Which 5 string

[rmcki]

I looking for some ideas for a 5 string[list]
[*]Budget £1500-2000
[*]What would you go for?
[/list]

[RhysP]

Spector Euro 5LX.

[funkypenguin]

Since you seem to like your Warwicks, keep an eye on the for sale section on here and get yourself one of the older warwick 5ers that come up from time to time, 80s or 90s streamer/thumb with a solid wenge neck

If that doesnt float your boat, what ball park are you interested in? Super Jazz? Custom build?

[rmcki]

[quote name='funkypenguin' timestamp='1348502583' post='1814431']
Since you seem to like your Warwicks, keep an eye on the for sale section on here and get yourself one of the older warwick 5ers that come up from time to time, 80s or 90s streamer/thumb with a solid wenge neck

If that doesnt float your boat, what ball park are you interested in? Super Jazz? Custom build?
[/quote]

I've been thinking about it for some time in the short list is.[list=1]
[*]Dingwall ABZ 5
[*]Warwick Thumb 5
[*]Overwater Inspiration 5
[*]Fender Marcus Miller 5
[/list]
I was thinking maybe the Thumb but i do have two other warwicks so maybe something different.
I was hoping to get so ideas from the forum.

[Truckstop]

No Roscoe love? Or Yamaha BB2025x?

Truckstop

[EBS_freak]

This -

[url="http://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Clover_Apeiron_H.5.html"]http://bassdirect.co.uk/bass_guitar_specialists/Clover_Apeiron_H.5.html[/url]

[fretmeister]

I am loving my Marleaux Consat Custom 5. Lovely thing.

I do have GAS for a Dingwall though.

[funkypenguin]

[quote name='rmcki' timestamp='1348503212' post='1814442']
I've been thinking about it for some time in the short list is.[list=1]
[*]Dingwall ABZ 5
[*]Warwick Thumb 5
[*]Overwater Inspiration 5
[*]Fender Marcus Miller 5
[/list]
I was thinking maybe the Thumb but i do have two other warwicks so maybe something different.
I was hoping to get so ideas from the forum.
[/quote]

Of those, if not a warwick i would go for overwater. You can get a top end build for that kind of money (might be worth looking at the Scott Devine Perception )

[Rumple]

Nice Roscoe LG just popped up in the 'for sale' section, just a thought I have no connection to the seller

One thing to consider with 5ers is string spacing and scale length, some people are fine with any spec but it can be a big decider for some.

[iiipopes]

OK, I'm not going to give a brand. I'm going to give some features to look for:
1) Are you trying to get a bass that feels and sounds like your 4-string, just "deeper," or are you going for a different sound or feel altogether?
2) Do you like the spacing of your current bass at the nut, or do you want narrower or wider? If you're used to a J-bass style 4-string, you might want a 5-string with about a 1 3/4 inch nut, if your 4-string is wider, you might like a wider nut.
3) Likewise at the bridge. I like narrow string spacing, some like the full Fender-style 3/4 inch between strings for the full five.
4) Tuners: I recommend a bass with 2+3 tuners, or just the B & E on one side, so the B is up on the headstock where the string leader won't bind around the tuner post into the speaking length of the string, to help with string life, accidental breakage, and ease of tuning.
5) Pickups: This is all over the map, but there is no reason to not get good pickups that are relatively even in response. Because of the 5-string, more middy or overwound pickups may keep the fundamental of the B string from doing what it needs to, and too scooped a pickup will keep the overtones from the B string from contributing to the tone.
6) Balance: with the extra tuner, a lot of 5-strings are prone to neck dive, so something with the smaller Gotoh or Schaller tuners and an upper horn that is a little longer to help balance is good.
Other than that, there are a lot of models out there. I went with an inexpensive bass because of all of the features listed above, an Ibanez SRA305, and that I only use it on a few songs; the vast majority of what I play is still played on my favourite 4-string P-style fanned fret.

Notice I didn't say much about electronics. Again, with the extended range, good clean electronics, whether passive or active, are more important that 2-band, 3-band, contour, etc., although I've been pleased on my bass with Ibanez' version of the EMG EXB for a variety of applications, from using it as a variable slap contour to a vintage/modern range control.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Keep it simple.
Find a dealer/shop with [i]plenty[/i] of basses you might like, and perhaps some you've never heard of. Some less than your budget, some within and some beyond.
Play them ALL.
Buy the one you liked the most, or at least work out if you can afford it and feel it's worth the (extra?) money.

[4rchitec7]

try a good old Tobias !

[JTUK]

Under £2000 look at an Overwater J5... very nice work.
Over £2k..Sei J5.

Or save a bit of money and buy sh..if any crop up.

Fender Jazz 5 maybe..?

[rmcki]

Cheers, Thanks for all suggestions, MM Fender is really tempting.

[Conan]

In that price bracket you certainly have plenty of choice - especially if you are also looking at used instruments!

Yamahas have a very good reputation and are always worth a try. They come up for sale on here pretty frequently too.

I recently sold a Carvin fiver. It was definitely the best five I have played, just not for me as I only really get on with four strings... My loss I know.

