Active 5 string workhorse - share your opinions!

[Jonrh98]

I'm currently putting some money aside to get a new bass and would appreciate some input from you guys.

 

I currently use a Sire P5 with usa ultralites and a 63 pure vintage pup, and a Mexi Jazz bass with xtender and hi mass bridge. I'd like to get myself a nice 5 string, active, double humbucker bass to use as a workhorse on my function gigs, for more modern sounding stuff and for the solo stuff with my jazz fusion trio. This may replace the Jazz Bass.

 

Budget is between £1,000 and £2,000.

 

Of course, there's tons of options. Used USA musicman, Premium/Prestige Ibanez SR or BTB, MTD Kingston Z5, used Sandberg California, an older used Japanese Yamaha, the list goes on!

 

I enjoy thinner necks (front to back) but am not overly fussy on neck width. Passive mode is great but not a must.

 

Ultimately, I just want to find a really solid instrument that sounds and plays great as is.

 

What do you guys reckon I should be thinking about? Used/new? Japanese/American/Indonesian? Lots of nordstrand equipped basses out there (more than barts nowadays), do you like them? Just eager to hear opinions to help narrow my search or find other options.

 

[Merton]

I reckon you should buy my ACG Finn 

 

 

(Yes they are humbuckers, honest guv!)

[chris_b]

Sire, @Merton's ACG and Lakland Skylines would be on my list.

[kwmlondon]

37 minutes ago, Jonrh98 said:

I'm currently putting some money aside to get a new bass and would appreciate some input from you guys.

 

I currently use a Sire P5 with usa ultralites and a 63 pure vintage pup, and a Mexi Jazz bass with xtender and hi mass bridge. I'd like to get myself a nice 5 string, active, double humbucker bass to use as a workhorse on my function gigs, for more modern sounding stuff and for the solo stuff with my jazz fusion trio. This may replace the Jazz Bass.

 

Budget is between £1,000 and £2,000.

 

Of course, there's tons of options. Used USA musicman, Premium/Prestige Ibanez SR or BTB, MTD Kingston Z5, used Sandberg California, an older used Japanese Yamaha, the list goes on!

 

I enjoy thinner necks (front to back) but am not overly fussy on neck width. Passive mode is great but not a must.

 

Ultimately, I just want to find a really solid instrument that sounds and plays great as is.

 

What do you guys reckon I should be thinking about? Used/new? Japanese/American/Indonesian? Lots of nordstrand equipped basses out there (more than barts nowadays), do you like them? Just eager to hear opinions to help narrow my search or find other options.

 

I’ve been kindly loaned a Yamaha BBG5 and it’s lovely. It is very easy in the hand and is super playable and if the TRB5 feels the same I’d definitely shortlist it- I think Chuck Rainey plays one. 
 

I tried a Sandberg in a store and it felt very, very well made. The tone of that particular model didn’t quite press my buttons but I was very taken with the quality. 
 

The Lakland Darryl Jones I played may be one of the nicest modern J- type basses with a 70s pickup layout. I thought it much nicer than a comparable Sadowsky, the rolled fretboard was super comfy and the pickups excellent. Even nicer than the Fender USA Jazz Pro II which was great but a bit polite (though I think their V-mod pickups are brilliant). On that basis I’d definitely shortlist an active Lakland. 
 

 

[Jonrh98]

41 minutes ago, Merton said:

I reckon you should buy my ACG Finn 

 

 

(Yes they are humbuckers, honest guv!)

Man, that is NICE! Killer spec. If you haven't made the sale in a couple months when I've got the last of the cash together I may be dropping you a message

 

[Jonrh98]

32 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Sire, @Merton's ACG and Lakland Skylines would be on my list.

Sire are definitely a trusted brand for me, having had a fretless P7 and my current P5. Would consider the new F10 for sure, provided I was happy with the hardware - my P5 is superb with upgrades, but I am hoping for something great as is.

 

I've been eyeing some Skylines too, mainly the 55-02.

[Jonrh98]

9 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

I’ve been kindly loaned a Yamaha BBG5 and it’s lovely. It is very easy in the hand and is super playable and if the TRB5 feels the same I’d definitely shortlist it- I think Chuck Rainey plays one. 
 

I tried a Sandberg in a store and it felt very, very well made. The tone of that particular model didn’t quite press my buttons but I was very taken with the quality. 
 

