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Got the itch for a 5-er. What else should I consider?

#61
From your post it sounds like you're curious about a 5er.
unless you have money to burn I would just get a used one locally.
I think a lot of people have that exact thought. People buy one and then go back to a four. I believe this because there seems to be glut of 5ers on the used market in my area.
Then if you end up liking the 5er, go ahead and spend your $2500 on a fancy one if you see fit.
 
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#62
Zoffy said:
I had a 5-string for the longest time and just could not get into it (tuned BEADG). One day, I ordered new strings and changed the tuning to EADGC. For me, that made a huge difference; my muscle memory reference points are still the same as on a 4-string, plus I have a C string that allows me to play clearer chords and arpeggios. Now I play the 5'er pretty regularly. This may not be an issue for you, but it made a big difference for me.
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I got a fiver, I sold my SR5 in 2006. I went straight to E - C tuning. Sounds great. Them I got a bread and butter 5 string fretless tuned normal B - G
 
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#64
Mark_70 said:
I've been playing 4-strings for 35-or-so years. I might finally be ready to venture into the mysterious world of the 5-string bass..

Looking at a few different options - based on below, anything else I should consider?
- Main bass is a Sterling 4 string. Lovelovelove the sound.
- Jazz basses are out. Nothing wrong with them but they are just not my thing.
- I've been considering some models with the fat pickup towards the bridge: G&L Kiloton, EBMM Stingray, G&L L-2500
- I think Sandberg has some models with that configuration as well.
- prolly won't spend more than 2500 bucks. Less if I can. If G&L made a Tribute 5 string version of the Kiloton, my decision would've been easy and I would've just ordered one of those.
- If possible, I'm trying to stay away from 10 pounders. Bit worried about the L-2500 for that reason.

Anything out there I'm missing?

Regards
Mark
Click to expand...

Based on my experience, I'd say just try everything you can get your hands on and wait until one bass feel right to you.

I have been tempted by 5-stringers on and off over the years, and I owned probably about 8-9... wide variety, Washburn, EB MusicMan, Lakland, G&L, Peavey, Squier... But none stuck. Like you I prefer the fat humbucker at the bridge position. The Lakland (5502) was the best of the bunch, but still not quite right.
Late last year I felt tempted again. It was a stealth black Stingray style bass by Harley Benton. It was pretty cheap. I hesitated, and passed, thinking "ah, it'll be the usual thing, I'll play it for a bit and abandon it". But my girlfriend went ahead and bought it for me.

I have played it non-stop. For some weird reason it just felt right. I had to relearn how to mute the strings well and yes I got confused sometimes hitting the wrong string and all that... but it felt good and it sounded right, so I stuck with it. 8 months later it's the bass I play at home 90% of the time. It's on the stand next to me and I practice and learn on it... then I go to rehearsals with my 4-string Stingray. Switching between 4-5 string has become normal now and I'm at the point where I'd happily gig with the 5-string. I never got to this point with any of the other basses I owned, cheap or expensive, and that's simply because for whatever reason this bass just feels right in my hands and it makes the right noises.
Unfortunately, the only way to tell if a bass is going to feel right is to actually try it.

Maybe you're less 'picky' and can manage with any bass, but it made a huge difference to me to have found this Harley Benton one. And now that I'm comfortable with 5 strings I can play other 5 string basses and be ok. One day I'll get a Stingray 5, but for now, this does the job nicely.

IMG_20210216_084719762.jpg
 
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#65
Don't let the nay-sayers put you off. There will be a learning curve (you'll be mistaken if you don't expect some modifications to your technique) but the positives far out weigh any negatives. Again I'd start with the 5 string version of your current bass. If MM are doing their job (and I'd expect they are) the Sterling 5 should hit the tone spot.
 
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#68
J Wilson said:
One of the first to do that was Ernie Ball. A Stingray platform was already a well-known commodity, and they could have easily done the same thing, but they spent serious design and production money to make a five with its' own neck and fingerboard with a reasonable width and neck profile, a re-worked headstock and bridge arrangement,
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Serious money? Bollocks. There are only a couple of different ways to make a 5 headstock (5IL, 4+1, 3+2) and only a couple of different spacings, so at worst a couple of different necks. Huge money, right...
And Alembic had done it 11 years earlier, which I'm sure they were aware of and would have helped narrow down the number of possibilities.

