I've played a few different 5-strings and I can't decide on a Schecter Stiletto Studio-5, a MusicMan StingRay 5, or a Fender Standard Jazz Bass V...any opinions on what I should get?
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Im looking for a 5-string...
- Thread starter M1CK13
- Start date
The schecter is decent but heavy and imo has some pretty lame electronics/pickups. Fender, well, its a fender so take that however you want. I personally wouldnt buy one because ive never found them to be anything but average. If you want a fender style bass buy a nice J style bass from a different company. Ive noticed that as long as you go with a good company you usually get more bang for your buck. You pay a lot for a name with Fender. Of the three you listed the Stingray is easily the best imo.
What are you looking for in it? What kind of sound do you like? What kind of neck do you like? How much do you have to spend?
More info would be helpful for us to give you suggestions. A lot comes down to personal preference.
Out of those 3, I'd probably take the Stingray.
I'm not a fan of Fender 5 strings, the B tends to be floppy in my experience.
More info would be helpful for us to give you suggestions. A lot comes down to personal preference.
Out of those 3, I'd probably take the Stingray.
I'm not a fan of Fender 5 strings, the B tends to be floppy in my experience.
Just my opinion, but I'd get the Jazz or Stingray over the Schecter any day of the week and twice on Sunday.
Not that Schecter makes bad stuff, it seems to be good quality as far as build is concerned, but I just can't stomach the sound.
Resale on the Stingray or Jazz will be a nice feature as well.
Not that Schecter makes bad stuff, it seems to be good quality as far as build is concerned, but I just can't stomach the sound.
Resale on the Stingray or Jazz will be a nice feature as well.
Yeah I picked up a very nice deluxe active j bass. It played the best out of all the ones I've tested. Put a new bridge on it, and changed the pups to a 5-string PJ configuration and got a new pickguard from Warmouth. The Schecters I played went out of tune too easily, and the stingrays were nice just didn't have the tone I wanted. Plus I'm mostly a fender bassist: Fretless Jazz, Deluxe Active jazz V, Highway One P-Bass, '74 Gibson Grabber, Ibanez SR-400QM, and hope to add more basses soon.
Depends on your budget. If you're willing to spend the $1000+ for the Music Man, then there's no question. The Stingray kills the others you have listed.
If you want to go cheaper, like in the $500 range, a G&L Tribute L2500 is the way to go. And I just so happen to have a special one for sale
For $600 you can get a Brubaker Brute also, if you can deal with the wide spacing.
If you want to go cheaper, like in the $500 range, a G&L Tribute L2500 is the way to go. And I just so happen to have a special one for sale
For $600 you can get a Brubaker Brute also, if you can deal with the wide spacing.
I've had all three and personally I'd stay away from the Schecter, not bad but not great either and no resale value. Of the two remaining choices I'd look at their cheaper alternatives.
For the Fender I'd look at the Squier line, some really nice sounding and looking basses there for half the price (or less) than a MIM or American Fender. You can get a really nice one for under $500. A few months ago I landed a new Squier Jazz 5 for $250 and it just killed the MIM and USA model when it came to tone and feel.
For the Musicman I'd look at a used musicman SUB bass (on ebay all the time around $500). You can get an active model in 4 or 5 string and it plays just as good and sounds exactly like my vintage Stingray. I like the 2 band preamps on the stingrays but some like the 3 band preamps. Try both, they are very different!
In either case always try before you buy if possible, especially on the Fender products, not as much consistancy from bass to bass. The Musicman products seem to be much more consistant from instrument to instrument, so if you can't find a local SUB just try any of the 2 band Stingrays to get a feel for tone and playability.
Someone else mentioned G&L as well. I've had that also. Hard to find one in a store to test but they do sound and feel nice and are in the same $500 ballpark (Tribute model) as the others I've mentioned. But this is one that should be played before buying, not because of the consistance, they're built fantastic. But because of the tone. I ended up trading mine in for a Stingray 5 because I couldn't ever get the sound out of it that I wanted. Don't get me wrong, they are very flexible basses with tones of tones and sound options, I just couldn't find more than one setting that I liked and that was the passive setting.
Good luck
For the Fender I'd look at the Squier line, some really nice sounding and looking basses there for half the price (or less) than a MIM or American Fender. You can get a really nice one for under $500. A few months ago I landed a new Squier Jazz 5 for $250 and it just killed the MIM and USA model when it came to tone and feel.
For the Musicman I'd look at a used musicman SUB bass (on ebay all the time around $500). You can get an active model in 4 or 5 string and it plays just as good and sounds exactly like my vintage Stingray. I like the 2 band preamps on the stingrays but some like the 3 band preamps. Try both, they are very different!
In either case always try before you buy if possible, especially on the Fender products, not as much consistancy from bass to bass. The Musicman products seem to be much more consistant from instrument to instrument, so if you can't find a local SUB just try any of the 2 band Stingrays to get a feel for tone and playability.
Someone else mentioned G&L as well. I've had that also. Hard to find one in a store to test but they do sound and feel nice and are in the same $500 ballpark (Tribute model) as the others I've mentioned. But this is one that should be played before buying, not because of the consistance, they're built fantastic. But because of the tone. I ended up trading mine in for a Stingray 5 because I couldn't ever get the sound out of it that I wanted. Don't get me wrong, they are very flexible basses with tones of tones and sound options, I just couldn't find more than one setting that I liked and that was the passive setting.
Good luck
i my oppinion ive played them all except the music man i think that schecters are just as relibal and good to play as the other two and there alot cheeper
