Detune/restring or buy new guitar

[fatbassman]

My band has at least one song written in a very low tuning. The original bass player had a five string drop tuned to A-D-G-C-F.

I love the sound, and don't necessarily want to transpose it...

So here are some ideas, and your thoughts would be appreciated:

1. Take my crappy practice bass (Ibanez TR) and restring it BEAD, then drop tune it to ADGC.

2. Take the same cheap bass and go CEAD, and learn a few new positions

3. Buck up and buy a 5 string. If I go mid-priced I'm thinking Traben (they look so metal, and don't play too badly), if I go higher end I'm thinking EB Sterling 5 (with HH).