Your death metal allegiance will come to nought if you don't know Steve DiGiorgio. Many of us would know him though the band, Death (defunct). I know him through Sadus. In fact, I find Sadus interesting because of Steve's bass works in there; he's one of the more technical players in this genre who cleverly mixed his parts without getting in the way of the guitars. If you listen to Death's Human, you'd hear his fretless bass in action.
That's right - fretless. That's how his signature Ibanez is; a fretless 5-string (SDGB1), modelled after the BTB Series. This is downright deserving; Steve DiGiorgio should have been given one much earlier but we know how it is with endorsements & bass players; they are second fiddle to the guitar guys. Do note the fingerboard material in use - Ebonol. This is a synthetic material, very much in the likes of Richlite. Ebonol is a composite of resin & fibre (paper), a surprisingly popular material of choice in the bass circle.
After watching this promo video (yes, he's playing stuff from Death's Human), you'd agree this guy's precision is scary. Anyway, this bass was initially left out of the November release list only to appear like a week into the month. Better late than never.
Pics: Ibanez / FSantiago
