Dincrest and the Quest for bass!

[Dincrest]

Given what some of the folks in my "band" band (as opposed to my "teacher band" who only play the annual school talent show) want to do musically, I may have to invest in a 5-string bass again (plus I want to be able to transpose more easily, be able to play the D and C# stuff, etc). But since I want a good one and money's a little tight... I may have to sell/trade up Mira (my Reverend Decision P) for one.

I've been to a couple of local(ish) guitar shops and tried a few 5ers. Nothing that made me want to commit, but I have a better idea what I like.

-This preowned H. Jimenez Camaleon gold-top bass looked totally Gucci, sounded killer, and played well... but it was heavy to shoulder, the neck was chunky, and the way it balanced on me made the neck jut too far out so the first position/lowest/"money" notes were an uncomfortably far reach.

-This preowned (but minty) Ibanez Affirma (2019 reissue) looked futuristic (like alien technology), was light weight, balanced on me decently, neck was decently comfortable (if a little wide), and had solid playability. Sadly, the electronics were twiddly and complicated; I could not get a sound I liked out of that bass. No matter what I did, the tone was cold and brittle (yet snarly). I appreciate clarity, sure, but my ideal bass tone needs warmth and thickness to really support the music. Incredibly cool bass, though.

-I tried this preowned Carvin Icon at the insistence of the shopkeeper (it was a high end 5er way out of my budget, but the shopkeeper wanted me to try it anyway since he doesn't get many 5-string players in). It felt like a luxe, high end instrument. Smooth playablity, neck was super comfortable, balance was good, tone was decent... but it was kinda heavy to shoulder and when I adjusted the strap to get the body where I like it, the back of the upper horn pressed uncomfortably into my sternum and I thought, "Yeah, no. That would annoy me like nothing else during a gig." That's a big reason why I gave up this Aerodyne I used to own. The upper horn pressed into my sternum when the bass was strapped at my ideal height.

These were all great basses, but not for me.

I have a couple more guitar shops I plan to visit in the near future, and I WILL find my 5er! 'Tis my real-life RPG (role playing game) type quest!

 

[Mighty Thumb]

If you like your Reverend Decision, look for a Reverend Mercalli 5.

 

[TomB]

Do you know what scale length you’re looking for?

 

[Dincrest]

34" scale length @TomB . I've tried 35" scale basses (the Jimenez and a Spector ReBop 5 I used to own) and they were no-gos.

I've also found out that my hands really like 18mm string spacing. 16.5mm is too cramped, 19mm gets too much on a 5 (I once had a Carvin SB5000 with 19mm string spacing).

If I could combine the Jimenez's 18mm string spacing, the Affirma's weight/balance, and the Carvin's neck... I would have the ideal Franken-Fiver.

But then again... it's all about bass design. I could play something that doesn't meet everything on some hypothetical checklist but just feels totally right. I might encounter a 35" scale bass where first position feels like a close reach. I might encounter a bass with 19mm spacing that my hands can comfortably grapple with. So, I'm keeping an open mind.

@Mighty Thumb Yeah, I would love to try a Mercalli or Triad 5.

 

[TomB]

There are lots of good B-strings in 34” these days, and some remarkably good ones in even shorter scales - why I asked. 18 mm seems more and more common. I felt I wanted to scale down from 19 when I began to explore shorter scales. 30-32” is home for me now.

 

[Dincrest]

I know. In the past I've experienced 35" scale 5ers with floppy B's and 34" scale 5ers with killer B's. Best B string I experienced was on a 34" scale Guitar Factory 6-string I used to own. I bought it preowned for a steal (I got a Cadillac at a Hot Wheels price) and it would have been a forever bass were it not over 12.5 pounds. Even though it balanced amazingly and the neck was the best 6-string neck I played (those can be too big for me), I couldn't shoulder that beast for more than 40 minutes. Thus, I sold it.

EDIT: Luckily all the basses I mentioned in the first post had good B's. The Affirma (34" scale) easily had the best B of the 3. Clear, punchy, even with the other strings, the ideal B. The Carvin's B (34" scale) was good, but I expected better from a high end bass. The Jimenez' B, despite being 35" scale, was decent but the worst of the lot.

EDIT 2: And I will say that I prefer parallel frets over fanned/multiscale. I get that the fret fanning is dependent on which fret is perpendicular (I get along with multiscale better if, say, the 9th fret is the straight/perpendicular one), but when I tried one years ago I respected it but it wasn't for me.

