I would recommend trying a Musicman 5 string of some sort - Stingray or Sterling - before writing off 5 strings.
I am new to the world of 5 strings. I had tried before but, like you, found the flabby B string not much use plus I never got beyond the extra string doing my head in. But that was a while back - never say never - I recently bought a Hohner B2V and discovered that I could get on with one as long as it was light and had narrow string spacing. However I wasn't happy enough with the Hohner for the band I intend it for - the B was still weak - so after considering various options and getting some great advice on here, I snapped up a lighter-than-average Musicman Sterling 5 that was for sale in the classifieds. And I am so glad I did - it wasn't exactly a bargain price but it was worth every single penny. A world of difference in the whole bass but most especially the B string, which is tight and growly just like the rest of the bass. I once had a SBMM SB14, so the 4 string Sterling in the series down from the 'proper' MM range and similar to your Ray34, and it was very good - but not a patch on this.