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Recommend a 5 string P bass

#23
VeryTallBassist said:
I've got a hankering for a new bass and I've got some criteria in mind. I'm open to used so I get more bang for my buck, and I'd like to keep the budget around $1500 give or take.
What I'm looking for:
  • 5 string
  • P body style
  • P/J or P/MM
  • Active with a passive switch
  • 17-18mm string spacing
  • Nice to have - available in purple or purple burst
What basses should I be looking at?
Click to expand...
Precision V?
 
#25
VeryTallBassist said:
I don't think you can get them with a second pickup anymore. I'd rather not rout one of these out if I don't have to. Maybe if I had a cheaper bass with a good neck that I could make a project out of, but I really don't have the room to paint a body.
Click to expand...
I’m really blown away by the Charvel, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it is.

Graphite neck reinforcement, luminlay side dots, roasted maple neck and fretboard with rounded edges, slim front to back neck profile, compound fretboard profile, and active three band with a passive push/pull volume pot. The pickups aren’t just some run of the mill PJ config, they’re both very wide range but with a lot of punch too. I’m sure you can do better on the preamp, but it’s perfectly fine as far as I can tell, zero complaints, and zero noise. Balances and plays like a P bass, looks like a Fender, minus a pickguard. I just can’t believe how feature packed they are and why there isn’t a bigger noise made about them.
 
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#26
VeryTallBassist said:
I've got a hankering for a new bass and I've got some criteria in mind. I'm open to used so I get more bang for my buck, and I'd like to keep the budget around $1500 give or take.
What I'm looking for:
  • 5 string
  • P body style
  • P/J or P/MM
  • Active with a passive switch
  • 17-18mm string spacing
  • Nice to have - available in purple or purple burst
What basses should I be looking at?
Click to expand...
Harley benton Deluxe series.
 
#27
MtManiac said:
I’m really blown away by the Charvel, I wasn’t expecting it to be as good as it is.

Graphite neck reinforcement, luminlay side dots, roasted maple neck and fretboard with rounded edges, slim front to back neck profile, compound fretboard profile, and active three band with a passive push/pull volume pot. The pickups aren’t just some run of the mill PJ config, they’re both very wide range but with a lot of punch too. I’m sure you can do better on the preamp, but it’s perfectly fine as far as I can tell, zero complaints, and zero noise. Balances and plays like a P bass, looks like a Fender, minus a pickguard. I just can’t believe how feature packed they are and why there isn’t a bigger noise made about them.
Click to expand...
The stock pickups are DiMarzios, no? I had a set in an NS2A I used to have and loved them. I'm going to have to try one out. I think the local GC has a JJ version - might be worth taking a ride tomorrow just to check out the neck.
 
#31
VeryTallBassist said:
The stock pickups are DiMarzios, no? I had a set in an NS2A I used to have and loved them. I'm going to have to try one out. I think the local GC has a JJ version - might be worth taking a ride tomorrow just to check out the neck.
Click to expand...
The J’s are Area J, but the split coil is a Charvel pickup.

I know the PJ came out a year or so after the JJ, so it may have a different preamp. I believe they used a new one in the PJ; the original one available in the JJ had some complaints, unless I’ve got my history wrong.
 
#33
Meets all your criteria except for 18mm and active/passive. It's passive only and 19mm. Neck pickup reverse p. MM humbucker at the bridge.

PXL_20221018_184908528.jpg


Reverend Mercalli 5, FM. Think there are one or two in the classifieds now, no affiliation.

Beast of a bass, massive pickups. Very comfortable too.
 
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#34
arepa_funk said:
Meets all your criteria except for 18mm and active/passive. It's passive only and 19mm. Neck pickup reverse p. MM humbucker at the bridge.

View attachment 5260865

Reverend Mercalli 5, FM. Think there are one or two in the classifieds now, no affiliation.

Beast of a bass, massive pickups. Very comfortable too.
Click to expand...
I saw somebody on YouTube cover Konichiwa with one of these. Sounded huge! I just don't know if I would get along with that wide a neck. BTW - with a name like arepa_funk, are you Colombian?
 
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#38
100% worth a consideration - Sire P8 (or P7 if you don't care about body wood). I was in a similar situation too long ago deciding between a L2500 and a P8. I chose the P8 because I like an underdog... Great bass, better than double it's price.
 

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