(Another) Recommend Me a Five String Thread

MIM Fender Jazz 5. I play everything ever on it.

 

Used Carvin LB75

 

Since you like the Ibby's neck, check out an SR505 for sure. I have the SR506 six string and really like it.

Play a bunch of options though. Happy hunting!

 

Brubaker Brute 100% meets the needs you listed. Sounds like the PERFECT bass for you.

The biggest difference in the Brute and the other basses listed so far is that is has normal 19mm string spacing as opposed to narrow spacing for the others. I can't stand narrow spacing, some people can't stand normal spacing (it's the same spacing as a 4 string has) so check out a few for sure.

Also look into the Sterling Ray35 and G&L L2500 if you like the narrow spacing.

 

Consider a used G&L L-2500 tribute. Great and some aggressive sounds can be had from them.

Now if you want to do some mods the bass everyone that owns an expensive bass is afraid of... the Squier Affinity 5 string. It's a crazy good platform to mod on and dirt cheap. New $200 used $100 or less.

Buy some CTS pots and some used pickups in the classified and if you don't look at the logo you'll swear your playing an expensive bass.

 

Check out the Schecter Studio Stilletto 5 @ GC... If you like it then check out the one in my sig..

(Shameless shameless plug...)

 

Great quality, American made, neck through, ebony fretboard for a third of the price of what it was new. It's an active bass with 5 strings that's made really well, plays and sounds great. Used carvin in general is the best bang for your buck, in my humble opinion.

 

It is hard to go wrong with a H S stingray 5 string bass.

The bongo 5 is an excellent player if you can get past the looks.

Ibanez makes 5ers from cheap to expensive and everything in between.

I don't like the preamps on Schecters, but the necks are nice.

Fenders are nice but they make better 4 bangers then 5 sting basses.

Warwicks are good but the necks are kind of thick.

Carvin basses are usually nice players and I like their preamps.

Spectors are liked a lot on this site.

As for me I like to build 5 stringed frankensteined parts basses. Some turn out great and some not so great.

Walk into a few local music stores and play some 5 string basses and see what you think.

 

I have a MIM fender jazz V which cost about £700 in our Uk monies. It works great in metal, put it through a ampeg svt7 with a darkglass B3K and it sounds awesome. One negative is that unless you slap the pickup selector will stay central most of the time. The active electronics sound great though, means I can tweak things onstage without looking unprepared.

However I wish I had bought a musicman 5 string instead. Similar price and my playing style seems to get on really well with them (used one from a friend doing some recording).

However the Jazz does me fine, not worth getting the musicman yet for a bit of feel difference and just a bit more punch.

 

Search the forum and read about them and play one if you can, the playability is great and if you change the electronics and are a savvy shopper you can have $200-$250 into a great playing and sounding bass that you aren't afraid to jump around and (accidentally of course) hit things with.

If you don't want to mess around with mods, the L2500 is a beast for the $$ and you can get a lot of great tones out of them if you take some time learning what they can do.

 

The Ibanez SR505 is a great bass. If you can swing it look at the SR1205, it is an amazing bass. The Nordstrand pickups really make the bass.

I also like the G&L basses. They are an excellent value, however try one first. The necks are chunkier than the Ibby necks so it is best to see if they suite you first. But they're fantastic players.

Good luck with your quest.

 

That's a great price for an SR505. As for the G&L L2500 I tried, it was a bit more heftier than a Jazz but not uncomfortably so.