Yamaha Trb 1005 vs Spector Euro Lx5 vs MusicMan Stingray 5 HH

[ozbilbass]

Hi everyone.I'll buy a new guitar but I was undecided of this 3 basses.Waiting for your comments

[uncle psychosis]

I have no experience of the Spector or the Musicman, but I own one of the newer Korean Yamaha TRB1005 models.

The build quality is fantastic, it has a very versatile range of sounds and despite being a 35" scale length I find the neck very comfortable to play. I picked mine up for a very reasonable price too. I would definitely recommend one without hesitation.

Photos of mine are here:

http://basschat.co.uk/topic/96631-the-yamaha-trb-porn-thread/page__st__20__p__1350292#entry1350292

[AttitudeCastle]

They all handle and sound different, it's a matter of getting them in your hands!

My vote is the TRB BUT thats me, and i've played all three and i don't rate the Spector sound and the MM is great but don't like the neck and the sound was exactly what i wanted!

Just go travel to play them

[Musicman20]

The Ray 5 IS the 5 string for me...industry standard and stunning tone/quality.

[Machines]

What are you looking for from an instrument ? If we know that we can suggest which instrument may be best suited to you.

[JD1]

I've got a Spector Euro5 (albeit an older solid maple one) and a Stingray 5 Classic (and I've owned a TRB5 - albeit a jap one).

Different beasts really.

Stingray does what it does and I've not heard anything replicate it. Its weakness I suppose is a relative lack of versatility in comparison to my Spector - but Its certainly not a one trick pony. I've also had a Stingray 5 HH which is undoubtedly more versatile - but I prefer a pup blend rather than switching on two pup basses. Also there isn't much room to pop when slapping as the front pup is close to the neck. An HS config might be better if you feel the urge to slap.

Spector with its EMG's is a bit more more hi-fi / clinical than the Ray and has less of a scooped basic sound - with a more forceful mid voice. It also has a thicker neck.

Both have powerful EQ's.

The TRB was more nuetral sounding with less character than the other two (who, to be fair have fairly strong personalities) - but still a great bass and very versatile.

Build quality on all three excellent.

A lot will depend on what type(s) of music you will be playing. You really need to try all three.

[andyonbass]

On the Euro 5 I had, it felt like a really long stretch to the lower frets, more so than any other 35" scale I've used, to the point of discomfort on a long set. Mine also had a slight neck dive, although a decent strap pretty much eliminated that. Hugely powerful output, much to the annoyance of more than one sound engineer!

Edited October 1, 2011 by andyonbass

[dr Szelma]

depends on music you play.
If it's plastic music from the 80's, then treat yourself with spector
other than that - go for Yamaha. I owned japan trb, it was very nice bass, extremely well built.
spector IS NOT GOOD for metal music!!! and active emg pickups ARE NOT GOOD for other style than Victor Wooten double thumb, as a sound engineer I have to say it - they sound like sh*t when I have to put distorted bass in the mix...
And now If I may suggest something:
If you want to play heavy music - go for G&L
If you want to play pop - Lakland on Bartolini pickups or Stingray (but there is a lot of "deaf" MM stingrays on the market, beware! - I owned 4 of them and only MM Cutlass from 1979 was ok, rest of them made between 1993 to 2009 was deaf )
rock, reggae, pop, jazz and soloing - Jazz Bass (apart from reggae music focus on bridge pickup instead of both)
If you have no clue - Precision Bass. IF PBASS IS NOT FITTING IN YOUR BAND, CHANGE YOUR BAND NOT BASS! it's most versatile bass ever made
Hope this helps

Edited October 1, 2011 by dr Szelma

[LukeFRC]

