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5 String Purchase Dilemma-What would you do?

#41
IMHO string spacing is the most important variable to consider when purchasing a 5 or 6 string - even more so than scale length. My Warwick is 16.5mm. Perfect for me but tight by most comparisons. I’m comfortable up to 17.5, but after that I’m out!

Long way of saying - go try more 5 strings with different spacing. It’s the only way to know what is going to work for you.
 
#42
I think that Sadowsky 4 is probably 20mm. Maybe a Sadowsky 5 at 19mm is in your future.
My MK Deluxe Alembic 5 is 15mm at bridge, I play with a pick. My Sadowsky 5 is 19mm I play finger style.
Flipping is not an issue maybe because of different right hand technique. I can fly on the Alembic.
When I bought my Alembic 25 years ago, I never heard of string spacing. Was very surprised when I recently measured.
 
#43
Clark Westfield said:
So I have been on the five string fence for awhile and finally pulled the trigger on a Yamaha 435 in tobacco burst from Sweetwater.

The bass is a built really well, sounds great and looks fantastic.

Now being a 4 string player for over 10 years I’m not having trouble with the extra string, it’s the tighter string spacing that’s causing some issues.

Now my 4 strings include a Sadowsky NYC, Fender Jazz American Special and a Shecter Signature.

When playing the new 5ver, my hand has been cramping and I fumble with my fret hand overlapping strings and missing notes. Not so on my 4 strings.

Now I never really concentrated on playing five strings in stores, as they usually never have a decent assortment, but playing this 435 for about 10 days, I now notice these issues.

I bought the Yammi on a whim based on great reviews from here and magazines.

Sweetwater will accept returns up to 30days.

Do all 5 string bass guitars have this tight spacing?

Does anybody make a 5 string with the exact spacing as say a Fender Jazz or Precision?

Or is this just how it is with the 5 string bass?

View attachment 4267342
Click to expand...

As others have mentioned there are plenty of string spacing options to explore. String gauge, action, and neck width are also worth considering as well. However, this is your first five string, so you should be a little sloppy.

In my opinion, it sounds like you are playing too fast on an instrument your not acclimated to.

I would recommend really slowing it down. You need to get back to basics before jumping ship on the bass. Play chromatic whole/half notes on the B string at a smooth tempo.

Practice all your scales (circle of 5ths) starting with the roots on the B string as quarter notes around 75 BPM.

If you need something less robotic, just jam along to a slow drum groove but focus on playing roots on the B string, then try bouncing between the root and its octave on the A string.

If all that goes well, it’s time to start working on songs. Literally any song you played on a 4 can be shifted so that your playing most of it with the roots on your B string. Just take any easy song you know and try that out. Think: World A Reggae, One Drop, She Shook Me, Blitzkrieg bop, Valerie, etc. (repetitive and minimal shifting).

avoid the 4 string if at all possible. If your wrist is cramping or in pain, give it a break. Start with short practice intervals and work your way up. If your still playing when cramping you’ll irritate it more and your form/technique will go out the window.

With patience and strict/careful practice on technique you should be totally good to go before you know it.

I had all these issues when I started learning extended range and even more so with Upright, it’s been years now but I can play for hours without my hand cramping. I honestly struggle with a 4 string, they feel like toys now.
 
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#44
A9X said:
So it has nothing to do with spacing at the bridge and is a neck width/profile issue. I see...
Click to expand...

Neck profile has been a much bigger factor for me as well. My right hand maxes out for comfort at 18mm on a 5 string and 19mm on a 4. The nut width varies so much on what I own that I’m not totally sure I have a preference so long as it feels good. The actual shape of the neck and front to back thickness I tend to notice a lot more. I have sold several that I started fighting with and replaced them with equivalent basses that have a vastly different neck shape.

So to the OP, while the advise about playing it a LOT for an extended period of time is excellent (and you should), there comes a point when you know whether the harmonic balance of neck shape, nut width, and string spacing will work out for you. Don’t be disappointed if this bass doesn’t fit because there are PLENTY of others to try.
 
#48
When I was auditioning 5 strings, I found that string spacing was one of my biggest spec concerns. Yes 1mm can feel like a big difference.

