I am primarily a 4 string player but a few songs call for a five string. I have a MM SR5 but I don't really like playing a five string.
So this weekend I took my homemade jazz bass and modified it a five string tuning and the results were great.
I simply put on a set of rotosound 66's, raised the bridge pole pieces quite a bit and added a string retainer to the E and A strings. I'm totally able to play the five string fingerings without excessive floppiness. I have noticed a lack of the low b "boom" that my other five strings have but there is lots of clarity and playability. And there is what I would call medium high action but not really all that bad and I wasn't slowed down during practice.
I wish I had thought of this before I bought my Stingray!
I tried this with an SX jazz bass and the results were less impressive so I think the solid build of my homemade bass really helped plus using high tension strings helped I think.
