malcspring

Thanks for your very detailled reply. I will get out ant start looking. Malc [quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='848870' date='May 26 2010, 08:12 PM']Welcome to BC! Those are two very nice bass choices, but also very different basses you've listed there... The Fender American Standard V is a lovely bass with all the nice modern Jazz bits like the posiflex graphite neck support rods, thinner undercoat, high mass bridge & light weight tuners, etc. It also has one of the nicest 5-string necks around with just about the most generous string spacing as well. The Sterling is a completely different bass - A very powerful active 3-band eq preamp, hugely bright ceramic pickups etc, with the options of on board parallel//single coil/series settings. I suppose the choice between these two is a straight contrast between modern and punchy versus classic and warm. This is the kind of comparison only you can do with your own hands and ears. My personal preference (if it's to be your main bass) would be the Sterling, as it'll do so much so well, but as I said, that's down to you. As for amplification, I'd be looking not only for a practise amp, but something you can also get out and gig with. For the price of a decent Roland Bass cube (30 or 100w) you can get a new Ashdown Electric Blue 180 15" combo. These are ample for many until the volume gets out of hand! As a for instance, I recently got a pupil his first bass package (he'd been with me previously as a cello pupil for a while), which was a new trans black Epiphone Thunderbird Pro 4 & the Ashdown amplifier above. By buying the larger amplifier, you don't need to upgrade it as soon as you want to go out and play (when the time comes!) QED? Alternative 5-strings in the sort of style & price range you're looking at are very commonplace, but see if you can get to play a Lakland Skyline 45-01 (massive value and huge tonal range/great sound) & a few Warwick 5-strings as well. Obviously everyone will point you towards the bass [i]they[/i] think is best, but the only real solution is to get to as many dealers as you can and see which bass feels right in your hands. Best of luck with it all! Rich [/quote]

I am new to the bass guitar, but am looking to take up the 5 string. I do need some advice as to the type of combo that will fit my needs. I know that the low b runs at a frequency around 30 hz and as such I will be needing a combo that can comfortably handle this without "farting, distorting". To complete my rig, I was looking at the American Fender Jazz 5 string, or the Music Man Sterling 5 string. I was then going to use for practice in my spare bedroom, so do not need something huge. Just good enough to handle the frequencies.

I am totally new to bass guitars having previously been a drummer and saxophonist. I have had a long standing ambition to learn to play the bass and a friend of mine is a bass teacher. I am therefore in the market for a new guitar and I have decided upon a 5 string. I do fancy an American Fender Jazz 5 string, but availability is virtually non existent until October. I had also been looking at the Music Man Sterling 5 string, but that has a waiting time of 3 months to get the finish I want. Lastly, amplification for the bass. With me wanting a 5 string I am told that the low b string is in the region of 30 hz, so I will be needing a practice amp that will be able to handle the lower frequency. Thanks for any advice.