5-string bass with wider string spacing

[ReeV0]

Hi all,

 

I currently play an Ibanez ATK810 and love it. It has 19mm string spacing. Before that I played an Ibanez SR500 and loved it, that also had 19mm string spacing.

 

My band has started playing a lot of stuff in drop D, drop C, drop C# etc, so figured it was time to get a 5-string. I bought an Ibanez SR1205 but cannot get on with the 16.5mm string spacing. It's too tight.

 

It seems most of the Ibanez 5-string basses are 16.5mm with the exception of the ATK series which are very hard to find (I would love an ATK815). Does anyone have any other suggestions?

 

Thanks!

[MichaelDean]

Do you need the highest string of a fiver strung in drop C? I'm currently doing the same and I haven't found I've ventured that high with what we're playing. If I didn't love my Dingwall so much, I'd be cracking out one of my fours with strings to match. 

[Daz39]

The Ibanez BTBs are wider necked, I believe.

[thodrik]

What is your budget? 

Also, if you are playing drop D/C etc, you can generally set up a four string to achieve those tunings. My main band plays in drop C. I have a five string and four string set to drop C. I generally gig more with the four string as I generally don't need the extra string but I do more writing and rehearsing with the the five. You could of course play a five string tuned BEAD but if you are in a band playing a lot of open string riffs (as a lot of rock bands tend to do) trying to transpose riffs can be more problematic than simply setting up the bass to a different tuning. 

It might be worth getting to a shop and trying a few different five strings. String spacing at the bridge is one end, shape of the neck near the nut is another thing. It is generally just worth trying out different makes. You might be surprised at what you prefer. 

In terms of the sub £1,000 market, a Squier/Fender/Sire might be worth a try as they will definitely have wider string spacing than the Ibanez, as will something like a Sterling by Musicman (though I think that is narrower than a Fender design). There are loads of good five strings at every budget, including used ones on the BC marketplace.

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by thodrik

[ReeV0]

37 minutes ago, MichaelDean said:

Do you need the highest string of a fiver strung in drop C? I'm currently doing the same and I haven't found I've ventured that high with what we're playing. If I didn't love my Dingwall so much, I'd be cracking out one of my fours with strings to match. 

I'd like to leave it in standard but have the added B-string. We have a lot of tunes in standard tuning, some in drop-D and now some in drop-C. I don't really want to bring 2 basses to gigs so would rather just get a 5-string

 

I'd like to keep the budget under £1000 (would ideally be looking used) and also the weight is another important factor. Would need it to be under 4kg

Edited December 13, 2022 by ReeV0

[Lozz196]

Fender Precision 5s are quite wide, pretty sure it’s 19mm 

[Muppet]

20 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Precision 5s are quite wide, pretty sure it’s 19mm 

Yep I agree, mine's 19mm.  So's my 5 string Dimension...

[ReeV0]

47 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

Fender Precision 5s are quite wide, pretty sure it’s 19mm 

I've never got on with the P-bass pickup, too used to the Ibanez soapbar

[FJB]

Lakland 55-02.

[ReeV0]

I've been looking at harley benton basses but annoyingly they don't list the string spacing or weight...

[BreadBin]

Budget choice - Yamaha RBX

[Wilco]

There has been a wider necked SR versions - the model number ends in ‘W’.

 

I’ve got one - 18mm spacing.

 

 

 

Edited December 14, 2022 by Wilco

[lemmywinks]

Ibanez BTB and EHB, Yamaha TRB, Sire M7, MTD K5.

Edited December 14, 2022 by lemmywinks

[Naigewron]

I'm with you. I started my 5-string journey being really afraid of the wider spacings, but once I took the plunge I can no longer play the tighter spacings like on the Ibanez SR basses. These days I'm sticking with 18-19mm on all my fivers (and I don't currently own any 4-strings)

 

If you want to stick with Ibanez, the BTB and EHB series have 18-19mm spacing.

 

Other than that, most Fender-ish five-string will have 19mm spacing (Fender, Lakland, Sire, G&L, etc)

 

It's probably actually quicker to list the basses that have 16-17mm spacings:

 

Off the top of my head:

 

Under 16mm:

- Gibson Thunderbird V

- Rickenbacker 5-string

 

16-17mm brands/models:

- Ibanez ATK and SR series (except the SRMD, which is medium scale and 18mm for some reason)

- Music Man Stingray

- Warwick (except the wide neck varieties)

- Spector

- Schecter (at least their original models, like the Omen, CV, Demon, etc - Not sure about their P-basses)

- Peavey

- Jackson Spectra

 

18mm brands/models:

- Ibanez EHB and RD

- Sandberg

- Yamaha (at least the RB series - Not sure about the BB)

 

19mm brands/models:

- Ibanez BTB

- MTD

- Fender

- Lakland

- Reverend

- Cort JB

Edited December 14, 2022 by Naigewron

[Daz39]

23 minutes ago, Wilco said:

There has been a wider necked SR versions - the model number ends in ‘W’.

 

I’ve got one - 18mm spacing.

 

 

 

Woah, derail, but that is gorgeouseous!

[40hz]

No contest. MTD KZ5 - 19mm string spacing and the best B string under £1000.

[Woodinblack]

The ehb series (as people have mentioned) defaults to 18mm, but you can change it to make it wide, but the BTB is ibanezes wide string range, anything from the BTB range will work for you (although note that they are also 35" scale)

[pineweasel]

Sandbergs are adjustable, from 18 to 19.5mm. Lovely basses and generally lightweight too. 

[BreadBin]

Yamaha BB are narrow, somewhat ironically. 

Edited December 14, 2022 by BreadBin

[fretmeister]

Almost everything other than Ibanez are wider than 16.5mm. It is Ibanez that is the outlier really.

[Naigewron]

48 minutes ago, fretmeister said:

Almost everything other than Ibanez are wider than 16.5mm. It is Ibanez that is the outlier really.

 

Not that much of an outlier. Warwick and Spector are two other big brands that default to 16-16.5mm

[Happy Jack]

5 hours ago, Naigewron said:

IOff the top of my head:

 

Under 16mm:

- Rickenbacker 5-string

 

Only if it's a 4-string converted to a 5-string (i.e. one extra string squeezed into the existing size).

 

With 'proper' 5-string Ricks being readily available, that's another reason not to buy a conversion jobbie.

 

[Woodinblack]

I had a musicman sub that was also < 17mm

[Grahambythesea]

My Gibson EB 5 has 19mm. The newer model with the longer horns is the same. They are fitted with the Babiscz bridge. 
 

[pete.young]

6 hours ago, BreadBin said:

Yamaha BB are narrow, somewhat ironically. 

Some BB's aren't. BBNE2 is 18mm.

 

SGC Nanyo Bass Collection 5s are 19mm at the bridge, if you can find a second-hand one.