• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Reccomend me a Professional 5 String bass

#21
Since you're willing to budget into Warwick territory, I think you should look at a Warwick Star Bass II, in figured maple or bubinga.

load.php


They're available as 4- or 5-string, fretted or fretless. If you want a good walking bass line, the right hollowbody or chambered with big fat pickups is hard to beat, even more so with a fretless w/flatwounds.

Another high level hollowbody would is the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed], which is also ergonomically shaped and available as USA or Skyline series. I don't think you can get it as a 5-er though.

hollowbody_4.jpg


I'm pretty sure you can also special order a G&L ASAT semihollow bass as a 5-string. I play a fretless 4-string version w/TI flatwounds and it's hard to beat for a walking bass line tone from an electric bass guitar.
 
#22
Been there done that, got smarter. For that kind of money, you could buy several basses that would fill the bill.

Modern tone with active electronics, and a killer B string? Peavey TL5.
IMHO compares well with Smith or Tobias, and available used for around 500.00.

Jazz tone on a budget, without sacrificing quality or tone? Peavey Foundation.

Upright tone emulation? Wendler 4 or 5.

And when it is all said and done, you still have 2000.00 left for a quality combo, and in ear monitor system.
 
#24
Lakland 55-02... very versatile. Can be warm and 'polite', or aggressive and punchy depending on the settings. It can do the Jazz/MusicMan/P-Bass thing very convincingly. You'll also be getting the best B-string in the business, IMO. Also, you may want to check out the 55-01's as well. Yes, I said it. I know a few gospel guys who use 55-01s and love them in that setting. They have a very nice tone, even stock. A lot of guys mod them out, but I'm one of the few I guess who like them stock. YMMV.
 
#27
For $4,000, I would get two basses. Going used, you could get a Streamer Jazzman and a Streamer Stage 1. You could get a new Stingray MM5 and a new Peavey Cirrus. YOu could also get a used Sadowsky Metro Modern and a used Sadowsky Jazz.

Another duo would be a new Ibanez RD5005 or 5006 and a used MTD 535 or 635. My final combo would be a Pedulla Thunderbass and used Ken Smith 5 or 6.
 
#28
Maybe it is just me, but any bass that costs $4K is not a "professional" bass. It is a boutique jobber. Nothing wrong with boutiques. I own a custom Chris Larkin myself (also a 6 string Warwick much like you were talking about in your original post). For me, a pro instrument is one that is a workhorse. One that will get the job done while being cheap enough that any sort of mishap that may befall it on the job would be no big thing.

Heck, for $4K you can get a good Jazz and P 5'er along with a couple of differing outboard preamps for tonal variety. You would have two of the most commonly desired bass tones and STILL come out with over a grand in your pocket.

Guess I am arguing fine points of deifitions most likely. I like the streamer lines from warwick, but they are heavy. You mentioned that you don't want heavy. Warwick = heavy every time. They feel it and they sound it.
 
#29
check out roscoe as well. might be more of what you are looking for. jimmy haslip plays one on all the newer yellowjackets stuff. i think they sound amazing. great for jazz, dont know about the gospel though. never heard them in that setting.

mtd is also great, but they are very active and modern sounding. on earlier yellowjackets haslip plays a fretless mtd.

check out ken smiths also. john patitucci's earlier work was done on a smith, and they can go from a smooth punchy tone to a very modern sound very easily with some eq and panning. while mentioning john patitucci, check out yamaha stuff. the nathan east sig and the trb's are amazing, as well as every other instrument they make. patitucci plays his signature 6 string on his newest album "rememberance", which, if you like jazz and john pattituci's playing, is a MUST!
 
#30
RoboChrist said:
J type basses are too plain sounding for gospel.
Click to expand...
Pardon? Sorry, but that's just silly.

thisSNsucks said:
Sadowsky Metro or NYC P/J 5er.
Click to expand...
However, as you are a DB player, you might like a P/J better than a pure J bass. P/J's have a thicker tone that you may prefer. So +1 to the Sadowski P/J.