EDIT 3: But one thing's for sure... no more buying sight unseen. Doing that netted me some great instruments, but they ended up not being great for me, so I sold/traded/flipped them. Felt bad about doing so too. Not only were the instruments cool, but the people I met through those transactions were even cooler. And I value people over stuff. Gotta strap it on my shoulder and feel it for myself.

 

[BassicJazzy]

I suggest you get the Ibanez and replace the p'ups and Preamp. You can get a radically better tone with a premier level preamp and some decent p'ups. One TB'r put in John East Pre with VTC and Sadowsky modern soapbox p'ups. He said it sounds fabulous.

 

[Dincrest]

That's worth considering @BassicJazzy but ideally I want a bass that's already great and I don't have to mod (beyond a set of Dunlop straplocks). As I said before, money's a little tight so I kinda want a bass that's comparable to a "move-in ready" house that doesn't need costly renovations.

Then again, maybe simply changing the strings to something like GHS PressureWounds might work.

Still, though I like that Affirma, the quest continues. That one's worthy of consideration, but I definitely want to try more. I'm really going to take my time and do things with intention and patience. My gut feeling is when I know, I'll know.

 

[Nebadon2000]

Just keep doing what your doing:
Based on your post in past the 'Deal'
was your motivation: IME the best deal was Bass that worked for me even at Retail

The only recommendation I can give is if possible try a Stingray 5 17.5 spacing but smaller comfortable neck and great B string

 

[BassicJazzy]

That's worth considering @BassicJazzy but ideally I want a bass that's already great and I don't have to mod (beyond a set of Dunlop straplocks). As I said before, money's a little tight so I kinda want a bass that's comparable to a "move-in ready" house that doesn't need costly renovations.

Then again, maybe simply changing the strings to something like GHS PressureWounds might work.

Still, though I like that Affirma, the quest continues. That one's worthy of consideration, but I definitely want to try more. I'm really going to take my time and do things with intention and patience. My gut feeling is when I know, I'll know.

It's tough, no one bass I have ever tried did everything well. If you find one that balances well and fits you ergonomically, and plays well, then you might be able to coax more out of it with change of strings. You won't be able to radically improve the instrument though, unless you want to get to the "mod shop."

That said, I have never modded a bass. I like to keep them the way the builder made them, but I have gone through lots of string changes trying to improve or change tones.

Just keep looking, trying various options. Remember, 90% solution is good. Chasing that last 10% seeking perfection can be frustrating, and expensive.

 

[Dincrest]

Thanks for all the support, encouragement, and all that good stuff so far, everyone. I'm just happy to share my little quest here with you since you all understand. Like, I can't really talk much about this with non-bassists or non-musicians. They don't quite get it.

@BassicJazzy I have a similar mentality. I'm a notorious string GASer. Strings are the cheapest "mod" anyone can do to make a dramatic difference in tone. That said, my main 4-string is a heavily modded one. Maybe it looks and feels cheesy like those "tuner kids" in the 90s who put all those aftermarket "go-fast" components on their little Honda Civics, but that bass has been to hell and back with me. It really had to grow on me to become my ride-or-die 4-banger.

And it's not that I'm looking for a bass that hits everything on an arbitrary checklist. In my experience, my hands prefer 34" scale 5-strings with a 45 mm nut width and 18mm string spacing, but I may pick up a bass that doesn't have those specs and it feels lovely. I may prefer active basses with an easy access battery compartments, but could fall in love with one where I need to keep a screwdriver in my case/gig bag for battery changes.

It's like with dating. I could date a lady who, on paper, meets all my checklist criteria but that spark/chemistry isn't there and I don't have a great time on that date. On the other hand, I could date a lady who isn't the type I normally go for and end up having the best time ever with her. That intangible "vibe" is important too. And I hope I'm old and mature enough to know what's GAS-infatuation and what feels like a long haul companion. And it's important I think about what brings out the best in me (which may not align with likes/preferences).

I've done my share of bass-hopping to both my success and detriment. I've deemed some instruments "Excalibur" too early. I've also allowed TalkBass to influence my GAS (both to my success and detriment). It's like Goofy says in An Extremely Goofy Movie... I let my head get so filled up with fiddle-faddle that I lost track of what's important to me.

 

[BassicJazzy]

None of my basses are perfection, or really even that close to it. I find that cycling through them refreshes my sense of appreciation for the strengths, and weaknesses, of each. If I played one for a long stretch I appreciate it more when I come back to it, after playing something else for a bit.

I haven't pulled my ABG out for over 2 years, will do so soon, and even that beast (which my body hates playing) will show me what it's good at. And my other basses will feel even better when I return to them after playing the ABG.

