in 1993, the first bass i ever had to use regularly was a 36" 5 string with a neck so wide at the 12th that i HAD to play over under as my hand could reach scross it, and it weighed a metric ton. after that, i switched to 4 strings except for a very short period with a mikro 5 string.
but i'm realizing that some of the songs i like to play would really benefit from having a lower string rather than doing workarounds or tuning down.
my first thought was a mezzo 5 string, as i really like the neck on my mezzo 4. but there are a couple things - first, the 5 string mezzo has the same nut width as the 4 string, and while i love the 4 string version, i might love it less if the strings were crammed closer together. issue two is no one has one in stock.
it seems like ibanez is my best bet due to my issue with weight and my shoulder issue, which keeps me from reaching over a large lower bout without pain. the thing is, all the ones i'm considering have the same nut width as the 4 strings and as each other. maybe it'll be fine.
the only ones in stock that i can find are the GSR105 - i have 2 GSR100s, and i love 'em, but the shape/weight means limited playing time - and the GSR205, which has a finish i don't like, but i can live with that. the lightest one sweetwater has has a doable weight. if i kept it, i'd probably change the pickups.
i came very close to buying a GSR200 or SR300 five or six years ago, but ended up with a used SR500, which i've since sold. my shoulder problems have changed since then, and playing a bass for a few minutes at a store has never really let me know what playing it for real on my own chair or on a strap will be like for my shoulder.
i'm sort of asking for thoughts on the above basses, kind of musing it through. right now, my mezzo is my most comfortable bass to play, and it's become my go-to.
i have emailed our rep at sweetwater to ask if he has an approximate date when they'll have more 5 string mezzos or maybe some more 5 string SR305s in case there were some lighter ones than they have now.
but i'm realizing that some of the songs i like to play would really benefit from having a lower string rather than doing workarounds or tuning down.
my first thought was a mezzo 5 string, as i really like the neck on my mezzo 4. but there are a couple things - first, the 5 string mezzo has the same nut width as the 4 string, and while i love the 4 string version, i might love it less if the strings were crammed closer together. issue two is no one has one in stock.
it seems like ibanez is my best bet due to my issue with weight and my shoulder issue, which keeps me from reaching over a large lower bout without pain. the thing is, all the ones i'm considering have the same nut width as the 4 strings and as each other. maybe it'll be fine.
the only ones in stock that i can find are the GSR105 - i have 2 GSR100s, and i love 'em, but the shape/weight means limited playing time - and the GSR205, which has a finish i don't like, but i can live with that. the lightest one sweetwater has has a doable weight. if i kept it, i'd probably change the pickups.
i came very close to buying a GSR200 or SR300 five or six years ago, but ended up with a used SR500, which i've since sold. my shoulder problems have changed since then, and playing a bass for a few minutes at a store has never really let me know what playing it for real on my own chair or on a strap will be like for my shoulder.
i'm sort of asking for thoughts on the above basses, kind of musing it through. right now, my mezzo is my most comfortable bass to play, and it's become my go-to.
i have emailed our rep at sweetwater to ask if he has an approximate date when they'll have more 5 string mezzos or maybe some more 5 string SR305s in case there were some lighter ones than they have now.
