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Looking for a 5 string again

KingRazor

KingRazor

Supporting Member
Jun 4, 2010
6,747
415
37
Beaverton, Oregon USA
#1
Been over a year since I gave away my 5-string to a friend of mine. Didn't miss it for a while but I keep running into songs that involve stuff below the low E on my bass.

So I'm looking for a 5 string again.

Budget is a pretty major concern here, otherwise I'd just go get a Dingwall and be done with it. I would say my absolute maximum budget is about $800 (which I don't actually have right now), but I'm really looking in the $500 and below price range.

A tight low B is a must. That's the whole point, otherwise I may as well stick to the 4-string. I've played a few Ibby Soundgears and loved how comfortable they were but I've noticed at least a few of them have trouble with a buzzy/rattling B string that doesn't ever seem to go away no matter who sets it up.

My preference is for narrow necks with narrow string spacing. I don't need super tight spacing or anything but Fenders 5s are a bit too wide for me.

In the sonic department I don't mind experimenting with different pickups. Active/passive doesn't matter, if it's active I'll probably wind up making it passive. Tonally I'm a P bass guy mostly but I like the Jazz bass tone too as well as a few others.

I'm not opposed to looking at 35" scale basses either.

Really, the two most important things are cheap (under $800 for sure but preferably under $500) a tight B string and narrow nut width.

Suggestions???
 
#4
You don't need a 35" scale to have a tight B, you need a 35"+ scale to maintain clarity in the notes in the higher registers.

My Carvin is 34" and has a tight B, very responsive. It, like all 34" B's has some strange overtones. It is good up to the second octave but it gets "wolfy" beyond that, most B's are only decent until the 5-7th fret. Realistically though you just need the first 4 frets, that is what the B is for.

A Carvin will be the only awesome B under $800 in my experience, I believe the 5 string spacing is 18mm but I don't know for sure, I have a LB76 and it is 16.5mm.
 
#14
Washburns are often overlooked, but the Bantam's and the Force ABT's are really nice basses and they are often really a great price. I have had my Force ABT for 13 years now. I love it. Great feel. However, there are also bunches of every kind of bass out there for around $500. The newer MusicMan's are under $500, heck even a SUB can be had for that price. HWY 1 Fenders are around $500. The list goes on and on.
 
#15
Not a model, but design characteristics:

1) Tuners 2 (B&E) + 3 (ADG), so that the B string is far enough away from the nut so that the string leader wraps smoothly around the tuner post and the string does not bind on its speaking length or over the nut.

2) Pickup placement: the "neck" pickup needs to be about where the D-G segment of a P-bass pickup is, proportionally, so that it is far enough north to get fundamental on the B string, but far enough south so that all the harmonics are present to help with clarity.

3) Pickups: neutral pickups, not underwound nor overwound. Underwound and they won't have the fundamental. Overwound, and the impedance will be too high, causing a midrange hump that, again, will impede clarity.

4) Body woods: a laminate neck for stability, and a body wood that is also rather neutral. I'm not giving a species, because depending on the density of the given piece of wood, anything can work.

5) Tuners: ultralight. Schaller, Hipshot and Gotoh all make good ultralight tuners.

6) Upper horn extension: needs to be a little bit further out to counter the added weight of a wider neck with an extra tuner.

7) String spacing: know going in what a player's preferred string spacing is, both at the bridge and at the nut. Too narrow, and the player will always feel cramped and not enjoy the bass. Likewise, too wide, and it will always be a stretch.

A couple of months ago I got a new old stock clearance Ibanez SRA305, list $600, for $269 at GC, using criteria instead of randomly trying models.
 
#16
DiabolusInMusic said:
A Carvin will be the only awesome B under $800 in my experience, I believe the 5 string spacing is 18mm but I don't know for sure, I have a LB76 and it is 16.5mm.
Click to expand...

Carvin string spacing varies by model, and sometimes even on the same model. SB5000/B50/B25/Wide-asymmetrical neck BB75, XB75 and LB75 are all 19mm

B5, LB75 and XB75s are 17.5mm.

There is a sweet B5 in the classifieds (no affilitiation):
 
#17
A used Schecter Stiletto would be in your price range. A new Ibanez 505 is in the range, and maybe a 605 or 705,new, but certainly if used. The Yamaha mentioned is worth a play test, too.
 
#18
iriegnome said:
Washburns are often overlooked, but the Bantam's and the Force ABT's are really nice basses and they are often really a great price. I have had my Force ABT for 13 years now. I love it. Great feel. However, there are also bunches of every kind of bass out there for around $500. The newer MusicMan's are under $500, heck even a SUB can be had for that price. HWY 1 Fenders are around $500. The list goes on and on.
Click to expand...

Hence the other qualifiers in my first post. Tight low B string, narrow nut width, etc...
 
#19
Grateful said:
Carvin string spacing varies by model, and sometimes even on the same model. SB5000/B50/B25/Wide-asymmetrical neck BB75, XB75 and LB75 are all 19mm

B5, LB75 and XB75s are 17.5mm.

There is a sweet B5 in the classifieds (no affilitiation):
Click to expand...

That's interesting. I thought Carvin's B5, LB5 and the SB5000 series all feel like Fender 5-string Jazzes to me. I love the Jazz 4-string, but agree with the OP that Fender 5-strings are too widely spaced.

I was impressed with MTD's 5-strings. They sounded great and should be in that price range. The neck felt very nice and far more comfortable and narrower then Carvins or Fenders, but not super thin like Ibbys. They're worth a look into.
 
#20
KingRazor said:
Yeah I know Ibbys are plenty tight. Wouldn't mind having one again if I can find one with a good tight B string.
Click to expand...

You won't find an Ibanez with a tight low B, Ibanez has a mediocre low B, it definitely isn't awesome but it definitely isn't total garbage (like the Washburn and low end peaveys are, in my experience)

If a used Carvin is out of your range, give up on finding a decent low B, it is out of your price range. I am sure there will be some guys coming on saying I am full of it and their SR300 or whatever has a world class B but I am a picky man and have played world class B strings, so I expect a lot from my B. If your budget was for new, I just don't see it happening.

As far as scoring a combustion, good luck finding one for under $800. Not to say it cannot be found but it could be a long wait.
 

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