What Five String

[Terry M.]

4 minutes ago, Paddy777 said:

Ah I played one and thought it was pretty good! Probably indicative of the fact that at the cheaper end of the market there are some fantastic bases, but consistency/QC can be poor so as always said - it’s best to try them! 35” scale isn’t the be all and end all when it comes to a good low B, the bridge is also important and the general design of the bass - Stingray 5’s are 34” scale and aren’t really thought of as having a poor low B. As I said before, I’ve had 2 great 5 string Sire’s - the P7 (Active PJ bass) was the better of the two, but the V7 (Active Jazz bass) was pretty good too

I agree with all of this. In particular your Stingray 5 string reference.In my experience they have never been anything less than excellent 👍

[SteveXFR]

I've had a few 5 strings and the clearest, nicest B string by far was the Ibanez SRMS805.

The fan frets might be a bit off putting but try one, most people don't notice it once they start playing. They do occasionally turn up close to budget

[lemmywinks]

56 minutes ago, SteveXFR said:

I've had a few 5 strings and the clearest, nicest B string by far was the Ibanez SRMS805.

The fan frets might be a bit off putting but try one, most people don't notice it once they start playing. They do occasionally turn up close to budget

 

There was mint condition one of those in my local Money Traders for £550 a few months ago, beautiful bass.

[SteveXFR]

30 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

 

There was mint condition one of those in my local Money Traders for £550 a few months ago, beautiful bass.

 

I'd have had that straight away.

[Terry M.]

On 30/12/2024 at 09:24, philw said:

No real need for anything beyond 20/21 frets so something traditional is probably more likely. Having said that, if something modern or even headless came up that was unmissable, that’d be cool too.

 

p

As I mentioned previously Phil,try a Squier Affinty Active Jazz Bass V. You don't like it fine,back on the shelf it goes. Like it and your wallet will only be £279 lighter. I have one on my lap right now wondering if it's some elaborate hoax and is actually an expensive bass in disguise,a social experiment if you will 😂

[ebenezer]

Cort element 5 is great bang for the buck.

[OliverBlackman]

On 03/01/2025 at 11:32, Terry M. said:

Yes it's very unlikely to find an American Fender in his budget that is true. I mentioned it just for the sake of highlighting that the Mexicans can actually be excellent basses if the right one is found. 

I bought an American Dlx off eBay for £450 just over 15 years ago! The preamp wasn’t the best so I’m it moved on, but in hindsight I should have just changed it and kept will the bass because it was a beauty to look at!

[tauzero]

On 30/12/2024 at 09:24, philw said:

No real need for anything beyond 20/21 frets so something traditional is probably more likely. Having said that, if something modern or even headless came up that was unmissable, that’d be cool too.

 

Second-hand Cort Space headless 5. I think they must be pretty well-liked, they sold well and there's hardly any coming up second hand. £620 new from Thomann or G4M. I like mine.

[Terry M.]

3 hours ago, OliverBlackman said:

I bought an American Dlx off eBay for £450 just over 15 years ago! The preamp wasn’t the best so I’m it moved on, but in hindsight I should have just changed it and kept will the bass because it was a beauty to look at!

Was it the "downsized" body style before the American Deluxe with the full sized body and active passive switch? I've always liked those if so.

Edited January 4 by Terry M.

[OliverBlackman]

59 minutes ago, Terry M. said:

Was it the "downsized" body style before the American Deluxe with the full sized body and active passive switch? I've always liked those if so.

Yep smaller body and active only. It had a trans red finish with a maple board and was a real stunner! 

[Terry M.]

1 minute ago, OliverBlackman said:

Yep smaller body and active only. It had a trans red finish with a maple board and was a real stunner! 

Awesome basses. 22 frets if I remember correctly 👍

[geoffbyrne]

If you come across an Overwater by Tanglewood Aspiration 5, don't pass it by without playing it.  G.

[Grahambythesea]

I think one of the issues when switching from 4 to 5 is the string spacing at the bridge end. If your used to Fender style basses with 19mm spacing you may find some 5 s with narrower spacing ( I believe Ibanez have 16 mm) a bit off putting to start with especially if you are swapping between a 4 & a 5 regularly. On the other hand 5 string all wider spaced is quite a handful. My Gibson 5 has 19 mm which I like but then I play finger style. I’d find using a pick on that spacing challenging. 
if you can find a 2nd hand Spector Legend they are great.

[lemmywinks]

Just spotted this on FB, these were good basses with wide spacing and a pretty flat ebanol board, usually pretty heavy though. This one has Dimarzio pickups, a Bass Mods pre and possibly a hard case. Might be worth enquiring abour postage as £300 is a steal:

 

https://www.facebook.com/marketplace/item/157647100697639/

[joel406]

Well, I play nothing but 5 string. When I was searching for "that bass" I tried a lot. More brands and models than I care to remember or list. I live within a reasonable driving distance of "Bass Central". They have pretty much everything. Even a full line of Alembics and Dingwalls. So, between here and there I compared. And what I found is this. 

 

Ever heard the term, it's all in the fingers?

 

It really is. If your hands don't like it, it's the wrong one. It has to fit you. If it fits, the B string will be perfect. Because it fits your fingers. 

 

All my 5 strings have a perfect B string. 

 

So, what worked for me? American Fenders. 

 

I really wanted to love another brand. Bought and sold 2 Lulls because they couldn't compare in sound or feel. 

 

But I have started a torrid love affair with 3 G&Ls. Picked up a USA L2500. Loved it so much I went hunting for a M2500. Found 2 on the internet. 1 tribute. 1 USA. I grabbed both. I love em both, but the USA M2500 is a beast.

 

And the poster that said 35" scale wasn't the "be all, end all". Was right! I don't get along with 35" scale. Why? I wish I knew.

 

Moral of the story. Play as many different 5's as you can. If you can't find one on a shelve, make use of return policies and buy online. I have had zero issues with online bass shopping. ZERO! Plenty of horror stories out there. But I have had nothing but great luck. Probably because don't buy used. I've only bought used twice. Both my M2500s are used. But in new condition. I was shocked when I received them. But gift horse and all, I considered myself lucky. I bought 2 lottery tickets afterwards. I guess I blew all my luck on those G&Ls.

Edited Saturday at 14:13 by joel406