables outside of the instrument that contribute to balance - the ones that stick out to me most are strap size/quality and an individual's physical build (and how they wear their bass). Two people can have two very different experiences with the exact same bass, so I generally choose not to explore those variables as it's not something that'll apply the same way to everyone.

You think I should do a Pinky and the Brain cover? ;P

For SURE!!!!!....MAYBE send ya my sparkle white US Sterling to be The Brain????.....hahahahahaha

@@basshoh NARF ;P

LOL, I should have people submit childrens drawings of the AFR ahaha

XD This was a fun one to make ahahaha

;P

Hahaha glad you liked it ;P

My new rap name is Lil' Claw ;P

Well you need to spell it like...Lil Clau!!!....or Lil Klaww....haha

Nothing happened, taking a break for a few days cause I've been stressed out with some work stuff, and I need to catch up on some bass projects. I'll be back very soon :)

@@LowEndLobster See ya soon...

It was all part of the 'half neck thru' design (basically a set neck). Not as noticeable on the maple topped ones or the dyed ones.

I'm surprised the intro didn't make you uncomfortable ;P. Thank you as always my friend!

@@LowEndLobster the intro was pure quality entertainment THIS IS WHAT 2020 NEEDS!

@@hetul784 Moar crustaceous WAP covers! ;P

@@LowEndLobster 👀👀 YESSSIR!

HA! I got owned by commenting before watching the whole video... again

LOL

;P

I WISH they did a fretless. I'm almost tempted to make it happen with my reissue...

It is weird haha.

Thanks! Indeed the body style always got me interested, but I do wish it delivered more tonally

Yep, butchered the pronunciation here ;P

No biggie! BTW, because of your review of the Squier Paranormal Jazz, I bought one and now I think it’s my new number 1. Usurped my Road Worn, which is literally 3x the price at $1200. 😂

LOL

@@LowEndLobster there is literally wood that smells like root beer. You thought I was joking? I would finish it with hand rubbed sassafras oil or something to keep the scent well imbued except IIRC it will give you cancer or something if you have too much on you ha ha ha SMALL PRICE FOR ROOT BEER GUITAR Black-Hearted Sassafras Atherosperma Moschatum Few woods on the market match the striking color contrasts found in this species. A native Tasmanian timber, the dark, variegated colors in the center of the log are caused by a fungus which fortunately, does not disturb the stability of the wood. The wood is light in weight, strong, easy to work, bend and to finish. Bends easily with little to no springback. Tonally it falls into a category that might also include Myrtle, Walnut and Maple, so expect an open sound with nice separation and sparkling highs. Great mid tones. Sassafras grows as an under story species in lower altitude wet forests throughout Tasmania. It is not related to the timbers known as sassafras that grow on mainland Australia. It is an aromatic evergreen tree with some quite distinctive qualities; the bark, sap, and associated oils are highly aromatic and smell like cinnamon, while its leaves have a strong sarsaparilla scent. tonewooddatasource.weebly.com/wood-details-a-b.html

Of the 3 'affirmas', those were definitely my least favorite as well. They really nailed it with the new one though, IMO the best of the bunch.

@@LowEndLobster Always liked this shape.

She really is a looker haha

LowEndLobster there is something about unlined fretlesses that are so alluring

Yup!

...... ( ͡° ͜ʖ ͡°)