5 string bass virgin, any recommendations?

[Hazza2004]

Hi all,  

 

I'm looking at getting a 5er to round out the stable. Ideally I'm looking for something active but beyond that I'm fairly open to anything!  I really like the look of the Warwick Rockbass stuff so hopefully that gives you an idea of the vibe I'm going for.  I'd like to spend less than £1000.

 

Have at it!

[lownote]

Me, I'd be looking at the Sire Marcus Miller.  Or maybe the Cort C5 (it's got 18mm string spacing anf so many cheap fives haven't). For a sixth of your budget the Harley Benton B550 and B550FL are delicious  

[chris_b]

There's a lot of hassle involved in changing all your techniques for a 5 string bass. Does the music you play have a need for one?

 

IMO unlike 4 string basses, cheap 5's can be very patchy, so get a good one. I'd look to spend all your budget on a good used bass. I don't know Warwick, but Lakland Skylines, Sire and Fender Am Std V's of the 2010's are worth a look. Check out the used basses on Basschat, Bass Direct, Bass Gallery and Bass Brothers.

 

Good luck with your search.

Edited March 20, 2023 by chris_b

[Hazza2004]

7 minutes ago, chris_b said:

There's a lot of hassle involved in changing all your techniques for a 5 string bass. Does the music you play have a need for one?

 

IMO unlike 4 string basses, cheap 5's can be very patchy, so get a good one. I'd look to spend all your budget on a good used bass. I don't know Warwick, but Lakland Skylines, Sire and Fender Am Std V's of the 2010's are worth a look. Check out the used basses on Basschat, Bass Direct, Bass Gallery and Bass Brothers.

 

Good luck with your search.

I play with a lot of different artists as well as starting to dabble in pit work and am finding that more and more often that the extra flexibility afforded by a 5 would be very useful, hence the search now. The Sires seem interesting but I think that something with a slightly more modern sound might be more useful for pit work and things like that.  Will definitely look at used instruments though!

[chris_b]

3 minutes ago, Hazza2004 said:

I play with a lot of different artists as well as starting to dabble in pit work and am finding that more and more often that the extra flexibility afforded by a 5 would be very useful, hence the search now. The Sires seem interesting but I think that something with a slightly more modern sound might be more useful for pit work and things like that.  Will definitely look at used instruments though!

 

OK, then a 5 string looks like it will come in very useful. All the pit guys I know use 5's. It is a very flexible format.

 

I play with many different bands and while I've never been asked to play a particular bass, several have complimented my and said the 5 string gives their songs an added something.

[TheGreek]

Have a look at the previous Yamaha range - TRB rather than TRBx, BB or BBG5s, Lakland Skyline and Sire range. All good value basses and all lots of bass for your buck. I also like my Squire Dimension which for some reason have become available for next to nothing. Again, a lot of bass for you buck.

 

Check out YT for "The Floating Thumb" technique - will significantly help with bumm notes. I stumbled with 5ers till I learned this.

[asingardenof]

If the 5-string version is anything like the 4-string then the Sire V7 would be a good bet, or if you fancy a more modern sounding bass then try the Sire Mx range. Personally I'm eyeing up a Sadowsky MetroExpress for my next 5-string purchase now they've sorted out the flaws in the earlier models, and by the time I can afford one they might even have the Sadowsky logo on the headstock (I'm not a label snob, far from it, but the current arrangement looks awful IMO).

[Lfalex v1.1]

2 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Check out YT for "The Floating Thumb" technique - will significantly help with bumm notes. I stumbled with 5ers till I learned this.

 

Depending on how you play at the moment, almost definitely this. 

 

I can play most fivers using an anchored thumb, by resting it against the B string. I had to move to floating to play a six,  and have found that it's crept into my playing style on every instrument,  even fours.

 

[Fishfacefour]

Another vote for Cort. 

I have a B5 Artisan which is very good. Super easy to play, quite light and perfectly balanced. 

34 inch scale. I like the narrower string spacing (16.5mm I think) but others may not. 

 

 

Oh and super cheap for what you get. 

Edited March 20, 2023 by Fishfacefour
More thoughts

[TheGreek]

I've been tempted by the Cort B5 SC plus but there are so many good basses in the price range..

 

1st World problem....

[PaulThePlug]

 

[TheGreek]

But why are so many of these available on the second hand market?

[lemmywinks]

You can get a used German Warwick Corvette for less than the price of a new Rockbass if that's the bass you like.

 

In the sub £1k price bracket there's lots to choose from, I would try a few and see what string spacing you get on with. Either way Cort, Ibanez, Sire, Yamaha as mentioned above are all good options, some of the premium Ibanez SR basses have high end pickups and the used price takes a big hit so if you like tight string spacing then I'd look at those. There's an SR1305SB on Facebook at the moment for £625.

[PaulThePlug]

Or save a packet... or enough to swap pups 'n pre if ya really need to...

