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First 5 String Bass advice

L

lethem

Mar 20, 2014
4
2
#1
I've been playing bass for just over 20 years (Current;y own a Fender American Standard Jaguar) and I want to branch out and get a 5 string for the extended low range.

I was wondering if anyone here has any advice or recommendations regards 5 string basses.

These are the basses I have currently been looking at:
  • [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
  • [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
  • Yamaha TRBX605FM
Any advice or suggestions would be greatly appreciated.
 
#2
Best advice would be to go and try as many out as possible.
You want to figure out how wide of a neck you like and what string spacing you like. Those are typically the things that hang people up. I prefer a narrow neck with narrow spacing, so something like a Musicman Sterling 5 fits me really well.
 
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#3
Agree that it's very much about the fit that works for you. Aside from the habits that will need to develop in both your hands and your head to make a 5'er work for you, the ergonomics are at least as big of a deal as with a 4-string. Neck widths and depths will vary and the string spacings (sp?) can affect how an instrument plays for you even more than with a 4.

Get your hands on everything you can and maybe even bring a little ruler or tape measure with you to check this and that. The bigger (wider) necks can sometimes be prone to diving a bit on a strap if the layout of the instrument isn't great. If you do some test drives, remember to not just play sitting down.

I'm pretty dedicated to playing 4-strings, but if I had to go out and get an affordable 5'er today, I'd have absolutely no idea where to start. No recommendations aside from "shop til you drop".
 
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#6
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
It’s all about string spacing, neck shape, scale length, and weight/body size/shape.
Click to expand...
+1.

The Spector uses a 35" scale. The Ibanez and the Yamaha are both 34". That one inch of difference may not make one iota of difference to you. But if you've been playing 34"-scale Fenders for two decades, your comfort level with an increased scale length is something that can only be determined by playing the actual instrument.

I played 34"-scale 4-string and 5-string basses exclusively for about 20 years. When I finally took the plunge and bought a nice 35"-scale instrument, despite trying to adjust to the longer scale over several months, I really struggled with it. Today, I'm back to 34"-scale basses exclusively.
 
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#7
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
Try as many as you can and get the one that feels the best and sounds good to you .

It’s all about string spacing , neck shape, scale length , and weight/ body size/shape .
Click to expand...

I agree, and for me fretboard radius, in particular, is very important. I want at least 12" for all basses, but it's even more important on fives, because I want less of a "hump" to reach over to access the E and B strings. The Yamaha TRBX basses have very flat fretboards, which is one reason they feel great to me, but of course YMMV.

After you've tried a few, you'll start to figure out the specs you prefer for radius, scale length, string spacing, etc., which can help you identify others you might like.
 
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#11
garp said:
+1.

The Spector uses a 35" scale. The Ibanez and the Yamaha are both 34". That one inch of difference may not make one iota of difference to you. But if you've been playing 34"-scale Fenders for two decades, your comfort level with an increased scale length is something that can only be determined by playing the actual instrument.

I played 34"-scale 4-string and 5-string basses exclusively for about 20 years. When I finally took the plunge and bought a nice 35"-scale instrument, despite trying to adjust to the longer scale over several months, I really struggled with it. Today, I'm back to 34"-scale basses exclusively.
Click to expand...

Same here. Years ago, I tried to play a Schecter bass with 35" scale. The bass sounded excellent and the action was low, but I never could get comfortable with it. 34" scale for me.
 
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#12
Good advice above. Set aside budget, brand and prejudices and go pick up and play every 5 you can get your hands on. There will be one that feels right. Find out the specs on that bass (scale, strings spacing, nut width, etc...) and then, if the one that feels right is not in your price range, narrow your search to a bass that is in your range with as close to those specs as you can find. You might be surprised and find that the bass you want is less than your budget. Price does not always mean a better bass. An open mind is key. Good Luck!
 
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#13
I've primarily been a 4 string player and I got a Dingwall Combustion 5 recently that seems like the 5 string bass I'll keep. It's definitely the best feeling and playing 5 string bass I've had and it cured my GAS for a 5'er.

The string tension and playability makes it for me. It also has the most even output string-to-string of any 5 (or 6) string bass I've owned.

@G On Bass speaks the truth. I've had 5's from $300 up to $2000 price ranges and before the Dingwall the last 5 string I had was an Ibanez SR 305E. I liked that one quite a bit, played well but I didn't necessarily love the pickups.

For your price range I'd strongly recommend looking at used Warwicks. Or if a great deal pops up on a Dingwall.
 
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#14
Great advice here regarding trying as many as possible before buying. I have 3 five strings, a Fender American Jazz. American P, and Gibson Thunderbird. I love and play them all, but each one is different, with it's own feel, sound and personality. Good luck with your search.
 
#16
I don't think you can go wrong with any of them, really.

I have a Spector ReBop 5 and I love it. Spector Euros have monster low-Bs. Thing is, Spector ergonomics are not for everyone. Some people love the way those basses sit, others don't. I love mine, though since I sling high. I don't know the difference between ReBop and Euro necks, but though my ReBop neck is somewhat chunky, I love it (and I have small hands.)

I love Soundgear ergonomics. Whenever I play a Soundgear, everything feels withing reach, whether I sling high or low. The "pencil necks" are narrow/skinny and people either love or hate them. I preferred the slightly wider necks on the discontinued SRX basses.

Yamahas are great basses all around. It may not have the identity of a Spector or Soundgear, but it should check all the boxes for a quality 5-string.

A great thing about the Yamaha and Ibanez basses is that both of those have easy-access battery compartments for when you need to change batteries on your active preamp. I think new Euros have those too, but a lot of Spector basses still don't and you need to unscrew the cavity plate to change a battery.
 
#18
I was a dedicated 4-banger that needed to get to a 5 for the new project I started.
I started with a Warwick Corvette 5, but stumbled.
Then on to a Lakland JO5. I struggled with the neck width and the 19mm spacing, but loved everything else.
Then, by chance, I stumbled on to my main player, an ‘06 DJ5.
I’m a little dude, 5’8” with ridiculously small mitts, but somehow, the DJ5 neck, radius, 35” scale and 19mm spacing started agreeing with me after a few full practices.
Now, a 4-string feels almost foreign, even my DJ4.
Try them all, but only actual in-hand time will truly tell you what you need to know.
 
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#20
I have a deal with Spector so I'm definitely biased toward them. I love my Spector 5 string neck thru. I also like Musicman Stingray. Ibanez also has some nice 5 string basses.
 

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