The Lakland Darryl Jones I played may be one of the nicest modern J- type basses with a 70s pickup layout. I thought it much nicer than a comparable Sadowsky, the rolled fretboard was super comfy and the pickups excellent. Even nicer than the Fender USA Jazz Pro II which was great but a bit polite (though I think their V-mod pickups are brilliant). On that basis I’d definitely shortlist an active Lakland. 
 

 

Nice! Yamaha are always a safe bet imo. If the right used model came up I'd be tempted.

 

I've had a Sandberg Electra before but wasn't crazy on the neck - may be more tempted by a different California model.

 

Lakland are definitely flagging up to me, whether a 55-01 or 02.

[dub_junkie]

Another vote for the Lakland Skylines. I've played and owned Musicman, G&L, Fender, Warwick amongst others but I never owned a Skyline until 2021. I've owned five since then and they've all been really great basses. I sold on the four strings but kept the fives as they are now my 'go to' brand for band work now. 

 

I have a quilt top 55-02 Deluxe, a 55-60 with East J Retro preamp and a flame top 55-AJ. I want to pick a winner but I can't. 

 

 

55-AJ (Active Jazz?)

 

55-60

55-02

 

 

Edited February 12 by dub_junkie

[dub_junkie]

The other brand I've really been turned onto is ACG. Received a Krell 4 string custom off Paddy777 in a trade on here in March of last year and I've since bought a RetroB 5 string as well as a new Graft 5 string direct from Alan at AC guitars. 

 

I've now taken the plunge and ordered a custom 5 string from Alan which is something I've never done before but I'm really happy to be doing and can't wait till the day comes I drive to the ACG workshop to pick it up. 

 

Fantastic basses. Can't speak highly enough of them. 

[franzbassist]

With that budget you have a vast array of basses available to you, and the quality of mass produced basses is so good now you don't have to spend a lot to get something really good.  That said, there are still some dogs out there; the first Sire P8 I had was very heavy and had dodgy electrics, the second was an absolutely superb bass!

 

Used handmade basses like ACG, or the German Franz I am selling (see my signature below), are superb instruments, but then you can also buy a new Sire, Dingwall, Lakland.  I guess the best option is to try and narrow down what you are looking for and then try some basses out.  It's a nice problem to have

 

Good luck!  

 

Edited February 12 by franzbassist

[javi_bassist]

A lot of good options. But if I were you, I'd follow @kwmlondon advice and I would get a Yamaha BBG5. I had a BB605 (which is the same but with single coils) and it had one of the best B string I've ever tried (and I have much much expensive instruments). If you don't like the pickups, you can always change it and with few money, you can get a beast of a bass. I change the preamp and pickups of my BB605 and it was a beast.

 

As a recommendation of something more "new", I have a BB735 and it is my favourite. But it is PJ.

 

[songofthewind]

I have a Yamaha BBG5 and it is a fine bass, and great value for money. A nice narrow nut and plenty of bark.

[Sean]

Some random thoughts:

 

1. Lakland basses are top notch however make sure you're happy with the neck and scale length. That awesome B can mean tight D and G if you don't use skinnier gauges like 40 and 60. The reach might be uncomfortable for some.

2. The value for money is with a quality used bass that has taken the depreciation already. Basschat has never let me down with buying and selling.

3. USA G&L 2500s are incredible, their relatively low resale value makes them outstanding bang for buck however the reverse of that is that they can take ages to sell if you're trying to move it on.

4. Posh (Premium, Prestige) Ibanez SR tick a lot of the boxes, can be upgraded (if really needed) and are relatively easy to sell on. I love a nice SR.

5. Yamaha BBs have incredible B strings for 34" scale basses, even the lower end ones. The BB735A, BB2025, BBP35 are monsters.

6. Used custom basses like Shuker et al. You will not get better quality or bang for buck but make sure you understand just how custom it is and what quirky specs it might have (like a 32.75" scale or bespoke pickups that can't be swapped out and other things in this territory).

7. Spector Euro LX. Similar comments to Lakland. Make sure you are happy with the neck profile and 35" scale. If you are, then you might find you'll be like swans and pair for life.

8. Watch out for instruments that have been modded. Are the mods reversible? Do they fit your need? I've done a few mods over the years that were a dream for me but made the instruments hard to sell because they were "quirky" to potential buyers.

9. Function band. Can I see the frets easily on stage or in the dark? I know there're stickers available but...

Edited February 12 by Sean

[crazycloud]

11 hours ago, Jonrh98 said:

I currently use a Sire P5 with usa ultralites and a 63 pure vintage pup, and a Mexi Jazz bass with xtender and hi mass bridge. I'd like to get myself a nice 5 string, active, double humbucker bass to use as a workhorse on my function gigs, for more modern sounding stuff and for the solo stuff with my jazz fusion trio. This may replace the Jazz Bass.