 

[Bighands Bill]

I just sold my Lakland 5502 and it was the best bass I've owned. It hasn't been out of the house in years, I'm just a 4 string P bass guy. Lakland did recommend hex core strings. YMMV.

 

[Dincrest]

Thinking about other 5ers I've spent time with over the past 15-20 years...

Zon Mosaic Standard 5- Great looks and balance (35" scale but first position was an easier reach than some 34" scale basses I've played), but tone was too polite, the low B was disappointing, and the 1.875" nut and 19mm string spacing were too wide for me.

Ibanez Soundgear 5ers (I've played several)- Lightweight, balanced, great tone, and solid low B too. But I didn't quite get along with the skinny Soundgear neck and narrow 16.5mm string spacing. My fingers on my fretting and plucking hands felt cramped.

Carvin SB5000- With it's full-sized thick body and 19mm string spacing, that bass felt massive and unwieldy. Low B wasn't super great either.

Spector ReBop 5- This bass turned me off of Spectors. It was lightweight and the low B was killer, but the compact body, bridge placement, short upper horn, 35" scale, chunky neck, and 1.81" nut width... it balanced too horizontally and the neck jutted out too far making first position quite uncomfortable to play in.

Ibanez BTB (don't remember what model)- Like the SB5000, everything about the BTB felt too big and unwieldy, especially the too-wide-for-me neck.

LTD (by ESP) D-5- I used to own one of these (with the merbau body) and it was a terrific bass. I was a new-old-stock bass I got for a steal years ago. I loved everything about it (especially the tone). Even though it was a smidge heavy, the weight felt manageable. I probably should have kept that bass... but I was moving away from 5-strings at the time and donated it to my school's music program (I work in high school special ed) a couple years ago. Turns out, a freshman girl has been slaying on that bass this school year. She loves playing on it and can play absolute circles around me. Really sweet kid too; well-mannered, well-spoken, smart. The music teacher told me I could have that bass back whenever I wanted, but I don't want it back because it's inspiring a new generation.

-----

In my current search, that Ibanez Affirma mentioned in my first post is the frontrunner, but I'll be visiting other shops in my state (and some neighboring areas) in the near future and try more. I want to take my time, exercise patience, and all that before I pull the trigger on anything.

But one feature that's a must-have for me is 24 frets. I thought I was moving away from that towards more traditional basses with fewer frets... but my fingers navigate 24-fret necks better/more comfortably. Plus, some of the solos I used to play in my old 2010s punk band (one solo hit the 22nd fret) don't feel or sound "right" when played an octave down.

 

[TomB]

Here’s a weird suggestion that might tick a lot of your boxes, Ibanez EHB 1505. I know headless is radical, but having a more conventional body than say, my old 5-string Spirit, makes it feel not weird at all. Balances amazingly of course, and they weigh in the 7 lb range. Active/passive, this one has Nordstrand pickups. There’s also a less expensive version.

 

[bassbrad]

My current favorite 5 string is a Gibson EB 14 5 String for the various tones, playability and comfort. Not really common but worth checking one out of you can find one locally. The neck is on the wide and flat side but it works well. I like that the pickups can be split wirthout the volume drop common when switching dual to single offering a broad range of textures.

 

[BassicJazzy]

My current favorite 5 string is a Gibson EB 14 5 String for the various tones, playability and comfort. Not really common but worth checking one out of you can find one locally. The neck is on the wide and flat side but it works well. I like that the pickups can be split wirthout the volume drop common when switching dual to single offering a broad range of textures.

Pretty rare. Never seen one before, anywhere.

 

[bassbrad]

Pretty rare. Never seen one before, anywhere.

That's true with most Gibson basses, took me a while to find this one in the used market.

 

[Dincrest]

Loving all the suggestions, especially the more esoteric ones.

Like all of you, I have no idea where, when, and how my quest will end. But I truly look forward to the day when the right bass and I find/choose each other and I can post about it here. You're all witness to "Dincrest's 5-string Quest" and will know as soon as something happens.

(Nothing today, though. I've been too busy to visit any guitar shops or private sellers to try out basses. Next weekend, though, for sure).

 

[klattman]

I have had several 5 string basses. I ended up getting rid of all but one ( a headless 35” bootlegger).

Fours are more comfortable for me. I do have Hipshot drop tuners on a few and for decades got good at flipping it mid song to throw in low notes.

I’d have a heard time giving up the Reverend. Are you sure you can’t trade up to a Reverend 5. Maybe you can find used?