J Wilson said:
The original version carried on for several years with a 3rd coil / hum-canceller buried in the body for quiet operation when in single-coil mode, a very trick feature.
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Trick, my butt. Again Alembic had been doing this for 15y and it's a fairly standard EE technique from at least the beginning of the century, so they broke no new ground.
 
#71
I would recommend the G&L L2500 of those, just buy from somewhere that lists the weight. The pickup and preamp combo can imitate most popular bass sounds with a little work. I gigged mine for a decade, but these days 10.5 lbs is asking too much for a 4 hour gig.
 
#72
This isn't necessarily the right thing for everyone, but since 5-string basses can be a. more expensive and b. less playable, you might first consider simply stringing a 4-string instrument BEAD. In theory, the only notes you cannot play relative to an actual 5-string are the top five frets of the G string. You only need to reposition some things. It's not right for everyone but definitely worth considering before investing in something new.
 
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#73
N4860 said:
Is your current bass an EBMM Sterling model or is a StingRay made by Sterling (SBMM)? If you have the EBMM Sterling model, try to find a 5 string version: Sterling 5 | Basses | Ernie Ball Music Man

If you have a SBMM StingRay, then I would suggest a EBMM StingRay Special.
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it's an EBMM Sterling. They don't make 5ers (anymore). Good call though - may see if there's a used EBMM Sterling 5 string floating around somewhere
PJeong said:
This isn't necessarily the right thing for everyone, but since 5-string basses can be a. more expensive and b. less playable, you might first consider simply stringing a 4-string instrument BEAD. In theory, the only notes you cannot play relative to an actual 5-string are the top five frets of the G string. You only need to reposition some things. It's not right for everyone but definitely worth considering before investing in something new.
Click to expand...
Never considered that - I like that idea..!
 
#74
DanAdams said:
From your post it sounds like you're curious about a 5er.
unless you have money to burn I would just get a used one locally.
I think a lot of people have that exact thought. People buy one and then go back to a four. I believe this because there seems to be glut of 5ers on the used market in my area.
Then if you'd up liking the 5er, go ahead and spend your $2500 on a fancy one if you see fit.
Click to expand...

Makes a lot of sense.. I'll poke around and might go that route. Won't loose my a@$ if I buy / sell used..
 
#75
Mark_70 said:
it's an EBMM Sterling. They don't make 5ers (anymore). Good call though - may see if there's a used EBMM Sterling 5 string floating around somewhere

Never considered that - I like that idea..!
Click to expand...

Did they actually discontinue the Sterling 5? I think they might have just paused production as they have with some other models through the pandemic since they have limited capacity to produce right now.

You can still find Sterling 5's new and used. Here's one I just found on Reverb: Music Man Sterling 5 Bass - Scarlet Red | Diplomate Music Center | Reverb
 
#78
Mark_70 said:
I've been playing 4-strings for 35-or-so years. I might finally be ready to venture into the mysterious world of the 5-string bass..

Looking at a few different options - based on below, anything else I should consider?
- Main bass is a Sterling 4 string. Lovelovelove the sound.
- Jazz basses are out. Nothing wrong with them but they are just not my thing.
- I've been considering some models with the fat pickup towards the bridge: G&L Kiloton, EBMM Stingray, G&L L-2500
- I think Sandberg has some models with that configuration as well.
- prolly won't spend more than 2500 bucks. Less if I can. If G&L made a Tribute 5 string version of the Kiloton, my decision would've been easy and I would've just ordered one of those.
- If possible, I'm trying to stay away from 10 pounders. Bit worried about the L-2500 for that reason.

Anything out there I'm missing?

Regards
Mark
Click to expand...
I just just got my first 5 in the mail a few days ago, a Roscoe Classic JJ. Keith Roscoe makes many fine 5s with fat pickups / soapbars / possibly MM style other than j models. I couldn't be happier. Right away I started playing the more percussive double thumbing I have always wanted to do and I started using those lower tones all the way down to the B. I discovered a whole new tonal range and freed up the bottom end. I also play a stingRay Old Smoothie. This is a tonally a bit different and I'm thrilled. I know you're not a J guy but posting the pic just a proud happy 5 owner.
20210727_180435.jpg
 

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