Since you just grabbed the Yami on a whim, I'd return it and go fool around on some store hangers until you find the brand(s) that fit you best. I found that of the available options to try, 4 or 5 brands fit me well and 2 or 3 didn't fit me at all.
 
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#49
I also recently got my first 5 and am still getting used to it. Having that 5th string there definitely still feels weird. For me it's not so much that my mental map is off, but that my muting is screwed up. In particular, I find myself playing the E string only to find that it's muted because my thumb is on it. Err, wait, no, those are now ghost notes! Kidding aside, I'm sure it's just a practice issue and it'll get better the more I use it.

But changes in geometry also matter. String spacing, nut width, neck thickness, etc can all make a real difference in comfort. Personally I don't like P basses because of the thick neck—baseball bats are for the field, not for guitars, at least for me. Before I bought a 5 I tried several and concluded that I don't like the really narrow string spacing you find on some of them, so when I bought one it had to be at least 18mm.

So it seems totally legit that the OP could be messed up by the narrow spacing at the nut. I'd definitely try to go out and play some 5s with wider nuts to see if that helps, and if it does, send back the current bass.
 
#50
Clark Westfield said:
So I have been on the five string fence for awhile and finally pulled the trigger on a Yamaha 435 in tobacco burst from Sweetwater.

The bass is a built really well, sounds great and looks fantastic.

Now being a 4 string player for over 10 years I’m not having trouble with the extra string, it’s the tighter string spacing that’s causing some issues.

Now my 4 strings include a Sadowsky NYC, Fender Jazz American Special and a Shecter Signature.

When playing the new 5ver, my hand has been cramping and I fumble with my fret hand overlapping strings and missing notes. Not so on my 4 strings.

Now I never really concentrated on playing five strings in stores, as they usually never have a decent assortment, but playing this 435 for about 10 days, I now notice these issues.

I bought the Yammi on a whim based on great reviews from here and magazines.

Sweetwater will accept returns up to 30days.

Do all 5 string bass guitars have this tight spacing?

Does anybody make a 5 string with the exact spacing as say a Fender Jazz or Precision?

Or is this just how it is with the 5 string bass?

View attachment 4267342
Click to expand...

Since you ask what would I do, first I would take as much of the 30 days as possible to make sure that there is no way to acclimate your self to it. You said you bought it on a whim. You want to make sure you aren’t sending it back on a whim.

Getting used to string spacing can take a a bit. my Warwick 5er is tighter than my PB. When I first got my Warwick, it took about 2 weeks of playing it 2-3 hours a day.

One thing that helped. Don’t play the same songs on both both the 4 and a 5 string until you acclimate to the difference. Give your muscle memory to work for you.

Keep in mind, as far as I know, I doubt your are going to find a 5er with exactly the same spacing as your 4 string. And even if you do, you still have to find that pesky 5th string which will still require and adjustment.

From what I understand that Yamaha is a really nice instruments. I would play the pants off of it before giving up on it.
 
#51
I have a 5 with a 2 inch nut, which gives it approx. J bass string spacing. I totally prefer my BB235 neck, though. I think it's the extra string throwing you. Give yourself some time working with it, learn a safer technique, and I think it'll work out.
 
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#52
I have a few 5-strings, some 18mm and some 19mm. I prefer 19mm but can adjust to 18mm. Anything tighter is pretty unplayable for me. Equally important is nut width - 1 3/4" is uncomfortable, 1 7/8" is ideal. You wouldn't think such small increments make a difference, but they do. Another factor is the neck profile, which affects playability either positively or negatively depending on your preference.
 
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#53
I was a 4 string only passive only vintage bass guy for 30 years ...

Then I got into a band where I needed notes lower than the low E about 2000 ... I tried drop d and I did not like it. I tried 3 different basses with 3 different tunings, A rickenbacker tuned EADG, and pbass tuned to E flat and a Jazz bass tuned to D standard. Then I needed a low D flat so I bit the bullet and got a Rickenbacker 4003s5.

jeff25b.jpg


well that bass was 2 1/8" at the bridge, almost impossible to play finger style. I modified it to be better. Most of my 5 string basses now are 2 1/2" or 2 5/8" at the bridge, and 1 5/8" at the nut. That is a medium spacing, a wide spacing is 3" a narrow spacing is 2 1/4".

