Recommend me a scoring bass ~£1000

[M selk]

Hi all, first post here.

I work in film and can wrangle some budget for a 5 string bass to be used on an upcoming project. I'm coming primarily from guitar and keys, and it will mostly be used as a compositional tool for slower lines and some chords, as well as more heavily processed sounds. I'm planning to string it up E-C, and would like to get something with a good balance of bright and rounded tones.

I'm not very familiar with the bass market so I was wondering if any of you helpful folks could give me some direction. I've been looking at a few instruments like the Reverend Mercalli 5 which sits bang on my budget, or the Sterling sub5 which is a fair bit below, but sounds a little more aggressive than what I'm ideally looking for. It seems opinions on both of these are generally positive, but I'd like to consider a few more options, including models to keep an eye out for on secondary as I have four or five weeks before I need to make the purchase.

The budget can stretch higher on a really solid recommendation, looking forward to reading some thoughts!

 

[fhtagn]

Stretch the budget a tad higher and grab a Sandberg TM5. You won't regret it. It's versatile enough for that type of work and plays great. Lakland 55-02 would be my another suggestion – that's a 35" scale though so it might not be the optimal choice. Others will probably recommend the G&L L-2500 Tribute for its versatility, but I've got no personal experience with that one.

(off-topic: I'm also working in film – mostly on-location and post-production sound though, not music)

 

[Nebadon2000]

The Reverend Mercalli 5 seems a Great Choice

 

[mellobud]

27441950[/URL], member: 397729"]Hi all, first post here.

I work in film and can wrangle some budget for a 5 string bass to be used on an upcoming project. I'm coming primarily from guitar and keys, and it will mostly be used as a compositional tool for slower lines and some chords, as well as more heavily processed sounds. I'm planning to string it up E-C, and would like to get something with a good balance of bright and rounded tones.

I'm not very familiar with the bass market so I was wondering if any of you helpful folks could give me some direction. I've been looking at a few instruments like the Reverend Mercalli 5 which sits bang on my budget, or the Sterling sub5 which is a fair bit below, but sounds a little more aggressive than what I'm ideally looking for. It seems opinions on both of these are generally positive, but I'd like to consider a few more options, including models to keep an eye out for on secondary as I have four or five weeks before I need to make the purchase.

The budget can stretch higher on a really solid recommendation, looking forward to reading some thoughts!

I think a 5 string P would do well for you. Sire has a passive 5 string P style bass that is well reviewed.

sire p5 5 string

 

[M selk]

Stretch the budget a tad higher and grab a Sandberg TM5. You won't regret it. It's versatile enough for that type of work and plays great. Lakland 55-02 would be my another suggestion – that's a 35" scale though so it might not be the optimal choice. Others will probably recommend the G&L L-2500 Tribute for its versatility, but I've got no personal experience with that one.

(off-topic: I'm also working in film – mostly on-location and post-production sound though, not music)

Oh nice, i tried to get into location sound a few years back but ended up spreading myself too thin with composition and post audio/foley work (which I've also cut back on lately).

The Sandbergs look fantastic but they're a pretty big stretch unless I found one at a steep discount. I'd like to get a decent lap steel too for the same project so stretching my bass budget will eat into that.

The Reverend is looking more like the most solid choice the more I check them out, sadly nowhere nearby will have any in stock to test run.

The P5 is another i glanced at, and listening to a demo just now they do sound pretty solid. Does anyone have more they can share on the feel/playability of those?

 

[GIBrat51]

Hi all, first post here.

I work in film and can wrangle some budget for a 5 string bass to be used on an upcoming project. I'm coming primarily from guitar and keys, and it will mostly be used as a compositional tool for slower lines and some chords, as well as more heavily processed sounds. I'm planning to string it up E-C, and would like to get something with a good balance of bright and rounded tones.

I'm not very familiar with the bass market so I was wondering if any of you helpful folks could give me some direction. I've been looking at a few instruments like the Reverend Mercalli 5 which sits bang on my budget, or the Sterling sub5 which is a fair bit below, but sounds a little more aggressive than what I'm ideally looking for. It seems opinions on both of these are generally positive, but I'd like to consider a few more options, including models to keep an eye out for on secondary as I have four or five weeks before I need to make the purchase.

