jumping to active 5 strings... multi scale or normal?

[pbass2]

I had an early Dingwall AB-1, the passive one. Sounded killer. But man, that 37" scale...I just didn't dig it. I'm about 5'7" and it seemed like quite a reach and not that comfortable unless I held the bass like Bill Wyman(which I don't typically do). The B was killer but the ergonomics were too much of a trade-off for me at the time. The fanned frets were no problem though. This was over 10 years ago so, I dunno I may revisit a DW one day. Sure did sound good.

 

[Zooberwerx]

Looking at basses, I found two nice headless ones for decent prices: The Cort Artisan Space 5 and the Sire Marcus Miller M6 5. I'm liking the Marcus Miller... but the multiscale will need adaptation time... AND... I also will keep playing the 4 stringers, of course. So, how easy/difficult is to adapt to multiscale fanned and back?

And any recommendations along those two and similar prices (not still completely set on headless, but the smaller weight and the not hitting things with the machine head is also positive).

These are the two I'm considering just to have ONE more headless....like I really need it. The multi-scale is a non-issue for me as I've owned and played Dingwalls. I figure the 32" - 35" will be even easier to navigate. The transition from 4 to 5 will require the bulk of your attention.

Let us know if you end up with one or the other!

Riis

 

[micguy]

I build all my basses, and I use the same neck, scale, contour, everything for all of them - all 5's with the same Warmoth neck shape. I rely on being able to play without looking at what I am doing most of the time - If I think I've got a set of music nailed, I will practice the whole set with my eyes closed - if you're in good practice, that's not as hard as you might think. Anyway, I've decided that the same physical platform (my basses have different pickups, electronics, and pickup positions to get different sounds) is important to me. Fanned fret? Nope. Not for me.

 

[micguy]

AND... I also will keep playing the 4 stringers, of course.

Didn't work out that way for me. Switching back and forth between 4's and 5's means I have to think, which gets in the way of really playing the way I do things - with no chance of flow state, it's a tough gig.

 

[silky smoove]

Excellent point. I believe those are the vintage models, P and J-style? Regardless, the Nolly bass was highest on my GAS list.

Correct. Super J, Super P, and SP1. They also made a short scale version of the Combustion (the Nolly is a modified Combustion), but it was an artist model for YouTuber Ayumu, and I don’t think it ever went into full production.

 

[urkel3000]

I think the same. It's not a gear issue, is a technique thing imo. And maybe EQ.

It's because he's playing on an ATK, you can hit those things as hard as you want and it sounds great. Great natural sounding compression and i'd say they sound a lot like a stingray, except for what an ATK does sonically when you really whomp on it for a few notes here and there

 

[MrBassman22]

Or embrace the tac-tac and make it part of your sound, like Steve Harris did. I manage my tac-tac through drive, compression and EQ (3000Hz). I can play without, but then my band complains they miss the attack and percussive nature. The former bassplayer was a very clean pick/P-bass guy and and the band needed time to adjust to my aggression and 'noise'. Now they can't live without it. ;-)

 

[TheArchitect]

So I play in a hard rock / metal band. I play passive 4 strings. I have a few basses, but the two 'jewels' are my Fender P Bass Deluxe Special (my first bass) and my Rickenbacker 4003, the one I play live (but we haven't played live since before COVID. COVID killed the band, then we came back, but too many drummer changes has meant no live so far, so...).

For practice at home, I alternate between them. For band practice, due to age and a bad back, I mostly use a Spirit XT-2 Headless due to the low weight.

Now we are practicing at our lead guitar's studio, and recording some stuff. I record with his bass. We noticed my style is a bit too aggressive (to use a kind word) and often in the recording we could hear a tac-tac-tac. So last day I tried with his nice active Ibanez ATK, and the pre-amp seems to be eating the tac-tac that sometimes could be heard with passive bass, so it is great!

Which made me think: maybe I should get an active bass. And as I am at that, a 5 strings active bass. One of the reasons would be to play from position 5, avoiding open strings, as if it was 4 stringer with more notes in the same position. And that I can go down from E.

