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My First Cliché Poll: Which Budget 5-Banger?

Which bass would YOU want most? (State why in the thread.)

  • Epiphone Thunderbird Pro V

    Votes: 36 11.6%

  • G&L Tribute L-2500

    Votes: 223 71.9%

  • Schecter Stargazer 5-string

    Votes: 18 5.8%

  • Schecter Stiletto 5-string

    Votes: 33 10.6%
  • Total voters
    310
#43
I voted for the Stiletto, primarily because it's the only one I've played and I really liked it. I also played the Studio version ($749 at GC), and out of 5 or six basses that I played that day it had my favorite tone of all of them. The action was amazing, and the combo of the mahogany and the EMG HZ's made me want to neglect a couple bills for the month.

More recently I also picked up a 4 string Extreme stiletto for a few minutes. I didn't plug it in, but even the bolt-on neck felt nice and solid. It didn't have a stellar setup done on it, but the fretwork appeared to be of similar quality to the more expensive studio version. At $300 less than the Studio, I'd even be sold on the Extreme if the pickups sounded decent and it setup nicely.
 
#45
IMO the Thunderbirds sound as good as they play. If you are worried about neck dive, buy a suede leather strap as those don't slide much or move the strap button where the dive is reduced. I really like the bass and treble eq knobs as well as the looks. If I could find one, I would rather get the Gibson Thunderbird 5 although that is not a budget bass!:)
 
#47
You like Rics ... then build a frankensteined 5 string bass with pickups in the Ric positions.

b001%20014.jpg
 
#48
G&L. I have a US L-2500 and I had a Schecter Stiletto Elite-5. I like the G&L neck better and the sounds better. But, my taste in sounds favors a more traditional/classic/vintage one. And I like a bas tone with some bite or balls to it. I haven't really spent any time with a Tribute, but I understand them to be pretty darn close to a US model sound-wise - and the G&L DELIVERS bite and balls!!
 
#56
I wish I could try the G&L. The ones I have played (4-bangers), I hated the frets, to be honest. Too "jumbo" for my liking. And I'm not finding good online clips mostly, but a few are good.

It may be best to take one poster's advice and just save up for a Big Al 5 SSS. That'd be "living the dream". Unfortunately I'll probably have to cut loose something already in the stable to get there, and then (a philosophical problem for another thread): do I really NEED a five string? Consistently I find the answer is a resounding "No." I just kind of want one in the stable. I gotta keep reminding myself of all the gigs I go to where guys are playing 5ers and they use that B string once, maybe twice for their entire set.

Okay... yeah we should end this. Because at this point I'm getting OT in my own topic.
 

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