5-String, Active Pickup, under $600, suggestions?

[oneforyes]

A friend of mine is looking for a 5-String bass with active pickups, new or 2nd hand under $600

Any suggestions?

 

[InternetAlias]

Should be able to snatch a used SR505. Really fast playing basses, lightweight, but the finish flakes off like a female dog.

 

[lz4005]

A friend of mine is looking for a 5-String bass with active pickups, new or 2nd hand under $600

Any suggestions?

Active pickups as in EMGs, or passive pickups with an onboard preamp?

There's a lot of different used 5's out there. With a lot of different nut and bridge spacing, types and locations of pickups, scale lengths. Unless they'd be happy with anything, they should give more details.

 

[FunkHead]

Should be able to snatch a used SR505. Really fast playing basses, lightweight, but the finish flakes off like a female dog.

Or a Semi-hollow SRH-505 brand new. I thought of Ibanez immediately too.

 

[oneforyes]

any "Fender Style" models

 

[LkS]

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[jonnybass1]

Ibanez SR505 or better would fit the bill.

 

[Resonance129]

Should be able to snatch a used SR505. Really fast playing basses, lightweight, but the finish flakes off like a female dog.

+1

Or SBMM Ray35. Not sure what type of music he/she intends to play with it, but both of those models are versatile enough to fit practically any genre and play well. Can be found for around or less than $600, used.

Good luck.

 

[two fingers]

What kinds of stuff is he/she into?

 

[Hippwahh]

Schecter makes some nice basses in your price range, give them a look. I love my Schecter 5 string.

 

[Inconnu]

Spector Legend, maybe?

 

[BassBrass]

Or a Semi-hollow SRH-505 brand new. I thought of Ibanez immediately too.

I think his "friend" is looking for a normal weight bass with magnetic pu's, not an piezo-acoustic slimline attempt at the acoustic bass guitar that suffers from similar liabilities as all ABG's, but much more comfortable to play. I had one for about a half year, could never get enough sustain out of it, the energy is in the attack because of lack of mass. Nice wood though. That's what kept resale value decent, what it looks like.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

An Ibanez atk305 or a hohner the jack custom V. I have the hohner currently and love it, headless may not be his cup of tea but it sounds pretty sweet. The only reason I traded the ibanez for it was because I already have a musicman Sterling so I got some variety out of it and I liked the neck much better, but that's just me

 

[iiipopes]

Ibanez.

 

[Aloe]

Not so much on the market with active pickups (as opposed to preamp with passive pickups), only some Rockbass Corvette models come to my mind. I’m not sure they still make this modification, but there’re many on second hand market. For active pickups, you need one with “MEC gold” ones. There also were made in Germany and Korea Warwicks with those pickups, if you’re lucky you may find one used in your price range.

I had a MEC gold 5-string RB Corvette (old one with a single-piece bridge) and it was a nice bass, easy to play, with a really solid low B and musical overtones, but parted with it as didn’t really care for sound. YMMV

 

[SmokinJoe992]

Should be able to snatch a used SR505. Really fast playing basses, lightweight, but the finish flakes off like a female dog.

The first one I would suggest. I had the PB model and had no problem with the finish. Best 5 I have ever played. If I went back to playing 5s, I would get another one in a second. About $300 to $400 used.

 

[bassrique]

https://images.reverb.com/image/upl...0,w_1600/v1516314840/fn15fnpuqwt8tyylgtfs.jpg

Ibanez Talman TMB 105 $250 new.

 

[bearfoot]

35" scale 5-string active, you can find one model on Rondo sub-$500

I play the oft-recommended Ibanez SR506. If this helps with your decision, I will say that the middle pickup solo'd on that bass does come closer to "P-bass" than you might expect.

You may need to feel out the necks. The SR neck is flat and fast. The spacing is 16.5mm, I think. Just broad enough to be a fairly easy transition.

 

[michael_t]

Yamaha TRBX505. I got mine last spring brand new for $600 CAD. I was also considering the Ibanez SR305 and 505 but the Yamaha gave me all the features I wanted for less money.

 

[skyline_01]

Really depends on the type of music he/she mainly plays. Either way, there should be a ton of options out there that would probably fall into the $600 ballpark. Here are a few:

-G&L Tribute L2500/M2500 used (L2500 is my workhorse)
-SBMM Ray35 used or Ray 25 new
-Fender Jazz Deluxe V MIM
-Squier VM Jazz V new
-Ibanez ??? (too many models to keep up with)
-Cort GB/Artisan/Action Deluxe new
-MTD Kingston CRB used or new