All suggestions so far are good, I think,, although I'd say the hollowbody basses would be a somewhat unconventional choice. But as you've said, you really need to play some to see what suits you best.
 
#32
After trying many high-end basses. I would definitely suggest Blif Bordwell (Invalid Link Removed)

I agree that a MTD 535 is a great bass, but it doesn't offer anything more than the bordwell bass.

+ you can get a GREAT 5 string bordwell for 2500$ and it is better then MANY of the boutique basses.

I had a streamer many years ago. I paid 3200$ + i had to pay for new pickup and preamp to make it versatile as much as i wanted to... I felt like i could only get the same kind of tone even if i was using the EQ knobs...

definitely worth taking 5 minutes to take a look at the CB website.....
 
#33
kjpollo said:
With THAT budget, you could get youself a couple of excellent basses. :bassist:

On the true boutique side, try:
Tom Clement: www.clementbass.com
Nino Valenti

On the slightly more production-oriented side try:
Sadowsky
Lakland


I own a Clement and I LOVE it. I've also played a couple of Valenti's, and a few Laklands and Sadowskys and they are all great basses. Even the Lakland and Sadowsky budget lines are great instruments.
Click to expand...

+1 on the Clement bass - Tom has a knack for building just what you need. Playability and tone are through the roof.
 
#35
Kwesi said:
LOL I can't believe that no one has refuted this comment yet! Most Gospel players that I've seen use J basses and heard! As far as I'm concerned Jazz basses have the some of the best tones for Gospel (next to MTDs and Ken Smiths).
Click to expand...

Actually, it was disputed a bit earlier, but just to help prove your point, my Brother, here is a clip from Hezekiah Walker's band:
 
#36
For MTD sound clips, just go to Youtube and do a search. You'll find a bunch of clips of guys playing 535s and 635s. Keep in mind that MTDs are available in different wood combinations and each combination has its own sonic characteristics (though a lot of folks will tell you that MTDs still maintain an MTD "sound" regardless of wood selection). Another detail worth considering is what you expect in terms of customer service. This wasn't much of an issue for me ten years ago, but today it really matters. I had some big problems with Warwick's lack of accountability when problems arose with my Thumb bass. They were absolutely useless, not to mention disrespectful, when it came to dealing with my problem. I now deal directly with builders (such as Roger Sadowsky, Rob Green and Michael Tobias) who stand behind their products and take their customer's concerns seriously.
 
#37
Kael said:
Maybe it is just me, but any bass that costs $4K is not a "professional" bass. It is a boutique jobber ... For me, a pro instrument is one that is a workhorse. One that will get the job done while being cheap enough that any sort of mishap that may befall it on the job would be no big thing.

Heck, for $4K you can get a good Jazz and P 5'er along with a couple of differing outboard preamps for tonal variety. You would have two of the most commonly desired bass tones and STILL come out with over a grand in your pocket.
Click to expand...
Total agreement here. Total, total, total.

For 4K you could buy a Sadowsky Metro and a Lakland Skyline and either one would do you just fine for gospel.

You can do what you want with your money but you simply don't need to spend that much.
 
#39
thesneakyjesus said:
I think the MTD lust has really settled. I'm going to give it a month or two before I buy so I can really play some basses and make sure.
Click to expand...

Good. Take your time and play everything you can. That's what I did and I have a Suhr Classic J on the way.....very much under the radar of most bassists which is a shame because they are the best sounding J basses out there...And better to spend a little more money on that bass that will be your one and only than to buy a couple of mediocre parts basses.
 
#40
Lots of GREAT suggestions already, but unless you're dead set on boutique builders, i'd like to recommend that you check out the Invalid Link Removed or their BB75 Bunny Brunel Sig model - either could be tricked up with all the options and still come in ~ $2k...which would leave you more than enough $ for a new Invalid Link Removed too !

there's nothing wrong with the [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] available from MF or GC for ~ $1k

Decisions, decisions !
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back