Quality VS Affordability - Shopping for a 5-string

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I should add: Aesthetic is important.

One of the bands I plan to use this bass with is Top-40 Country, and the other is 70s rock and roll covers. As nice as I'm sure they are, I couldn't bring myself to play any Ibanez in either of those bands.

I use an Ibanez ATK 5 string (2 of them) in a busy top 40 country band, and I get no complaints on or off the stage.

 

[NKBassman]

@GBassNorth, a very nice collection!

How's the low B on the Squier?
Did the Gibson come stock with the Babicz bridge?

 

[7dollarbologna]

@7dollarbologna: Sexy! What model is that? American Deluxe Jazz?

Back around Christmas time (go figure...) there was a significant price increase on Fender and Gibson at Long & McQuade (the Canadian "Guitar Centre"). I don't know if this due to Fender and Gibson actually increasing their pricing, or just local to Long & McQuade in Canada due to the CAD/USD conversion, but I just checked and Fender American Standard 5-string Jazz basses are currently running at $2000 CAD. Not only is this outside my budget, but I feel there are probably a few better choice available than Fender in that price range. Maybe I'm wrong, I've never owned an American Standard... but I could be shopping for a used USA Lakland in that price range...

Thanks! I'm digging on this one, I got it at Zzounds (payments)I've seen a few of them on Reverb and on the classifieds here. Good luck!

 

[GBassNorth]

@GBassNorth, a very nice collection!

How's the low B on the Squier?
Did the Gibson come stock with the Babicz bridge?

The B on the Squier is every bit as good as the B on the Fender. Neither one is my best sounding or feeling B though (that honor belongs to my Alembic or my Warwick Thumb bass). Of the three in the picture the Gibson has hands down the best B string. The other two basses are perfectly playable on the B string but just feel a bit more floppy than the Gibson. String choice and gauge choice have as much to do with B string playability as anything else. I've never actually run across a 5 string bass yet that I felt didn't have a useable B string, some are just better than others.

As for the Gibson - it's the deal of the century as far as I'm concerned. It has all the flexibility in sound of a G&L except nearly every tone is useable. I found the G&L to be very flexible but I always ended up putting it in passive mode because it sounded better in that setting than any other. The bridge on the Gibson is stock and is a Babicz brand, it is to die for! Here's a YouTube clip that shows some of the capability of the Gibson...

 

[7dollarbologna]

The B on the Squier is every bit as good as the B on the Fender. Neither one is my best sounding or feeling B though (that honor belongs to my Alembic or my Warwick Thumb bass). Of the three in the picture the Gibson has hands down the best B string. The other two basses are perfectly playable on the B string but just feel a bit more floppy than the Gibson. String choice and gauge choice have as much to do with B string playability as anything else. I've never actually run across a 5 string bass yet that I felt didn't have a useable B string, some are just better than others.

As for the Gibson - it's the deal of the century as far as I'm concerned. It has all the flexibility in sound of a G&L except nearly every tone is useable. I found the G&L to be very flexible but I always ended up putting it in passive mode because it sounded better in that setting than any other. The bridge on the Gibson is stock and is a Babicz brand, it is to die for! Here's a YouTube clip that shows some of the capability of the Gibson...

I have a buddy with an EB 5, I agree they are totally worth it.

 

[orangekid1991]

Acacia!!!! They make a 5 string fanned as well!

 

[BassOnTheSide]

I'll second the suggestion for the (MIG) Warwick Corvette Standard 5. Really great basses and undervalued on the used market IMO.

 

[NKBassman]

As for the Gibson - it's the deal of the century as far as I'm concerned. It has all the flexibility in sound of a G&L except nearly every tone is useable. I found the G&L to be very flexible but I always ended up putting it in passive mode because it sounded better in that setting than any other. The bridge on the Gibson is stock and is a Babicz brand, it is to die for! Here's a YouTube clip that shows some of the capability of the Gibson...

I am liking that quite a bit... very versatile. I'll add it to the mental list.

 

[NKBassman]

Acacia!!!! They make a 5 string fanned as well!

That looks, sounds, and costs close enough to a Dingwall that I'd just as soon buy a Dingwall and keep my money in Canada.
Honestly even the logo on that Acacia bass is so similar to the Dingwall logo that I think it's bordering on infringement.

