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A Fusion Bass Legend's Signature Axe





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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 cofounding 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. Designed to Gary's exact specifications, the Ibanez Gary Willis Signature GWB205 fretless 5-string bass represents the latest innovations in Gary's long and fruitful collaboration with the company.





Special features facilitate high-octane performance





The GWB205 is packed with Gary’s signature specs: a fretless ebony fingerboard with fret-line markers, a detachable finger ramp (the "Willis ramp"), and specially shaped tuning keys. In addition to those expected GWB features, the GWB205 features a beautifully grained ash body with three strap buttons ? one on the front horn and two in different positions behind the bridge ? that let you ergonomically position the bass according to your hand positioning. A single Bartolini GWB pickup in the bridge position and bypassable NTBT 2-band EQ pump out fat, growling fusion bass tone by the boatload.





The Willis ramp accelerates lightning-fast note articulation





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 maximum 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 GWB205 features a 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 takeaway 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 GWB205 sports tidy white inlaid fret line markers, as well as offset front and side dot position markers.





Ibanez Gary Willis Signature GWB205 5-string Fretless Bass Features:


Signature 5-string fretless bass of fusion legend Gary Willis


Ash body exhibits a musical tone with the perfect blend of brightness and warmth


Detachable finger ramp (Willis ramp) injects your playing with 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 active electronics turbocharge your tone


Ibanez Standard bridge facilitates intonation and maximizes sustain


Slick-looking black hardware