Ibanez Premium GWB205 TQF Gary Willis Signature Fretless 5-String Electric Bass Tequila Sunrise Flat

Gary Willis’ Fretless Formula with Focused Bartolini Control

The Ibanez Premium GWB205 TQF Gary Willis Signature takes the SR body shape and builds it around the needs of a fretless 5-string player. Willis, known for his solo work and as a co-founder of fusion group Tribal Tech, has long approached bass with an emphasis on articulation, dynamics and control. Here, an ash body is paired with a three-piece maple neck reinforced by KTS titanium rods, while the ebony fingerboard contributes a quick response, tight lows and mids, and a strong attack through the upper range.

The fretless fingerboard carries offset white dot inlays and sits on an 864 mm (34") scale with a 305 mm (12.01") radius. String spacing is 16.5 mm (0.65"), while the neck measures 45 mm (1.77") across the nut and 68 mm (2.68") at the 24th-fret position. The detachable Gary Willis Finger Ramp is particularly useful here: by limiting how deeply your fingers can dig between the strings, it encourages a more consistent attack and quicker recovery from note to note.

A curved passive Bartolini GWB pickup uses separate coils to help maintain even string balance, feeding a Bartolini NTBT 2-band EQ. The stacked control provides independent bass and treble boost/cut, while pulling the volume knob bypasses the active EQ entirely. That lets you move between the shaped NTBT response and the more direct passive pickup signal without adding another switch to the control layout.

At Riffs & Licks Music, we think the GWB205 makes the most sense for fretless players who value precision, dynamic control and a deliberately uncluttered electronics setup. The finger ramp, ebony board and Bartolini system all serve that same goal rather than simply adding features for their own sake. Gotoh machine heads, black hardware and a gig bag are included.

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