String Spacing of 5-string basses

It's even worse when your tastes change and you keep needing to buy stuff. I've gone from 19mm to 16.5 back to 19 and now I like 16 or under even for slap. Thank god I've settled on 5 strings at least.

 

Ibanez BTB 5-Strings have 19mm string spacing.

 

My first 5er was a Schecter Stiletto, a wonderful little bass with 16.5mm spacing that was great for my left (fretting) hand but in the end too hard for me to adjust my right hand fingerstyle for. I find that 18mm is fine, though, which is what I have on my two Status Graphites and my Squier VM Jazz V.

 

Sometimes you just need to look deeper into the catalogs. I've been pleased by this 19mm string spacing Ibanez BTB685SC as my main gigging bass in the last few years. That is if one would categorize Ibanez as one of the popular manufacturers.

 

The more I play, the less i notice fret and string spacing. 4 string short scale to 6 string 35".

 

It never occurs to me. The mind and human anatomy seem to adapt invisibly, I never thought about it, though a Patitucci six-string Yamaha did feel like they put strings on a diving board . . . . . an honestly, for me, I got other things to worry about.

 

I’m agnostic on the spacing itself, as far as right hand technique goes. But, I do have strong feelings about the width of the neck required by whichever spacing, especially around the neck/body joint. Too wide at that point, and the bass starts feeling unwieldy. Too narrow and it feels cramped. And it’s all relative. For my sense, 19mm or 20mm is great on a 4 string, 18mm feels right on a 5 string and 17 mm feels right on a 6 string.

 

I also thought I had to have 19mm spacing on a 5 string, until I played a Roscoe with 18.3mm spacing. Now 17mm...no. I cannot deal with that.

 

I like 19 on a four. I find that if the string spacing on a fiver is 19, it feels huge. I have to have a little narrower spacing for it to feel the same.

 

Adapt or go custom. Plenty of killer builders these days.

 

I’ve honestly never really understood this. Perhaps because the majority of main players I’ve had over the years were 5 strings.
If anything when I get a new bass it takes me maybe an hour of practice to get used to the spacing. I only really have an issue with string spacing when it comes to like super tight fender bass vi guitar like spacing and that’s mainly because I have chunky fingers.

 

All of my current players (5's) have 3/4" spacing, it feels like home... always has, always will...

I have owned and operated and gigged and made money with tighter - spaced strings, and it was painful to let some of them go, because they sounded sooooo good. Just never felt right.

 

Case in point: these are fabulous in every way, if they were 3/4" spacing ... I would play the snot out of one. Have one and gigged it, so my sentiment is sincere

 

I was a 19mm guy too for a long time (and 35"). 17mm was too tight and 16mm was a guitar as far I was concerned. My 'eureka' moment was playing a 34" Wilkins PJ5 w/18mm spacing. Perfect for me.

 

Is there a thread (similar to the nut width thread) that lists and compares string spacing at the bridge? Thanks

 

I'm a fan of 19mm string spacing and somewhat compact body styles. I've settled on MTDs. My main axe is a Z5 and my backup is an Heir. All have 19mm string spacing. I'm told some of the import Lakland's (55-01) also have 19mm string spacing. Good luck.

 

How do you measure string spacing?