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Got a couple of MTD Kingstons - an Artist 5 and Z5 that both have the matching thing going on: [sharedmedia=core:attachments:220109]

Just got hold of a Streamline 5 in satin white. Joyous Plays beautifully and sounds awesome. [sharedmedia=core:attachments:225597][sharedmedia=core:attachments:225598]

Yamaha TRBX basses would be worth having a look at - according to the catalogue here: http://download.yamaha.com/api/asset/file/?language=en&site=usa.yamaha.com&asset_id=59160 the TRBX305 has 18mm spacing at the bridge. You might also check out MTD Kingston 5-strings as they also have 18mm at the bridge but might be outside your current budget. Another option would be an Ibanez BTB - not tried one myself but did check them out due to the string spacing. Final thought would be a Peavey Millenium though I'm not 100% certain about the string spacing, the neck is also very slim front to back and I never found it that comfortable... Anyway, hope these help

Oh yeah, additional thought - if you use eBay I've found Black Dog Music Supplies to be very helpful and reliable - their stock does seem to change quite a lot though... so would be a matter of timing to get the bits you want.

Wilkinson brand hardware is generally a pretty safe and cheapish bet for upgrades from stuff that is usually worse. They do a Precision bass bridge with brass saddles which is pretty solid. The tuners are also decent enough quality. Anyway, worth a look if budget is a little tight. You can get most of their kit on eBay - around £12 for the bridge and £30ish for a set of tuners.

Once - when I was tunng the E string on a short scale bass I'd been lent when I was starting out 25 years ago - didn't quite know what I was doing, the snap as it went was pretty impressive. Actually playing... never snapped a string, ever and don't intend to

Misdee, it's kinda weird - I've played/owned a number of different headless/bodyless basses (Steinberger Synapse, XT2, XT25 and a Hohner B2A that was my main bass for about 15 years) and this isn't like any of them. It's very light, almost "have I dropped it..., where is it" light. I have a couple of very lightweight MTD 5-string basses and this is lighter than either of them. Not weighed it yet though... The top strap button is very close to the neck at just about the twelth fret and the bottom button is not centred but offset higher round the body than the bridge so overall it hangs mostly normally though slightly further to the right than I was expecting. The back is genty contoured so it fits nicely though (at least on me) it tends to end up neck pointing further forwards (say, 30°) rather than parallel with my front (0° - don't know if that quite makes sense...). Sound wise - yeah, pretty tight sound overall but not as trebly as I was expecting. My MTDs have maple necks with maple fretboards and even with nickel strings I seem to spend all my time dialing out the treble. I expected the Streamline to be brighter because of its construction (though it currently has nickels on it) but it's not - so I'm probably going to end up putting steels on it. So far, no dead spots at all and the B string sounds good. I've been through a few of 5-strings over the last couple of years (ESP LTD B-155DX, Steinberger XT25, Peavey Millenium, Aria IGB, Yamaha RBX A5 and a couple of MTDs) and on all of them the B string has not quite matched the other strings. The B on ths Streamline doesn't quite match either but is better than anything else I've had to date - the tone is more even across all the strings and the B isn't quite so thuddy at the E compared to the open E string. Neck profile is pretty flat but there's enough thickness that everything feels quite substantial. The finish on this one is satin so pretty much non-slip There's always the risk when you've dropped a bunch of money on a new bass that it'll be perfect whatever happens and whatever faults it really has... the Streamline isn't perfect - but this is a very very good bass that will, I think, stay around at least for a while

Just picked up a beautiful Status Streamline 5 in satin white from a fellow up north. Originally saw this on the Status website when it was first for sale... when I had no money and then it got sold. Well, it came up for sale because the owner was sticking with a 4-string Streamline, so this one has been sat in its gigbag for a while. Gigged it yesterday and was very pleased. Plenty of grunt through a couple of 12" MarkBass cabs. Good range of tones from the two humbuckers and the unmistakable Status sound. Never thought I'd ever get to own one of these and my shoulder certainly appreciated the light weight. It sits slightly funny compared to a "normal" bass - but that could just be down to the shape of my gut... time to lose some weight me thinks... [attachment=225597:bass-17.JPG][attachment=225598:bass-18.JPG]

Bass in gigbag with the stand in the outside pocket, two MB121s - one in either hand and the rest (leads, amp, wireless kit and zoom B1on in an oldish messenger style laptop bag slung over my shoulder. Cabs and laptop bag fit in (and fill up) the boot of my Peugeot 308 and the bass goes on the back seat or on the lap of whoever is on the back seat. Can load everything in and out in one go if I have to but since my shoulder has been playing up (again) I tend to do a couple of trips.

Something to keep in mind is the string spacing that you want at the bridge. I went through a number of different 5-strings, never getting on with them and couldn't quite work out exactly why. It was only when my MTD Kingston Artist 5 landed that I realised that it was because of string spacing - I now know that I like 18 or 19mm but a lot of stuff is tighter than that. Bass Direct is the UK dealer for MTD and well worth a look. I now have a (beautiful) KZ5 to go with my Artist and I'm loving the pair of them.