[quote name='dr Szelma' timestamp='1317496907' post='1391347']
depends on music you play.
If it's plastic music from the 80's, then treat yourself with spector
other than that - go for Yamaha. I owned japan trb, it was very nice bass, extremely well built.
spector IS NOT GOOD for metal music!!! and active emg pickups ARE NOT GOOD for other style than Victor Wooten double thumb, as a sound engineer I have to say it - they sound like sh*t when I have to put distorted bass in the mix...
And now If I may suggest something:
If you want to play heavy music - go for G&L
If you want to play pop - Lakland on Bartolini pickups or Stingray (but there is a lot of "deaf" MM stingrays on the market, beware! - I owned 4 of them and only MM Cutlass from 1979 was ok, rest of them made between 1993 to 2009 was deaf )
rock, reggae, pop, jazz and soloing - Jazz Bass (apart from reggae music focus on bridge pickup instead of both)
If you have no clue - Precision Bass. IF PBASS IS NOT FITTING IN YOUR BAND, CHANGE YOUR BAND NOT BASS! it's most versatile bass ever made
Hope this helps
[/quote]

I don't agree with everything- but i like this!

[Gust0o]

Spector not good for metal? I guffaw at your delightful jest, sir

[TRBboy]

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' timestamp='1317462551' post='1390891']They all handle and sound different, it's a matter of getting them in your hands!

My vote is the TRB BUT thats me, and i've played all three and i don't rate the Spector sound and the MM is great but don't like the neck and the sound was exactly what i wanted!

Just go travel to play them [/quote]

+1 pretty much! I had quite a tight budget and I just don't think you can beat the TRB for VFM. A TRB1004 was my main bass for many years so I knew what I was getting. I hadn't owned a 5 string for years, but it became apparent to me when I started trying different basses that I needed a 35" scale. The B just felt flappy and not responsive enough for me on all the 34" basses I tried.

The TRB just ticked all the boxes for me; feel, sound and price. I've found it useful in almost every style from metal to disco.

The only other bass I really liked was the lakland skyline 55-01 but the TRB edged it for me.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='dr Szelma' timestamp='1317496907' post='1391347']
spector IS NOT GOOD for metal music!!! and active emg pickups ARE NOT GOOD for other style than Victor Wooten double thumb, as a sound engineer I have to say it - they sound like sh*t when I have to put distorted bass in the mix...
[/quote]

Where are you getting this crap from? Spector basses have long been hugely popular in metal. If Alex Webster plays them and Modulus basses it must surely speak for the quality of Spector.

I'd go for the Spector basses. The other two are good, but not in the same league as the Spector in every respect. The Euro basses are some of the best 'production' basses around.

[Musicman20]

I wouldnt say the Euro basses are the same quality as an EBMM...probably similar, but the edge for quality for a USA instrument would definitely, IMO, sway to EBMM.

[Bigwan]

I'd add a Sandberg Ken Taylor to the list if I were you... just to confuse things further!

[TRBboy]

[quote name='Bigwan' timestamp='1317644117' post='1392587']I'd add a Sandberg Ken Taylor to the list if I were you... just to confuse things further![/quote]

+1000000!

If we're looking outside of the three basses mentioned in the title, I would without a shadow of a doubt go for a Sandberg (personally). If I was in the market for a new 5, I would definitely go for a Sandberg!

I did notice the other day that there was a black KT 5 in the FS forum for less than £600.......

[JD1]

I would say the quality of the Euro versus a US EBMM is comparable based on my experience - but both Spectors I've had have been older CR models.

I should have mentioned the price aspect in my earlier post - Yamahas and TRB's especially are amazing value used and the new TRB's look like a lot of bass for the money. I really can't understand why they don't hold their used values better.

[AttitudeCastle]

[quote name='dr Szelma' timestamp='1317496907' post='1391347']
depends on music you play.
If it's plastic music from the 80's, then treat yourself with spector
other than that - go for Yamaha. I owned japan trb, it was very nice bass, extremely well built.
spector IS NOT GOOD for metal music!!! and active emg pickups ARE NOT GOOD for other style than Victor Wooten double thumb, as a sound engineer I have to say it - they sound like sh*t when I have to put distorted bass in the mix...
And now If I may suggest something:
If you want to play heavy music - go for G&L
If you want to play pop - Lakland on Bartolini pickups or Stingray (but there is a lot of "deaf" MM stingrays on the market, beware! - I owned 4 of them and only MM Cutlass from 1979 was ok, rest of them made between 1993 to 2009 was deaf )
rock, reggae, pop, jazz and soloing - Jazz Bass (apart from reggae music focus on bridge pickup instead of both)
If you have no clue - Precision Bass. IF PBASS IS NOT FITTING IN YOUR BAND, CHANGE YOUR BAND NOT BASS! it's most versatile bass ever made
Hope this helps
[/quote]

I disagree with most of this but each to his own!

