Looking for specific type of 5-string bass

Sire M7 should be on your list to consider. I love mine. Still want to try an L-2500 though.

 

MM 25th anniversary:
http://thebasswhisperer.com/reviews/eb25th_rev.pdf

 

Take a look at the Ibanez ATK 815e
http://www.guitarcenter.com/Ibanez/...717540236-sku^1418660057277@ADL4GC-adType^PLA

I realize that it is a dual and single but it may offer you the tone options you are after.

 

There are a lot of options on the market. What price range are you trying to stay within?

 

Stingray 5HH sure fits that bill.

Watch the classifieds here on TB and you can find a great deal on one.

 

Again, watch the TB classifieds and you can at times only be half of your budget for either a used SR5HH and easily especially an L2500.

 

Casting my vote for the L2500. Had an L2000 years ago that was great. Sorry I ever let it go...

 

You could make a Spector that easily enough with TW emg pickups.

 

After having owned a G&L L-1505 and trying numerous 2500s (all thoroughly A/Bed with my Stingray 5ers) I'd stay away. Uncomfortable to play, noisy preamp with a ridiculous layout (calling these active electronics is a hell of an overstatement), etc. Now, I've also thoroughly tested HH Stingrays and Sterlings and I'd get an HS model over an HH. In fact I've owned a Sterling5 HS. The problem with HH Musicmen that work with a switch is that they can only produce 1 of the "traditional" Musicman tones (parallel in the Stingray, Series in the Sterling) while an HS will produce 2 (parallel and single coil for the Stingray, series and single coil for the Sterling). Apart from that I've NEVER seen the need for a full coil humbucker in the neck position (with a single coil Musicman pickup there you have more than enough P-ism available). HS Musicmen basically give you 1 P tone, 2 Jazz flavors and 2 Musicman tones. The history of my Sterling5 HS was not that happy indeed, as it sounded thin at the strictly Musicman game (compared to other 2 Stingray5s I own -old single 3 coil ceramic humbucker-), don't know what's up with post-2008 Stingrays and Sterlings but all I've tried sound naturally thinner to me (can be EQed to thicken up, of course). My most likely guess is the redesigned preamps are the culprit. Anyway, I ended up selling that Sterling5 HS and getting both an indo Yamaha BB-615 (P+J) and a MIK Ibby ATK-405 (J+MM) for "non Musicman" sounding 5ers that play and feel similar to my Ray 5ers. Together they costed about half the money I got for the Sterling5 HS. Somebody already suggested 2 pickup ATKs and I can see why, there's LOTS of versatility in them. You have to be selective as some of their necks can be on the chunky side. Still any ATK I've played plays better than any L line G&L. BTW, my problem with G&L is only about the L line. I could use a Kiloton5 or JB5 which come with a good (THIN!) neck profile (in line with what you get in Stingray 5ers) and no nonsense electronics.

 

Maruszczyk basses. Lots of Custom options, well in your price range! Excellent basses.

 

Warwick Corvette $$ has all that and a bit more, but it's 2-band. Still, hell of a bass. I miss the one I sold sometimes.

 

I've been looking at this one. MTD Super 5, around $1100. 2 MMs, check, 3 band pre, check, Assymetrical neck, bonus! I believe it has the switching you want. I've never owned a MM type bass but this one is calling me lately.

 

I had the L2500 tribute. Sound was amazing, the neck was not to my liking. It was too thick D shape. Now my Ibanez SRFF805 with custom MAMA pickups is amazing!!. I could mod it for coil tapping also if I wanted.

 

I second that. Uncomfortable to play is correct.

 

A couple of points about the G&Ls mentioned. The L-2500 comes standard with series/parallel switching for the pickups, but can be ordered with a single coil setting called "K-wiring" or "K-switching." It does not have three-band active EQ. The M-2500 DOES have a traditional three-band active system, but the pickups are always wired in series, which produces a balanced tone because they're not as hot as the L-series pickups.

I suspect the comments about uncomfortable necks are about G&L fivers from before about 2011. At some point around then, G&L slimmed down the rear profile, and newer the necks are more comfortable IMO.

I learned this when I was shopping for a G&L five in early 2014. A local shop had two USA L-2500s, one brand new and a NOS example from a few years before. The neck profiles were different, with the older one having the fatter rear profile like G&L fives I'd tried previously. I preferred the newer one, but it had expensive options I didn't want. So I bought a new M-2500 on line, and got the same comfy neck. I'm not sure about the necks on the Tribute line.

Edit: Forgot to add that I completely agree with andruca about HS MusicMan basses. That neck single coil sounds surprisingly close to a P-bass, and would be very useful IMO. I'm generally not crazy about MusicMan basses, but love the HS Sterling.