I happen to own the Ibanez PL 5050, since 1990. My only bass, it is all original down to the strap holders. It is professionally serviced every half to a year and I just got mine back from service yesterday, with new Rotosounds on it. The bass is used and played ever since I got it. A good sounding instrument with a nice slim neck. I my music shop, they told me never to sell this thing. They told me to buy a back up, since it`s my only instrument. The bass is gun metal blue, black hardware, and according to the serial number it`s built in Nagasaki, 1987. Fun story; once I was sitting down in my music store checking out a new USA Fender, my instrument was delivered to me by the techincian. The seller tried out my bass, and, after he played a line, he looked at the bass and replied: "What the hell is this"? It sounded just as good as the USA Fender.
I don't know why but that story was pretty emotional, your mom sound really great. I guess it's because I know how hard your parents probably had to work for that $600 it's a really great story! Badass bass as well!
This was certainly a time my mother came through. I don’t think it was her intention in the beginning to get me this bass but whatever her reason was I am very grateful she did it.
That bass reminds me of the bass that got me my job at Parker guitars. It was my brothers Washburn Axis. It was similar to this but sqare and boxy at the edges. I took it to school the day after he bought it and reshaped the body so it was rounded off, like that one, but even rounder. A few years later when i applied at Parker i brought it with me. The guy who interviewed me was Mick Donner and he had been on the Axis bass design when he worked at Washburn. When i told him it started as an Axis he said he hadn't even recognized it, and that it looked great! He shook my hand and said "your hired" that was an amazing day!
@@REXYLAB Yes sir. I worked there in the late 90s. Ken Parker was still there every day. We were making them partially on machines that Ken built himself! It was in a small industrial park building in Wilmington Massachusetts. That was the most fun i ever had in a job. But when it was gone there were no other guitar manufacturers anywhere accessible to me. Even for that job i had to commute from the Connecticut boarder to the new Hampshire border every day. It killed my vehicle which is why i left. I had two young daughters at the time and couldn't afford to replace my vehicle quickly. I took a job in town and by the time i might have been able to go back to Parker it was too late.
@@stevenpipes1555 wow! Now that is fucking cool! I have a good friend that absolutely loves the pre Washburn Parker’s. His dream guitar is an orange Adrian Belew Parker. Did you have any part in that thing? I can’t imagine many were made.
@@REXYLAB i had a small hand in many special guitars. I was in the wet sand and polish area most of the time. But i was good so they asked if i would stay after the others left for the evening and do final polish and inspection. We sanded and polished the paint before any of the routing was done. So after the polish the guitars still had to go through routing, assembly, and final set up. So before they left i had to go over it top to bottom with a hand held air powerd polisher. White gloves and everything. Mine were the last hands to touch it before the customer opened the case. We did guitars for Reves Gabrells, Bonie Rait, Art Garfunkel, The guitar player from Grand Funk Railroad, the guitar player from the cranberries. We did a guitar for Eddie Van Halen to try on stage while in town because he was considering using Parker. They even had a picture of him on stage with it! We did one for the Smithsonian. We did a crazy one off for a guy who was a friend of Ken's and had just become the president, i believe, of Fender. They presented it to him at the NAMM show. So yeah if the Adrian Belew guitar went through at that time then i was the last one to touch it before him! Pretty cool huh?
I have the exact same bass. I bought it in 1986 and used it on 4 albums and at least 3 tours. I don't know why they stopped making them? Such a great bass, especially for the price.
Thank you. I have a long one coming up that you might realize then. It’s about a guitar but it’s a eulogy for the person I started playing with back in the 80s. It will be out very soon.
Have you done a video on those other ones? Im curious about the preamp upgrades. My 85s have the low pass filter preamps (love those, no complaints) and my 86s have the Volume/Blend/Bass/Treble setup. Seems like I could use a little more mid range.
Man I can top all the stories because i have that exact bass . Thing is I bought it in 1986 at Steves music in Toronto right off the wall. It was on sale for $789.00 from $1129 msrp lol. I still have that bass and always will.