Edited March 20, 2023 by PaulThePlug

[ukbassboy]

16 hours ago, TheGreek said:

Have a look at the previous Yamaha range - TRB rather than TRBx, BB or BBG5s, Lakland Skyline and Sire range. All good value basses and all lots of bass for your buck. I also like my Squire Dimension which for some reason have become available for next to nothing. Again, a lot of bass for you buck.

 

Check out YT for "The Floating Thumb" technique - will significantly help with bumm notes. I stumbled with 5ers till I learned this.

Completely agree with this. I own a few 5s and the Yamaha TRB is by far the best. I played a TRBX605 and TRB1005 in the Yamaha store in London the other day and both were great; if anything I preferred the cheaper 605. 

I'd keep an eye out on here, FB and eBay for a good used Yamaha TRB or TRB ii. They are old basses now so I'd want to see one in person to make sure frets etc aren't overly worn, but they are superbly manufactured basses with a versatile preamp which sounds like it will hit the sort of sounds the OP is after. A good TRB may well be the best/last bass they ever have to buy! And if not, well they are going up in value now, so shouldnt lose out at all if they have to move it on. 

[mcnach]

18 hours ago, Hazza2004 said:

Hi all,  

 

I'm looking at getting a 5er to round out the stable. Ideally I'm looking for something active but beyond that I'm fairly open to anything!  I really like the look of the Warwick Rockbass stuff so hopefully that gives you an idea of the vibe I'm going for.  I'd like to spend less than £1000.

 

Have at it!

 

 

I know this is often a standard response but I really mean it: go out and try as many as you can.

 

This is just my personal journey, so it may not the same for you, but I had a bunch of 5 string basses over the years. On and off. Never really gelling with any. From a cheap Crafter something or another to Lakland. It wasn't until I had a particular instrument that 5-strings 'made sense' to me. It's a combination of how that bass felt, the neck profile, the sound. While on 4 strings I have a pretty good idea of what my preferences are, I really didn't know for 5-strings. 

Once I had that particular bass I found myself really enjoying it, and that was key because I felt I needed a certain period of playing (near) exclusively the 5-string, just getting used to the dimensions, where the notes are etc. Not long, it was probably just over a month before I started feeling comfortable enough to gig with it, and only a bit longer until I was just happy with whatever. Now I swap around, no issues. I like the 4 for some things and the 5s for others. I say '5s' because inevitably finding a 5 string bass that I really liked led to getting another two or three  but that's just me

 

The instrument that made me 'get' 5 string basses was... a Harley Benton MB-5 SBK, the 'stealth black' one. Super cheap, and needed some attention to the fretwork and nut, but it had a few things going for it:

Being primarily a Stingray player, the 'Stingrayesque' design felt very much at home. It's a passive bass, but the pickup is at the right location and it's got that punch I love. It was also pretty light.

 

I would have never thought that this bass would be the one that opened the door for me. Hence my: try everything you can, until you find one that feels 'right'. The transition from 4 to 5 can be a bit confusing at times, but having the right instrument for you will make the process a lot easier.

 

edit: I don't mean the Harley Benton is my recommendation or that a cheap one will do. Just mentioning it because while it was not the greatest instrument, it seemed to have the right 'physical attributes' for me, and it allowed me to be comfortable with 5-string basses in general. Now I have other better ones, and now I understand my preferences for 5 strings.

Edited March 21, 2023 by mcnach

[Rich]

Another +1 for Sire here (slight bias, as I have one  ), the V7 is a superb instrument if Jazzes are your thing, although I suspect the P7 (the P-J version) is more versatile (if it had been available at the time I'd have had that instead). Their M7 is good if you like your basses a little more contemporary. I'd also add a +1 for Yamaha, their basses are wonderful things. As has been mentioned, the TRBs especially... personally I would grab something like this with both hands. 

 

EDIT: I'd also recommend having a look in the Marketplace here... this, for example, appears to be an absurd bargain.

Edited March 21, 2023 by Rich

[StingRayBoy42]

I love my Sterling by Ernie Ball Ray 35 - got it for £650 used from eBay.

Active, 3 band EQ, sounds like a StingRay, looks the business... I love it.

The SUB Rays are substantially cheaper (£250-300 ish s/h) and are pretty well regarded, not sure if they're active though.

Harley Benton stuff is absurdly cheap and (by all accounts) really good quality. Their 5 string StingRay knockoff is less than £200 IIRC.

More advice here

 

[Conan]

4 hours ago, mcnach said:

 

 

I know this is often a standard response but I really mean it: go out and try as many as you can.

 

This is just my personal journey, so it may not the same for you, but I had a bunch of 5 string basses over the years. On and off. Never really gelling with any. From a cheap Crafter something or another to Lakland. It wasn't until I had a particular instrument that 5-strings 'made sense' to me. It's a combination of how that bass felt, the neck profile, the sound. While on 4 strings I have a pretty good idea of what my preferences are, I really didn't know for 5-strings. 

