Paulhauser

Then there isn't really anything to do other than get a nice Sadowsky. I really liked the Sadowskys I had / tried but when it came down to the small little personal taste-related details I went different ways. Roger is one of the nicest luthiers in the world and his creations are some of the best basses ever produced. The Metro line is fine but his NYC basses are those kind of basses where you stop looking for something else.

Spector Coda deluxe. Handbuilt by Suart Spector and his team in the USA, incredible quality for a very decent price. Even if it is not American, I have to say my Atelier Z M265 is the best super J I've ever played (used Spector Codas, Sadowskys etc. before)

+ 1, or you can use a preamp / DI pedal like the EBS microbass II where you can engage a 2nd channel / route with the necessary tone shaping for when you use the bridge pickup only. The EBS Microbass II works great and has a sensible EQ selection + does not cost much.

The advantage for me is that I can play my band's set that requires a low A and still have the G string for slapping and tapping if needed. Technically I could play the gig with a 4 string tuned B(A)EAD, preferably with a 35" 4 string bass like the Spector Euro 435, but that would require some adjustment for certain parts where I use the G string.

This damn thread made me gassing for a Thumb NT6. Should have known...

I think you made one of the best choices with the 506 for entering the 6 string bass realm. I had one 506 before and liked so much that I later "upgraded" and now my two six string basses are the SR5006 and 3006. I tried quite a lot of six string basses and the SR six string basses won me over with the ergonomics (especially with the neck and the balance) They sound quite good, too 🙂

I have my Atelier Z 265 for a while now. The bass surpassed my expectations when I got it, especially for the build quality, feel of the neck and the overall sound (very nice B string ) This feeling grew over the time so even after the honeymoon period i honestly think that this is the best 'super' jazz I have ever had (went through Sadowskys, Spector Coda, Fenders, FGNs, Sandbergs etc over the years) The feel of the neck is a personal thing, I definitely like skinnier necks for 5ers so that being said Atelier hit it right it the middle with the neck, a hair bit thicker than my Sadowsky, narrower that the Spector Coda. The clear coating is a joy to play, the feel of the neck is really great. I might sound as a fan, but I am extremely satisfied with my Atelier and it actually put an end to my quest for modern 5 string jazz basses.

Spector Euro 4 or NS-2 for bass (or Euro 5 / NS-5XL) EBS TD660 or Fafner II with Proline 410 cab(s)

Or just exchange the last two digits of your birth year (46 to 64) and you will have choices at least. Good hunting!

Here is my short review of mine

Mike, would a 5 string jazz with 18mm spacing be a solution? It's 0.5 mm more than the SR but in my experience it's not really that noticeable. Atelier Z produces really great high end basses with 18mm spacing on their 5 string M265 model. I have one and really love it.

My Spector NS-5XL and my Atelier Z M265 custom basses. I already had high expectations as they are top of the line instruments but what I got in both instances exceeded these expectations on a level I hadn't felt before. Past the obvious quality of these instruments they probably have that extra magic in them for me that I rarely felt before.

Of all the 5 string basses I've tried the Ibanez SR basses had the necks that seem to fit to your requirements (I don't have very big hands and long fingers either) There is one fanned fret Ibanez SR in the classfieds (not mine), it has the same neck dimensions as normal SR 5strings. If you don't have an issue with fanned frets - and you shouldn't as they are really nothing to get used to- that is a lot of bass for 500GBP. And bet it sounds killer down there.

It is 40mm so I think it is in between. Great neck by the way. Not too chunky, not too skinny. I like it a lot.

You should sell the Jazz as that seems to be the least used / attached to. But you have such a great selection that it is a pity to sell any of it. Have you looked into covering that £800-ish you'd get for the jazz in other ways? Like selling other bass related stuff or such?

The frets look straight so even if there is a curve to them it isn't really noticeable visually.

Thanks! Never had a solid color red bass before, but the color was one of the selling point for me (wouldn't have wanted a generic sunburst P, no issue with the SB at all, but wanted someting else)

After many years of not even wanting one and somewhat disliking its sound, lately I have decied that I'm getting old enough to own a P bass (ok, I know, I know 🙂 ) So this FGN Neo Classic P came around and I bought it without hesitation. FGN is the house brand of the Japaneese Fujigen factory that produced many Fender MIJ /CIJ basses and also do the MIJ Prestige line for Ibanez amogst others. I've had 2 FGN jazzes before and they left a very good impression in terms of build quality and overall feel and this one did not disappoint either. FGN basses are of great value, if they had a decent European distribution they'd be a lot more known I think. I bought it used from Denmark and the courier company actually lost this within their system for a week. Fortunately it was found and delivered in the end. Shipping cost was paid back as a reimbursement though, so it was all good in the end 🙂 The bass: nothing extraordinary to write home about, 'just' a great P bass with great attention to detail, flawless finish, nice feel and in a very cool color (would love to have a white pearl pickguard though) Alder/rosewood, the sound is surprisingly strong and lively (D'Addario Chromes are on it) Neck is somewhere between a jazz and a P, very comfortable for me. The bass has a circle fret system with slightly curved frets (see last pic) Its not really noticeable but it's there FWIW. As I use exclusively 5 string Spector basses for the gigs I do I bought this bass primarily for having a good P for noodling on and the occasional need to play a P with flats on it 🙂 So this is covered now and I'm more than happy as this bass sounds a lot more than I've expected and handles really well. Now the pics:

There is one for sale. As for the OP " but dont mount the back on the side of the body!" Do you mean the jack placement? I'm sure that is like this because it's how Anthony Jackson wanted it to be.

I’m a Spector player so maybe biased but this is actually true, I have yet to see a Spector of any price point failing to deliver. This topic is a great read by the way! 😂