Me too but the OP wants something he can put his hands on before buying. I've had great luck with Warmoth though!
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Help me pick a 5 string with a vintage vibe
- Thread starter rawchuck
- Start date
Me too but the OP wants something he can put his hands on before buying. I've had great luck with Warmoth though!
Check out the Fender American Ultra V if you can find one. I have a four banger Ultra and love it. It is active or passive via a mini switch, has PJ pickups so you get more tonal variety while keeping the option to play only the P pickup for vintage tone, has an upgraded bridge too. Plus it should be under your budget. Happy hunting!
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I think either would be a great option. The lighter-weight of the two might be my determining factor. Great options!
When you say "vintage vibe" for a 5 string jazz-style bass that brings a few things to mind that may help narrow down your selection.
For example, Warrior makes a killer jazz-style bass that has a relic'd finish and worn in neck. No bassist or guitarist would mistake it for an old Fender, but most of the general public may think it's an old vintage instrument.
Also, my FBass BN5 sounds like a killer vintage jazz bass, but looks nothing like one.
Does it matter if the bass has 24 frets and an asymmetric neck profile? Or would you rather have 20 frets and a C-shaped neck?
Would it matter if you had an active preamp or do you want to go full passive? Roscoe makes a very nice, vintage looking 5 string jazz with more traditional neck dimensions and 20 frets, and also an active preamp.
Lots of choices regardless for that price range.
- Are you primarily wanting a vintage look?
- Is a vintage tone more important to you?
- Do you want the instrument to "feel" more vintage?
For example, Warrior makes a killer jazz-style bass that has a relic'd finish and worn in neck. No bassist or guitarist would mistake it for an old Fender, but most of the general public may think it's an old vintage instrument.
Also, my FBass BN5 sounds like a killer vintage jazz bass, but looks nothing like one.
Does it matter if the bass has 24 frets and an asymmetric neck profile? Or would you rather have 20 frets and a C-shaped neck?
Would it matter if you had an active preamp or do you want to go full passive? Roscoe makes a very nice, vintage looking 5 string jazz with more traditional neck dimensions and 20 frets, and also an active preamp.
Lots of choices regardless for that price range.
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Here ya go. I just built this for you! Go on the Sandberg, in their, “Configurator” and build the bass you want! Every Neck comes PLEK’ed from the factory.
This is a great recommendation IMO, even though it might be difficult to find one to try. I've had a 2008 Fender Am. Standard Jazz V and a G&L JB-5 (approx. 2017), and while my particular JB-5 had some issues (I was third owner and don't know what it had been through), overall I think it was better than the Fender. The neck was more solid, and the Plek-leveled frets allowed lower action. I also prefer the G&L bridge and slightly narrower string spacing, which is about 17.5mm as opposed to Fender's 18.5 (or thereabouts). G&L also does a great job with their classic alnico J-bass pickups--it sounded fantastic, much like the Fender. Both, IMO, provide a great five-string version of traditional J-bass tone.
Unfortunately, G&L has trimmed the options available in its USA Build to Order line, which previously had provided near "custom shop" levels of customization. Now, for many things, you need to go through G&L's actual Custom Shop, which adds both time and cost, but a tricked-out JB-5 might be within your budget. I don't know.
My current J5 is a Sandberg California TT-5 Superlight, and it's even better IMO, especially the amazing neck, light weight, and perfect build quality. I particularly like the flatter 14" fretboard radius. While I obviously can't do an A-B comparison with my previous basses, I don't think its pickups provide quite the same warm thickness as the G&L's, but they're close and I've been happy with my tone on stage. They also produce very little single-coil hum, which probably attests to an excellent shielding job at the factory.
5 string with a vintage vibe?
A US Jazz Bass 5 and leave it alone.
Why the need to change parts?
A US Jazz Bass 5 and leave it alone.
Why the need to change parts?
I own the final version of the AmStd J5 which other than the pickups is same as the first version AmPro. I have no issues at all with the electronics or bridge. Pickups, well that rabbit hole is up to you but again I'm happy with them. I suppose if you want something that sounds more mellow like a pre-CBS J you could go that route. I'd suggest living with it for a while before modding anything.
I own 2 Sadowsky UV70 5 strings
Fender CS Masterbuilt Jazz 5 string
I love them both and even the American Professional Series Jazz 5 are great bases.
I am happy with the deluxe Preamp especially for live performances and the Sadowsky Preamp is the best and quietest Preamp that my engineers prefer in the studios.
They both sound vintage because they are swamp ash / Maple neck with 60’s or 70’s pickup placement ..... no surprise there.
If you run these basses passive they all sound vintage , the Sadowsky, the CS and the Am Pro.
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Huge Sadowsky fan. But any Metroline bass is going to be active, and their preamp to my ears adds a bit of a caffienated vibe to a bass. It's a great preamp but not vintage at all.
I would recommend a passive bass because the tone is more likely to meet your objective and you won't have to pay for a preamp you don't need.
$3500 is a great budget amount, you have a lot of choices. Others have mentioned Valenti - I have one and love it to absolute death. Lots of build flexibility but you'll probably wait 7 to 9 months unless he has one in stock you like. Still my first recommendation. Valenti uses a slightly downsized body (similar to Sadowsky) that I prefer.
Another obvious answer to the question of "5 string with vintage vibe" is a Nash JB5. It's very hard for me to imagine paying $10,000 for a vintage Fender '63 when I could have a Nash JB63 for less than half that.
I would recommend a passive bass because the tone is more likely to meet your objective and you won't have to pay for a preamp you don't need.
$3500 is a great budget amount, you have a lot of choices. Others have mentioned Valenti - I have one and love it to absolute death. Lots of build flexibility but you'll probably wait 7 to 9 months unless he has one in stock you like. Still my first recommendation. Valenti uses a slightly downsized body (similar to Sadowsky) that I prefer.
Another obvious answer to the question of "5 string with vintage vibe" is a Nash JB5. It's very hard for me to imagine paying $10,000 for a vintage Fender '63 when I could have a Nash JB63 for less than half that.
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For me, a vintage sounding bass must also be vintage feeling. So I would require wide spacing 19mm and a radiused neck. Obviously not 7.5 but something that would apply to 5 string. I also prefer smaller frets. I not have such a fretted bass but something in fretless but it is 35 inch scale but is passive.
Lots of great suggestions here but the problem is the OP won't be able to test drive many of them.
- Mar 13, 2008
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Don't want to derail the thread but which John East preamp did you installed in your Jazz?