The P-Bass is NOT the most versatile bass ever made. Rather the opposite. It has pretty much one sound and degrees of that sound and that sound works in 90% of music. IMO that doesn't mean versatile, versatile to me means being able to do many different things.

A P-bass still sounds great though

Also, EMG doesn't mean distortion... It's hardly like Victor Wooten has a hard driving sound?

Ask Dood, he'll tell you EMGs sound really glassy bright snappy treble with a big bottom end very smooth and punchy. And that thing about 80's stuff i'll excuse...

The Yamaha will cover all genres mentioned above, sounds great in the mix in Jazz, Metal, Pop i've used one for them all and it sounds ace in my opinon.

^^^
All of the above IMHO!

[dr Szelma]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1317625516' post='1392337']

Where are you getting this crap from? Spector basses have long been hugely popular in metal. If Alex Webster plays them and Modulus basses it must surely speak for the quality of Spector.

I'd go for the Spector basses. The other two are good, but not in the same league as the Spector in every respect. The Euro basses are some of the best 'production' basses around.
[/quote]

Alex Webster's sound is not good, sorry mate. It's covered by distorted guitars and drums Try to listen by your ears not by brands you can see on instruments, it helps a lot have you ever heard word ENDORSEMENT?

Sandberg - it's a lottery. Like with Music Man you can easily get a deaf one... I've heard/played quite a few deaf ones, but when it's good - it's good, and I've heard/played a lot of them sounding well as hell!

Edited October 3, 2011 by dr Szelma

[dr Szelma]

[quote name='AttitudeCastle' timestamp='1317666021' post='1393025']

I disagree with most of this but each to his own!

The P-Bass is NOT the most versatile bass ever made. Rather the opposite. It has pretty much one sound and degrees of that sound and that sound works in 90% of music. IMO that doesn't mean versatile, versatile to me means being able to do many different things.

A P-bass still sounds great though

Also, EMG doesn't mean distortion... It's hardly like Victor Wooten has a hard driving sound?

Ask Dood, he'll tell you EMGs sound really glassy bright snappy treble with a big bottom end very smooth and punchy. And that thing about 80's stuff i'll excuse...

The Yamaha will cover all genres mentioned above, sounds great in the mix in Jazz, Metal, Pop i've used one for them all and it sounds ace in my opinon.

^^^
All of the above IMHO!
[/quote]


Well, you've just prooved that it is very versatile, cause it fits in most of music genres, like jazz bass

Read again what I've wrote about EMG's And I do not have to ask anybody about EMGs - my experience and people who I worked with it's enough.

I'm maybe a litlle bit rude with saying that, but I'm just tired arguing with arguments like "listen to... he'll tell you THE TRUTH about EMGs and Spectors..." or using as an example records, where there's no bass

[AttitudeCastle]

I can post you a few of his Videos if you like? Dood is a long time EMG user With some bass solo videos/ bass heavy tracks.

I'm not saying they are the greatest thing ever yada yada yada i'm not an EMG fan myself! haha,

Also i just found it a little odd you saying:

"active emg pickups ARE NOT GOOD for other style than Victor Wooten double thumb, as a sound engineer I have to say it - they sound like sh*t when I have to put distorted bass in the mix..."

It seems a contradiction to me, as you;re saying "distorted bass" and also saying "good for other style than Victor Wooten double thumb" which confused me.

Fitting into many styles doesn't make it versitile, but i guess it depends on your understanding of the word. It generally means

"Capable of doing many things competently"

And the P-bass does one thing, as it has more or less one sound. Which i one thing, but it's still a great thing but it isn't versitile.

