try a Spector Legend 5. I got one last year and I love it. I tried an Ib SR505 and I couldn't get with the string spacing at all - the Spector is much wider. Now I play it 50/50 with a MIM P 4, and I couldn't be happier
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It's time to start looking into a 5 string; things to consider?
- Thread starter scorpionldr
- Start date
Go to s store and play a bunch, regardless of price and manufacturer. You will find one that is comfortable. Try and get those specs. The comfort will depend on many things, and will vary from person to person.
The biggies:
- Scale: Some will say you need a 35" to get a good B. That is simply not true, IME. I've had bad B's on a 34 but not a 35. But my current 34" B's are every bit as good as my 35s were.
- String spacing - Bridge: This can vary from 15.5mm to 19m and beyond. There is no right or wrong, just a preference. Buying one that doesn't feel right will cause problems.
- String Spacing - Nut: Nut widths can vary. Some like 'em side. some narrow.
- Weight: My 5 strings vary from 8.5 to 12 pounds. Find one you like.
Good luck!
- Apr 15, 2009
- 539
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- Disclosures
- Sales and electronic tech/piano tech: England Music Center - Clinton IA - now closed
5s are pretty nice. I play 6s myself and remember when I went from an Ibanez SR406 to my Warwick Corvette Std 6. Talk about a good-sized jump in depth and width. With my current band I play both a 5 and a 6 (the 5 I have tuned 1/2 step flat. It's a Peavey Foundation btw). The Foundation has a fantastic neck.
However, if you want to go to a skinnier neck try an Ibanez SR305 or 405. They seem like the spacing between the strings is smaller and with the thin neck it'll be easy to get around on.
However, if you want to go to a skinnier neck try an Ibanez SR305 or 405. They seem like the spacing between the strings is smaller and with the thin neck it'll be easy to get around on.
I would recommend something along the lines of a Musicman Stingray 5H. They really have that metal crunch. But if it has to be passive, then the Warwick Corvette $$ 5. Both are fantastic and you simply cannot go wrong with either. (But I personally would take the Stingray any day).
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i play only metal in all genres so here is my 0.2
with your price range, look into these for good second hand basses that will be great for metal...
Yamaha RBX 375 - wide string spacing, if thats what you're into. good active pups, great satin neck for speed, killer punchy tone.
Ibanez SR 505 (you should able to find one for that money) - suuuuper slim 19mm thin neck, bart Mk1 pups, great tone woods. the finish is rubbish on it so it bangs up real easy. and they dont growl, ever.
Warwick Rockbass - any one would do but the best probably the corvette $$. 100% perfect for metal. full passive set up, 2 big f!!ck off MM style pickups in it, suuuuper low action. Growl and bark for days.
with your price range, look into these for good second hand basses that will be great for metal...
Yamaha RBX 375 - wide string spacing, if thats what you're into. good active pups, great satin neck for speed, killer punchy tone.
Ibanez SR 505 (you should able to find one for that money) - suuuuper slim 19mm thin neck, bart Mk1 pups, great tone woods. the finish is rubbish on it so it bangs up real easy. and they dont growl, ever.
Warwick Rockbass - any one would do but the best probably the corvette $$. 100% perfect for metal. full passive set up, 2 big f!!ck off MM style pickups in it, suuuuper low action. Growl and bark for days.
The first thing I will recommend is, find a 5ver with the eadg string spacing at the nut and bridge similar to your 4string bass. My case, I started playing with a ltd with a jazzy style neck. My fiver is a Yamaha with a a 18mm spacing at the bridge and took me a while to get use to it. Leave the 5ver with the factory tuning and buy a spider capo if you want to play in DGCF. I know that some bass players thing that a capo doesn't belong to bass but trust me it with prefect and you can use one bass for every gig
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Any advice for a lefty wanting to get a five string? It's not exactly like I can demo a bunch- in fact my local music shop had one lefty bass, and sold it a few weeks ago, so there's nothing for me to try. Unless of course I try a right-handed 5er backwards... but that's far from ideal.
Chef
In Memoriam
You probably already have a 4 string whose tone you like.
