So I'm in the market for a P bass, but I need five strings and I definitely prefer a 35" scale. Looking for the classic P bass tone, but it definitely doesn't have to look exactly like a Fender. Budget is hard to nail down, especially since I'll be looking to buy used, and since I'm in another country with different prices, but let's say somewhere up to around $16-1700. If there's a J pickup thrown in there, that's fine I guess, but I I actually prefer the limitations of a classic single pickup P for this one. Also, PJ basses are generally pricier, so in my mind I'm getting more for my money with a classic P setup The obvious top contender is the Lakland Skyline 55-64, but it's not easy to find since it's been discontinued for a few years already. I've owned two other Skyline basses (still own one of them), and they're absolutely stellar in terms of playability and build quality, so I wouldn't mind another one. Another possible bass I've come across is the Schecter P-5. I have never tested a Schecter bass, but I own a Schecter guitar in the same price range (Diamond Series) and it's a really nice quality axe. A Sandberg VS5 would also be a sweet option, but 35" Sandbergs are few and far between. I've owned a 34" VM5 before, and it was a stellar playing bass, but the B string was extremely disappointing. In fact, it was one of the main reasons I started looking to 35" basses. The Maruszczyk Jake Classic 5 seems to be generally priced a little higher than my budget allows, and also seems to be pretty rare on the used market. Also, it would potentially be annoying to own a bass that I consistently had to look up how to spell On a side not, it's weird that the MTD CRB 5 is 34", since every other MTD 5-string seems to be 35". Then again, I'm not a huge fan of the look of it, so maybe no big loss. Anyway, all tips welcome.
I'll just bump this one single time in case anyone has any experiences or other tips, but I suspect there's not too many other options in the "midpriced" market.
It looks like Jackson has a couple of basses that might fit the bill: Concert Bass CBXNT V, which is neck thru, but passive with PJs. The also have the CBXM V which is bolt-on with active EMGs and preamp. Both of these fall below your pricing lined out above. I'm surprised Yamaha 5s are 34". Did they used to be 35"? A BB-series in 35" might work out nicely. There seems to be a bunch of 5 string, 35" basses out there that have a humbucker in the "P" position. If you like any of the instruments but don't like the pickup, there are pickup manufacturers that make P-style pickups that fit those slots (typically EMG-40 size); including EMG.