Looking at basses, I found two nice headless ones for decent prices: The Cort Artisan Space 5 and the Sire Marcus Miller M6 5. I'm liking the Marcus Miller... but the multiscale will need adaptation time... AND... I also will keep playing the 4 stringers, of course. So, how easy/difficult is to adapt to multiscale fanned and back?

And any recommendations along those two and similar prices (not still completely set on headless, but the smaller weight and the not hitting things with the machine head is also positive).

I'm not convinced the electronics are what fixed your tic situation. That sounds more like a setup issue or a pickup height issue. The strings banging against something

 

[ElectricBass72]

I love my Ibanez Soundgear SRMS805 multiscale 5-string. It has passive bartolini pickups, but an active EQ. So I guess that's a "different kind of active" from a Stingray. The active EQ can switch on and off with a toggle switch. I usually run it in active because it sounds awesome.

 

[Nedmundo]

Going from 4 to 5 is not difficult. As was mentioned above you need to put the 4s away and play nothing but the 5 until it's second nature, like your 4s are now. Also from the start, play the 5 as a 5, not a 4 with a .130 thumbrest. By that I mean any song you already know on a 4 that needs nothing lower than E, use the B string rather than open strings so you learn to use the B, play in 5th position and adapt to playing across the neck rather than along it so much.

This is great advice, especially if you want to convert into being primarily a five-string player.

I've had at least one five since 2008, and I had no trouble making the transition. But I was mostly a "five when necessary" player. I used the B string primarily for notes below E, and I was usually playing established parts, whether in cover bands, musical theater, or original rock bands. In the rock bands I often created the parts, but I tended to play them the same way every time. So I figured out where I would use the B string, and went from there. In rock bands, I used both fours and fives at rehearsals so I knew how I'd approach the tracks on both, and I had no trouble switching between them. (Until 2022 I had only one five, so if it had gone down during a show, I would have switched to a four. I needed to be able to get through a set on either one.)

But I don't think I became a true "five-string player" until the past couple of years, thanks to playing in a Grateful Dead cover band. With all the improvisation, I've integrated the B string into my playing more comprehensively, all over the fretboard, and in a more intuitive way. I'm frequently finding new ways to take advantage of it. As a result, on some GD tracks I wouldn't even feel comfortable on a four without some practice. I've never even attempted to get through a rehearsal on a four.

In other cover bands, I'll sometimes play a four when none of the tracks requires a five, but the B string has started creeping in because it's become second nature.

I've considered fanned frets, but haven't taken the plunge. When I first tried a Dingwall, a Super J four, I adapted in about 20 seconds, and to this day it's probably the best bass I've ever tried. I'd like to try an Ibanez MS five with Nordstrand pickups, but I'm not sure it's worth it because I'm never dumping my G&L M-2500, and probably not my Sandberg TT-5 either. I think I'd like one though.

 

[Jefenator]

In my experience multi-scale isn't too big of a deal. (Maybe a bit awkward if you're chording or playing the middle strings very far above the 12th fret.)
IME the benefit of multi-scale is secondary to the overall quality of the build. That is to say if the parallel fret choice had better wood / build / electronics etc I would 100% roll with that.
Seems strange to me to have an active bass be the remedy for your aggressive technique. I usually associate active with having more treble (which exacerbates clanky fret buzz), and the active EQ usually doesn't round it out as well as a good passive tone control.
Have you tried flat wound strings yet?

 

[BassicJazzy]

In my experience multi-scale isn't too big of a deal. (Maybe a bit awkward if you're chording or playing the middle strings very far above the 12th fret.)
IME the benefit of multi-scale is secondary to the overall quality of the build. That is to say if the parallel fret choice had better wood / build / electronics etc I would 100% roll with that.
Seems strange to me to have an active bass be the remedy for your aggressive technique. I usually associate active with having more treble (which exacerbates clanky fret buzz), and the active EQ usually doesn't round it out as well as a good passive tone control.
Have you tried flat wound strings yet?

I agree 100% with the comment about active. It will only make aggressive technique stand out more. One of the reasons why slap bassists like it.

 

[brucehum]

Thanks all for your tips, comments, counsels...

If I get one, I will of course present it.

 

[brucehum]

So here It is! Great versatile tone.

Once again, thanks all for your tips.