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I want a classic (sound) 5 string bass

#21
I have been a SR5 guy since 2002. I recently bought a MIA Standard P-Bass 5er and i love it! it has a super old school feel, especially with the rosewood/alder combo. the sound is very different than the rays, giving me a very large range of bass tones.

re: the B-string- i really believe that rays have the best B on a stock bass (particularly among 34" scales). the mia standard p has a good B considering that it is a passive bass, but it isn't a stingray 5.
 
#22
thombo said:
I have been a SR5 guy since 2002. I recently bought a MIA Standard P-Bass 5er and i love it! it has a super old school feel, especially with the rosewood/alder combo. the sound is very different than the rays, giving me a very large range of bass tones.

re: the B-string- i really believe that rays have the best B on a stock bass (particularly among 34" scales). the mia standard p has a good B considering that it is a passive bass, but it isn't a stingray 5.
Click to expand...

What do the electronics have to do with how good the b string is?

You could also just get a SR5 and put flats on it. For me that's the only way to go with a ray,I think they're too harsh sounding with rounds.
 
#23
How can you compare the fender`s
standard precision-less versatile, less playable, more bottom??????'
standard jazz bass-more versatile and playable, less bottom???????
where would you put the lakland dj5?
 
#24
precisions are a world of their own. They have a variety of the same tone and the tone widely varies depending on where you pluck. P basses have alot of punch and grind with the tone knob up,and super fat dark tone with it off. The J bass has much more versatility with two pickups,but with a more scooped tone. Heavier lows,and brighter highs. Where as the p bass has alot of mid and low mids. Most people think p bass sit in a mix better than j basses. Also most people think J bass necks are more playable than P bass since they're slimmer.
 
#25
the sr tone control is not flat- there is an naturally scooped EQ curve (w/ a slightly boosted bass). moreover, having the active controls allow for bass boost. this all means that the electronics color your tone more.

passive tone controls do not have a preloaded eq curve, just the strings through the pups, w/ the bass (woods) adding character. your ability to tweak your tone w/ onboard electronics is far more limited: there is a volume and a high roll-off... no bass boost.

it one plays acoustically on an electric bass, the lower stings, particularly the B string, will be less audible. this has to be factored in when playing a passive bass, where the bass does little to amplify the signal. moving the pup closer to the string makes a dramatic difference though.

if you do have any interest in the P-bass, i posted a fairly detailed review of it. Ed Friedland (the bass whisperer) has a youtube review of it.
 
#26
RickenBoogie said:
Classic bass tone = passive bass, imo. I really like the American Deluxe Fender's, but in this case, I would suggest an American Standard P. And yes, your friend is not giving you a good price on his used Jazz bass. Pass on that.
Click to expand...

I agree. I own a MIM deluxe and while you can adjust it to get a classic tone with some skill, I don't recommend active unless like me you really desire to have the ability to dial in a wider tonal range. For Classic tone passive is the way. And unfortunately Fender does not have an active/passive switch.

As for the "best B" I rate them both as the same and I rate Fender Bs about a 9 or 9.5. They are good but not a Modulus or Ken Smith! But still good enough since you get the classic tone.

Lakland would be my choice.
 
#27
bamabass said:
If your looking for a good B String...look lakland. I have been very impressed with every lakie I have played. The JO5 or DJ5 are great!
Click to expand...

Confirmed true.

I visited the Lakland workshop. It's not really a factory...just about a dozen dudes sitting at benches sanding bodies and polishing frets. Every bass I played felt great - even the Asian Skylines compare favorably to most USA basses. Be certain you are good with 35" scale, 'cause all their five-bangers are.

I'd trade a kidney for a USA Duck Dunn.
 
#29
All of them are good choices but with different guts.

The Corvette is on the modern edge. Although it shares the typical Jazz bass config, sounds more modern due to its dense woods and pickups design. Baseball bat profile is also a turnoff for many people (count me in that league)

Lakland Skylines are probably some of the best import basses (from an American brand). IMO, only Sadowsky and Spector build products so good abroad. Great bang for the buck.

My personal choice would be an Am Dlx Jazz. I simply love those basses. Early models (from 1995 to 1999) had Suhr pickups and preamps and are gradually become sought after (not reflected in price). I`ve had the chance to play several different MIA Dlx Jazz and although they were all superbly built, electronics sounded different. Fender preamps have hi freqs set at 8Khz and that makes the bass sound trebly and artificial IMO. Earlier models didn`t color the sound, just amplified it delivering an "active" but traditional jazz sound.
 
#30
I'm in the market for a new 5 stringer too. I have a Warwick Corvette Standard 5 there are a few things I enjoy about it and a few things i dont....
+ its definitely well put together, the thing is a tank.
+It's made out of some beautiful pieces of wood and its a nice bass to look at.
+Its pretty versatile. I've used it in the studio for a few drastically different projects, a few tweaks of the controls and the right touch can get you any sound you want.
+/- The neck is a bat and could take some getting used to, but it doesnt bother me that much as I prefer chunkier necks and the string spacing IMO is a lot more comfortable than some other 5 strings ive played.
- WEIGHS A TON. This is my biggest problem with the bass. I cant play 3 hours with the monster strapped to me. It kills.
- The low B doesnt sound as clear and resonant to my ear as the Music Man and Lakeland B's. It can get a little muddy.

All and all its a nice bass thats served me well over the years and it has sentimental value to me on top of that so I can't get rid of it, but I'm looking for something a little lighter that I can actually play some shows with and not kill my back.

Just thought I'd throw my 2 cents into the mix.....hope it helps.
 
#32
I am thinking buying a warwick corvette, I can find one at a good price, 1350 usd almost new. 2008 model, the original owner buy it last year. (Good price for Argentina I think)
What do you thionk????
I have a musciman stingray...How does the corvette sound comparing to the SR???
 

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