Cort A5 Ultra Ash.

[Jonrh98]

1 hour ago, Sean said:

Some random thoughts:

 

1. Lakland basses are top notch however make sure you're happy with the neck and scale length. That awesome B can mean tight D and G if you don't use skinnier gauges like 40 and 60. The reach might be uncomfortable for some.

2. The value for money is with a quality used bass that has taken the depreciation already. Basschat has never let me down with buying and selling.

3. USA G&L 2500s are incredible, their relatively low resale value makes them outstanding bang for buck however the reverse of that is that they can take ages to sell if you're trying to move it on.

4. Posh (Premium, Prestige) Ibanez SR tick a lot of the boxes, can be upgraded (if really needed) and are relatively easy to sell on. I love a nice SR.

5. Yamaha BBs have incredible B strings for 34" scale basses, even the lower end ones. The BB735A, BB2025, BBP35 are monsters.

6. Used custom basses like Shuker et al. You will not get better quality or bang for buck but make sure you understand just how custom it is and what quirky specs it might have (like a 32.75" scale or bespoke pickups that can't be swapped out and other things in this territory).

7. Spector Euro LX. Similar comments to Lakland. Make sure you are happy with the neck profile and 35" scale. If you are, then you might find you'll be like swans and pair for life.

8. Watch out for instruments that have been modded. Are the mods reversible? Do they fit your need? I've done a few mods over the years that were a dream for me but made the instruments hard to sell because they were "quirky" to potential buyers.

9. Function band. Can I see the frets easily on stage or in the dark? I know there're stickers available but...

I have used a 35 inch BTB before and loved the scale - I also typically use flats so the stiffer feel isn't a huge concern. I'm hoping I'd be able to try a Lakland to see if the neck feels speedy enough.

 

Sadly, I can't stand the neck on every G&L I've played, which is a shame as they're so cool.

 

I have also loved the playability of SRs I've had/played. They were my first thought when planning this purchase.

 

As much as I love Yamaha, I've tried the BB735a and 435 and really didn't enjoy the playability of them, the neck felt a little chunky for me in terms of depth.

 

I would certainly consider a modded or custom bass, as long as the bass in question was already right for me, so it would just take some digging and waiting I think!

 

Being a function band bass is certainly a key part of this - but my biggest concern is not visibility in the dark, it's actually weight.

[Jonrh98]

21 minutes ago, crazycloud said:

Cort A5 Ultra Ash.

I've considered the A5 and A5 Beyond, but struggling to find one to try. The sound samples I've heard have been decent but not bowled me over.

 

I looked at the Ultra Ash but I'm not a huge fan of the Fluence pickups in all honesty.

[kwmlondon]

8 minutes ago, Jonrh98 said:

I have used a 35 inch BTB before and loved the scale - I also typically use flats so the stiffer feel isn't a huge concern. I'm hoping I'd be able to try a Lakland to see if the neck feels speedy enough.

 

Sadly, I can't stand the neck on every G&L I've played, which is a shame as they're so cool.

 

I have also loved the playability of SRs I've had/played. They were my first thought when planning this purchase.

 

As much as I love Yamaha, I've tried the BB735a and 435 and really didn't enjoy the playability of them, the neck felt a little chunky for me in terms of depth.

 

I would certainly consider a modded or custom bass, as long as the bass in question was already right for me, so it would just take some digging and waiting I think!

 

Being a function band bass is certainly a key part of this - but my biggest concern is not visibility in the dark, it's actually weight.

Yeah, I've not tried the BB735 or 435 but they seem chunkier from all I've seen. They also have a more trad feel - the BBG5 I'm playing at the moment feels closer to Ibanez - not skinny but svelte of neck and 24 frets which can be handy if that's what you like. It's properly light too. About the same weight as my Stingray 4 string! This one's passive with the two single coils though, but the upside of that is plenty of space between neck and neck pickup. Me? I'd prefer to use an EQ pedal than active eq but if you're doing covers I'd say it's worth considering fitting the preamp of your choice anyway as you may need a passive tone as well as EQ. Downside of singles is slight noise when you move away from both on at the same time, not catastrophic but noticable. One thing though is that it does look "modern" and that can be an issue for some. Personally, I play a Dingwall in a punk group so I could not give a stuff but some people are very judgmental about this kind of stuff.

