Slim-necked 5 with a Good B under $1.5k ????

[lyralain]

Hey all- I experimented with a few cheapo 5s, wasn't satisfied with the B string, and decided I'd sell some things to splurge & give the EHB1005MS a shot, hoping the multiscale would help.

It's a gorgeous bass, especially the fingerboard. It's playable with my small hands (though playing octaves towards the nut I start to really feel a stretch). But it's 35" B just, still isn't cutting it for me as it stands.

an open E has some nice growl from upper freqs. The same E played with the 5th fret on a B string is dull & sinusoidal. open->fretted may not be a fair comparison, but playing up on the neck at the same frets across strings, the B always seems significantly duller than the other 4. If I apply the onboard bass boost or a shelf afterwards, the B gets WAY too boomy as well. Would need a fair bit of dynamicEQ/multiband comp to tame.

So, tl;dr questions-
1. The title- what would your recommendation B for a 5 under $1.5k that both sounds good & is playable (especially for small hands?)
2. If I were to decide to keep the gorgeous, playable EHB1005MS, other than post processing, how would you address the B? Would a thicker string gauge help?

 

[mikeswals]

Used would be my recommendation.
US Musicman StingRay 5 and US Sterling 5, as well as US G&L 5's can all be found in that price range and have killer B's.
I just saw a black StingRay 5 for 1450 in the classifeds...something like that will smoke for sure.

 

[David McIntire]

I've had on B string on a bass guitar defeat me in many, many years. It is all about the installation of the string. For the first few years I used Low B equipped basses, I also found it hard to get my B string to play and sound like the others. One day, whenI was changing my B, I realized it had twisted due to the ball end being held in position while the string twisted around the tuner's post. On my next install, I tuned the string to a half step below pitch, then loosened the tuner til I could remove the string's coil. The coil rotated once loose. I re installed the coil after lining it up with the post, tuned up. The B was far better. I then set the witness points, and tuned again. My B string improved dramatically, so I've used this technique since. My B strings play great all the way up the neck, no matter scale, or brand or gauge or type of bass. The strings also last longer. There are many ways to remove the twist of the bigger strings. But this way works great for me. I believe careful installation is key to a great B string. I hope it helps you.

 

[lyralain]

I believe careful installation is key to a great B string. I hope it helps you.

Interesting, would've never thought of that! The bass I'm trying out atm is headless though so I doubt there's a twist. It's a straight shot from tuner/bridge to post which just clamps down with no rotation.

 

[lomo]

Lakland Skyline DJ5 (35") or Reverend Mercalli 5 (34").

 

[David McIntire]

Interesting, would've never thought of that! The bass I'm trying out atm is headless though so I doubt there's a twist. It's a straight shot from tuner/bridge to post which just clamps down with no rotation.

Ah... I did not think of that. Witness points being set can be a big deal on their own, tho. Press down just ahead of the bridge saddle, pretty hard, til an angle is seen in the string as it crosses the saddle. The string should have an angle going over the saddle, not just a soft curve. This will reduce the action of the string slightly, and the intonation will need be set again. The string will get closer to the pickup, too. Distance from string to pickup can be a big deal, too. Getting it correct is key. I hope this helps.

The one bass I could not get a good B string from was a cheapie Squier active jazz 5. The coil of the pickup did not reach far enuff to cover the B string, due to off center install of the pickup. The B was fine unplugged, but thru an amp had lower output and was dull. Maybe a pickup swap would help?

As far as suggestions for other basses, Ibanez and Sire are great, semi economical choices. In fact, I just played a 200 6 string Ibanez that had a killer B string. I don't remember the model, but it was great.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Used would be my recommendation.
US Musicman StingRay 5 and US Sterling 5, as well as US G&L 5's can all be found in that price range and have killer B's.
I just saw a black StingRay 5 for 1450 in the classifeds...something like that will smoke for sure.

This was going to be my recommendation too. Add in some patience.

 

[lyralain]

The string should have an angle going over the saddle, not just a soft curve.

If I'm understanding this correctly, unfortunately the bridge pickup gets in the way of applying enough pressure to make a sharper crease. Still seems to be at an angle though.

The B was fine unplugged, but thru an amp had lower output and was dull. Maybe a pickup swap would help?

