Well thanks everyone for the advice. I think I am going to save up for a Sterling Ray5.
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Should I get a 5 string bass?
- Thread starter ics1974
- Start date
For those looking at trying 5-strings, you could do worse than one of these: SIRE MARCUS MILLER P7 – Sire Revolution Official Swamp Ash is about $760, Alder maybe $100 less.
It is a newish company called Sire. While it sounds disturbingly like Squire, it is endorsed by Marcus Miller, and per the above link, you get features that normally cost more. I was pleased to see the carbon reinforcement on the 5 string models.
Just got one (online), and it "plays like butter" out of the box. 3/32 action, except 2/32 on G string. NO FRET BUZZ with moderate to heavy plucking.
It sounds like Sire is keeping its pricing low to get established. They used to include a gig-bag, but no longer.
It is a newish company called Sire. While it sounds disturbingly like Squire, it is endorsed by Marcus Miller, and per the above link, you get features that normally cost more. I was pleased to see the carbon reinforcement on the 5 string models.
Just got one (online), and it "plays like butter" out of the box. 3/32 action, except 2/32 on G string. NO FRET BUZZ with moderate to heavy plucking.
It sounds like Sire is keeping its pricing low to get established. They used to include a gig-bag, but no longer.
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Some people love them, some don't. I don't, but I do have an occasional need for one so I kept the only one I ever bought and just recently bought a second one on a lark. Most of the time, though, I just use a bass with a Hipshot Bass Xtender and switch to drop-D tuning if I need to play lower notes than E.
How does adding more bass notes make it not a bass?
Sterling Ray 5 will be pretty cool, if you can gel with the string spacing. Finger style I can get used to just about any spacing. Slap is where I started to appreciate the 19mm spacing on my 4 string P-bass, and have gotten used to it with 18mm spacing on my two 5 strings.
I have a 5 string Sire P7 with a Swamp Ash body, natural gloss, maple fretboard with pearl inlays. It's a sweet bass. Mine in particular came with impeccable fretwork. Not an uneven fret to be found. The preamp is a beast. The tone control is kind of weak, but might could be better by replacing the tone cap. Or even if you want to throw a different preamp in, the bass itself is still pretty sweet. The 5 string jazz neck with satin finish and bound+rolled edges are nice imo.
The Alder body costs less and provides the same function imo. I really wanted a White Blonde finish.. but Natural was all I could find when I got mine.
I love my Ibanez TMB505 as well. Which was like $550 before tax. It has a lot of presence in the upper mids but that can be tamed with EQ. It has a simple 2 band preamp with Nordstrand designed pups.. it can be rather bright... but I think it's another decent bass in the price range. I can't speak for the quality control as I had to send one back due to finding glue on the fretboard and not being able to set it up to my liking. I replaced the plastic knobs on mine with some black aluminum Gotoh knobs with set screws. The stack knobs would get pushed together in my gig bag and i'd have to fiddle with them to get them to turn independently.. where the Gotoh's look better and have none of that. The posts weren't designed for knobs with setscrews and might become damaged, but I don't ever plan to put knobs that slide on and off on the bass again.
The one I got as a replacement is a little lighter weight.. but has a small defect near the output jack in the sparkle finish, and on both I had to tighten the set screws in the knobs as they were loose from the factory.
One of many advantages is playing in Church and reading from Choir parts the 5 string allows you to play those notes without jumping octaves.
I was just kidding. I don't know how to play a 5.
Plus, all my heroes play 4's, besides Jimmy Johnson.
I played 4's for yrs, then 5's for yrs, now 4's. If a tune is Eb tuning..we play it standard or we agree to have 2nd guitars and opportunity to switch. I never liked the floppy and often dull sound of the B string and prefer the narrower neck myself.
I've been playing 5 string since the mid 90's. I switched because the music I was playing at the time called for it. Once I got accustomed to having a low B string I never had much need for a 4 string. The only time I use my 4 string these days is when I have a lot of charts to read. I learned to read on a 4 string and the B string confuses me from time to time.
In 2 words, it depends. Do you really want to play a 5 string because you want to play lower notes and have multiple position options in which to play things, or do you think you want one because other people have told you you need one?
Personally, I started on a 4 much like most players. I played my friends 5 string Carvin fretless (back in ‘96) and fell in love with that low B string. After graduating high school in ‘98 I played a couple 5s in my local music stores and traded my 4 string and some cash for an Ibanez 5. 21 years later and 3 5ers, I have NO reason to ever go back to playing a 4... although my wife has a killer Fender Blacktop P with flats that is a ton of fun from time to time. But for me, 5 is where it’s at.
...unless I get a 6 string Dingwall tuned F#-G...
Personally, I started on a 4 much like most players. I played my friends 5 string Carvin fretless (back in ‘96) and fell in love with that low B string. After graduating high school in ‘98 I played a couple 5s in my local music stores and traded my 4 string and some cash for an Ibanez 5. 21 years later and 3 5ers, I have NO reason to ever go back to playing a 4... although my wife has a killer Fender Blacktop P with flats that is a ton of fun from time to time. But for me, 5 is where it’s at.
...unless I get a 6 string Dingwall tuned F#-G...
I want it for the extra low notes and also an excuse to buy a new bass. Ha
It is only 4 extra notes technically, BUUUUUUT, when you think of all the times you wish you could jump down an octave from 3rd string notes like B, C, C#, and D and hit that HUUGE note that knocks folks in the butt, it's actually hard to live WITHOUT.
That said, my favorite bass nowadays is a 4 string, but that's just cuz it has that amazing classic tone and a special pedigree, but it's really hard to play in almost any band setting nowadays without a 5er.
That said, my favorite bass nowadays is a 4 string, but that's just cuz it has that amazing classic tone and a special pedigree, but it's really hard to play in almost any band setting nowadays without a 5er.
This is a HUGE consideration for people diving into 5ers coming from 4s. Some 5ers have too narrow spacing for my taste, and it definitely takes time to adjust, especially to any slap stuff where there's less space to get your thumbs slapping without hitting other strings and your fingers down under the strings to pop em.
That said, usually purely finger style parts are a breeze on narrower spacing, and you'll feel like you got a speed boost in your faster line playing!
Interestingly, the 5'er that I bought also is multi-scale. That part was a breeze. The string spacing was the most odd thing to adapt to.
My 4's are cased up. I haven't tried them since I got the 5. Going to continue working with the 5 exclusively for now.
I'm on the fence. I think you would be happy with a fiver but I also think you would get too involved and lose touch with your family and friends and that would lead you into a dark place. Too much time in dark places and you'll start wearing Affliction jeans like that dude on the ghost show.
What if we split the difference and agree that you can have a 5 but only if you agree not to increase your practicing time? Then everybody wins.
What if we split the difference and agree that you can have a 5 but only if you agree not to increase your practicing time? Then everybody wins.
