Advice for first 5-string...

[Bklyn_Bass]

About 18 months ago started learning and playing bass after a guitar player friend of mine along with 2 other friends of his (a guitarist and drummer) had a recently formed band and had trouble finding a bass player who could commit. I'm 24 now and have been playing guitar since i was 11 but had never picked up a bass. I learned on a 4-string Squier that i borrowed from a neighbor and a few months later acquired a 4-string Jackson. We play almost exclusively in Drop C (CGCFAD) tuning, and although I knew that a 5-string would be the best option for playing in C i was advised by several people that learning on a 4-string would be a better idea. From the beginning i have disliked the sound of a 4-string in that tuning but had to make due. Despite getting a setup on the Jackson to accommodate the tuning, the low strings in particular sound very floppy and muddy to me. We are in the process of booking shows for the fall and I am looking to get my first 5 string. From my experience as a guitar player and from going into different music stores and checking out 5-strings I definitely want to go with active pickups. I can't afford to spend thousands of dollars but at the same time want a good quality stage worthy instrument that will sound awesome tuned down and played hard and fast. If anyone can shoot me some suggestions I appreciate it.

 

[Sav'nBass]

With a 5 you wont need to concern yourself with drop tuning. A few questions.

• What is your budget?
• How big are your hands?
• What is your body size? Are you tall and long or short and stubby or somewhere in between?
  
• Will you be playing fingerstyle? Slap or a combination?

 

[Bklyn_Bass]

With a 5 you wont need to concern yourself with drop tuning. A few questions.

• What is your budget?
• How big are your hands?
• What is your body size? Are you tall and long or short and stubby or somewhere in between?
  
• Will you be playing fingerstyle? Slap or a combination?

I'd like to try and stay between 500-700 bucks if possible...i'm around 5'7-5'8 im built definitely not skinny but not overweight or anything like that avg sized hands i guess....As far as style i try to be as versatile as possible on our faster tempo songs i use a pick simply because after only a year and a half my fingers aren't trained enough to play faster tempos to my liking but i do use finger/slap style on the majority of our material so the more versatile the instrument the better.

 

[bluefizz]

MTD Kingston Saratoga, love mine!

 

[morgansterne]

I've played mostly four string basses but I did play many gigs on my peavey grind 5. for playability and evenness up and down the fretboard, I give it a ten. the tone was pretty boring but it was so nice to play that I didn't mind. I'm 5 foot 6 and the 35" scale never bothered me. the guitar center near me had one used for $279.

 

[Bklyn_Bass]

A friend of mine that works at a Sam Ash near me suggested an Ibanez s505. He told me that people have been calling and coming in non-stop asking about them and the former bass player in his band has been using it live for a little while now and swears by it. As with everything else in life u ask 10 different people u get 10 different answers but i always like to hear different opinions and have different options.

 

[jd-ns]

You currently play a Jackson - do you like it? If so, get a 5 string. It fits your price range and the style of music you play I suspect! I have been quite impressed by the CBXV (Ellefson Signature).

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

If you choose to go 35" scale on a 5 string, this *might* hose up your playing on a 34" four string (like it did me). It really is no big thing for fretted bass, but for fretless... hoo boy, it can make a difference. That's why I went back to all 34" scale basses.

 

[richbassboy]

A Mexican fender will do you right.

 

[Bklyn_Bass]

You currently play a Jackson - do you like it? If so, get a 5 string. It fits your price range and the style of music you play I suspect! I have been quite impressed by the CBXV (Ellefson Signature).[/QU
There's nothing wrong with the Jackson I have but the circumstances around me obtaining it kind of left me with no choice but to get it so because of that i want to finally be able to actually get one i know i want as opposed to its either this or nothing ya know?

 

[raventepes]

The ibanez sr505 or the esp ltd 205 should do ok. Could also look at a number of Schecter's

 

[bluefizz]

Really all 5 strings are different. The tuning doesn't matter, not sure if you are planning to tune up from B or down (Which is a little crazy)
Fenders are not bad, I think there in the 700 range. Wider string spacing and thicker neck.
Ibanez is good too, but narrow string spacing, thin neck. Both sound different, but it also come down to the player.

Best bet, take your time and window shop, test them out, and see what feels right.

 

[iiipopes]

The Ibanez sr505...should do ok.

Indeed.

 

[AciDBatH666]

If the strings were too floppy on the 4 strings, bump up the gauges. I play in C#, and I use .124 sets for it. So my 4 strings get tuned DOWN to C#, and the 5 strings get tuned UP to C#. Adjusting the gauge makes the difference in the tension.

As for 5 string advice, all I'd say is play some 5 string basses with 16.5mm string spacing, and then play some with 19mm string spacing. I've gone through a few 16.5s and never found them to suit my style.

 

[SwitchGear]

Lakland 55-01/02.

Best necks in the business by far for the price. Active pups.

Keep an eye out here on the classifieds for a light weight, used 55-01. $600 or so and you are in.

 

[MontzterMash]

I recently bought a five string after a few years of only playing fours, and I found that test driving was much more important, and subjective, to me for five strings than four.

For example, with the wider neck of a five string, even small differences in shape or width impacted how comfortable they are to me and how fluidly I can play them.

Then there's a wider variety of string spacings, nut widths, and scale lengths to choose from.

And then, of course, there's the whole "good B string" issue.

I had to play A LOT of five strings to really be sure what felt best to me.

So, my advice: have fun trying out basses!

 

[Andyman001]

For my first "5", I wanted a narrow string spacing because most of them felt "huge". I ended up with an SR405. It plays really nice, PIckups are a little noisy, but overall sound pretty good.
Now i don't even have a "4" (thats assembled)

 

[Turock]

I second the used Lakland Skyline 55-01.

 

[Sav'nBass]

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I'd like to try and stay between 500-700 bucks if possible...i'm around 5'7-5'8 im built definitely not skinny but not overweight or anything like that avg sized hands i guess....As far as style i try to be as versatile as possible on our faster tempo songs i use a pick simply because after only a year and a half my fingers aren't trained enough to play faster tempos to my liking but i do use finger/slap style on the majority of our material so the more versatile the instrument the better.

This one right here if it is available still.

The 505s are ok.. but a used 55-01 is a big step up and a very reliable well built bass.. I had a 505.. it was my first 5.. and I outgrew it after a while.. There is a nice Jazz in my sig...

 

[chadhargis]

Add me to the folks recommending a Lakland. I have a 55-02 and a DJ5 Skyline. Both are fantastic basses. I'd say the quality is on par with a US Fender (which is my other bass...a Fender P5).

As for 34" or 35" scale, both my Laklands are 35" scale and my Fender is a 34". I honestly can't tell a difference and I swap back and forth quite a bit.