I suggest just seeing whats popping up on the used or clearance gear in your area. I know you have a very defined list, but we don’t include things on a list that are off of our radar and there are a lot of nice basses that are either low production models or aren’t extensively marketed from the larger companies. You never know what you might find.
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5 String for $300-$500?
- Thread starter Peeved T-40
- Start date
I disagree. I think people are trying to help him/her see that there are A LOT of other models on the market, within their price range, that may be better or equal to the models they looked at thus far.
I don't think showing him/her photos of their cheap bass models hurts the conversation in any way but does expand their horizons to what else is available.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
- 29,772
- 30,452
- Disclosures
- I like 5, 8, 10, and 12 string basses
Welcome to talkbass to you, too. When you've been here longer than a week let me know if the "the person asking the question doesnt even know how awesome MY bass is, but they should" answers have gotten old yet.
If your budget is really limited, look into what Aliexpress and DHgate are selling these days. I have had good luck with these instruments as once they've been tweaked they play reasonably well. For the money, you are NOT going to get a professionally set-up instrument and the strings are always poopie. So, if you order one, have a a set of good strings ready to install, an Allen wrench to adjust the truss rod spoke nut and a strong cotton or leather strap because these guitars are heavy.
Original Licensed Products (OLP) 5-string, all maple board, only legal Stingray clone. Loyalty Pawn, Roseville, California-$159.95. Keep your eyes open, good deals around still.
Harley Benton? Loads of choice and all well within your budget. I went for the MM85a for 177 English pounds. There is a lovely stealth single pup passive jobbie MB5sbk for just over 120 I think. They've also got some proper nice P style, Jazz, PJ, etc etc. Might be worth a look. Here's the link to the Stealth Ray a like...lots of love for the Harleys over on Basschat.
https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mb_5_sbk_deluxe_series.htm
https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_mb_5_sbk_deluxe_series.htm
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Mostly guitars sadly. I've played a really nice neck-through PJ though that the owner was super proud of. I don't know if it was higher end (I didn't notice fancy features other then the basic construction) but it played like butter. Felt a bit like an SR Premium had a baby with an Ibanez BTB. The owner swears by Schecters too. It's his only bass because he says it's so good he doesn't need another.
On the guitar front I've experienced their lower end stuff, because I was kind of shopping for me. lol They weren't head and shoulders above their competition but there wasn't any issues. They played good, sounded good, fretwork was perfectly fine. The only reason I don't own a Schecter is because they don't get stocked much where I live, so whenever I am actually trying and buying they tend to be nowhere to be found.
If you really want a P/H then the Schecter is almost certainly going to be a good buy. I still stand by the Jackson though but mostly because I've come to prefer the more balanced sound of a full humbucker to a split coil.
dude, I asked about 5 strings in the $300-$500 rang and I’m getting answer exactly about that. What’s the problem?
You seem to have zeroed in on one sentence. I suggest reading the rest of my post for context. I at no time suggested cheap basses are bad.
TRBX series. Had 2 when I was gigging and they were great, comfortable, utility instruments.
can we not let this thread devolve into a pointless argument. Please and thank you.
Look into a brand called IYV, you'll have to search ivy bass on Amazon. Very cheap but they sound and play great!
The Affinity Squiers need to be played first. Some are really great, many are just okay, and some are plain bad. I played one of those very same Jazz V basses just to see what it was like and almost bought it it was so lively and comfy. I think the Ibanez Gio's are in the same ballpark pricewise and again some of those can be good basses.
Honestly though I'd just save longer and grab an Ibanez SR405 or Jackson JS3QV. Name a feature and these basses have it. Not to mention they look incredible, play great, and it's far less likely you'll get a bad one then with a Gio/Affinity/IYV.
My Jackson JS3QV is my #2.
I wouldn’t exactly say what it was, but I never could get a usable voice out of one. Not saying there isn’t one in there for me, or anybody else for that matter, but I never found it. It just may be they are incongruent with the type of music I play. I just dunno. A lot of players love them however.
The Jackson is the only one on your list I've played and I thought it was very nice. Well built and sounded great. I'm considering one myself.
It is!
I found myself wanting a piccolo bass for various reasons and after a bunch of research, I decided that instead of getting a cheep bass to piccolo it makes more sense for me to upgrade my bass (which i've been wanting to do anyway) and then piccolo the one I already have which has a good layout for it. I had never wanted a 5 before. personally, I like the simplicity of four strings which is why I like the idea of a piccolo bass instead of a guitar. But when I started looking up 5 string basses, I don't know. something clicked and it just seemed like the right direction to go.
I know you didn't ask but that's my story anyway!
