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Most reliable 5 string?

roccobladr

roccobladr

Aug 17, 2009
328
449
SE Pennsylvania
#1
so I am in a cover band and we have a pretty packed schedule coming up. playing 1-3 times a week in the next few months.

last night at one of the most important shows of our career, my ibanez decides to crap out. started making this distorted sound every time i would move. im so fed up with it. i love the way it sounds and plays, but i cant be dealing with that any more.

im about to just dive right in and spend the big bucks. i totally believe you get what you pay for with instruments.

so i wanna get a 5 string music man. ill just have to put it on the credit card and hope i get a nice tax return i guess and maybe sell the ibanez and another bass i have on here as a nice fixer up for someone.

anyway, how are musicmans? i know their sound and everything, but anyone have any problems with them? how are their reliability?

cliffs:
-ibanez crapped out
-need a new bass
-wants a 5 string possibly music man
-reliability?
 
#3
5string5fingers said:
I wouldn't label an active bass "reliable" I'd go with something passive. Maybe a 5 string jazz or p bass.
Click to expand...

Wiring can fail on a passive bass as well- there's no reason to believe a bass with active electronics is any less reliable than a passive bass if you are responsible with it.
 
#4
You will not go wrong with a Musicman. They are a fine bass.

As another posted said, he does not consider an active bass reliable. I have to disagree. Sure, can a battery die...yes it can, and will. This is a simple matter...change the battery once every month or two.
 
#6
This is true. Simple maintenance would be the best thing for any bass. Maybe just get your ibanez fixed and just keep up with it? Unless you just want a new bass which is understandable,in that case though it shouldn't be more about reliability as it should be just build quality.

The only reason why I said passive was the lack of battery and the amount people complain about their batteries dying.
 
#10
5string5fingers said:
I wouldn't label an active bass "reliable" I'd go with something passive. Maybe a 5 string jazz or p bass. The less crap it has,the less there is to go wrong.
Click to expand...

Hey now just because a bass is active doesn't automatically make it unreliable. 9V systems last hundreds of hours on a single battery and I've heard 18V systems can double that. And it's not as if passive bass can't fail on you either. A reliable bass is one that built well and Stingray's are definitely well built. Just remember that it does you a battery so if the tone gets little weak it's more likely that it's need a new one rather than it crapping out on you.
 
#12
Kwesi said:
Hey now just because a bass is active doesn't automatically make it unreliable. 9V systems last hundreds of hours on a single battery and I've heard 18V systems can double that. And it's not as if passive bass can't fail on you either. A reliable bass is one that built well and Stingray's are definitely well built. Just remember that it does you a battery so if the tone gets little weak it's more likely that it's need a new one rather than it crapping out on you.
Click to expand...

Should read my second post and idols. We both say passive because passives are less likely to die in the middle of a song,and as everybody knows,when your battery dies at an important moment those batteries you bought magically disappear out of your bag.
 
#15
cybersnyder said:
Most reliable == The bass that you thinks sounds great and a backup.
Click to expand...

+1

I take my 55-01 skyline as a backup when I am playing 4-string.

To the OP--I recently pulled my '71 P-bass out of semi-retirement and discovered it didn't work--distorted weak signal with Hum, Crackle, Pop!

Yep, dirty pots. Worked 'em back and forth a lot (2 minutes), and gave them a shot of pot cleaner from Radio Shack--worked 'em again.
Guess what? All fixed. :p
 
#16
Not an answer to your question on MM basses, but a little insight on Ibanez basses.

ALL Ibanez are notorious for having ****!y input jacks. I own 2 Ibanez guitars, a 4 string bass and a 5 string bass. EVERYONE one them, the input jack has went bad. All of mine, the end (inside) pushed off after 6 months or so of use. If you really like the bass, I'd just replaced the jack and save you money. But, that's just my opinion. $9.95 vs.$1500.00, to me it's not a question.
 
#18
5string5fingers said:
Should read my second post and idols. We both say passive because passives are less likely to die in the middle of a song,and as everybody knows,when your battery dies at an important moment those batteries you bought magically disappear out of your bag.
Click to expand...

This is a simple matter. I have owned an MIA Fender Jazz and a Korean Lakland (Active)

Have batteries. I wouldn't leave for a gig without one. I use batteries from dollar tree, no joke. They work just fine for about a month and a half (playing around 6 hours a day..) but I have since reduced my pratice time to about two hours, so I see them lasting a long time.

$1.07 every 1.5-4 months is a small price to pay.




That said, I stand behind my Lakland 55-01 as well-price instrument that I am totally comfortable with and love more than any other bass I have played (except for that one really really really expensive USA Spector.. :p)

Just swap the preaamp out and you'll have a charm. That also said, Lakland has been known highly, very highly, to mail people preamps free of charge priority mail no questions asked, to 2nd/3rd owners.
 

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