The budget can stretch higher on a really solid recommendation, looking forward to reading some thoughts!

If all you intend to do with it, is write musical scores? If you like the way it feels and plays - get the Sterling. As for the "tones"? Speaking as a bass player for 50+ years - with 23 basses currently, of widely different types and makes? With few exceptions, the tone comes mostly from the pickups and the strings. While you can change the pickups, it's much, much easier - and a whole lot cheaper - to change the strings. Trust me; bass strings - whether round wounds; flat wounds; tape wounds; or any of the variations of those categories - do not all sound the same. At All. I can pretty much make any of my basses sound pretty much any way I want them to - by changing to different strings. And, I do just that...

 

[tb-player]

Hi all, first post here.

I work in film and can wrangle some budget for a 5 string bass to be used on an upcoming project. I'm coming primarily from guitar and keys, and it will mostly be used as a compositional tool for slower lines and some chords, as well as more heavily processed sounds. I'm planning to string it up E-C, and would like to get something with a good balance of bright and rounded tones.

I'm not very familiar with the bass market so I was wondering if any of you helpful folks could give me some direction. I've been looking at a few instruments like the Reverend Mercalli 5 which sits bang on my budget, or the Sterling sub5 which is a fair bit below, but sounds a little more aggressive than what I'm ideally looking for. It seems opinions on both of these are generally positive, but I'd like to consider a few more options, including models to keep an eye out for on secondary as I have four or five weeks before I need to make the purchase.

The budget can stretch higher on a really solid recommendation, looking forward to reading some thoughts!

Cort Elrick NJS 5 five string bass, Jazz, Bass Direct - UK Basses specialist, Warwick, special offer, sale,

This bass will exceed your every expectation.

 

[Malak the Mad]

Welcome to TalkBass!

While you can change the pickups, it's much, much easier - and a whole lot cheaper - to change the strings. Trust me; bass strings - whether round wounds; flat wounds; tape wounds; or any of the variations of those categories - do not all sound the same. At All. I can pretty much make any of my basses sound pretty much any way I want them to - by changing to different strings. And, I do just that...

Wise man is wise! I've had many similar experiences with choosing strings, using this-or-that type/model/brand to zero in and sculpt the sound of a bass.

 

[logdrum]

Proper strings are what you need to focus on and a trip to the tech to set up the bass nut but for E-C tuning. For me it was a set of La Bella Copper and White tapes. Search Andres Rotmistrovsky. - great bass player, he uses La Bella also. I had a project late 2021 to 2022 accompanying someone chordaly and basically playing like a guitar player with a bass tuned E-C. Any bass would work but something with easier high fret access and not very hot pickups

Here is Andres. He gives lessons but you better speak good Spanish.

 

[M selk]

All excellent feedback. I'm certainly planning to get it set up for E-C professionally as I've not set up or built a guitar for a long time. I'd rather not be replacing electronics unless I can find something under like £600.

Really appreciate the string recommendations.

I was wondering whether anyone would recommend a Cort, though I was thinking of avoiding J pickups so the one mentioned above is maybe not the best fit, the high fret access does look good though there will be less need of that with a High C available. I see theres a Jeff berlin model which looks closer to a good spec for my purposes with soapbars, has anyone had experience with those models?

 

[RyanSaranich]

The P5 is another i glanced at, and listening to a demo just now they do sound pretty solid. Does anyone have more they can share on the feel/playability of those?

I had one of these for a little while last year (maybe it was a P7?) and thought that within this budget range, it was one of the best basses you could put your hands on. I’d probably take it to a tech to get it checked out as I found out after a short period of time that it could use a higher quality jack, and the wiring on the pre was too tight. My tech took care of this stuff within about 15 mins, and that bass was great for any stage.

 

[wintremute]

I would recommend an Ibanez BTB, or an SR605.

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For what it sounds like you're creating, I lean more towards the BTB. Since you are a guitar player, because of the neck I would lean towards the SR605.