I sold the Synapse to pay off a NS Design Radius WAV 4 (which I now need to move on to pay for something else... GAS is a killer...) I don't regret selling the Synapse but that's because I'm going through a phase of trying stuff out (note: Wilco's a good bloke to deal with - was very nice to meet him in person and talk bass for a while - just wish I'd thought to sell on Basschat... ) The Synapses are definitely in a different league to the Spirit XT line - I've had a four and a five-string Spirit. Tonally the EMG is... typical EMG - very clear and it's well in the sweet spot. The piezo (compared to the Radius) is a bit rougher, or maybe you just get slightly better control of it on the Radius. But it's still good and gives you tonal variations you're just not going to find elsewhere and it can certainly thump. You kind of need to back the treble off when just using the piezo at volume or it'll take your head off Ergonomics wise - heavier than you might think from looking at it, it's solid but all the weight is down the body end so, once it's on you don't feel the weight so much because you have very little leverage pulling down on your left shoulder. Of all the basses I've been through on my two year expedition the Synapse (if I could get a 5-string) would be one I wouldn't hesitate to buy again (or would seriously GAS for if I had no money and the wife's patience for buy one/sell one has run out ). For the money they're really good little basses. If you want one new this: http://www.musik-produktiv.co.uk/modern-bass-guitars/steinberger/ is probably the place to keep an eye on. Secondhand - they're pretty rare unfortunately.

Loved the Artist 5 so much I bought another Kingston... Kingston Z5 with burl maple top on a mahogany body, maple neck and fretboard, and matched headstock. It's got the MTD asymetrical neck which is so comfy to play and the whole thing is pretty light. Last photo is the family photo - compared to the Artist 5... the A5's tone is definitely more agressive than the KZ5 which is, overall, more polite and slightly fuller sounding but can apporximate the Artist's growl is you just pan to the bridge pickup. Both of them are keepers though... at least for now or until GAS strikes again... [attachment=241981:basses-6.jpg]

Oh, and Dad3353, do those lizards come in stereo?

mrn1989, not to be completely dense, though I probably am... I've been reading the user guide for the Scarlett Solo and if I understand things correctly - I plug the Solo into the computer (USB), plug the bass in and then set "Direct Monitor" to on and I'll get both my bass and the music from the PC through the headphone socket? Don't need to run it through my DAW or anything like that? If that's the case there will likely be a PM coming your way

Not exactly sure how to title this or if I've even got the right part of the forum, I have searched but I don't even really know exactly what terms I'm looking for, anyway, here goes... I want to be able to play along to MP3s on my computer with my bass plugged into said computer and listen either through headphones or a pair of speakers. I doubt I'll ever do any recording though that is a possibility. This is mainly for learning stuff and when I have to be doing so quietly and can't move my bass rig to where my computer is. I've been looking at various USB powered audo interfaces but the info I can't find is whether I can, basically, play along to the song I'm listening to and have my bass come out the same speakers. Pretty limited budget for purchases - max about £40 (just bought an MTD KZ5 and then got asked by a friend to play on something he's working on which I need to learn...) On my very short short-list are the Behringer 302USB Xenyx 5 Input Mixer and ALESIS Core 1 USB Audio Interface - sound quality isn't a huge issue... would be nice for it be halfway decent though. Any help and advice greatly appreciated.

Just bought another bass from Bass Direct - an MTD KZ5 - phoned Mark yesterday afternoon at about 3:30 after a series of e-mails, paid over the phone and the bass arrived at 8:30 this morning... couldn't ask for quicker service and Mark was really friendly and chatty on the phone. So, that's my second MTD from them and I fear there will be another one in my future somewhere

Looks like it's one of these: http://www.evolutionmusic.com.au/estore/930037010274.html "BC RICH VIRGIN NT Model Electric Bass Onyx with BC Rich Dual Humbucker Pickups & Toggle Tone Variations"

Westone Spectrum Series II in red back when I was 17 in 1990. Sold it to buy a Westfield 5-string. Regrets... I have a few.

Currently running a GK MB500 and two Markbass NY121 cabs and loving it. Could easily just run the GK with one cab and have sufficient volume but the extra cab does seem to fill out the sound a bit. Very compact footprint as well - touch under 40cm wide and 36cm deep.

Thanks for the suggestions - looks like I need to check out some DR Sunbeams So far, loving the bass but not loving the strings. The sound is somewhat mid-focused with quite a lot of bite and growl. Going to have to work on my floating thumb technique because the string spacing is wider than I'm used to and resting my thumb on the B string just doesn't cut it in terms of keeping everything under control. This bass is inspiring me to improve my technique!

Arrived this morning from Bass Direct [attachment=216182:mtd_artist_5-1.jpg] [attachment=216183:mtd_artist_5-2.jpg] Sounds great though strings are a bit zingy at the moment. Plenty of tonal range with the active electronics. Any recommendationso on a good nickel would set up to .130 on the B? The asymmetric neck shape is not as pronounced as I was expecting but is pretty comfortable even though this neck is wider than on any other 5-string I've ever owned - 19mm spacing at the bridge is nice but I'm still going to have to work on my right hand technique so the E string doesn't ring out when my thumb is restig on the B and I'm playing higher up the next (any tips?). Also left hand thumb position is going to need watching so I don't wrap my thumb over the top and find I can't move how I want to... Overall, best 5-string I've ever owned (so far ). The piccies here are better than mine and it's the dame bass - http://www.bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/MTD_Artist_5.html

Having read this thread I went and had a look at the Bass Direct website - found an MTD Artist 5-string going for the right price. Ordered it Friday morning after a quick chat with Mark by e-mail. Bass arrived this morning and is wonderful Fairly limited contact apart from a couple of e-mails but excellent service from Mark and Will. The bass also came really well packaged with a cardboad tube in the box acting as a stiffener which was kind of handy as the guy delivering leant on the box as he was typing on his machine... I was thinking "that's my bass you're leaning on... get off...". So, happy Bass Direct customer. NBD to follow

Oh yeah, it's 4+1 on the headstock so I take back what I said about preferring 3+2s

Ah well... not quite what was intended but found an MTD Artist 5 string on the Bass Direct website - 35" scale, single MM pickup, maple neck and it has the string spacing I want (19mm like my Radius WAV4). Totally blew the budget but think it will be worth it. NBD to follow