Ibanez Talman TMB100 Review (Best For Versatility)

Discover the Ibanez Talman TMB100 bass guitar in our review. Explore its specs and features, and find out why it could be a great choice for your next gig or recording session.

If you are in the market for a bass guitar that can deliver great sound and style, the Ibanez Talman TMB100 is a must-see. With its retro design, this instrument draws inspiration from the 60s and is well-suited for modern playing techniques. The guitar’s construction features an alder body, maple neck, and rosewood fingerboard, all of which contribute to its warm tone and sustain.

The TMB100 includes two Dynamix pickups, one at the bridge and one at the neck, which deliver a robust and full-bodied sound, with plenty of control and versatility. With its solid hardware and design, the Ibanez Talman TMB100 is an excellent choice for players looking for a reliable and flexible bass guitar.

In this review, we will examine the Ibanez Talman TMB100 in more detail to assess its features, performance, and overall value. 

Ibanez Talman TMB100 Review (At A Glance)

History And Origin

TMB stands for Talman bass where Talman is referring to the body shape that Ibanez does in guitars. But the manufacturer has discontinued doing it. Instead, they’re just making the Yvette Young Signature.

The TMB 100 is one of Ibanez’s entry-level basses above the TMB 30, which is a cheaper, short-scale version. The TMB 100 is not made in China. Instead, this gem is made in Indonesia. So it should be on par with the Squiers.

Though nowadays, the country of the manufacturer doesn’t make a difference really, instead, it mostly depends on what factory it’s actually from. Over the years, Ibanez has tried all sorts of different colors in the TMB 100 in which the Sunburst or Tri Fade Sunburst was quite a limited run.

The TMB 100 is Ibanez’s attempt at making a classic bass. It’s kind of a mix between a Fender Jazz bass and a Fender P bass.

Body And Neck

This bass has got a maple neck and a poplar/alder/mahogany body which makes the guitar an industry standard for a lower-priced instrument. But, that doesn’t mean Ibanez sacrifices the quality as they make fantastic instruments with good quality parts.

View On Amazon

Their guitars are known for their smooth playability, comfortable necks, and versatile tones. They use high-quality wood for their bodies and necks, and their pickups and hardware are also top-notch. Plus, Ibanez offers a wide range of models and features to suit different play styles and preferences.

The neck felt nice and sanded down, but it’s a bit sawdusty like a bit unfinished. The width of the neck gets slimmer as you go up, but the fatness and the shape of it feel mostly the same as you go up. When you’re getting down to the lower frets, it may feel a bit odd to you.

Fretboard And Bridge

It’s a 4-string bass with a Jatoba fretboard and 20 frets. The jatoba fingerboard with 20 medium frets gives you a solid playing platform and gives this bass a very comfortable vintage feel.

No issues are found with the fret edges and bridge during our cross-checking. Although the out of the box setup isn’t great (a considerable amount of string buzz), you’ll be able to set the information as per your liking. 

Electronics And Hardware

As we mentioned before, this gem is something in between the Fender Jazz and P bass as it has got a Dynamix P Split (P-style) Single-coil as neck pickup and Dynamix J (jazz style) Single-coil as bridge pickup with ss configuration which you can blend between. 

Along with these, it features some interesting stacked controls where the first knob is for the volume and blends between the pickups, and the second one is a 2-band onboard active preamp with a treble and bass cut and boost although the pickups themselves are passive.

Originally the guitar came with a torque pickguard. If you’re playing hard with a pick or want to rest your finger, it is not going to be comfortable as the edges are too sharp.

Machine heads are great with no issues whatsoever which keeps the guitar in tune as well. You’ll feel nice and sturdy with them.

View On Amazon

Sound Quality

With the TMB-100 Talman Bass, you have access to a wide range of sounds that will suit any musical style. You can go from fat rock tones all the way down through soft mid-rich R&B rhythms with just one bass pedal!

The Talman has a traditional sound that is not overly lively. The played-in strings don’t help to disguise this fact, but the neck of the guitar does have an even tonal response, and all four strings respond well across it for easy playing with no buzzing or other noises heard when using any fretting hand techniques.

When you plugin, the bass sounds warm and rounded. The active preamp offers its best performance when it’s set mid-range; one without too much bass or treble emphasis which can make things sound muddy when boosting those frequencies; it hit just right! 

This bass guitar has a low and high range that won’t be noticed by those who don’t know how to play the instrument, but with just two knobs (treble and bass EQ), you can easily make adjustments. The tonal extremes of this sound are mostly covered up so it’s easy enough for even beginners in music theory.

When using a pick, the initial note attack stands out prominently. The sound of harmonics rings out clearly as well.

