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19 mm spacing

Indy Bass Man

Indy Bass Man

Jan 27, 2021
11
17
#1
So I fell in love with my Ibanez BTB 845 5-string when I picked it up about a year ago. One of the things I love most about it is the 19mm spacing between the strings. I just feels more natural to me and I don’t trip over the strings near as much as I use to. So the question I have is what other basses out there also have 19mm spacing? Without specifically looking at the description of every bass, it would be nice to know what brands/models are doing that as I would like to pick up another bass or two with that spacing. Thanks
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#3
AFAIK 19mm is standard on Sadowsky 5-strings.
It gets complicated after that. Sometimes it's an option (Pedulla, Roscoe). Sometimes certain 5-string models are 19mm but other 5-strings from the same manufacturer's catalog are not.
Alas, a quick search on Sweetwater for Ibanez and Yamaha 5-strings revealed a frustrating lack of bridge spacing on the spec's for most listings. (But they tell you the gauges of the strings I'd be replacing...)
It's easy enough to tell in person. I measure between the outer two string centers and divide by 4. (19mm x 4 spaces between strings = 76mm.)
It can be tricky to tell just from photos. (If the bridge pickup is a standard width J and the string span gets close to the edges, that's a good sign.)
 
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#4
What's your budget? And in addition to 19mm spacing, do want to stick with the 35" scale length that your BTB has?

For starters, the MTD Kingston line has some 19s. The lower end are 34" scale, but their mid- to upper-end lines are 35", I believe. The Brubaker Brute, if it's still in production, was 19mm (34").

Lakland 5ers are 19mm w/ 35". The imported Skyline series is priced higher (new) than your BTB, but you may be able to find a used one for a similar cost. Of course, the US-made ones are much higher - which is where your budget comes into play (see below).

Back to MTD (Mike Tobias Design), the ones he builds in his shop in NY are 19mm and 35" scale. Fantastic instruments. Throw in Fodera, Sadowsky, and FBass, too. All 3 build theirs with 34" scale (FBass VF series is 34"; BN is 34.5"). Of course, with custom options - these builders or other boutique brands - you can spec it however you wish .. at an additional cost over standard (generally). This short list should get you started.

Oh, and welcome to TalkBass!
 
#5
The one general rule is that 19mm spacing on fives is most common on more expensive basses. There are exceptions like some Squier Deluxe Jazzes or the old Squier Protone. I thought the Squier Contemporary HH had 19mm spacing, but it is 18mm.
Lakland Skylines are 19mm and are not super expensive. MTD Kingston’s are 19mm. I have a Carvin SB5000 that is 19mm. Used Carvins can be had for a reasonable amount of money. New Keisel basses, successor to Carvin, can be fairly steep.
 
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#8
Thank you all. Appreciate it. Like to stay $1,500 or less on budget which is going to rule out the boutique companies, but I am open to buying used gear and have become resourceful at doing so which tends to save a few bucks. I’d like to stay with the 35” scale as it can throw me off a little going back and forth between two different scales. Appreciate the response and I’ll do a quick search here as well.
 
#11
Indy Bass Man said:
Thank you all. Appreciate it. Like to stay $1,500 or less on budget which is going to rule out the boutique companies, but I am open to buying used gear and have become resourceful at doing so which tends to save a few bucks. I’d like to stay with the 35” scale as it can throw me off a little going back and forth between two different scales. Appreciate the response and I’ll do a quick search here as well.
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$1,500 and 35” scale, Lakland Skylines are your best new option. MTD might have some good new options and plenty of used options. Carvin/Keisel might good too, if you can find them.
 
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