6 months or so ago I got my first 5-string bass: a Sire V7 and I LOVE the tone from it. It's also my first J bass though I have a Yamaha RBX-170 PJ. My main bass has been an L-2000 which I have been very happy with, but I've really been stoked about the Sire tone. I play with the blend favoring the neck pickup strongly but with a taste of the bridge.
But the 5er is pretty heavy and got me wondering if I can get the same tone (or close) from a 5string headless. Would a lot of J-styles give a similar tone? Most anything with Alnico magnet single coils? Or is there also something special about the Sire pre-amp I would also need to replicate?
Ibanez has some active J headless basses. I don't think the Steinberger humbucker headless models would do it. With my L-2000 I can get close to the Sire tone switching to single coils but not as sweet. I found the Maruszczyk custom configurator, but I don't think I can justify paying $2500 - but I would love to get one of those headless Frog basses. Also I'm not sure which pickups to put in the custom dream bass. So would the Ibby do it? Is there something else maybe even under $1K?
But the 5er is pretty heavy and got me wondering if I can get the same tone (or close) from a 5string headless. Would a lot of J-styles give a similar tone? Most anything with Alnico magnet single coils? Or is there also something special about the Sire pre-amp I would also need to replicate?
Ibanez has some active J headless basses. I don't think the Steinberger humbucker headless models would do it. With my L-2000 I can get close to the Sire tone switching to single coils but not as sweet. I found the Maruszczyk custom configurator, but I don't think I can justify paying $2500 - but I would love to get one of those headless Frog basses. Also I'm not sure which pickups to put in the custom dream bass. So would the Ibby do it? Is there something else maybe even under $1K?