I had a problem at first of grabbing the wrong string on the 5, so I only played 5 string basses until the 5 felt natural and the 4 felt different. Now I can go back and forth, although I no longer own a 4 I do own an 8 string tuned EADG and I do own 6 string guitars with a low E.

As per hand cramps that can often be due to improper technique.
 
#54
This bass here is my frankensteined Rickenfaker. It is 2 5/8" at the bridge and 1 1/2" at the nut. It is slim and fast playing. I like having the exta low string and the one extra fret on the high string.

RF0002.jpg
 
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#55
ad9000 said:
I have a few 5-strings, some 18mm and some 19mm. I prefer 19mm but can adjust to 18mm. Anything tighter is pretty unplayable for me. Equally important is nut width - 1 3/4" is uncomfortable, 1 7/8" is ideal. You wouldn't think such small increments make a difference, but they do. Another factor is the neck profile, which affects playability either positively or negatively depending on your preference.
Click to expand...

5-string BBs are 43mm/1.69" at the nut. For comparison, Ibanez SRs, known for their thin necks, are 45mm. The BB necks are slightly chunkier front to back (1.5mm on average), though.

Personally, I love this type of neck, but if you can't adjust in two weeks, it's probably not for you.
 
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#56
Windreaper said:
5-string BBs are 43mm/1.69" at the nut. For comparison, Ibanez SRs, known for their thin necks, are 45mm. The BB necks are slightly chunkier front to back (1.5mm on average), though.

Personally, I love this type of neck, but if you can't adjust in two weeks, it's probably not for you.
Click to expand...
If it’s your first time with a B-string, I’d give it more than 2 weeks. There’s a lot to learn just having the extra string and having your E-string 1 row down. Proficiency on the 5 along with the ability to switch back and forth 5 to 4 took me a year of steady practice. After that, I knew what I wanted in a 5-string neck.
 
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#57
So I ran down the list of my basses nut widths:

My Schecter 4 string is 1.65 inches or 42mm
My Sadowsky is 1.5 inches or 38.1mm. My Fender is very close.
The BB is 1.69 inches or 43 mm
Now a Sadowsky 5 string has a nut width of 1.875 inches or 47.625 mm.

When I played that bass in his showroom, it felt more natural than the BB, but the cost was $4k more. Couldn’t swing 2 Satins at one time.

Now looking at the numbers of my other axes, the BB is quite tight

Now I was at work today and was having this conversation with a colleague, he has an American Jazz Fender 5ver. I’m going over his house tonight to see how it feels.

I’ll keep you posted.
 
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#59
TomB said:
Since you mentioned the nut spacing and no one chimed in, I’d suggest you measure the nut width on your Yamaha. It’s likely to be 1-3/4”. If you want wider, you’ll want to focus on basses with a 1-7/8” nut width. That’s typical for instruments with 19mm bridge spacing, though there are no hard and fast rules.
Click to expand...
This...you want a bass that has a wider nut width so it doesn't taper which the op was alluding to later. It's tight near the top for him.

This is definitely wider and might be a good option. 19mm string spacing. 1.850" at nut.

BTB745 | BTB | ELECTRIC BASSES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
NECK DIMENSIONS
    • Scale :
    • 889mm
    • a : Width
    • 47mm at NUT (1.850 inches)
    • b : Width
    • 76mm at 24 (+ zero fret)F
    • c : Thickness
    • 20mm at 1F
    • d : Thickness
    • 22mm at 12F
    • Radius :
    • 400mmR
 
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#60
Maxdusty said:
This...you want a bass that has a wider nut width so it doesn't taper which the op was alluding to later. It's tight near the top for him.

This is definitely wider and might be a good option. 19mm string spacing. 1.850" at nut.

BTB745 | BTB | ELECTRIC BASSES | PRODUCTS | Ibanez guitars
NECK DIMENSIONS
    • Scale :
    • 889mm
    • a : Width
    • 47mm at NUT (1.850 inches)
    • b : Width
    • 76mm at 24 (+ zero fret)F
    • c : Thickness
    • 20mm at 1F
    • d : Thickness
    • 22mm at 12F
    • Radius :
    • 400mmR
Click to expand...
I love the BTB line.
 

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