When fretted a bit up the neck, the B on this has a very bell-like quality acoustically, so I don't think it's just the pickups/signal chain. The string lacks the higher frequency content the others have.

As far as suggestions for other basses, Ibanez and Sire are great, semi economical choices. In fact, I just played a 200 6 string Ibanez that had a killer B string. I don't remember the model, but it was great.

All I've tried thus far have been Ibanez. Cheapo ones were the mikro 5, GSR205S & SR305EB. Current fancy one is the EHB1005MS. All have felt nice to play, especially the Mikro, though I found the 305's headstock too heavy for my taste. None of had a satisfactory fretted B yet.

 

[Bassamatic]

You should definitely be able to find a used Cirrus 5 under that amount. simply the best.

And David - thanks for the hints on the B string installation.

 

[David McIntire]

If I'm understanding this correctly, unfortunately the bridge pickup gets in the way of applying enough pressure to make a sharper crease. Still seems to be at an angle though.


When fretted a bit up the neck, the B on this has a very bell-like quality acoustically, so I don't think it's just the pickups/signal chain. The string lacks the higher frequency content the others have.


All I've tried thus far have been Ibanez. Cheapo ones were the mikro 5, GSR205S & SR305EB. Current fancy one is the EHB1005MS. All have felt nice to play, especially the Mikro, though I found the 305's headstock too heavy for my taste. None of had a satisfactory fretted B yet.

Man... I wish I were there, heh. I have not had a bad B string in a very long time. I'm sure it's something mechanical, do you mind if I ask what strings you use. For me, some B strings perform better than others. You might try a taper core string. Sometimes they react different than fully wound strings.

 

[DwaynieAD]

Idk what you consider a slim neck but my schecter studio 5 is one heck of an instrument. And I think it was 800 brand new.

 

[lyralain]

Man... I wish I were there, heh. I have not had a bad B string in a very long time. I'm sure it's something mechanical, do you mind if I ask what strings you use.

Appreciate the sentiment! And atm it's the roundwounds that came stock with the EHB. .045 through .130. Any rounds you'd recommend?

also just some sound examples, open E vs E on the B.
through pickups Dropbox - OpenE_then_EonB_pickups.wav - Simplify your life
acoustically Dropbox - OpenE_then_EonB_acoustic_microphone.wav - Simplify your life
^can really hear the 'bell'ness in the mic example. it only gets worse up the neck.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

You might find a new Korean or used EuroSpector like a Rebop or Eurobolt that would be great for you.

 

[iiipopes]

Anything Ibanez, especially if purchased used so someone else took the depreciation on it. The feel of their necks is exactly what the OP is describing, and by purchasing used, you can always flip it, and most Ibby's in the past few years use standard pickup shapes so the pickups and on-board pre can be upgraded or changed at will.

 

[Audiomicrowave]

I've only ever spent a lot of time with two 5'ers. First was a Fender American Jazz 5 a couple of years ago...it was nice; not the best thing ever but nice. I bought a Lakland 55-02 about a year and a half ago and haven't regretted it for a second...it plays like a dream and has all the tones I need. Can't go wrong with a Lakland.

B

 

[lyralain]

Anything Ibanez... The feel of their necks is exactly what the OP is describing

I've gone through four Ibanez 5s at this point, 3 cheap ones, and the current EHB1005MS I mention in OP.
They do all feel wonderful. Just haven't found a B on them that sounds good past the 4th fret- be it a Mikro 5 (which I didn't expect to work) or the 35" EHB (which I'd hoped would).

 

[Solarmist]

^ Yes - Ibanez SR Premium. The new green one with the Maple board I think is out now - check it out.

 

[David McIntire]

Appreciate the sentiment! And atm it's the roundwounds that came stock with the EHB. .045 through .130. Any rounds you'd recommend?

also just some sound examples, open E vs E on the B.
through pickups Dropbox - OpenE_then_EonB_pickups.wav - Simplify your life
acoustically Dropbox - OpenE_then_EonB_acoustic_microphone.wav - Simplify your life
^can really hear the 'bell'ness in the mic example. it only gets worse up the neck.

