Advice on a Fiver

[Tripehound]

A very late and happy postscript to this.

Many thanks for all the great advice from everyone. I ended up in Bass Direct and bought a Dingwall Super J 5 string after being completely smitten. I now use it routinely as everything else gathers dust.

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I suspect I will be buried with it.....

[Conan]

Oh well - in for a penny and all that!

[skej21]

[quote name='MacDaddy' timestamp='1427243400' post='2727937']
Another possible option, is to use a Hipshot X tender, like wot I do.

It means I play a 4 string, but there are only 3 notes I don't have that a 5er does.
[/quote]

if im honest, I'm always surprised that people don't do this! I think the lowest note I've ever HAD to play was a D and that would be fine with the hipshot.

Personally, my 5 string is E-C and I just tune the E down to D if I need the bottom range :-)

[Woodinblack]

I have a hipshot on my jazz bass. It isn't the same thing at all. The hipshot is fine if you just want to go to d. The 5 string is pretty handy if you want to play the same thing as a 4 string but 5 frets up the neck.

[Happy Jack]

[quote name='skej21' timestamp='1452100939' post='2946429']
if im honest, I'm always surprised that people don't do this! I think the lowest note I've ever HAD to play was a D and that would be fine with the hipshot.

[/quote]

In my main covers band we play half a dozen songs in B.

I don't HAVE to play a low B in any of them.

But it's nice when I do.

[MacDaddy]

[quote name='Happy Jack' timestamp='1452778322' post='2953378']


In my main covers band we play half a dozen songs in B.

I don't HAVE to play a low B in any of them.

But it's nice when I do.


[/quote]

Its when you have to play B but don't, what causes the problems ;-)

[Happy Jack]

You're not going to let me forget that, are you?

[thebuckets]

[quote name='geoffbyrne' timestamp='1425596746' post='2709052']
Yamaha BB425

G.
[/quote]
+1
I have a BB1025 string spacing is great and b string is nice and tight. the 425 is very similar, I have played a 424 which I thought nailed the P bass sound better than the 1024 I had at the time. so for £250 you can have a brand new 5 string p bass for a 5th of the cost of a fender 5er. cant go wrong IMHO

[Alex Tootstick]

I had the same drama a few months ago and spent months pondering over fivers go out to shops and play a few. I found some to be way too wide at the nut and string spacing was to close (Ibanez) found Spector felt comfy. Still finding excuses to use the B but I'm glad I shopped about first cos I love it now. I'd still feel more at home with four but love the playability of my five. Don't go off recommendations. I was dead set on a Warwick till I played one and it totally didn't feel right. Upto you though. Hope this helps.

[garyt]

I went through this dilema years ago, and the only way to do it is trial and error as it is personal. I was worse than a poser in a shoe shop. After trying endless 5-stringers, I was losing sleep over whether to go for a Status or a Pedulla as they were both absolutely awesome. Then I tried a Musicman Stingray V, and that just blew the lot out of the water.

[Musicman20]

I didn't bother with 5 strings until I bought a Musicman Stingray 5...now I have a fair few.

[therealting]

I recently sold a Modern Player Jazz fiver that was excellent for the price. Stuck a pre in and it was fantastic.