Lots of suggestions above for Fenders or Fender-type basses. They can certainly be good, but there is an awful lot more out there.

Vigier? Alembic? Status? Idiosyncratic maybe, but they have their fervent admirers.

Try lots. With that amount of cash in your pocket you are in a very strong position as it is definitely a buyer's market at the moment. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Edited September 25, 2012 by Conan

[Fat Rich]

For me the important thing is that the low B should have he same tone and attack as the other strings on the bass, and not just with fresh strings either. Otherwise you'll find your low notes will just go missing and it'll feel like the bottom has dropped out of the song. Graphite necks or fanned frets are fairly extreme solutions to this problem, but there are plenty of more traditional designs out there that work.

As has been said, try before you buy.

[chris_b]

The 5 string basses I’ve played have been, a Musicman Stingray 5. It was OK, but didn’t get on with the one piece maple neck. The Wal was the fulfilment of a long standing dream. It had a wonderful sound in the studio but didn’t really fit with the blues and soul bands that I joined soon after.

The Lakland (which I’m currently selling) is a fantastic bass. It’s beautiful to play and can get any sound in the book. I retired it when I went back to a Precision bass, this one made by Mike Lull. Keep you Fenders; the Lull is the 5 string bass that Fender could be making if they had any sense and were serious about a custom shop line. The only bass that would replace my Lull would be a Nordstrand.

I have been the second owner of all my basses which enabled me to buy a better bass than if I was buying new, and all my basses (except the Wal) fall with in your budget.

[iiipopes]

I do not like the Fender 5-strings that are derived from their classic 4-string Jazz or Precision models, regardless of whether Squier, MIM, Am Std, or whatever for these reasons: 1) the B-string tuner is too close to the nut, and the speaking length of the string binds around the tuner, risking breakage and tuning difficulties, and 2) the bodies are balanced for four tuners, and adding a fifth makes them neck heavy, even using lightweight Gotoh, Schaller or Hipshot small tuners; 3) A Precision pickup is too middy in its tone to allow the full fundamental of the B string to develop, and the neck pickup of the Jazz versions is too close to the neck to allow the proper overtone development of the B string to get good versatile tone, and together they are too "scooped" to give a full overtone development to help define the B string.

I would go with something actually designed as a 5-string, not as a converted 4-string, as pointed out above.

And as the above post amply illustrates: make sure you know why you're getting a 5-string and for what purpose, as no single instrument does everything.

Edited September 25, 2012 by iiipopes

[SisterAbdullahX]

Carvin SB5000! Choose the colour, body wood, neck wood, fingerboard wood, hardware colour, fret size and some other features, then have a massive night out with the 200 quid you have left over!

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Fat Rich' timestamp='1348579402' post='1815440']
For me the important thing is that the low B should have he same tone and attack as the other strings on the bass, and not just with fresh strings either. Otherwise you'll find your low notes will just go missing and it'll feel like the bottom has dropped out of the song.
[/quote]

This is an essential factor for me. The Low B must be present and useable. On some basses it feels and sounds like an afterthought. Never played a Status with a bad low B (graphite ones, anyway). My Warwick Thumb 5 string is the bass that had brought me back to 5 strings after a considerable hiatus. It really is superb.

[humapuma]

I love 5 strings - don't use 4s anymore, so I hope you find a really good one!

Lots of sense in these posts, but I notice no-ones specifically mentioned scale length. I own two 5s, one a 34" and the other a 35" and the low B is much better on the 35". They're very different basses though, so it's not going to be the only factor.

Obviously you've got to be comfortable with what you choose, but scale length is maybe something to consider.

Haven't played even half the basses mentioned here, but for what it's worth my main bass is an Overwater and it's great!

(Apologies for the sparse profile stuff - only just joined so I could put my oar into this topic)

[dannybuoy]

If you want the B to sound like the other strings, I'd check out some Dingwalls.

[thisnameistaken]

If it was me I'd be looking at Warwick (Thumb probably or Streamer Stage 1), Sandberg, Yamaha, Status maybe if I could find a nice plain one with a headstock, maybe even a Fender Jazz V.

[JTUK]

[quote name='Chris2112' timestamp='1348605631' post='1815991']
This is an essential factor for me. The Low B must be present and useable. On some basses it feels and sounds like an afterthought. Never played a Status with a bad low B (graphite ones, anyway). My Warwick Thumb 5 string is the bass that had brought me back to 5 strings after a considerable hiatus. It really is superb.
[/quote]

Always said the B defines a bass..or not. Cannot imagine what use a 5 would be otherwise, but....... good B's on too many basses are far from a given, IME.

[Rumple]

Good point made by humapuma (welcome to Basschat by the way) I've owned and still have some nice 35" scale basses but I really only feel at home when playing my SR5's which are 34", when first getting into 5 string I didn't think it would matter much what the scale length or string spacing was, I never worried about it with 4 strings, so I bought basses based on their looks or how they sounded thinking I'd get used to how they play but I've come to realise what suits me in a neck andwhat doesn't.

So I'd add that when trying out basses make sure you get to try, 34" 35" even 36" if you have big hands and string spacing from 17mm to say 19mm, once you know what you like it will narrow down your choices.