woodyratm Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Hey guys - Hope someone will be able to assist me. I recently bought Shockwaves Fender Jazz 5 string but i'm not sure i'm really getting back into the 5 string, still find myself drawn to 4 strings but i'm not sure if I should stick it out and keep trying or sell up and look at others. Theres a Shuker that i'm eyeing up on his page, which jon is willing to add a passive switch onto, but its abit more pricey. I also just cant seem to get the hang of the J-East Deluxe. What do people think? Dave Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McBass Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 (edited) [quote name='woodyratm' post='1318423' date='Jul 27 2011, 04:47 PM']Hey guys - Hope someone will be able to assist me. I recently bought Shockwaves Fender Jazz 5 string but i'm not sure i'm really getting back into the 5 string, still find myself drawn to 4 strings but i'm not sure if I should stick it out and keep trying or sell up and look at others. Theres a Shuker that i'm eyeing up on his page, which jon is willing to add a passive switch onto, but its abit more pricey. I also just cant seem to get the hang of the J-East Deluxe. What do people think? Dave[/quote] Sssup with the East pre amp, what tone are you looking from it ? Edited July 27, 2011 by McBass Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 Not everybody gets on with 5 strings - I didn't....you're only getting 5 extra notes so if it's an issue why not just go back to your 4 strings.. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I'm not going to bite at the "you only get 5 extra notes" comment as that thread has been done plenty of times before but have you tried any other 5ers woody? I can't get on with jazz 5's really which is a shame as I would like one similar to go with my Jazz 4. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
darkandrew Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I ditched my first 5 string after about six months, can't remember the exact model but it was a mid range Yamaha, I just couldn't get on with it. About 5 years later I thought I'd give fivers another go and bought a secondhand Spector Euro 5LX and took to it instantly - ever since then it has been my first choice bass. I don't know why the Spector did it for me when the Yamaha didn't, I guess it's just a case of finding the one that does it for you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
stingrayPete1977 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='darkandrew' post='1318622' date='Jul 27 2011, 08:21 PM']I ditched my first 5 string after about six months, can't remember the exact model but it was a mid range Yamaha, I just couldn't get on with it. About 5 years later I thought I'd give fivers another go and bought a secondhand Spector Euro 5LX and took to it instantly - ever since then it has been my first choice bass. I don't know why the Spector did it for me when the Yamaha didn't, I guess it's just a case of finding the one that does it for you.[/quote] +1 although once you have it nailed other fives can then be played to some extent, I'm still not sure what I like in a five which is all the more reason to try/buy more Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='McBass' post='1318541' date='Jul 27 2011, 06:51 PM']Sssup with the East pre amp, what tone are you looking from it ?[/quote] It appears to be really wild - like i'm wanting a clean passive sound but i'm getting insane distortion - I've got a thread on here with people suggesting what may be the cause. I've got a battery sitting here waiting to go in but not had time and the bands not practicing atm. [quote name='stingrayPete1977' post='1318607' date='Jul 27 2011, 08:11 PM']I'm not going to bite at the "you only get 5 extra notes" comment as that thread has been done plenty of times before but have you tried any other 5ers woody? I can't get on with jazz 5's really which is a shame as I would like one similar to go with my Jazz 4.[/quote] I used to have a peavey 5 string and then a warwick corvette 5. I could get my head and hands around those no bother - but i used to have issues with 4 strings, then i started playing around with them more and started being a convert. It's just really frustrating because the jazz is a gorgeous bass and has such a nice feel to it - theres just something that causing me issues. Frustrating. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McBass Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='woodyratm' post='1318755' date='Jul 27 2011, 09:58 PM']It appears to be really wild - like i'm wanting a clean passive sound but i'm getting insane distortion - I've got a thread on here with people suggesting what may be the cause. I've got a battery sitting here waiting to go in but not had time and the bands not practicing atm.[/quote] Cool,try that...i have 2 of the same pre amps and get no distortion at all.Try the battery and if it doesn't work ring or email John direct. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Blademan_98 Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 I don't get on with a 5 either I keep mine in vein hope that one day, it will click and I will be able to play it. I did only buy it for the fretted 'E' whilst playing Nights in White Satin........ I bought a bass to play one song! Madness Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