 

[fhtagn]

I would recommend an Ibanez BTB, or an SR605.

BTB's are awesome. They're 35" scale though, so that might create some difficulties with the E-C tuning. Unless one should grab a sixer with the BTB846V that has a 33" scale.
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Also, "a good balance of bright and rounded tones" is not exactly something that I'd personally associate with those Bart BH2's, as in my experience they tend to lean more towards the darker side of tonality. In that regard the SR with Nordys might be a better choice for the OP. Just my two cents. I'd also like to add that I've got BTB's with Barts, Nordys & Aguilars and I love them all!

 

[M selk]

Yeah some Ibanez models look great on paper for what I want, but unfortunately I just dont gel with them. I've played a couple in store and the feel of them just didnt fit right for me and as fhtagn says the tone isnt quite suited for my purpose. Also aesthetically they're pretty far from my preference, which isnt a huge deal but ideally I'd like an instrument which doesnt discourage me from picking it out of the rack.

I do keep being drawn back to the reverend, the two colour ways they have available right now dont really strike me but as a whole its looking quite an appealing instrument.

 

[Sharko]

If you look at your needs (E-C tuning, composition tool, heavily processed), have you considered a Bass VI instead? If you’re not familiar with these things they are 30” scale, strings are EADGCE like a guitar but 1 octave lower like a bass guitar. It’s got all the notes you want without having to get a new nut and setup, and may feel more familiar to a guitar player, and you don’t need to worry about tone because you’ll do that with effects processor anyway. I remember Sergio Vega (Deftones, Quicksand) saying he does all his composition on a bass VI.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Sire 5 string Jazz or PJ
G&L Tribute L2500
Sterling Ray35

 

[TrustRod]

Of your many choices a Fendery PJ like a Yamaha BB model will give you tones that are very well accepted and familiar, leaving around £800 leftover if you go for a simple passive model used. The Sterling, and that wonderful Stingray sound, could bring more attention to itself which may not be wanted in someone's film that isn't on cool bass tones.

 

[M selk]

The bass vi suggestion is certainly a possibility, I like the look of the eastwood Sidejack or TB64 as well as the Gretsch G5260. Having a bigsby model like these isnt something I'd considered but might actually fit quite well in the project in question.

 

[SulzerType2]

All excellent feedback. I'm certainly planning to get it set up for E-C professionally as I've not set up or built a guitar for a long time. I'd rather not be replacing electronics unless I can find something under like £600.

Really appreciate the string recommendations.

I was wondering whether anyone would recommend a Cort, though I was thinking of avoiding J pickups so the one mentioned above is maybe not the best fit, the high fret access does look good though there will be less need of that with a High C available. I see theres a Jeff berlin model which looks closer to a good spec for my purposes with soapbars, has anyone had experience with those models?

The Cort Rithmic (Jeff Berlin) bass is a good shout! A very 'blank canvas' bass that has simple controls and a variety of tones. For composition work it would be a good fit I reckon.

 

[GerardJaCrispy]

Schecter Riot 5 in Aurora - not just beautiful but plays like a hot knife through butter, spectacular neck shape and if you, like me, don't have the longest fingers, this one's made for you. Great tone range, too.

Hi all, first post here.

I work in film and can wrangle some budget for a 5 string bass to be used on an upcoming project. I'm coming primarily from guitar and keys, and it will mostly be used as a compositional tool for slower lines and some chords, as well as more heavily processed sounds. I'm planning to string it up E-C, and would like to get something with a good balance of bright and rounded tones.

I'm not very familiar with the bass market so I was wondering if any of you helpful folks could give me some direction. I've been looking at a few instruments like the Reverend Mercalli 5 which sits bang on my budget, or the Sterling sub5 which is a fair bit below, but sounds a little more aggressive than what I'm ideally looking for. It seems opinions on both of these are generally positive, but I'd like to consider a few more options, including models to keep an eye out for on secondary as I have four or five weeks before I need to make the purchase.

The budget can stretch higher on a really solid recommendation, looking forward to reading some thoughts!