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Conan

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Posts posted by Conan

    Bassman666

    in Feedback

    Posted

    I have just purchased Charlie's (well, mine now!) Yamaha BB615. A lovely bass that arrived promptly, beautifully packaged and exactly as described. A real pleasure to deal with! :sun_bespectacled:

    5 string bass virgin, any recommendations?

    in Bass Guitars

    Posted

    4 hours ago, mcnach said:

     

     

    I know this is often a standard response but I really mean it: go out and try as many as you can.

     

    This is just my personal journey, so it may not the same for you, but I had a bunch of 5 string basses over the years. On and off. Never really gelling with any. From a cheap Crafter something or another to Lakland. It wasn't until I had a particular instrument that 5-strings 'made sense' to me. It's a combination of how that bass felt, the neck profile, the sound. While on 4 strings I have a pretty good idea of what my preferences are, I really didn't know for 5-strings. 

    Once I had that particular bass I found myself really enjoying it, and that was key because I felt I needed a certain period of playing (near) exclusively the 5-string, just getting used to the dimensions, where the notes are etc. Not long, it was probably just over a month before I started feeling comfortable enough to gig with it, and only a bit longer until I was just happy with whatever. Now I swap around, no issues. I like the 4 for some things and the 5s for others. I say '5s' because inevitably finding a 5 string bass that I really liked led to getting another two or three :D but that's just me ;)

     

    The instrument that made me 'get' 5 string basses was... a Harley Benton MB-5 SBK, the 'stealth black' one. Super cheap, and needed some attention to the fretwork and nut, but it had a few things going for it:

    Being primarily a Stingray player, the 'Stingrayesque' design felt very much at home. It's a passive bass, but the pickup is at the right location and it's got that punch I love. It was also pretty light.

     

    I would have never thought that this bass would be the one that opened the door for me. Hence my: try everything you can, until you find one that feels 'right'. The transition from 4 to 5 can be a bit confusing at times, but having the right instrument for you will make the process a lot easier.

     

    edit: I don't mean the Harley Benton is my recommendation or that a cheap one will do. Just mentioning it because while it was not the greatest instrument, it seemed to have the right 'physical attributes' for me, and it allowed me to be comfortable with 5-string basses in general. Now I have other better ones, and now I understand my preferences for 5 strings.

     

    Great post! (Almost) saved me the bother of replying...😄

     

    Just one more brand to chuck into the mix - G&L! For your budget you could probably get a used USA model, but to be honest I'm not sure it's necessary. The Tribute series M2500 and L2500 are fantastic basses, not just "for the money" but at any price point. With a budget of around a grand you might also be lucky enough to find a used ACG - beautiful handmade British (Scottish to be exact) instruments with mouth-watering spec levels.

    • Like 2

    Feedback for jellyknees

    in Feedback

    Posted · Edited by Conan

    Neil bought my ACG. He paid extremely quickly (indeed, a week before he got the bass!) and was a pleasure to deal with at every stage.

     

    He's a lovely fella and it was good to meet him (at a service station on the M6!).

     

    Enjoy the bass and take care 😎

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