Where's the newbie 5 string section ?

[Les]

Just swapped a spare VM Jazz for a 5 string VM P bass.

What gauge strings can I get way with ? Lighter the better but I don't want a useless B string.

What strings should I give a go ?

It's got a bit of neck dive so reasonably priced lighter tuners may be a consideration, any suggestions ?

Can I get a black pickguard for it ?

Is my singer right saying "that goes so low only trees can hear it ?" 🤣

Is it worth chucking a better wiring harness on it (it's had a push pull kill switch fitted on the vol which I quite like) and maybe changing the pickups or am I asking to much of what I've got to build on ?

ta

Les

 

 

 

 

[therealting]

1. Nope, humans can hear it fine if you have decent amplification.

2. Strings can be whatever you favour. As a guide, look at 5-string sets with gauges similar to your preferred 4-string set.

3. If you can’t get a stock black guard, there are lots of places you can get one made.

4. Hipshot do good lightweight tuners, Gotoh Res-o-lites are also fantastic. Depends what yours swap easily with.

5. Pickups can be a worthwhile swap if you know what you want. @KiOgon is the king of wiring harnesses here. 

[uk_lefty]

Have a good play around with it and see what you like, see if you bond with the bass before sinking cash in to it. Some things may not need changing so you could save yourself some pennies, e.g. Lots of people change Sire tuners but I found them perfectly up to the job. 

[jrixn1]

Bass Direct's website is not laid out very well, but the Hipshot Licensed tuners are sold here: http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Hipshot,_Licensed_tuners.html 
Check the measurements, but I believe you'd want the 1/2" ones not the 3/8".

[chris_b]

Sorry, but it sounds to me like you're planning to spend so much on this bass that maybe you should have bought something different in the first place.

[Les]

10 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Sorry, but it sounds to me like you're planning to spend so much on this bass that maybe you should have bought something different in the first place.

Not if I can help it Chris, new strings are just a running cost, the rest is a maybe but as someone said I need to play around with it for bit as I’ve only used it at home not in a rehearsal so in all honesty I don’t actually know how it’ll perform. Neck dive is slight and sorted a bit with a leather strap but I fear that may become an issue. 

Really just wondering if anyone’s had remarkable results swapping pickups etc but I run my VM jazz stock and don’t feel the need to alter anything so a VM 5 p may be fine just as it is. 

[BassBunny]

I had exactly the same bass as this, same colour as well. Only changes I made were new pots and jack socket and changed the bridge for a Wilkinson Vintage one, rest was fine. The pots on mine were Alpha ones to start with, so not that bad but I wanted to install a 0.1uF capacitor so decided to change the lot whilst I was in there.

I always use 125 b strings and had a set of Fender flats on the bass which were awesome.

Edited August 6, 2019 by BassBunny

[Les]

Ta that’s useful. Will give those strings a whirl, though a little unsure about flats it’s time I tried them again methinks. 

[NJE]

There was a mega-thread on these over on talkbass and loads of modifications and pickups etc. I remember one guy swapping the pickup out for a Nordstrand and he then swapped it back because it made no massive difference, so I would suggest leaving the pickup alone but get some decent pots and wiring.

I had one in white and miss it like mad but I never seem to find them secondhand in decent condition. I planned modifications but never bothered as I just liked it the way it was, big wide strap sorted the slight neck dive and I just put some trusty Elixirs on it. I think I had a 125 or 130 on the B string, not heavy by any means and it sounded good.

I would say don’t expect miracles from the B string, it’s a P bass at the end of the day, it’s never going to be super defined and tight, just enjoy it for that P bass sound.

[colleya]

Hi Les,
I've had a fiver for a while as it solved the faffing around detuning to drop d for some of our songs.

D'Addario nickels 125-45 are pretty light without being useless, but I've got DR neons on at the mo to fit with the 80s theme.

Notes played on the low b do have a certain thicker 'quality' that the same notes on the E don't. I tend to play a bit higher up for that extra little clarity, however it does make running the fretboard lots easier when I use it properly.

 

Edited August 7, 2019 by colleya

[Les]

So the consensus is that I’ll get away with 125 B string ?

[ead]

I had a 3TSB version.  I made two mods, a Kiogon harness and an SD Quarter Pounder.  Used the bass for a few years gigging.  For a low cost fiver with nice wide string spacing I thought it pretty good.

String wise I think I went for a 130 B string as it fitted with the general 40/55/75/100 light strings I was using then.  Seemed fine to me.

[Guest]

Get a set with a tapered B string if you can. It makes a lot of difference with clarity. I use Warwick Black Label which are fairly cheap and the set I use has a .135 tapered B - sounds great and really cleans up the bottom end - especially as your P-bass pickup is a long way from the bridge.

Edited August 8, 2019 by FDC484950
Grammar

[Rich]

What strings should I give a go ?

I would say Elixirs, but then again I'm biased  the Warwick Blacks mentioned by FDC above would be well worth a go.

It's got a bit of neck dive so reasonably priced lighter tuners may be a consideration, any suggestions ?

Hipshots. I fitted a set to my Sire V7 fiver and it shaved half a pound off the weight.

Is my singer right saying "that goes so low only trees can hear it ?" 🤣

No. He is a berk.