PCBE12 (China)

This page is about the PCBE12 made in China since 2015. For for the Indonesian-made version, see PCBE12 (Indonesia).

For information on other models with the same or similar name, see PCBE12 (disambiguation).

PCBE12 Open Pore Natural

The PCBE12 is a Performance series acoustic/ electric bass model introduced by Ibanez for 2015. It is produced in China, replacing a similar model which was made in Indonesia. Another Indonesian-made version was introduced for 2020, but this Chinese-made model remained in production; since 2020 the Chinese version is sold only in the US, while the Indonesian version is sold in other markets. The two models are similar, but have some differences in their specifications.

The PCBE12 features a grand concert body constructed of a laminated spruce top on laminated mahogany sides and back. The round soundhole has a tortoiseshell rosette and a black pickguard. The mahogany neck joins the body at the 15^th fret and has a 20-fret rosewood fingerboard with small white dot position markers. Components include a compensated plastic saddle in a rosewood bridge with black plastic bridge pins, a plastic nut, and chrome Ibanez tuning machines.

The PCBE12's electronics consist of an Ibanez under saddle pickup connected to an AEQ-2T preamp with on-board tuner powered by a 9V battery and feeding a ¼" stereo output jack.

For 2017 the body length was increased very decreased. For 2018 the mahogany back and sides were replaced with sapele and the rosewood fretboard and bridge were replaced with treated New Zealand pine. For 2019, the fretboard and bridge were changed to nandu wood. For 2022 the body length and width were both increased very slightly.

The PCBE12MH is a similar model with a mahogany or sapele top.

This PCBE12 was discontinued after 2020, but was brought back in mid-2022.

Specifications[]

Related content: Performance series |

Specifications for PCBE12 (China)

Name: PCBE12 (China)

Year(s) offered: 2015–2020; 2022–2024

Sold in: Americas & Oceania 2019 / Asia & Africa 2015–2019 / China 2015–2019 / Europe 2015–2019 / USA

Made in: China

Finishes: Open Pore Natural (OPN)

Body

Body type:
Acoustic

Body shape:
Grand concert

Dimensions:
  Body length:
    2015–2016: 495mm/ 19½"
    2017–2020: 489mm/ 19¼"
    2022–2024: 492mm/ 19⅜"
  Width:
    2015–2020: 387mm/ 15¼"
    2022–2024: 391mm/ 15⅜"
  Depth: 108mm/ 4¼"

Top:
  Material: Spruce (laminated)
  Bracing: X
  Finish: Open pore

Back/sides:
  Material: 2015–2017: Mahogany (laminated)
                2018–2020; 2022–2024: Sapele (laminated)
  Finish: Open pore

Soundhole shape:
Round

Soundhole rosette:
Tortoiseshell

Neck

Neck profile:
PCB (China)

Neck material:
1-piece maple

Scale length:
812mm/ 32"

Fingerboard:
2015–2017: Rosewood
2018: Treated New Zealand pine
2019–2020; 2022–2024: Nandu wood w/ Ivory binding

Inlays:
Small white dot

Frets:
20 / medium nickel silver

Nut:
Plastic (43mm)

Machine heads:
Ibanez die-cast

Electronics/ Components

Pickup:
Ibanez Undersaddle

Preamp:
Ibanez AEQ-2T w/ on-board tuner

Output jack(s):
¼" endpin stereo

Battery:
9V

Bridge:
2015–2017: Rosewood
2018: Treated New Zealand pine
2019–2020; 2022–2024: Nandu wood (19mm string spacing)

Bridge pins:
Plastic (black w/ white dot)

Saddle:
Plastic compensated

Hardware color:
Chrome

Pickguard:
Black

Strings (factory):
2015–2016: .045/.065/.080/.100 (D'Addario EXP)
2017–2020; 2022–2024: .040/.060/.075/.095 (Ibanez IABS4XC32 Carbon X-Coated)

Factory tuning:
1G,2D,3A,4E (E standard)

Images[]

Additional details

AEQ-2T preamp

Sources[]

2018 Europe catalog (p. 91)
2018 Asia catalog (p. 97)
PCBE12 product page, Ibanez USA, archived December 2019
PCBE12 product page, Ibanez USA, archived June 2022
PCBE12 product page, Ibanez USA, archived January 2023
PCBE12 product page, Ibanez USA, archived January 2024