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5-string recommendation

Minimalist

Minimalist

Nov 8, 2001
1,424
3,817
59
Stone Mountain, GA
#1
I'm looking for a used 5 string. The music I play is blues, RnB, some classic Rock, Country etc. I'd like to get something that can cover all of the above. Max price is about $1200. I am very partial to a P-Bass body or similar. For whatever reason I never got comfortable with a J bass.

Basses I have looked at so far:

Yamaha BB425x
Lakland Skyline 55-02
G&L Tribute L2500

I looked at a Sire V7 just to check out the electronics but hated the knobs layout. I'd love to get my hands on a P5. The L2500 was alright but I felt there were too many switches.

I do own a Ray35 which can cover 75% of what I do but is lacking where a pbass would fit best. Can the Lakland cover those sounds alright? What else should I be looking at?
 
#2
BB735a. It’s the 5 string I should have because my #1 is a BBP 34. The only reason I don’t have one is because I was looking for a multi scale at the time and fell in love with a normal scale ibanez that had the pickups I was interested in. Also the used Dingwall I was looking at had messed up electronics.

but based on your P bass preference the Yamaha is a good bet.
 
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#3
The BB735a would probably be very close and not terribly expensive. I'm not sure what the weight is on that bass, but I would assume it is 9 pounds or heavier. A similar bass but a bit avant garde looking is the Reverend Mercali 5. Right in your price range. Be aware that the Lakland, while reputedly a very good bass has a 35" scale length and a 46mm nut. Not overly large, but different than the BB735 which has a 43mm nut and a 34" scale. The Mercali has a 47mm nut and 34" scale length. But again is non-traditional looking, but a good value with very good price point and good quality. You can probably buy the Mercali for just over $1000.

And then there is the G&L. It's not at all a P bass configuration. It looks like a nice bass for $850.
Based on what you've said and listed I think the BB735a is the one to take a hard look at. JMO
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#6
I have played a Lakland before and liked it. The nut width and scale don't bother me. not sure though how well it can mimick a pbass like tone? Anybody?

The BB735A might be too narrow at the nut. I have a 4 string p bass with 44mm nut width and that's my favorite bass. That neck is a real baseball bat. I'd like to get my hands on a BB735a to get a feel for the neck. On paper it does look pretty much like what I want.

I do like the idea of the G&L but every time I pick one up I just don't feel it. Not sure what and what it is.
 
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#8
Minimalist said:
The BB735A might be too narrow at the nut. I have a 4 string p bass with 44mm nut width and that's my favorite bass. That neck is a real baseball bat. I'd like to get my hands on a BB735a to get a feel for the neck. On paper it does look pretty much like what I want.
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I replaced a Squier Vintage Modified Precision Bass V with a Yamaha BB735A and it was definitely the right call in my situation. The Squier neck was noticeably wider, and I understand quite similar but not identical to that of a Fender P5. The current Yamaha BB Series 5-strings have huge fretboard radii i.e. they’re nearly flat, which I notice more with my eyes than my fingers, but I can tell with my hands that it’s flat enough to be slightly shallower front-to-back than my BB734A. You’ll get far more versatility and better build quality from a Yamaha BB735A, but if neck profile is a top priority for you, you might see if you can track down a Squier VMPV. They were quite well built for the price.
 
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#9
I’ve had two schecter 5s and both were excellent for the price. Build quality is solid.
The sting spacing and nut width are tighter than what you would find on your typical Fender. I find them pretty comfortable. You can usually find one to check out in a music store.
 
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#10
Minimalist said:
I'm looking for a used 5 string. The music I play is blues, RnB, some classic Rock, Country etc. I'd like to get something that can cover all of the above. Max price is about $1200. I am very partial to a P-Bass body or similar. For whatever reason I never got comfortable with a J bass.

Basses I have looked at so far:

Yamaha BB425x
Lakland Skyline 55-02
G&L Tribute L2500

I looked at a Sire V7 just to check out the electronics but hated the knobs layout. I'd love to get my hands on a P5. The L2500 was alright but I felt there were too many switches.