Eddy Curnan… what the hell man, you’ve got a freakin RUclips channel??? And nothing with the drums??? I’m seriously disappointed, but kinda proud of you too. Hope you’re well Kracken 🤘🏻
Oh, there are some drum things. I’ll post the links for you. Yeah, I’m great. I quit drinking 6 years ago, the horrible relationship I was in is over, I lost a ton of weight and I’m still going, and I build custom guitars for a nonprofit organization that gives guitars to children with rare and terminal diseases. Things have actually been really good and I am working very hard to make them even better. How did you find my channel? I think I sent a link to your old number but I assumed that it probably wasn’t yours anymore. Catch me up with the wife and kid and how things are. I’m gonna start sharing links I think you would like now. Love ya brother! And I still need to try that fancy DesJarlais mustard I kept hearing about. So good to hear from you! I hope you and you’re family are well. If you ever come back I have the perfect restaurant to take you to. It’s a Mexican/South American market that does plate lunches and if you don’t speak Spanish it’s hard to order… and they have grapefruit soda! Yum! So I could use your help on that one.
I bought one new. They are great basses. I made a historically bad trade for mine. I kept until a couple of years ago. I hadn’t been playing it so I gave it to my buddy that played drums in my band in the late 80’s.
That is kind of sad but I did something similar with my first amp. I bought one just like it though and it feels great to have it back! If you want another one of these there is one on reverb right now. It needs work but it would be pretty amazing with a little effort. I love having this one. it feels more like my original bass than my actual one I got in 1989 feels after all the mods I did. reverb.com/item/54325829-ibanez-pl-5050-1986-metallic-green
You said something incorrect in this video pertaining to the serial number: The "F86" does not mean it was made at FujiGen. It means it was manufactured in June 1986. A = January, B = February etc.
I figured this would probably mean more to you than just a simple, “I’m right and your wrong” so I pulled down all my 80s Ibanez guitars and basses. All the ones with the RG style headstocks have an F except the jems and universes, weird. The other shapes like roadster, destroyer 2, etc have different letters. And then there’s this. ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/Ibanez_serial_numbers
It will be worth it! Especially if you like Ibanez basses as this is a rare one. They only made it for one year. Plus, I show you two others that are so unique they are actually the only two in existence. And, it is a nice story with a happy ending. I hope you enjoy it and it cheers you up.
@@REXYLAB Had too miss! Actually it wouldah been one of the few things possible of cheering me up! Nephew msg me to say my old mum WAS indeed dead! Strange one that! nce it began to sink in was like she was being slaughtered in front of me! Kinda nasty trippy! Shops first and she never liked a fuss so hat is that! No Sorr`s or anthing ye kinow!
@@WilliamLithgowGuitars man… I am so sorry. I have no idea how you feel so I won’t insult you by giving any advice or trying to match some tragic experience from my past. Am am truly sorry for your loss. I can deal with physical pain more than emotional pain myself. If I can do something to help I’d be glad to. Got a video on a guitar or a repair I could do to show my support?
I happen to own the Ibanez PL 5050, since 1990. My only bass, it is all original down to the strap holders. It is professionally serviced every half to a year and I just got mine back from service yesterday, with new Rotosounds on it. The bass is used and played ever since I got it. A good sounding instrument with a nice slim neck. I my music shop, they told me never to sell this thing. They told me to buy a back up, since it`s my only instrument. The bass is gun metal blue, black hardware, and according to the serial number it`s built in Nagasaki, 1987. Fun story; once I was sitting down in my music store checking out a new USA Fender, my instrument was delivered to me by the techincian. The seller tried out my bass, and, after he played a line, he looked at the bass and replied: "What the hell is this"? It sounded just as good as the USA Fender.
I’d take one of these over a USA fender any day.
I don't know why but that story was pretty emotional, your mom sound really great. I guess it's because I know how hard your parents probably had to work for that $600 it's a really great story! Badass bass as well!
