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5 String Suggestions

#22
scottfeldstein said:
Give a look to the 5er I use: Ibanez Soundgear SR505. It's got a sexy body shape, a fast, thin neck, an active EQ...and it weighs almost nothing. I have a bad back myself and I must have a lightweight instrument to make it through more than one set. Plus it fits your budget.
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I think I'm going to check these out. I haven't played an Ibanez since I had an old Ergodyne about 12-13 years ago. I remember liking that one just fine, and the posted weights I am seeing make me real excited.
 
#23
a lot of the mentioned 5ivers are 34 and 35" scale length ... ? if that matters at all ...

my used Warmoth was in that price range ( parts new are 2x that much )

all the mods done since have shot that price up a bit ... !! but that's the fun part ...
 
#25
I scored a used Peavey Millennium USA made 5er (I think it's around a 2005 model) a few months back and MY GOD that bass is amazing. Super light and sounded identical to my G&L L2500, but played way nicer. Needless to say, the G&L is now gone. Dozens of tonal options available on this beast. I never thought I'd actively search out a Peavey, but I'm sure glad I came across this thing.
 
#28
Poke said:
Thanks for the feedback everyone. Lots of great ideas being suggested. I think I need to visit some brick and mortar stores now and actually play some basses. I was hoping to get opinions on basses that I don't normally gravitate to (I'm a Fender/Musicman guy), and I did so thank you.
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You hit the nail on the head there, my friend. We can give out a million suggestions, but ultimately, it's up to you to decide what works best for you.
 
#29
Poke said:
Those look pretty cool, but I had a bit of a chuckle imagining myself playing one of those. I don't know if I'm metal enough to pull that off, haha! I'm an accountant with thinning hair and I have to wear a button up shirt and dress pants most days. Maybe it would work, who knows?
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The schecter stilleto can be used for other genre of music besides metal much like the Ibanez soundgear basses.
 
#31
A little update...I had a few spare minutes to stop by my local mom and pop store after I saw that they carried a few of the brands I'm interested in. They happened to have a Yamaha Trbx505 in trans white. I loved it. That thing was beautiful and felt lightweight although I didn't get to strap it on. Very well put together. It may have been the most flawless bass in the store (they mostly carry Fender/Squier, Gibson, and a few others). I didn't get to plug in but played a little unplugged. I struggled a little bit with the string spacing. It was a little cramped. I have been known to miss a note or two (or three, or four...), but this was more than normal. Just for comparison, I picked up an Amer. Standard P5 that was nearby, and I immediately felt at home. It was a lot closer to what I am used to playing. I wonder if the tighter spacing is something that I could get used to because I loved everything else about that bass.

The P5 was great, but way more money than I am looking to spend and a little too close to what I already own. I also picked up a Gibson EB 5 they had in stock just out of curiosity because I had never seen one in person. It was noticeably more resonant than all the others and the B string felt nice and tight, but I've got to say it didn't look very well put together. The pickups for some reason looked and felt cheap, and the neck pickup was completely uneven. I am not sure how to explain it correctly, but the half closest to the bridge was significantly lower than the half closest to the neck. It's like it wasn't properly supported underneath. I tried jiggling it and lightly pushing down on it to see if it would unstick or something but it seemed permanently stuck. I am sure it is an easy fix, but it was strange to see in comparison to the well put together yamaha at half the price. The Babicz bridge was really cool.

I picked a few Squiers, but almost immediately put them all right back down because they were noticeably heavy.

The winner by far was the Yamaha. I can't believe how great it was for the price.
 
#32
Poke said:
Any suggestions? Should I just get the Squier and hit the gym so I can wield a beastlier axe?
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I tried out the Ibanez BTB675 a couple of months ago and I kind of liked the feel of the string spacing and feel of the low B in a 35" scale neck. I don't know about weight though. It was resting on my thigh while trying it out.
I did try a Yamaha trbx305. It didn't seem light to me.
 
#35
scottfeldstein said:
The string spacing on the sound gear Ibanez basses is very tight but I find that I don't mind it. I think it helps me play a little faster once you get used to it
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Made it over to GC yesterday and got to try out the SR505. I thought it was amazing. I almost pulled the trigger on the purchase right there, but then I figured I better not if I wanted my wife to still speak to me. I compared it to the SR405 and the yamaha trbx505. The SR505 won by a mile in tone and playability. The B string sounded great and the bass was super light. I had a lot of fun playing it and the string spacing didn't really bother me. In fact, I would say that my playing actually improved quite a bit. I even had a random guitar player walk up to me and comment on how great it sounded. I think this is the one for me. Just got to figure out how to make the finances work.
 
#36
Excellent, I hope it works out for you. I think I mentioned before, but in case I didn't... I was hunting around for a bass, playing everything hanging on the walls in every store. In my mind I was going to get a Fender Jazz. But then I realized that every time I walked into the local GC I ended up playing the same Ibanez SR505. I decided to buy it. But here's what I did.

I told the sales guy I liked the bass and that I wanted him to order me a new one, not the floor demo. He said he might have one "in the back room." When he emerged, it was not with a new 505--it was with a $100 discount on the one already in my hands. I took it.
 

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