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Most recorded 5 string?

#22
The main reason I say a soundgear, is , well, how long ago did they come out? Late 80's?

I remember seeing one with 10,000 maniacs on SNL. And I think they were on the show before that even. This was LONG ago.

I am venturing to say the Ibanez and then Yamaha TRB. Fender didnt have a good 5 until 1995. NOBODY ever talks about the Jazz Bass Plus....Pretend that didn't exist. So Fender has less than 20 years. Ibanez I think would be pushing 30 or so with their 5's

Now Alembic and Ken Smith might be the first guys out there with 5's. But did Jimmy Johnson do ALL those sessions? no.
 
#27
This question is tricky because during the Eighties and Nineties, there were a lot of detuned fours playing what sounds like five string basses.

Nathan East was using Yamaha fives during the Eighties on recordings by acts like The Eurythmics and Phil Collins. I wonder when Tony Levin started using his SR5?
 
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#29
Dr. Cheese said:
This question is tricky because during the Eighties and Nineties, there were a lot of detuned fours playing what sounds like five string basses.

Nathan East was using Yamaha fives during the Eighties on recordings by acts like The Eurythmics and Phil Collins. I wonder when Tony Levin started using his SR5?
Click to expand...

I'm with you Doc. I think you have to chase down the heavy hitters themselves (most recorded bassists who use/used 5 string basses) and then talk about what they use/used to get even close. Nathan East probably got Yamaha a good jump start early on in 5 string history. But shortly thereafter a lot of other players came on the scene, and who knows after that?

Here are a few guys who may or may not have used 5 string basses but would certainly factor into a chart count if they did/do.

Lee Sklar
Michael Rhodes
Marcus Miller
Nathan East
Don Was
Tony Levin
Kim Stone
Jimmy Haslip
Glenn Worf
Randy Jackson

and the list goes on.
 
#34
The earliest prominent Ibanez five player I know of is Gerald Veasley. Gary Willis is another early Ibanez guy, but i don't think he does much commercial recording. My guess is that Ibanez and Spector fives are on a ton of metal recordings. Ken Smiths would be on dozens of Urban Gospel and Smooth Jazz recordings. Fodera probably is on much more stuff than many of realize. Even Performance basses and LowEnd are on more stuff than one might think. That said, I think that the SR5 leads the pack, and Sadowsky would come in a close second due to Nadhville.
 

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