This was certainly a time my mother came through. I don’t think it was her intention in the beginning to get me this bass but whatever her reason was I am very grateful she did it.
That bass reminds me of the bass that got me my job at Parker guitars. It was my brothers Washburn Axis. It was similar to this but sqare and boxy at the edges. I took it to school the day after he bought it and reshaped the body so it was rounded off, like that one, but even rounder. A few years later when i applied at Parker i brought it with me. The guy who interviewed me was Mick Donner and he had been on the Axis bass design when he worked at Washburn. When i told him it started as an Axis he said he hadn't even recognized it, and that it looked great! He shook my hand and said "your hired" that was an amazing day!
That sounds like an amazing day!
So, if I am understanding you correctly you worked at Parker before Washburn bought them?
@@REXYLAB Yes sir. I worked there in the late 90s. Ken Parker was still there every day. We were making them partially on machines that Ken built himself! It was in a small industrial park building in Wilmington Massachusetts. That was the most fun i ever had in a job. But when it was gone there were no other guitar manufacturers anywhere accessible to me. Even for that job i had to commute from the Connecticut boarder to the new Hampshire border every day. It killed my vehicle which is why i left. I had two young daughters at the time and couldn't afford to replace my vehicle quickly. I took a job in town and by the time i might have been able to go back to Parker it was too late.
@@stevenpipes1555 wow! Now that is fucking cool! I have a good friend that absolutely loves the pre Washburn Parker’s. His dream guitar is an orange Adrian Belew Parker. Did you have any part in that thing? I can’t imagine many were made.
@@REXYLAB i had a small hand in many special guitars. I was in the wet sand and polish area most of the time. But i was good so they asked if i would stay after the others left for the evening and do final polish and inspection. We sanded and polished the paint before any of the routing was done. So after the polish the guitars still had to go through routing, assembly, and final set up. So before they left i had to go over it top to bottom with a hand held air powerd polisher. White gloves and everything. Mine were the last hands to touch it before the customer opened the case. We did guitars for Reves Gabrells, Bonie Rait, Art Garfunkel, The guitar player from Grand Funk Railroad, the guitar player from the cranberries. We did a guitar for Eddie Van Halen to try on stage while in town because he was considering using Parker. They even had a picture of him on stage with it! We did one for the Smithsonian. We did a crazy one off for a guy who was a friend of Ken's and had just become the president, i believe, of Fender. They presented it to him at the NAMM show. So yeah if the Adrian Belew guitar went through at that time then i was the last one to touch it before him! Pretty cool huh?
@@stevenpipes1555 hell yeah that’s pretty cool!
What a cool story and what a cool mom!
Thanks!
It was definitely one of the highlights of my mom’s parenting history.
I have the exact same bass. I bought it in 1986 and used it on 4 albums and at least 3 tours. I don't know why they stopped making them? Such a great bass, especially for the price.
They only made it in 86 too. It’s way too cool not to have had a longer run.
Excellent video Eddie, loving this kind of content 😎
Thank you.
I have a long one coming up that you might realize then. It’s about a guitar but it’s a eulogy for the person I started playing with back in the 80s.
It will be out very soon.
@@REXYLAB looking forward to it 👍
What a great story,,,lovely bass,,Thank you!
Thank you 🙏
I am glad you liked it!
Those look SICK. As in : BADASS. I know the feeling of rare Bass: Black V440 to be friends with the 1985 V220 with Kahler addiction.
I absolutely love playing these basses, they just fucking rock!
Such a Great Story!!!
Thank you
That’s the same body from the Roadstar II models. I have the RB885s (1985 & 86) all I gig with nowadays
I have one of those as well. This body is a little smaller.
Have you done a video on those other ones? Im curious about the preamp upgrades. My 85s have the low pass filter preamps (love those, no complaints) and my 86s have the Volume/Blend/Bass/Treble setup. Seems like I could use a little more mid range.
