Need help on new bass

Ibanez SR885's are supposed to be pretty good. I only tried an SR800 and i thought the neck was quite quick and the EQ quite flexible in tone.

 

you could check out a yamaha trb or BB 605. the TRB's if you can snag one are good basses! id go that way if i were you.

 

Look at spectors. The B-strings are really nice, and you could get a new korean or a used Czech. They slap really well, and have a pretty good built in eq.

 

My KSD-Proto-J 5string with a J-Retro is now my new number 1 for my church playing. It slaps and pops well, and you can also get a steady deep groove with it.

 

Yeah, the KSDs look awesome, but they're currently hard to get!

Consider Schecter imports (the Korean Diamond axes). Their Stilletto series has from bare basics to really nice flame tops, exotic woods, so on and so on at pretty damn good prices. There seems to be quite a bit of attention given quality control (or maybe I've just been lucky). They have other 5 string models out now too that I'm itching to try out as well. Check 'em out!

 

There is a Fender 5 string bass thats also active,its the mexican Jazz bass"plus" or "deluxe" model,i cant remember which it is(i dont prefer active basses or 5er's).
Its only like 599.99 $ brand new,and much less used,and it definetly has a "fast" neck,and it leaves a few hundred for a case or other "goodies"
GOOD LUCK.

 

Yes, there are the Mex J bass in active and even less expensive passive 5-string. However going toe to toe with the Korean imports...well as much as I dig Fender, I have to give it to the Koreans. In a 5 string, I think tonally the Fender passive J-5 doesn't cut it. Now I like the active "Deluxe" model, but...

The Mex J5 only has 20 frets.
Its 34" scale does give that low B a case of floppiness
To access the battery you have to take the frigg'n pickguard off.
Big ole blocky heel joint!

Now figure your Schecters (a fav of mine) Deans (I've tried a few that were pretty good, Ibanez (ok, not my fav, but I dig those BTBs a lot!), and so on...you're getting much more high end options for practically the same money:

Two octive fretboards,
Easy access to upper fretts (sometimes neck-thru!),
Beautiful flame tops and or exotic woods,
35" scale necks,
EMG and Seymour (ok, import...) active pickups,
on and on and on...

Hell, if I came across a 5 string active Mex Fender Jazz in black that GC was just dying to get rid off for like $350; hell yeah, I'd take it. But at regular price, I say the Koreans (and Taiwan--Yamaha) has got Fender Mex beat.

r

 

I would tottally agree with this except for one issue- the fast neck. I used to play a korean, and now play a Czech Spector, and while the korean had a fairly fast neck, the Czech neck is very thick and chunky. Its like a 5 string P-bass neck. If you want a thin/fast neck, I would go for an Ibanez BTB- forget the soundgear series. The BTB is far superior to any soundgear bass, and you get it for $500-$800 rather easily. IMO its about on pay with the korean spectors, except the neck joint and the low B are slightly better- very good solid tone. I would play some of these basses before buyign online obviously though.

 

I agree, the BTBs are great! I think they smoke the old Soundgear stuff. However, that long scale, wide fingerboard is a bit of a stretch. For me, its great; but if the person who started this tread is looking for fast and easy, they might want to hang with the very axe they suggested, the Ibanez SX505. If you can, I'd plunk down a few more bucks for that ash bodied neck thru SX705 ; now that looks hot! I'd love to test drive teh SX705 side by side with the BTB405QM BTB 405 QM SX705