There's probably a 5 string version of that.
So: there's part of your decision made easy
For me, string spacing is a pretty big part of what I like, or, don't like.
I prefer 19/18mm, as that feels more natural to me. "Four string spacing."
5 strings like Music Mand and G&L that are 17mm or closer together bother me.
There's probably a 5 string version of that.
So: there's part of your decision made easy
For me, string spacing is a pretty big part of what I like, or, don't like.
I prefer 19/18mm, as that feels more natural to me. "Four string spacing."
5 strings like Music Mand and G&L that are 17mm or closer together bother me.
I'm glad you asked that question. A five-string bass should be considered its own instrument, not merely a 4-string with an extra string. Having played bass for over thirty-eight years, owning many over the years, and having played and worked on that many more, I have some very particular ideas as to what makes a great five-string, as opposed to a 5-string that is merely derivative of a four-string:
1) upper horn needs to be longer to balance the weight of the additional tuner
2) lightweight tuners, like the new Gotoh minis, or my preference, Hipshot UltraLites to keep the neck from diving and tune well.
3) moderately wound pickups - too overwound will turn to mud, too light will not bring out the full harmonic content of the bass. Get a real 5-string pickup, like EMG's, Barts, one of the newer "boutique" companies, etc. A P-pickup is too thumpy and dull on a B string, and a J-pickup is too growly without clarity.
4) pickup placement - the neck pickup needs to be where the D-G segment of a P-bass is, proportionally, to bring out the definition of the B string without the G string sounding thin.
5) nut width should be between 1 3/4 and 1 7/8 unless you have really small or really large hands, or simply prefer something wider. Narrower than that just doesn't give enough space to fret cleanly on the lower frets. If you think you need narrower, first analyze the left hand technique to make sure the thumb is on the proper place on the back of the neck, the wrist is flexed and relaxed, and the fingers are slightly curved and relaxed, fretting with the place on the finger under the fingernail where it transitions from the tip of the finger to the flat where the fingerprint is.
6) string spacing at the bridge is personal preference, although the above advice about getting something similar to what you're used to on a 4-string is good, although I wouldn't go wider than 18mm, as the full 19mm Fender Standard 4-string spacing will make the neck heel really, really wide.
7) body wood is personal preference, but light is good
8) at least 3-piece laminated neck for stability and assure no dead spots or drop outs
9) a plate bridge needs more intonation travel for the adjustment screws than does a 4-string due to the added diameter of the B string needing more compensation, but not so much the G string doesn't get the break angle it needs and starts sounding twangy. Lakland offsets their string anchors.
10) actives, passives, etc., are all personal preference.
11) 34 scale will do, 35 is not necessary. There are many 34 scale 5-string basses out there that sound great. It comes down to well seasoned wood and quality hardware so there is no excess body resonance that sucks out the tone.
12) MOST IMPORTANT: the headstock should be 2B&E + 3ADG so the B tuner is higher up on the headstock so there is no issue with the wound part of the string binding on the tuner, the bushings, the headstock or the nut slot, and this will expand the options for B strings. The exception to this is Lakland, which makes their headstock so the B string is farther from the nut anyway, even though it is a 3+2 and not a 2+3.
The basses that I have played that consistently meet these criteria are selected models of the Ibanez SR and GR (formerly SRA) series over the years. The ultimate would be a Sheldon Dingwall for fanning or Jerome Little if you want to go with the torzal. Other companies make great basses. Play as many as you can before you buy. And it does not need to be expensive: I currently gig with a 2011 SRA305 that has been upgraded to EMG 40 active soapbars.
Because of personal preferences and tradition, following this post will be the flames of wrath of everyone else that will say, "mine sounds great," and "I've never had a problem with (insert detail)." But for shopping for a new bass, why be tied down to derivative designs when many companies from Ibanez to Dingwall have truly enlightened designs for a better playing, better sounding and better fitting five string bass?
1) upper horn needs to be longer to balance the weight of the additional tuner
2) lightweight tuners, like the new Gotoh minis, or my preference, Hipshot UltraLites to keep the neck from diving and tune well.