Lastly, i'm not sure i've you've listened to much of Alex Websters stuff, but for a metal band the bass is nicely high in the mix, i mean it isn't the newer Dream Theater stuff, and it isn't Maiden but it's audible which is a nice change haha! He endorses spector because he likes them and uses them, he is hardly big enough to have money and basses thrown at him!

[Chris2112]

[quote name='dr Szelma' timestamp='1317666327' post='1393034']

Alex Webster's sound is not good, sorry mate. It's covered by distorted guitars and drums Try to listen by your ears not by brands you can see on instruments, it helps a lot have you ever heard word ENDORSEMENT?
[/quote]

I would counter your lazy argument with a thoughtful answer that illustrates what a load of rubbish you're talking. But you can't even be bothered to string a sentence together properly, so I fear my response would fall on deaf ears...

[JD1]

Don't dis the EMG's man.

[TRBboy]

@ Dr Szelma:

Personally, I disagree that a P bass is at all versatile. The fact is that it sounds familiar and therefore pleasing. Most of us have probably heard p basses on about 90% of the records we've ever listened to! They sound great and sit well in a band mix, but offer very little flexibility really.

We're all here to voice our opinions and share our experiences, but I think that you need to voice your opinions without trying to force everyone to believe that your opinion is the only correct one. I think that some people are finding your approach quite abrasive.

Just one more thing, you keep talking about "deaf" basses; as far as I'm aware, basses are unable to hear anyway! Do you mean duff?

[dr Szelma]

you have to apolgize me, I'm from different country. That's the reason sometimes it can be difficult to understand what I mean, but I'm doing my best! In my first language we describe an instrument as a "deaf" if it's rubbish, well, it's very difficult to explain, but you should know what I mean, like saying "jazz bass neck is fast" is very hard to explain but people know what that means. Anyway, depends on West Midlands Bass Bash date I may pop in with my gear We can have a small chat as well We'll (hopefully) come to the UK within first week of November.
I don't dis EMG - they're OK, but you have to be aware what are they made for and when you want to use them, I would say 8/10 I'd rather be using passive pickups on Alnico magnets. When EMGs are better than my favourites? For example 1) double thumbing - Victor Wooten style (because of the dimension where they work), 2) playing in places where you have bad electricity - they will be better, 3) another one is adding J EMG pickup to passive P pickup and mixing it - usually I CANNOT STAND mixing them together, my point of view is the only one in a time - but it sounds more less ok mixed passive P with active EMG J. But when they're rubbish? Answer is very easy - 1) every studio situation, 2) adding some distortion to them, 3) harmonics - all of that because of the poor midrange. I'm sure that there will be some people who'll fully disagree with this but really, I'm no bothered, it's their thing how they sound. I'm sharing my knowledge (not myths, everything what I'm writing here was already checked in professional studio) and don't want to force anybody.

Edited October 3, 2011 by dr Szelma

[TRBboy]

[quote name='dr Szelma' timestamp='1317677722' post='1393333']you have to apolgize me, I'm from different country. That's the reason sometimes it can be difficult to understand what I mean, but I'm doing my best! In my first language we describe an instrument as a "deaf" if it's rubbish, well, it's very difficult to explain, but you should know what I mean, like saying "jazz bass neck is fast" is very hard to explain but people know what that means. Anyway, depends on West Midlands Bass Bash date I may pop in with my gear We can have a small chat as well We'll (hopefully) come to the UK within first week of November.
I don't dis EMG - they're OK, but you have to be aware what are they made for and when you want to use them, I would say 8/10 I'd rather be using passive pickups on Alnico magnets. When EMGs are better than my favourites? For example 1) double thumbing - Victor Wooten style (because of the dimension where they work), 2) playing in places where you have bad electricity - they will be better, 3) another one is adding J EMG pickup to passive P pickup and mixing it - usually I CANNOT STAND mixing them together, my point of view is the only one in a time - but it sounds more less ok mixed passive P with active EMG J. But when they're rubbish? Answer is very easy - every studio situation.[/quote]

Well, glad that's all cleared up now......