 

[cableguy]

I would look at a Spector Euro or Legend 5 used. Great basses for the money. It that's not the look you want, a used G&L L2500 can be had for around $800, $400 for the tribute model.

 

[electracoyote]

I went through the same self-talk as OP when I went for a nice fiver.

Used Peavey USA Cirrus 5 in HSC, around $1,000.00. I meant to stop with one, but it was such a value, I bought two (I'm one of those weirdos who likes to have a backup at performances).

 

[the harp unstrung]

I've said it before, and I'll say it again and again and again...at least until this guitar gets the respect it so richly deserves...

 

[fantasticplanet]

one of my favorite bass players uses an $800, "disposable" mexican jazz. jazz bass pickups have a reeeeally deep low end, especially if you have the bridge back off just a tiny bit, and roll the tone down. and the scooped mids when you have both pickups up can help with clarity in the b string since the mids aren't getting in the way of the fundamental. to me, it's the perfect tone for a low b. and it's not so scooped that you lose articulation. it's cheap, and if you want to you can always replace the pickups.

 

[Fingerpickingood]

Ibanez makes a fair few finishes that might be more to your aesthetic preferences. FWIW, my main bass is an Ibby 5er, and the string spacing doesn't deter my giant fingers a bit (my wedding ring was a size 14).

 

[DavC]

for me , having had a variety of price point 5vers ... i bought used Warmoths bits ... re-built / modded to taste with the parts you like best from those top tear basses ..!!

Warmoth 1 ... J body , Warmoth Deluxe 5 neck ( asymmetrical back side feels great .! ) , Barts dual coils , passive V/T/V/T , Schaller tuner/bridge ( ballpark $$$ 800 )

Warmoth 2 ... P body / Tele style neck , Nord Big Splits , passive , Hipshots , BadAss ( $800 ish )

Warmoth 3 ... Regenerate 51P/J 5 , Warmoth Deluxe 5 neck ( 1/4sawn wenge, macassar ebony , SS frets )
Nord P5Split neck , Bart Split Bridge , V/V/T passive ( $1k ish )

i find it great fun to rebuild these ... find all those magic parts usually used , maybe new ... get them to fit and work ... work on neck and frets ... get it up and running , setup just right ... ! satisfying ...

 

[DavidHT]

+1 on the Brubaker. I scored one off eBay last year and the thing's a tone beast with a super fast neck. Other basses that would make it onto my list to check into are Musicman, Spector Coda series, and I'm sure many others.

 

[NKBassman]

one of my favorite bass players uses an $800, "disposable" mexican jazz. jazz bass pickups have a reeeeally deep low end, especially if you have the bridge back off just a tiny bit, and roll the tone down. and the scooped mids when you have both pickups up can help with clarity in the b string since the mids aren't getting in the way of the fundamental. to me, it's the perfect tone for a low b. and it's not so scooped that you lose articulation. it's cheap, and if you want to you can always replace the pickups.

Yeah, the scooped-mid jazz tone is definitely something I'd want.

 

[Spent]

I just saw a Spector NS2000/5 in a local music store for $500. I have one and it's a great bass, highly recommended. That being said, I recently picked up a Yamaha TRBX505 and I extremely impressed with it. I have a number of higher end basses, Fender USA Deluxe, Ric 4001, Spector Euro and 15 more, so I have plenty to compare it to. IMHO Yamaha punches above its weight.

 

[cardinal]

Another vote for a Warwick Corvette or similar if you get on with the look. I've played every 5-string I can get my hands on, and at the price you can get a Corvette 5, they blow everything else away IMHO (AmDlx Fenders, StingRays, Ibanez, etc.). Turns out I think I'm a Spector guy, but the Corvette 5 was way cheaper and plays effortlessly.

 

[orangekid1991]

That looks, sounds, and costs close enough to a Dingwall that I'd just as soon buy a Dingwall and keep my money in Canada.
Honestly even the logo on that Acacia bass is so similar to the Dingwall logo that I think it's bordering on infringement.

The thing is it's cheaper than an ABZ and the combustions and the nolly play like piles of Chinese garbage