Help with my quest: a 5 string P bass!

The P bass pickup on a 5 string body is available for an additional charge.

 

I used to have a fender mia deluxe p 5, it was a really nice bass, if you like the 4-string version you'll probably like the 5. I couldn't tell much of a difference between mine and my friends 4 stringer. That said, I prefer passive p-bass tone and the deluxe just sounds a bit too modern, YMMV.

 

I can't comment from personal experience but there are folks who will tell you that the Fender Roscoe Beck V can get very, very close to the P-Bass sound.

It has a number of unique options for adjusting the sound of its pickups and its supposed to be a great bass and a great value.

 

I'm a 5-string P-bass guy, so I'll chime in with what little I know.


Fender Precision Deluxe 5 - haven't owned, but have auditioned a couple. I enjoyed the playability a lot! Nice neck profile. Tone with the P-pup soloed is very Fender-y, that's a good thing. A couple reasons I didn't go for this one: first, the big motherbucker bridge pickup didn't do anything for me. Second -- and this is shallow -- aesthetics. The asymmetrical coils of the P pickup bother me... it also means that the A string polepieces are permanently on the treble coil where they don't belong. Also, the lower cutaway is deeper to accommodate the two extra frets. Finally, I don't like the look of the bridge bucker. Yes, I can be nitpickety about my P-basses.


Mike Lull P5 - owned one for a couple of years. Mine was ash/rosewood, passive PJ, with Fralin pups. Very nice bass! You have an interesting point about the string rise, it's something I didn't consider. The main reasons I sold mine in favor of the Sadowsky: first, bridge spacing was narrower than 19mm. There's been debate about this... some say that the Lull P5 does have 19mm spacing. Mine didn't. Maybe the adjustable bridge was set for narrower spacing, but with the rolled fingerboard edges there was no room to widen the spacing at the bridge. BTW: the rolled fingerboard edges is a point in Lull's favor: very comfortable! Second issue: neck profile is super slim and fast. I prefer a neck profile with a little more heft: Sadowsky, MTD, Fender.

Minor issue: the bass coil of the P pickup covers the BE strings only, when it should cover BEA. That can been remedied by swapping the coils... not possible on the Fender. In the Lull's favor: the body shape is authentic P-bass, unlike Fender. I also love the sexy satin finish on the back of the neck.


Sadowsky P5. As you said, hella expensive. I sold my Lull P5 and Modulus Quantum 5 to help finance the order. I really dig it. Mine's black/black, alder/birdseye. The alder is chambered, so it's very light! Doesn't wear me down at the gig like my RB5 can. The Sad P5 definitely has the Fender look I was going for. Maybe not the headstock, but the Sadowsky headstock is the most graceful of the Fender clones IMO. I ordered P only rather than PJ for a more vintage flavor. Body shape is spot on. Yes, that means the 21st fret is difficult to reach, but so what, true P-bassers don't need that fret anyway. In fact *this* P5 doesn't even have the extra fret (I kinda wish mine didn't either):


Sadowsky neck profile is thicker than the Lull.... very good thing in my book. In fact the Sadowsky has the most comfortable non-asymmetric neck profile I've ever played on a fiver. The nitro finished neck is sexy, the fret-ends are comfortably rounded. The neck started out satin finish, but didn't take long to wear down to a gloss. It's a little sticky now that it's glossy, but no big deal.

Tone? Tricky question. The Sadowsky has the Sadowsky tone... a P-bass purist won't confuse it with a passive Fender, not even in passive mode. The Sad isn't as phat in the mids, but that no doubt helps the B string to sound so crisp, clear, and wonderful: it's tied with MTD in second place, behind the Modulus Q5. The Sad also lacks significant dead spots.

Don't get me wrong, the Sad still has the P-bass vibe. I should mention that the Sadowsky and Lull P5 basses have very similar tone: both are modern takes on Fender.



You asked for other ideas -- here's one: Benavente 51 model 5-string. I've been on the waiting list for awhile, and hope to have mine soon! I haven't played one, but I dig the vintage look, and was impressed with the sound samples over at James Hart's site.


P.S. I agree with IotaNet's comment on the RB5! I own that bass and love it to death... it sounds more like a Fender P-bass than the P-bass clones I reviewed above.

 

Here are some Benavente 51 models in case you're
interested...

 

If it is the overall vibe that you are going for, you might want to take a look at a G&L L2500. I played one for a long time and it always had that P bass vibe to it IMO.

It also has enough tonal flexibility to cop that sound and still have plenty of others to mess with as well.

Definately a little easier on the budget than some that you have mentioned.

 

Wow, thanks... I use to have my basses linked in my signature, I haven't finished any new recordings in a while so I pulled it off.

Here is my old sig link.
http://www.hartsafire.com/benavente.htm

 

Pickles -

I've made this point already but just as a coincidence, I just received an email from a professional bassist/internet buddy. We were not talking about your request but rather his bass acquision plans for the immediate future. (And he is a staunch P-Bass devotee):

This is what he wrote in his email:

" ... I’ve only had one 5 string, and we never really got along. I swore them off after that, but I’m starting to get the bug again, and someone who’s opinion I value said that the Beck is as close as you can get to a five string P-Bass."

From where I sit, that's a pretty strong endorsement

 

The front PU is definitely not what I would consider a "neck" PU. It is pretty much in the middle of the body. All I know is the bass in passive mode with the front PU soloed approximated the P-bass thing very well.

As Fender RB5s, they are sweet basses. I love them. I have to say that as far as overall vibe, when I grasp one, I think more jazz bass than I do p-bass.

 

same here... nicest fender 5 I've tried, but more J.


The G&L is one of my favorite "P like" 5 strings. I wish the L1505 had the same pickup position as the old L1000. THAT would be a cool bass IMO.

The ash Tribute plays real nice for a cheaper bass too.

 

It's true that the Beck is a better J-bass than P-bass. But when I close my eyes and solo the neck pup in series mode, it sounds closer to P-bass than some P-bass clones.

 

The Sadowsky P5 is Awesome !

 

I've been waiting for an affordable passive 5 string P-bass for a long time too. I put together a P5 from USACG parts a while back and it turned out nice. You would think with all the Jazz 5 string clones out there there would be at least a couple more P5 options out there. Hopefully someone like Fender or Lakland will come up with something.

 

I love the bowling ball finishes from G&L! Congrats!