I have a 5 string Pedulla Rapture J2000 bass. I like the tone, the look, the overall ergonomics (small body), and low weight (<9lb). There is just one small problem that's buggin me. The string spacing near the nut is too wide for me. Nut is 1 7/8". I don't mind narrow or wide spacing near the bridge, but wide spacing near the nut bothers my fretting hand. So my question is are there any 5-string Jazz or Jazz style basses out there that have a 1.75" or 1.8" nut width and can be had below 9 lbs with no neck dive and a good B string. Here are some that I came up with so far and what I think of them: Lakland DJ5 (hard to find under 9lb, and I prefer active) Carvin SB5000/B50 (I dont like how they look, weight can be all over the place) Custom parts bass? (but USACG only has 1 7/8 nut, and Warmoth is too chunky) Any other suggestions under $1500 new or used?
You might consider shaving your Pedulla's neck down a bit, or just having a new nut cut w/narrower spacing.
I agree. I had to get used to the feel of the 1st position on my Pedulla Rapture PJ 5 when it first arrived but I am happy that I did. Out of all my 5's (Lakland's, Roscoe, Yamaha) it works in every live and recording situation just perfectly. Also... Have a qualified luthier file the nut slots down so that your first position plays really easy. This made a huge difference for me. Good luck!
A new nut with slightly narrower string spacing is something I considered as well, I just forgot about it when I made this thread. Thanks for the reminder. The ibanez i tried (sr505) didn't get close enough to a jazz tone and they feel really cheap in my hand for some reason. Are the premium SR1405 better? Im going to stay away from Carvin, the look is just different in a weird way. The pedulla is also different but in a good way!
I haven't tried a 1405 but I have tried a 1205... quite a big improvement on the 505 I thought. Only way you'd know is by trying one