5 string basses

[hellothere]

I have been playing bass for a couple of years now and have a Ibanez Iceman and Squire P-bass.

I want to get a 5-string now and was thinking about getting a Ibanez K5 are they any good and what other basses are they comparable too in the way they play? maybe there are other ones in that price range which would be better?

Thanks for your help!

p.s if i do decide to go ahead with getting a K5 and anyone is looking to sell one then message me

[josh3184]

if I recall correctly the K5 is Fieldy's (bassist from Korn) signature bass so if you're wanting that kind of tone (more scoop than and ice cream shop) then it'll be fine, couldn't say how good it is at other types of music though. There are loooooads of 5 strings at decent prices-

What tone are you going for?
Do you prefer small or chunky necks?
What kind of music do you play?

All questions to which the answers will help you find the bass you want

[Conan]

Why the K5? Are you a Korn fan? If you explain why you like that particular bass it will be easier to give advice!

I like this quote from the Ibanez website...

"Original Ibanez Vari-Mid EQ with sweepable midrange allows you to dial in or out any kind of bass sound–including Fieldy’s preference of no midrange at all"

Edited March 11, 2010 by Conan

[Doddy]

The K5 is a really nice bass. However,if you want an Ibanez I'd look more at the Soundgear range, unless
you particularly want the Fieldy signature-As nice as the bass is,this is what put me off it slightly.

[hellothere]

I play alot of stuff metal, ska, rock, punk, reggae so i guess i'd like something pretty versatile.

I liked the k5 cus ive played one once and liked it, read good reviews and as a bonus (except for the k5 inlay) looks sexy lol.

[JPJ]

My advice would be go for a bass with a 35" scale length as generally, in my experience, these have a better low 'B' than a 34". Again, neck through basses seem to handle the low B better than bolt ons, and split coil humbuckers seem to amplify the low B better than other pickups.

I have four five strings (soon to be five) and the above is my experience. But as with all things musical, its a case of try before you buy and find something that suits you and provides the tone in your ears.

[XB26354]

The B-string thing is a bit contentious really.
I've got a bolt on Warwick Streamer LX6 with 34" scale and I defy anyone to find a tigher, punchier B-string out there.
I've been playing basses with a low B for close on 25 years now and I've owned just about every boutique make (and played plenty of basses that I haven't owned). The only consistent factor I could find that really affected B-string tone was the fingerboard wood - I've not once come across a 5 with a maple board that had a fantastic tone. Perhaps this is because a stiffer fingerboard translates the fundamental tone better? You're right that neck thru basses generally have a different tone to bolt-ons - Having owned both a Streamer LX and three Streamer Stage Ones (same woods and electronics pretty much), the neck thrus had more "bloom" to the tone, but actually the bolt-on had the tighter bottom end (which I find easier to damp and control).
There was a long article about B string tone in Bass Player magazine years ago. The issue is that I have heard good B-strings with 34 and 35" scale, bolt on and neck thru, wood and graphite, and also bad B-strings with all of those features, that you just can't generalise. All that a longer scale really does is make strings of the same gauge and pitch feel tighter (which is no bad thing). A good tight witness point curve over the nut and bridge (and good strings!) make more of a difference imho.
Er... what was the question again??
I tried the original K5 (which was very nice) but the new one is in black and not as attractive (I like natural wood!) imho, B-string is good on both.

[hellothere]

thanks

[josh3184]

[quote name='hellothere' post='771834' date='Mar 11 2010, 05:05 PM']I play alot of stuff metal, ska, rock, punk, reggae so i guess i'd like something pretty versatile.

I liked the k5 cus ive played one once and liked it, read good reviews and as a bonus (except for the k5 inlay) looks sexy lol.[/quote]

I'd say if you've played it and you like it then get it instead of buying blind with other 5ers

[Soloshchenko]

[quote name='josh3184' post='772709' date='Mar 12 2010, 01:02 PM']I'd say if you've played it and you like it then get it instead of buying blind with other 5ers[/quote]

+1. While I'm certainly no Korn fan in any way, I can see the appeal. For a Nu metaller's sig model I've always thought the K5 was a surprisingly refined looking sig. As the OP says, they seem to get good reviews as well.

[JTUK]

I agree that the B string is the key. If that sounds good I would work from there, if it doesn't, then the bass is a non-starter whoever makes it or how much it is. Obvious, maybe..!!

A decent new-ish set of strings will help here, but IMV, the B should have the same definition as the rest of the strings..

I have both neck through and bolt-on and don't subscribe to either camp...although I went neck-thru initially for this reason when I had one made.

I like a defined B through 10's ...so make sure your cab can handle that as well...

[Faithless]

Stringing your 5er in E-C manner (as opposed to 'ordinary' B-G) is not a crime, isn't it, chaps?..

[Rosh]

I've always thought badly of Ibanez since I played a very bad one (a bassist of another band hand "tinkered" with it) although, with the exception of the K5 inlay, I actually like that bass

I need to play a 5er and see what I think, I'd love to own a Warwick 5er one day

[Rosh]

To be fair, this reminds me or a Warwick pattern and looks fantastic!

[url="http://www.dv247.com/guitars/ibanez-btb675-bass-guitar-natural-flat--48764"]http://www.dv247.com/guitars/ibanez-btb675...ral-flat--48764[/url]

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='Rosh' post='772790' date='Mar 12 2010, 02:17 PM']I've always thought badly of Ibanez since I played a very bad one (a bassist of another band hand "tinkered" with it)[/quote]

The only bad Ibanezes I've played (without exception) are the guitars with Floyd Rose trems when some twit that thinks intonation is the opposite of detonation has set it up.

Every bass I've ever played of theirs (including a quick blast on the K5) has been stunning.

Personally I wouldn't go for the K5 because I'm not a fan of it's tone, but that's purely opinion. The one I had a go on felt nice and looked brilliant (if you can see past the inlay).

[bartelby]

I love my BTB405. It's super easy to play and sounds great!!

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='bartelby' post='774244' date='Mar 14 2010, 12:39 PM']I love my BTB405. It's super easy to play and sounds great!![/quote]

I use a BTB406 as my main bass and I agree, stunning instruments. I have a problem with very low output on mine, but it's never really caused an issue and it sounds stunning.

[ThomBassmonkey]

[quote name='bartelby' post='774244' date='Mar 14 2010, 12:39 PM']I love my BTB405. It's super easy to play and sounds great!![/quote]

I use a BTB406 as my main bass and I agree, stunning instruments. I have a problem with very low output on mine, but it's never really caused an issue and it sounds stunning.

[hellothere]

looking in the marketplace at some of the 5 strings for sale on here can y'all give me your opinions on these 2?

Lakland Skyline 55-01

Ernie Ball Stingray 5

[josh3184]

brilliant and brilliant. Sorry, but they're both fantastic basses

[josh3184]

just a quick add, I'd personally say that if you're looking for a range of tones the Lakland will probably suit you more. In my experience I've found rays to be one trick ponies. Thing is, they do said trick fantastically

[sdgrsr400]

I had a Lakland Skyline 55-02 and although it was a quite superb bass, the 35" scale and wide string spacing were beyond my left hand's ability to manage. So, I sold it and got a 34" scale Ibanez with narrow string spacing which suits me far better. I'd say on a 5 it is essential to understand what size neck you can manage.