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5 string advice. Very specific requirements though....


funkle
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Hey all

I'm selling a few basses and looking at buying a different 5 string. However, I have worked out that being a little shorter and having a shorter reach does affect what instruments are comfortable for me. I have therefore come up with some very specific physical requirements for the instrument. I also want a modern sound, so don't want anything with P or J bass pickups as such - humbuckers, plus or minus active electronics, are what I'm looking for.

So, can anyone tell me about 5 strings that meet all of the requirements below?[list]
[*]21 or 22 frets max (no 24 fret instruments)
[*]34" or 35" scale; 35" preferred
[*]Double humbuckers/soapbar pickups, ideally with active electronics
[*]Good B string
[*]Upper horn strap button reaches the 12th fret (or 11th fret, if going for the ideal)
[*]17.5mm string spacing (18mm or 19mm I just don't like).
[/list]
So far, I've found the G&L M2500/L2500 meet requirements. So do the older Peavey GV basses, though I cannot find one in Europe for love nor money.

Are there any others I'm not aware of?


Thanks in advance for your help.


Pete

Edited by funkle
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[quote name='fretmeister' timestamp='1490738021' post='3267619']
Do what I did then.

Get a good Ray and replace the pickups and preamp.
[/quote]

Possible. I considered it. But it costs a fair chunk to do that...getting the bass and the pickups/etc....out of interest, though, what pickups did you put in instead?

The point of this thread is to find things I'm not aware of that are stock and meet my requirements. There may not be many things out there, but hopefully someone will know if there's stuff I haven't looked at.

Edited by funkle
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Look at Overwater.. Perception should be a good starting point. I'm on with a less reachy one at the mo, and pickups and spacings are totally open to discussion.
Carlisle is a pretty easy and pleasant jaunt from Edinburgh, too!

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Ibanez Soundgears tick all boxes except for the 35". Look for earlier Prestige models that were produced in Japan or Korea. SR1006, 1305, 3005, 5005 comes to my mind. Great sounding basses with nice ergonomics.
Also Spector Euro5' should be considered, 17,5mm spacing , 35" and modern, cutting through sound. Ergonomics are great, too, but you should try one before buying.

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[quote name='Paulhauser' timestamp='1490762696' post='3267702']
Ibanez Soundgears tick all boxes except for the 35". Look for earlier Prestige models that were produced in Japan or Korea. SR1006, 1305, 3005, 5005 comes to my mind. Great sounding basses with nice ergonomics.
Also Spector Euro5' should be considered, 17,5mm spacing , 35" and modern, cutting through sound. Ergonomics are great, too, but you should try one before buying.
[/quote]

These are all 24 fret i think ?

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[quote name='funkle' timestamp='1490738804' post='3267625']


Possible. I considered it. But it costs a fair chunk to do that...getting the bass and the pickups/etc....out of interest, though, what pickups did you put in instead?

The point of this thread is to find things I'm not aware of that are stock and meet my requirements. There may not be many things out there, but hopefully someone will know if there's stuff I haven't looked at.
[/quote]

I went with an EMG MM5 at the bridge and a 40DC at the neck, but I've just swapped that to a 40J.

The MM5 is very different to the stock ray pickup. Far less clanky and more rounded. Tons of output but can still do subtle.

The 40DC was good but a bit too fat for me, but the swap to the 40J was perfect.

I've just got Vol, Vol, Tone in it. I had planned on putting the BQS system in when I had more money but I don't think I need it now.

I'll find a pic in a mo.

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[quote name='markstuk' timestamp='1490771233' post='3267731']
Just curious - why the requirement for 21/22 frets ?
[/quote]

Because most manufacturers accommodate the extra frets (even thought the scale length is overall kept the same) by moving the neck a little further out to the left (and keeping the bridge in the same place they are generally accustomed to) - thus making first fret more awkward to reach. This is one of the reasons Warwicks are awkward for me; the upper horn doesn't generally go to 12th fret, so they tend to neck dive when I wear them, and their bridge is so far from the tail end of the bass that the first position is waaaaay off to the left and hard for me to reach.

Occasionally someone moves the bridge closer to the tail end of the bass, thus keeping first fret in easy reach, but mostly they don't. This design requires a deeper cutaway to still allow upper fret access, and I guess many designers don't want to do that.

Edited by funkle
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I'm sorry to say that the Spector body shape suffers the same problem as Warwicks - look where the upper horn sits and how far away from the tail end of the bass the bridge is. It will never work for me ergonomically.

Edited by funkle
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[quote name='hubrad' timestamp='1490741060' post='3267657']
Look at Overwater.. Perception should be a good starting point. I'm on with a less reachy one at the mo, and pickups and spacings are totally open to discussion.
Carlisle is a pretty easy and pleasant jaunt from Edinburgh, too!
[/quote]

Thanks kindly. I've tried one and it sat too far off to the left for me....24 frets, upper horn strap went to between 12th and 13th frets....it just didn't work out for me.

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[quote name='XB26354' timestamp='1490773081' post='3267752']
MTD ado a bass with a 35" scale and 21 frets. Balance is perfect, 1st fret not too far away and modern sound with Bartolommeo humbuckers but they are expensive and the 24-fret versions are more common.
[/quote]

19mm string spacing. Not adjustable.

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[quote name='stu_g' timestamp='1490773177' post='3267754']
Godin bg 5 string 22 frets emg soapbars schaller adjustable bridge and strap button is in line with 12th fret.
[/quote]

Never heard of these. Youtube demos sound good....brilliant. Will see if I can hunt one down to try out. Can't find any new....but thanks!

Edit: Even with the Godin, though, you can see they have their bridge pretty fair away from the tail of the bass....but 34" scale might make overall reach to first fret not bad still, and where the strap button is means it will probably hang well. Going to have to try one!

Edited by funkle
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There you go.

I also replaced the large plate tuners with Hipshot Ultralights and saved half a pound in weight.

If you did the pickup mods with a 5HH already, then you wouldn't have anything you couldn't put back to stock. Mine was a single pickup version so the router had to come out.
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[quote name='ikay' timestamp='1490774994' post='3267778']
With such specific requirements how about custom build (eg. Maruszczyk) and get exactly what you want?
[/quote]

Maybe. But I'd far prefer to find someone who makes what I want stock. G&L and Godin look closest so far; G&L I can order from Thomann and send back if I don't like it or whatever....

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