I've had better and far more consistent results with Stainless Steel rounds than nickel or nickel plated strings. I use D'Addario ProSteels as my main string on both my fretted and fretless 5 string basses. Both 34 scale, one strung thru body, one top load. But I've had good B strings from Labella, DR and Dean Markley. I don't get along as well with GHS or Dunlop strings. Not sure why, but those don't sound or perform as well on my basses. The consistency set to set, as well as the price, keeps me with D'Addario. Both their Nickel plated and Stainless offerings.

I will say this. A fretted E at 5th position on the B string and an open E will never quite sound identical. The fretted B usually has a bit more oomph while the open E has a bit more sustain and clarity. My fretted E is darn close, tho. But not identical. You may, for fun, want to try a taper core B. They generally have a bit different response than fully wound B strings, lending themselves to cure a bit of what is ailing you in that regard. And, my pickup prevents me from pushing a B string down too far, in a way. My pickups are approximately 1/8 of an inch away from the bottom of the string when I fret the string at the last fret. B strings have a lot of mass. Getting a pickup too close WILL affect the vibration of the B. And, as you fret farther up the neck, the B gets closer, which affects the string more and more. The string height is very important in this regard. Increasing the distance will, of course, decrease output slightly. But that's easily made up with gain. The goal being the performance of the string, vs simply worrying output. I'm very careful and meticulous in keeping up with the string height over the pickup(s).

 

[Dincrest]

What's great is that nowadays, you can get a 5-string with a solid low B at a workingman's price. I remember back in the 90s, getting a good low B on even a higher-end instrument was sometimes a roll of the dice. But now, instrument and string makers have gotten great at making good low Bs due to time and practice.

I don't think scale length is the end-all-be-all as some folks think. I've played 34" scale basses with amazing low Bs and 35" scalers with floppy Bs. I think the overall construction of the instrument, particularly the tightness at the neck joint, are a little more important than scale length.

Obviously a good setup is key as well. As others have said, the low B needs a little extra care to wind up otherwise it could be a nightmare to intonate.

I recently picked up a new-old-stock 2018 LTD D-5 bass (the merbau bodied one). I paid maybe $650 for it and I like its low B better than that of a preowned Carvin SB5000 I used to have. And that Carvin was a higher end bass that probably cost three times more than my LTD when brand new. Heck, I like my LTD's low B better than that of a Guitar Factory 6-string I used to own, and that was a bass handmade by the luthiers whom Michael Tobias worked with in his early days. Yeah, one of my favorite low Bs ever is from an Indonesian-made production bass.

When it comes to necks, Ibanez Soundgears are too skinny/narrow for me, Ibanez BTB necks are too chunky/wide for me, but ESP/LTD "thin U" necks are just right for me. I do not have big hands or overly long fingers.

And when it comes to strings, I've tried 'em all from budget to boutique and my favorites are D'Addario ProSteels. I love that I don't need a fancy string or a fancy bass to get a great low B these days.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

Hey all- I experimented with a few cheapo 5s, wasn't satisfied with the B string, and decided I'd sell some things to splurge & give the EHB1005MS a shot, hoping the multiscale would help.

It's a gorgeous bass, especially the fingerboard. It's playable with my small hands (though playing octaves towards the nut I start to really feel a stretch). But it's 35" B just, still isn't cutting it for me as it stands.

an open E has some nice growl from upper freqs. The same E played with the 5th fret on a B string is dull & sinusoidal. open->fretted may not be a fair comparison, but playing up on the neck at the same frets across strings, the B always seems significantly duller than the other 4. If I apply the onboard bass boost or a shelf afterwards, the B gets WAY too boomy as well. Would need a fair bit of dynamicEQ/multiband comp to tame.

So, tl;dr questions-
1. The title- what would your recommendation B for a 5 under $1.5k that both sounds good & is playable (especially for small hands?)
2. If I were to decide to keep the gorgeous, playable EHB1005MS, other than post processing, how would you address the B? Would a thicker string gauge help?

Keep in mind the B string is bigger than the E string and in general will sound some what bassier, and depending on your EQ, might sound duller.

I have a MIG active Warwick Corvette 5 string and I have zero problems with the B string. It’s very natural sounding.

But, to your point, My son has a MIA Fender Jazz 5er, and the B string sounds like it’s from a different instrument. No joke.

BTW, there is one for sale right now (not mine ) in the TB classifieds that looks almost brand new. Best wishes.