I do own a Ray35 which can cover 75% of what I do but is lacking where a pbass would fit best. Can the Lakland cover those sounds alright? What else should I be looking at?
Click to expand...
For the music you're looking to play, I'd go with the Yamaha. A PJ will give you so many options.
 
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#14
The best 5 string I’ve played is an Ibanez SR2605. Not offset body so comfort shouldn’t be an issue, and it’s very light. 2 pickups and an active/passive 3 band preamp means endless final
possibilities. You may be able to find a used one in your budget. If not all the Ibanez premium line basses are top notch.
 
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#15
Minimalist said:
I have played a Lakland before and liked it. The nut width and scale don't bother me. not sure though how well it can mimick a pbass like tone? Anybody?

The BB735A might be too narrow at the nut. I have a 4 string p bass with 44mm nut width and that's my favorite bass. That neck is a real baseball bat. I'd like to get my hands on a BB735a to get a feel for the neck. On paper it does look pretty much like what I want.

I do like the idea of the G&L but every time I pick one up I just don't feel it. Not sure what and what it is.
Click to expand...
No objection to the Yamaha. Any time I try one of their instruments, they seem to be surprisingly good.

In terms of G&L options, I've seen a rather nice U.S. built M-2000 at the Guitar Center in Warwick, RI priced at $1,100. I had to try that bass after picking up an impressive Tribute M-2000 4-string at a great price just a few months ago. It turned out that I'm too set in my ways with 4's to give that 5'er a home... but I did track down a U.S. M-2000 4-string in GC's used inventory and it's giving me a better fit (a bit lighter and a mildly more chunky neck) than the 4-string Tribute.

The M-2000 is giving me different useful tones including a nice, throaty sound in the neighborhood of a P when I solo the neck pickup. Turning up the mids at the on-board preamp can let out some extra punky rawness, but it can also get more warm and smooth with both the highs and mids trimmed down.

I also had a Korean Lakland 44-02 with the Bartolinis not too long ago and the particular bass I had didn't give me nearly the authority with my tone that I get with this G&L. Who knows - maybe that 44-02 was one dud out of a batch of several dozen good ones. But I tried swapping in an Aguilar OBP-3 preamp into that bass and could only coax a little extra tone from it that way. I had to nearly dime the mids to have some presence in the mix with my band, even with rather fresh strings. The pre was a keeper, but I moved on from the bass.

Since I still have that preamp, I'll probably drop it into my M-2000 soon just to see if it brings anything extra to an already solid recipe.
 
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#20
tb-player said:
For the music you're looking to play, I'd go with the Yamaha. A PJ will give you so many options.
Click to expand...

I am leaning towards a P/J or P/MM.

krfoss said:
You can get a p bass tone out of a 5502.
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Thank you. Very helpful.

Bassnkeys said:
How about a used Fender American Standard Precision V? Reverb has one for your price. I have owned 3 of these; still have two. Lightweight, comfortable neck. Workhorse.
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I looked at those as well. Just forgot to list them above. A good Precision is hard to beat for the music I play.

osonu said:
Why buy a G&L Tribute? I happen to know you can get a U.S. L2500 in the classifieds right now for less than your budget. (Yes, I'm the one selling it) - And it's gorgeous!
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:thumbsup: Looked at it. Great price and gorgeous bass, but just not me.

Nighttrain1127 said:
If you want a 5 string with a great sounding B Sire P5 si the ticket. A little on the heavy side but worth every ounce and you can get brand new in your price range. Fender Squire G&L are all good and Yamaha IMHO is a bit better but they don.t tough the Sire P5
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A P5 is very high on my list.

TheSeagoats said:
An LTD AP-5 is perfect, I can't recommend it enough.
Click to expand...

I need to track one down. Atlanta doesn't really have a store with a great selection.
 
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