3) moderately wound pickups - too overwound will turn to mud, too light will not bring out the full harmonic content of the bass. Get a real 5-string pickup, like EMG's, Barts, one of the newer "boutique" companies, etc. A P-pickup is too thumpy and dull on a B string, and a J-pickup is too growly without clarity.
4) pickup placement - the neck pickup needs to be where the D-G segment of a P-bass is, proportionally, to bring out the definition of the B string without the G string sounding thin.
5) nut width should be between 1 3/4 and 1 7/8 unless you have really small or really large hands, or simply prefer something wider. Narrower than that just doesn't give enough space to fret cleanly on the lower frets. If you think you need narrower, first analyze the left hand technique to make sure the thumb is on the proper place on the back of the neck, the wrist is flexed and relaxed, and the fingers are slightly curved and relaxed, fretting with the place on the finger under the fingernail where it transitions from the tip of the finger to the flat where the fingerprint is.
6) string spacing at the bridge is personal preference, although the above advice about getting something similar to what you're used to on a 4-string is good, although I wouldn't go wider than 18mm, as the full 19mm Fender Standard 4-string spacing will make the neck heel really, really wide.
7) body wood is personal preference, but light is good
8) at least 3-piece laminated neck for stability and assure no dead spots or drop outs
9) a plate bridge needs more intonation travel for the adjustment screws than does a 4-string due to the added diameter of the B string needing more compensation, but not so much the G string doesn't get the break angle it needs and starts sounding twangy. Lakland offsets their string anchors.
10) actives, passives, etc., are all personal preference.
11) 34 scale will do, 35 is not necessary. There are many 34 scale 5-string basses out there that sound great. It comes down to well seasoned wood and quality hardware so there is no excess body resonance that sucks out the tone.
12) MOST IMPORTANT: the headstock should be 2B&E + 3ADG so the B tuner is higher up on the headstock so there is no issue with the wound part of the string binding on the tuner, the bushings, the headstock or the nut slot, and this will expand the options for B strings. The exception to this is Lakland, which makes their headstock so the B string is farther from the nut anyway, even though it is a 3+2 and not a 2+3.
The basses that I have played that consistently meet these criteria are selected models of the Ibanez SR and GR (formerly SRA) series over the years. The ultimate would be a Sheldon Dingwall for fanning or Jerome Little if you want to go with the torzal. Other companies make great basses. Play as many as you can before you buy. And it does not need to be expensive: I currently gig with a 2011 SRA305 that has been upgraded to EMG 40 active soapbars.
Because of personal preferences and tradition, following this post will be the flames of wrath of everyone else that will say, "mine sounds great," and "I've never had a problem with (insert detail)." But for shopping for a new bass, why be tied down to derivative designs when many companies from Ibanez to Dingwall have truly enlightened designs for a better playing, better sounding and better fitting five string bass?
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Thanks, but not sure about what type I'd prefer unless I actually test it- for example, I don't know if I'd prefer a narrower nut, or wider string spacing. The necks on the 5 string right-handed basses I saw in the shop last night looked really chunky.
coming from someone who plays bands rush, tool, to dream theater, and practically needs a six string; try to use your extended range as much as you can. If you have a song where the note B is required, try to use your low b as well as the B an octave higher. Use that low note power and add that to your playstyle, it adds great a backbone to songs. My point is, you have a 5 string, use all 5 strings.
So....has anybody went from four to six?
Or gotten a 5, then wished he had a 6? I kind of had an interesting talk on the phone, and the other end said, "what about 6?" Now I'm no soloist, but I do have LBPD (lead bass playing disease), but I'm learning I'm simply a bassist. But then I start thinking about how tuning is going again, and it's literally this thought of "gotta be prepared......before it happens again!!"
Or gotten a 5, then wished he had a 6? I kind of had an interesting talk on the phone, and the other end said, "what about 6?" Now I'm no soloist, but I do have LBPD (lead bass playing disease), but I'm learning I'm simply a bassist. But then I start thinking about how tuning is going again, and it's literally this thought of "gotta be prepared......before it happens again!!"
