Ibanez B200

About the Ibanez B200

The B200 uses a basswood block for the rim rather than the multi-ply maple typical of purpose-built banjo brands, with a mahogany veneer resonator carrying multi-ply binding for a decorative finished look. A rolled brass tone ring under a steel tension hoop with 24-piece brackets gives it real tone-shaping hardware, though the fundamental rim material differs from dedicated banjo makers' approach.

The mahogany neck carries a rosewood fingerboard with pearl vine inlays across 22 frets, dual coordinator rods, and a purpleheart saddle on a rosewood-and-maple bridge. Notably, the B200 uses chrome friction tuning machines with acrylic buttons rather than geared tuners - a traditional old-time approach requiring more careful tuning technique than modern geared pegs, an unusual choice on an otherwise closed-back bluegrass-style instrument.

Where to buy

• Reverb 420 EUR Best price View details
• Reverb 437 EUR View details
• eBay 519 EUR View details

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Source: https://reverb.com/item/48525203-ibanez-b200-5-string-resonator-banjo

Sound character of the Ibanez B200

The B200 uses a basswood block rim rather than the multi-ply maple found on premium banjos, paired with a rolled brass tone ring and mahogany-veneer resonator - budget-oriented construction that gives decent projection and a moderately bright ring for the price, but with less sustain and resonance than a solid maple-rim, bell-bronze-ring instrument.

Technical data for the Ibanez B200

Price history for the Ibanez B200

Cheapest seen: 409 EUR  ·  Most expensive seen: 519 EUR

The history of the Ibanez B200

Ibanez introduced the B200 in 2013, produced in China, as part of a push into acoustic folk instruments beyond its core electric guitar and bass catalog, aimed at guitarists curious about banjo rather than dedicated bluegrass specialists.