Best 5 string bass you've ever owned and why?

[Al Krow]

Hey Si - cheers for sharing those thoughts and for confirming on the Yamaha plus the Lakland 55-01. Lakland as a brand has also had a lot of thumbs on this thread. I'll include both on my shortlist to check out.

[Pinball]

The G&L L2500 is passive if you switch the switch off. The tone control is entirely passive, and the preamp is after it. Its set up well, noiseless and you can't actually tell the difference between passive and active unless you push the switch to the treble boost.

The best solution I think. I have an L1505 and it is great both active and passive Edited August 14, 2019 by Dad3353

[Damonjames]

Cheers for the tip-off Damonjames. The Musicman Sterling 35 is £950 new so in a similar price bracket to, but about 15% more than the Yammy B1025 - your view that the Sterling 35 is the better guitar?

I'm planning for sure on trying out the basses, based on folks' recommendation from this thread, before buying so hopefully that will de-risk buying something new quite a bit. I would definitely also want to try out a second hand piece of kit and the only problem with the Sterling is that it's gonna be quite a trek to central Scotland (which is where Stirling also happens to be, hmmm... )...so I think I'm going to need to limit myself to looking at gear located within the M25...

I would say yes but I am biased lol.

Just try a stingray 5, if you like it then the sterling ray 35 is almost identical. Many find the extra cost for the USA Made full day stingray hard to justify.

With all used gear, there is a risk of buying and shipping, but if the seller is known on BC, and they say it is ok, this should limit the risk. If you like a USA stingray 5, I'd say go for it 😄 Edited August 14, 2019 by Dad3353

[louisthebass]

I've owned a few five strings over the last 20 years - a Yammy BBN5 upgraded by The Bass Centre, an Aria IGB5, a Yammy TRB5, a custom built Overwater Deluxe Jazz 5 and a Crafter 5 string ABG.

I still own the last 3 in that list - my preferred "go to" is the Overwater, which sounds great for the R&B, Funk, and Jazz type things I do in a couple of bands, and the Yammy with its humbuckers does the job in a Rock / Pop project I'm currently involved with. The Crafter I use mainly for low volume home practice.

In your price bracket, I've heard a lot of great stuff about the Sire Marcus Miller Jazzes. The Squier VMJ 5 also looks and sounds like a great bass for the money as well.

[krispn]

I was lucky enough to grab a Dingwall SuperPZ5 from these very forum pages. It's a 5 string P with a great neck, it's lightweight, great intonation and it sounds like a P bass it's got a cool tone knob which can do p bass, thump and a 'scooped' slap sound should one desire.

It's my only bass and every time I consider getting another bass I play this and find myself asking do I really need another bass.

Am I GAS free? Nope but this is like Subutex (Subutex is an opioid receptor modulator that is used to treat people with opioid addiction). Basically buy a Dingwall P5 and you've basically got a mixed partial agonist to prevent you buying another 'unnecessary' bass.

[therealting]

I was lucky enough to grab a Dingwall SuperPZ5 from these very forum pages. It's a 5 string P with a great neck, it's lightweight, great intonation and it sounds like a P bass it's got a cool tone knob which can do p bass, thump and a 'scooped' slap sound should one desire.

It's my only bass and every time I consider getting another bass I play this and find myself asking do I really need another bass.

Am I GAS free? Nope but this is like Subutex (Subutex is an opioid receptor modulator that is used to treat people with opioid addiction). Basically buy a Dingwall P5 and you've basically got a mixed partial agonist to prevent you buying another 'unnecessary' bass.

Same - my Super P5 is my go to 5-string these days. Between it and my Super J5, my five string GAS is as under-control as it's ever been.

(the vintage 4-string GAS is a separate matter) Edited August 14, 2019 by Dad3353

[Painy]

'Best' 5er I've owned would definitely be my old Warwick SS1. A genuinely beautifully made instrument, as you would expect from an instrument costing several thousand pounds, and the low B just sounded and felt like the next string along from the E - no floppiness or flabbiness at all just tight and focussed.
Funnily enough it wouldn't be my favorite though. That distinction actually goes to my humble Squier VM P5. That's ultimately because there are a lot of factors that make a good 5 string other than that 5th string itself - looks, playability and the overall sound all combined into a complete package. Just like a 4 string really. In fact I've never really made any distinction between a 4 or 5 when deciding if I like it or not - ultimately it's either a good instrument for you or it isn't.

[Tweedledum]

Dingwall. Especially the 'Afterburner' series. I love the look, ergonomics, playablity and clarity of tone.

[chris_b]

I played a Fender Am Pro Jazz V today.

If they're all like this then Fender might have finally come up with a 5 string bass that can compete and win!

If anyone's looking for a 5 string Jazz this should be on their audition list.

[AdamWoodBass]

Didn't own it but the best 5 string I've ever played is probably a Celinder J Update 5. I've played a lot of 5 strings over the years in various different price ranges, none of which I own anymore but this one really blew me away. Demoed one in the Gallery in London, it was the first time I'd seen one up close and I just had to have a go on it. I couldn't fault it at all, spent a good half an hour putting it through it's paces and couldn't find one thing I didn't like about it. I then started A/Bing it with some other fairly high end Jazz basses like Sadowsky, Xotic, Mayones etc and they were all great but just weren't as good as the Celinder in my opinion. I totally expect that some people will disagree with me on that but like I said the Celinder just blew me away and I can't even really explain why in any useful context. Obviously Celinders are pretty difficult to come by nowadays but I'm holding out for the day that I have enough cash for one and there is one available to buy.