Sound Demo

Build Quality

These basses are a little different than the ones we usually see, but they’re not all that unfamiliar. The neck-positioned split-coil pickup and either single or humbucker upfront do remind us of Ibanez ATK models without their large chrome bridge plate designations on top and the triple coil pickup.

However, you’ll notice these nine model types have more rounded bodies with forwarding chamfers at each end which make them very comfortable to play while still providing a good grip when slipping from your hand during fast movements – something many metal musicians need!

This bass guitar has a lot going for it. The rounded top horn could use some deeper cuts to make access easier, but the lower cutaway does an adequate job otherwise; the three-ply tortoiseshell scratchplate contrasts well with available colors. They also offer dark rosewood fingerboard as well as headstock styling that’s more paddle-like – not necessarily something you want on your instrument if what counts are dynamics and clarity!

All said though, this thing feels substantial in hand which should appeal to both those players looking for depth without sacrificing projection or anyone else interested in hefty sound coming directly from their very bass.

The chrome hardware on this bass guitar is of high quality and performs as required. The controls on this TMB100 were feeling a little slack, as though the placement screws were simply loose. This can easily be rectified with some tightening of these parts which operate well otherwise!

View On Amazon

Playability

The rounded neck profile makes for a comfortable playing experience, with no sharp fret ends to irritate you or your fingers after an hour-long set!

19mm string spacing means that there’s plenty of room between each note when performing live; 40 mm nut width allows ample space between strings so it will be easy finding those chunky solos in cover songs again even if they’re not written specifically for the instrument (although we think most musicians would prefer having them).

Overall, as the back of the neck is sanded down instead of a glossy finish, the guitar is really fast and easy to play which makes this an instrument with good playability. One thing left now is the suggestions about how to best maintain your new purchase – from cleaning weekly/to every other week. Get a detailed guideline here.

Versatility

Custom electronics and 2-band EQ of this guitar result in awesome sonic versatility. Once you get your basic tone dialed in with the TMB-100 Talman Bass, you can use the 2-band EQ to help cement your place in the mix.

Once you play with it for a bit, you will be able to tweak the tone of the TMB-100 Talman Bass for any musical role in seconds.

Design & Looks

The Ibanez TMB-100 Talman Bass guitar is a sleek, understated instrument that will look great in your collection. With its cool design and finish, the Ibanez TMB-100 Talman Bass guitar comes with a chrome bridge and tuners as well. It also sports acrylic block inlays for some extra style points!

Speaking of style, no one can resist the allure that comes with a beautiful tortoiseshell pickguard. We love the way this guitar comes with a fresh new look with those tortoiseshell pickguards! They really give it an old-school vibe. The offset looks of the machine heads are just bang-on.

View On Amazon

Unboxing Video

Color Options

This guitar comes in a number of different colors. You’ll have the options of black, ivory, mint green, mustard yellow flat, tri fade burst, soda blue, white, and walnut flat. So, absolutely no shortage of variation for different tastes and personalities. 

Check out the article that we’ve covered on 5 important things to consider when it comes to choosing the right guitar color.

Customization Tips

If you want to customize this guitar, you have to be really careful in what you’re doing as the pickup blend knobs won’t come off easily. 

You can get the handle of a spoon and put it in between the knobs and prize them off to get it off. There’s literally no way that you can pull it off by yourself. So, be watchful there!

Orientation

This bass comes in both (right-handed and left-handed) orientations. So, no need to get worried if you’re unique in your orientation.

Value For Money

The TMB100 is very affordable when it comes to the price tag and the value it brings is just phenomenal. It’s really hard to beat this gem for an under 200-dollar bass guitar as we already mentioned above that it’s an industry standard at this price point.

So, value for money-wise, it’s absolutely 10 on 10. If you want the highest value with good overall quality for your bucks, you can absolutely take this home without any doubt whatsoever.

Choose Ibanez TMB100 If

• You need a light-weight, good-sounding, versatile bass
• You want possibly the highest value for your bucks
• You need an entry-level bass with decent quality
• You’re looking for your first bass
• You need a good foundation for any project
• You need an awesome-quality backup bass

View On Amazon

Don’t Choose Ibanez TMB100 If

• You’re a complete beginner and you don’t know how to set it up in the first place
• You’re very choosy with the QC issues
• You’ve more to spend on an even better piece

Ibanez TMB100 Alternatives

FAQ

Final Words

Overall, the TMB100 is a great foundation for a project, and to make it even cooler, you can replace the electronics with the Seymour Duncan Quarter Pound™ PJ set. 

If you like the way the TMB100 sounds, and you like Ibanez basses, and you’re looking for your first bass, go ahead and check one out. You might be pleasantly surprised. Surely, it’s worth consideration from Ibanez.

So, that’s our Ibanez TMB100 full review. Hope you’ve enjoyed the reading!