Once I had that particular bass I found myself really enjoying it, and that was key because I felt I needed a certain period of playing (near) exclusively the 5-string, just getting used to the dimensions, where the notes are etc. Not long, it was probably just over a month before I started feeling comfortable enough to gig with it, and only a bit longer until I was just happy with whatever. Now I swap around, no issues. I like the 4 for some things and the 5s for others. I say '5s' because inevitably finding a 5 string bass that I really liked led to getting another two or three  but that's just me

 

The instrument that made me 'get' 5 string basses was... a Harley Benton MB-5 SBK, the 'stealth black' one. Super cheap, and needed some attention to the fretwork and nut, but it had a few things going for it:

Being primarily a Stingray player, the 'Stingrayesque' design felt very much at home. It's a passive bass, but the pickup is at the right location and it's got that punch I love. It was also pretty light.

 

I would have never thought that this bass would be the one that opened the door for me. Hence my: try everything you can, until you find one that feels 'right'. The transition from 4 to 5 can be a bit confusing at times, but having the right instrument for you will make the process a lot easier.

 

edit: I don't mean the Harley Benton is my recommendation or that a cheap one will do. Just mentioning it because while it was not the greatest instrument, it seemed to have the right 'physical attributes' for me, and it allowed me to be comfortable with 5-string basses in general. Now I have other better ones, and now I understand my preferences for 5 strings.

 

Great post! (Almost) saved me the bother of replying...😄

 

Just one more brand to chuck into the mix - G&L! For your budget you could probably get a used USA model, but to be honest I'm not sure it's necessary. The Tribute series M2500 and L2500 are fantastic basses, not just "for the money" but at any price point. With a budget of around a grand you might also be lucky enough to find a used ACG - beautiful handmade British (Scottish to be exact) instruments with mouth-watering spec levels.

[Grahambythesea]

If it’s the more modern sound you’re after, then it’s presumably an active. You can’t go far wrong with a Spector, the 

Korean made Legend is great value or you might even pick up. 2nd hand European made Euro or Rebop. Both brilliant.

[tauzero]

Another vote from me for playing as many as you can. I get on best with slim shallow necks, so the Ibanez SDGR and EHB suit me but Spectors don't. For the same reason, I preferred the (cheap) Peavey Grind to the (quite a bit more expensive) Peavey Cirrus. I would also throw in Hohner as one to look at - the headless Jack and B2AV, and the headed Bass 5, which also have slightly chunkier necks than my ideal.

[redbandit599]

On 20/03/2023 at 13:43, Hazza2004 said:

Ideally I'm looking for something active but beyond that I'm fairly open to anything!  I really like the look of the Warwick Rockbass stuff so hopefully that gives you an idea of the vibe I'm going for.  I'd like to spend less than £1000.

Some fine recommendations above - on your initial thoughts - I have a 32" 5 string Rockbass Corvette that is a punchy, fat, little beast, slim neck and easy to play.

I also got a second hand German 5 Corvette Standard from Bass Bros and that's a really solid choice - neck is chunkier but very comfortable, has the growl, active/passive and a good B. There is another one on there again now (I'm not affiliated) - I have a (mk1) Sandberg and have had a Yamaha BB1025X too - both the above Warwicks have a more consistent B string than those (ime ymmv imho etc!) 

[OliverBlackman]

I’ve had quite a lot over the years before going back to 4s - now need to go back to 5s again - and there’s lots of differentials so try before you buy is a good tip. 
 

My first 5 was a Warwick Rockbass Fotress. It was fine but lacked in build quality. I’ve had fully fledged Warwick’s and they are good but different to a lot of other basses.

 

I’ve also owned a Sire V7 and this would be my choice again. It’s standard sound in passive and a killer active preamp. 
 

For pit work you want a really clean and balanced sound for the engineers but also where you can dial up a punchier sound for rockier numbers. I think the Sire fits the bill.

 

There‘a a lot to navigate through though. I can’t stand the skinny necks on Ibanez and also can’t reach 35” scale length very well. Then there is added weight and in some cases larger bodies to contend with.
 

Turns out my perfect bass is a Ken Smith  5 which is unashamedly expensive.

[cocco]

Ibanez SR 5ers are easy to play and a great way to go IMO. If you're into the Warwick growl you'll get a similar vibe from the wenge (or panga panga) necked, Nordstrand big single equipped premium series.

[TRBboy]

As others have said, try as many as you can, but in general terms you can't go far wrong with something like an Ibanez SR, a Yamaha, or A Cort of some sort. I reckon a Sire V5 5 string would be a good shout too, although I haven't tried one myself. 

 

Some of the low-mid range 5ers can feel really clumsy and difficult to play, but there are so many variables, and so much of it is personal, you really need to schlep around some music shops and get your hands on as many as possible if you can.