[Jonrh98]

5 minutes ago, kwmlondon said:

Yeah, I've not tried the BB735 or 435 but they seem chunkier from all I've seen. They also have a more trad feel - the BBG5 I'm playing at the moment feels closer to Ibanez - not skinny but svelte of neck and 24 frets which can be handy if that's what you like. It's properly light too. About the same weight as my Stingray 4 string! This one's passive with the two single coils though, but the upside of that is plenty of space between neck and neck pickup. Me? I'd prefer to use an EQ pedal than active eq but if you're doing covers I'd say it's worth considering fitting the preamp of your choice anyway as you may need a passive tone as well as EQ. Downside of singles is slight noise when you move away from both on at the same time, not catastrophic but noticable. One thing though is that it does look "modern" and that can be an issue for some. Personally, I play a Dingwall in a punk group so I could not give a stuff but some people are very judgmental about this kind of stuff.

24 frets is definitely good for the jazz fusion outfit, I end up doing lots of chords and melodic stuff.

 

Not too fussed on having a passive tone, as for most gigs I would be able to facilitate bringing my P5 (which has flats and is passive) as well for that more classic sound.

 

I'm not too fussed on looks either in all honesty, at least not in terms of stereotypes - as long as I like it, I'm happy! I do like the look of the BbG5 with soapbars so could be worth a browse on the used market.

[kwmlondon]

29 minutes ago, Jonrh98 said:

24 frets is definitely good for the jazz fusion outfit, I end up doing lots of chords and melodic stuff.

 

Not too fussed on having a passive tone, as for most gigs I would be able to facilitate bringing my P5 (which has flats and is passive) as well for that more classic sound.

 

I'm not too fussed on looks either in all honesty, at least not in terms of stereotypes - as long as I like it, I'm happy! I do like the look of the BbG5 with soapbars so could be worth a browse on the used market.

You’re being very sensible and logical about this! I tend to be a lot more unhinged in my approach to buying a bass. Much more emotional. 

[Mrbigstuff]

If I wanted a workhorse 5 string active bass, I wouldn’t be looking much further than a sadowsky metro line - the Japanese ones. They’re light, well balanced and sit in the mix perfectly. For noodling at home I’d probably wait for an Overwater in budget.

[kwmlondon]

2 hours ago, OliverBlackman said:

If I wanted a workhorse 5 string active bass, I wouldn’t be looking much further than a sadowsky metro line - the Japanese ones. They’re light, well balanced and sit in the mix perfectly. For noodling at home I’d probably wait for an Overwater in budget.

I hear great things about the preamps. The one I tried was afar eastern one and didn’t feel as nice as a Lakland, but that was just the ones in the shop and thad Darryl Jones bass had lovely rolled edges on the neck. Yummy! 

[kwmlondon]

14 hours ago, dub_junkie said:

Another vote for the Lakland Skylines. I've played and owned Musicman, G&L, Fender, Warwick amongst others but I never owned a Skyline until 2021. I've owned five since then and they've all been really great basses. I sold on the four strings but kept the fives as they are now my 'go to' brand for band work now. 

 

I have a quilt top 55-02 Deluxe, a 55-60 with East J Retro preamp and a flame top 55-AJ. I want to pick a winner but I can't. 

 

 

55-AJ (Active Jazz?)

 

55-60

55-02

 

 

Pure bass filth! 

[Bassman666]

I'd definitely be checking out the lakland 5502. Can be had for less than £1k, sounds great, plays great and very flexible due to the pickup layout

[kuetsum]

21 hours ago, dub_junkie said:

Another vote for the Lakland Skylines. I've played and owned Musicman, G&L, Fender, Warwick amongst others but I never owned a Skyline until 2021. I've owned five since then and they've all been really great basses. I sold on the four strings but kept the fives as they are now my 'go to' brand for band work now. 

 

I have a quilt top 55-02 Deluxe, a 55-60 with East J Retro preamp and a flame top 55-AJ. I want to pick a winner but I can't. 

 

 

55-AJ (Active Jazz?)

 

55-60

55-02

 

 

This 55-02 is a winner

[itu]

I have to say, that most of the basses mentioned here weren't good for me. Biggest issue were those necks. A neck has to be wide for me (19 mm spacing). MTD is kool, and Kingstons are affordable. Mine is an MG Genesis, but from the same Michael's drawing board. Could be a tad lighter, but a stable neck that is wide enough was the thing. I also like humbuckers, but 2xJ is OK.