[stingrayPete1977]

The best ever 4 string I have played was a Celinder J, if I had not switched to 5 strings I would have made sure I was the next owner of it.

[NancyJohnson]

I've had three; Bongo, DJ5 and a Streamer.

The Bongo played best by a country mile, I adored the design, balance, feel and string spacing but tonally it was a mess and if I could have converted it to passive somehow, I would have. Tonally I'd say the DJ5 edged it.

[Andyjr1515]

I've had three; Bongo, DJ5 and a Streamer.

The Bongo played best by a country mile, I adored the design, balance, feel and string spacing but tonally it was a mess and if I could have converted it to passive somehow, I would have. Tonally I'd say the DJ5 edged it.

That's an interesting comment ref the Bongo. I converted Paul_S 's Sterling 5 to passive and added a P pickup in the neck recently. The Musicman pickup is exceptionally low output so I had to wire it in series to match the Aguilar's output. Sounded OK. Actually, as a pair, sounded great!
I suspect it wouldn't be at all difficult to do the same on both pickups on a Bongo...anyone here tried it? Edited August 14, 2019 by Dad3353

[Hutton]

For me it's my Cort A5 Custom SP because it's the only 5'er I have ever owned.

[markstuk]

For me it's my Cort A5 Custom SP because it's the only 5'er I have ever owned.

Glad you're enjoying it 🙂 Edited August 14, 2019 by Dad3353

[JimBobTTD]

I currently own three 5-string basses:

Ibanez SR1205 (from the 90s, not the new version of the model
This is my favourite bass of all time. Lightweight, thin neck, neck-through, perfectly balanced. I changed the electronics for EMGs and have it strung with roundwounds. This is my go-to metal bass and I used it extensively in a metal band. I bought it in 2009 after a fiddling with another 5-er. There were not all that many made, so they are not easy to find. Mine is black, mahogany/maple body and maple/wenge neck. The B string is perfect.

Warmoth/Firecreek PJ
Warmoth neck, Firecreek PJ body. Resonant, great and tight B string. Strung with flats (D'Addario Chromes) and is my go-to bass for everything that is not metal (although I also played it when stepping in for a grindcore band).

Warmoth Deluxe J (fretless)
Warmoth neck, Warmoth J body. Good B string - tight, balanced (like the others). An excellent bass.



These are not all that easy to find - the Ibanez is very rarely seen, especially this side of the Atlantic, and especially in this wood combination. It is, though, the best bass I have ever had. It was this bass that decided the specifications of my Warmoth basses - the nut width, string spacing at the bridge.

Warmoth do great stuff, but the prices are eye-watering. I saw them as investments and have absolutely no regrets!

[interpol52]

I just played a Musicman Stingray 5 in PMT.

It was perfection.

[Pinball]

I just played a Musicman Stingray 5 in PMT.

It was perfection.

I remember trying a fretless SR5 in PMT Bristol and thinking the same about 4 years ago-love at first sight. i popped in again a few days later and the price had dropped £500 so I went home and got everything I could think of to trade and went back with two basses and acoustic guitar and some cash and redturned with the Stingray. I have never regretted it.

One bass that you love is worth a whole bunch of others anyday....infact I'm off to noodle on it Edited August 14, 2019 by Dad3353

[Grassie]

Used to own a Fender USA deluxe jazz V. 1996 50th anniversary model with the Suhr pickups, pau ferro board, crimson burst finish. Lovely bass that I've been thinking a lot about recently. Sold it about 9 or 10 years ago. Damn....

[gareth]

Fender RBV - passive, variety of tones, all sound like fender, cuts well in mix live and recording, looks good

[prowla]

I've had two.

My first was a Warwick Streamer active (Chinese); it was a really horrible bass for me and I got rid of it; I found it uncomfortable to play.

I've got a Status one now (wooden neck) and it is very playable, a great woody tone to it, active with attitude - a keeper!

I did consider making a Warwick from parts; a neck (German) went on ebay a while back and not long after a body, but the one I'd had has affected my perception of the brand.

[Al Krow]

Just been reading through the thread: "Unexpected Yamaha love at first sight"...which seems to completely confirm my suspicion that the BB1025X has got to be on a shortlist of great value 5 strings!

[prowla]

Mine is my Status.
It was preceded by a Warwick, which I didn't get on with at all.
The Status is rather nice.

[markstuk]

Currently own three five string basses - two Dingwalls and a homebrew (albeit high class) Jazz 5 ...

The Z3 is brilliant.. Utterly sublime..

[bassmonk]

I've had the TRB5 for 20 years - very versatile and punchy even without frets! - and I would agree with others who favour an active bass for a 5 string. Brings out the low notes better - a more even and controlled response across the range, to my ears at least. 19mm string spacing.

Stingray 5 on order - I'll reserve judgement on that just now, but I've loved every SR I've tried. Sure the tone is an acquired taste, but you owe it to yourself to try one.

Also tried a couple of Lakland 5 strings in Guitarguitar recently and was pleasantly surprised - very playable neck and the build quality even on the Skylines I thought was really good for the price. If the SR5 works for me then my next purchase might have to be a DJ4, passive.