thepurpleblob Posted July 27, 2011 Share Posted July 27, 2011 There's way more variation in 5 stringers than there is in fours. Four strings have been around for 60-odd years and the range of neck shapes and string gap is pretty much a done deal. Fives are all over the place so you need to try a few. Having said that I can play a 5 perfectly well (I actually started on a 5) but find a 4 more comfortable and get's the job done just fine, so that's what I use 90% of the time. You don't actually need one - even less so if you can manage drop-D (although, yes, I know it isn't quite the same thing). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted July 27, 2011 Author Share Posted July 27, 2011 [quote name='McBass' post='1318771' date='Jul 27 2011, 10:11 PM']Cool,try that...i have 2 of the same pre amps and get no distortion at all.Try the battery and if it doesn't work ring or email John direct.[/quote] It appears to have 18v supply. That was a shock! Removing a battery kills the pre (natch) so tried with passive mode on - seems much cleaner - assume it was the batteries then... Still not getting around this bass though! Just tried quickly blasting one of my bands songs with it and its just strange just now. Hmm. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 [quote name='woodyratm' post='1318755' date='Jul 27 2011, 09:58 PM']It appears to be really wild - like i'm wanting a clean passive sound but i'm getting insane distortion - I've got a thread on here with people suggesting what may be the cause. I've got a battery sitting here waiting to go in but not had time and the bands not practicing atm.[/quote] It'll be the battery. That's just what happens when the battery dies. Some boutique distortion pedals even have voltage controls on them so that you can make it sound like the battery is about to go flat. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
woodyratm Posted July 29, 2011 Author Share Posted July 29, 2011 [quote name='EdwardHimself' post='1320303' date='Jul 29 2011, 12:06 PM']It'll be the battery. That's just what happens when the battery dies. Some boutique distortion pedals even have voltage controls on them so that you can make it sound like the battery is about to go flat.[/quote] I thought as much - got 2 9volters in my car so will throw them in. But i've decided to provisional trade it, maybe the jazz 5 just isint for me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EdwardHimself Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 [quote name='woodyratm' post='1320311' date='Jul 29 2011, 12:11 PM']I thought as much - got 2 9volters in my car so will throw them in. But i've decided to provisional trade it, maybe the jazz 5 just isint for me.[/quote] You're probably right- I think the Jazz 5 does have very wide string spacing for a 5 string, whereas the peavey has a pretty narrow string spacing and the warwick is more of a medium. That might be where you've come unstuck. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
geoffbyrne Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 (edited) I put an 18V JE U-Retro in my originally passive Yammy BB415 - already had a big output - and now the output is huge. It's controllable by turning down the gain on my MAG, but I use it through a couple of specially prepared channels on my Digitech GNX1 on which I have the gain turned down to about 20% & the tone levels set flat. This works just fine into the MAG. You could try going into some kind of pre-amp yourself. As for 5ers, I didn't get on with my first, a Yammy RBX375 - although I loved the tone the fretboard was too wide for my smallish hands & caused pain between the thumb & forefinger of my left hand. I moved to a Hohner B Bass V & later to a Cirrus V BXP, both of which have narrower string spacing (10mm nut & 16mm bridge). Since then I have been playing the BB415 which has more like a jazz-style neck, being 10mm at the nut & 19 at the bridge - I'm finding this OK. I've recently got a Yammy BB G5A which is about 11mm at the nut, but still 19 at the bridge, and although I notice the difference, it's still OK for me. I don't use the extra bottom notes much, but my style is to play across the fretboard much more than I could achieve on a 4 string. G. Edited July 29, 2011 by geoffbyrne Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest McBass Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 My Pre amps are both 18v as the Fender Deluxe Pre-s are that voltage. I love my Fender American Jazz Deluxe 5s,i had a Yamaha BBN5A (which is an awesome sounding bass) but i never fell in love with the neck profile. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dannybuoy Posted July 29, 2011 Share Posted July 29, 2011 I found the Fender 5's too wide at the nut, but the Yamaha BB415 suits me perfectly. Try another bass! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.