Man I can top all the stories because i have that exact bass . Thing is I bought it in 1986 at Steves music in Toronto right off the wall. It was on sale for $789.00 from $1129 msrp lol. I still have that bass and always will.
It’s not about topping stories, it’s about sharing them.
I have an '89 RD727 with a similar neck with the binding. The PL5050 might be the first bound Ibanez bass neck?
I don’t know if it is but I remember the RD727! Sweet bass!
Eddy Curnan… what the hell man, you’ve got a freakin RUclips channel??? And nothing with the drums??? I’m seriously disappointed, but kinda proud of you too. Hope you’re well Kracken 🤘🏻
Oh, there are some drum things. I’ll post the links for you.
Yeah, I’m great. I quit drinking 6 years ago, the horrible relationship I was in is over, I lost a ton of weight and I’m still going, and I build custom guitars for a nonprofit organization that gives guitars to children with rare and terminal diseases.
Things have actually been really good and I am working very hard to make them even better.
How did you find my channel? I think I sent a link to your old number but I assumed that it probably wasn’t yours anymore.
Catch me up with the wife and kid and how things are.
I’m gonna start sharing links I think you would like now.
Love ya brother! And I still need to try that fancy DesJarlais mustard I kept hearing about.
So good to hear from you! I hope you and you’re family are well. If you ever come back I have the perfect restaurant to take you to. It’s a Mexican/South American market that does plate lunches and if you don’t speak Spanish it’s hard to order… and they have grapefruit soda! Yum! So I could use your help on that one.
ruclips.net/user/shortsON2y1WZkk2Q?feature=share
ruclips.net/video/3yQYHJRMcG4/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/S2zEyJ1lSzY/видео.html
ruclips.net/video/Eb-54N6XLxo/видео.html
I bought one new. They are great basses. I made a historically bad trade for mine. I kept until a couple of years ago. I hadn’t been playing it so I gave it to my buddy that played drums in my band in the late 80’s.
That is kind of sad but I did something similar with my first amp. I bought one just like it though and it feels great to have it back!
If you want another one of these there is one on reverb right now. It needs work but it would be pretty amazing with a little effort.
I love having this one. it feels more like my original bass than my actual one I got in 1989 feels after all the mods I did.
reverb.com/item/54325829-ibanez-pl-5050-1986-metallic-green
You said something incorrect in this video pertaining to the serial number: The "F86" does not mean it was made at FujiGen. It means it was manufactured in June 1986. A = January, B = February etc.
I figured this would probably mean more to you than just a simple, “I’m right and your wrong” so I pulled down all my 80s Ibanez guitars and basses. All the ones with the RG style headstocks have an F except the jems and universes, weird. The other shapes like roadster, destroyer 2, etc have different letters.
And then there’s this.
ibanez.fandom.com/wiki/Ibanez_serial_numbers
Two hours Eddie ! Damn yankees always gotta keep us waiting huh! Be worth it, Need cheering up!
It will be worth it!
Especially if you like Ibanez basses as this is a rare one. They only made it for one year.
Plus, I show you two others that are so unique they are actually the only two in existence.
And, it is a nice story with a happy ending.
I hope you enjoy it and it cheers you up.
@@REXYLAB Had too miss! Actually it wouldah been one of the few things possible of cheering me up! Nephew msg me to say my old mum WAS indeed dead! Strange one that! nce it began to sink in was like she was being slaughtered in front of me! Kinda nasty trippy! Shops first and she never liked a fuss so hat is that! No Sorr`s or anthing ye kinow!
@@WilliamLithgowGuitars man… I am so sorry.
I have no idea how you feel so I won’t insult you by giving any advice or trying to match some tragic experience from my past.
Am am truly sorry for your loss. I can deal with physical pain more than emotional pain myself. If I can do something to help I’d be glad to.
Got a video on a guitar or a repair I could do to show my support?
@@REXYLAB Thank you!! it`s just "The Spirit Of The Age"! This is cool!
WOW Eddie! Yer a bit well tasty on Da Bass Man!!