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This is weird.

Dr. Cheese

Dr. Cheese

Supporting Member
Mar 3, 2004
57,321
120,614
Metro St. Louis
#1
I have been thinking about getting new fretted five string and I hope to do the deed by New Year. The latest bass to catch my eye is the Cort GB Modern 5, a nice sort of Jazz Bass 35” scale that is under $1,500. The sub $1,500 range is where is am most comfortable, but I could go higher for the right bass. I guess the weird thing is that I am not too hung up on any particular bass the main thing I want is comfort and playability. I am making a late push to significantly improve my musicianship and for the first time in my life, I can say I really don’t care about a cool bass or who plays a bass. I just want it to work for me. I have talked about this before, but my change in mentality is something that I am still getting used to after decades of subconsciously putting gear over skill.
 
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#3
superheavyfunk said:
What’s weird about this? That you want a bass that works for you and don’t care of it’s a signature instrument?

Certainly, it would be strange if it were the opposite and you were only interested in a signature instrument regardless of whether it was playable in your hands
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I have been such a gasoholic for so long, it feels weird not to be worried about the latest, coolest thing. I was fascinated with Dingwalls for years, but when I really sat down and played them, as well as Spector Dimension, I knew multiscale was not for me. Not wanting to jump on the latest trend is probably late blooming maturity on my part.🤷
 
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#4
Dr. Cheese said:
The latest bass to catch my eye is the Cort GB Modern 5, a nice sort of Jazz Bass 35” scale that is under $1,500. The sub $1,500 range is where is am most comfortable
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I would strongly recommend you try one.

I've bought 2 new Cort basses and one AG this year and they are really, really good, and for what I paid for them, superb. The Modern 5 I would expect to be as good and if I wanted or needed an FSO-ish, it would be my first stop based on how good my A5 Ultra Ash and my A6 are.
 
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#5
I've said this in other threads, but I wouldn't dismiss Cort out of hand at all. They made some good basses back in the day, minus the sticker shock. Manufacturing techniques are even more reliable now, with CNC machining, etc., which means odds are you can probably find a good one now as well. I wouldn't have any shame picking up a Cort if the price and quality was right for what I wanted. For that matter, I wish I could get my hands on the one I used to play from time to time in the '80s! 😅

My own philosophy is that my hands won't lie to me; If it feels good to play, that's the biggest thing. Everything else - strings, pickups, bridge, tuners - can all be tweaked to one's preference.

I say, if it feels good, rock it & smile. :thumbsup:
 
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#11
Dr. Cheese said:
I have been such a gasoholic for so long, it feels weird not to be worried about the latest, coolest thing. I was fascinated with Dingwalls for years, but when I really sat down and played them, as well as Spector Dimension, I knew multiscale was not for me. Not wanting to jump on the latest trend is probably late blooming maturity on my part.🤷
Click to expand...

Taking the time to sit down and actually play, feel, and listen to a specific bass is most definitely a sign of musical maturity!!
 
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#14
Whale said:
Taking the time to sit down and actually play, feel, and listen to a specific bass is most definitely a sign of musical maturity!!
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This my exact advice. Set a price range and okay as many basses in the range as possible . Regardless of make , price , name on headstock, country of build , ect., buy the one that feels the best in your hands and is the most pleasing to your ears . Build quality is also a must . Don’t go by videos , nostalgia , or what the latest trend. Buy what works best for you. You know it when you play it. Don’t feel guilty about paying too much . It’s your last retirement bass.
Get what you want.
 
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#15
Maruszczyk Frog 5. I have one with Bassculture 35B pickups and a Delano Sonic 3, and MAN!!! I adore it. I am much like you, having played the gear-over-theory/technique for years, and I’m having a later-life renaissance!!!! I’m diving into theory and loving it, learning the basics of the scalar differences and interaction, etc!!! I truly adore my Maru Frog 5… in all ways it is the most ergonomic, comfortable bass I’ e ever owned.
 
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#17
Mastiff_5 said:
Maruszczyk Frog 5. I have one with Bassculture 35B pickups and a Delano Sonic 3, and MAN!!! I adore it. I am much like you, having played the gear-over-theory/technique for years, and I’m having a later-life renaissance!!!! I’m diving into theory and loving it, learning the basics of the scalar differences and interaction, etc!!! I truly adore my Maru Frog 5… in all ways it is the most ergonomic, comfortable bass I’ e ever owned.
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Cool, you know how I feel. To put it simply, I can use another five, but I feel no GAS. I am not chomping at the bit. I just want to find something that works for me.
 
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#18
Dr. Cheese said:
I have been thinking about getting new fretted five string and I hope to do the deed by New Year. The latest bass to catch my eye is the Cort GB Modern 5, a nice sort of Jazz Bass 35” scale that is under $1,500. The sub $1,500 range is where is am most comfortable, but I could go higher for the right bass. I guess the weird thing is that I am not too hung up on any particular bass the main thing I want is comfort and playability. I am making a late push to significantly improve my musicianship and for the first time in my life, I can say I really don’t care about a cool bass or who plays a bass. I just want it to work for me. I have talked about this before, but my change in mentality is something that I am still getting used to after decades of subconsciously putting gear over skill.
Click to expand...
I LOVE the Sterling Ray 35s. I have FOUR of them. They have replaced in some situations my Fenders for main, all-night gigging instrument and backups, but not in all situations. I think the playability of these instruments is outstanding, with the right ergonomic bevels and no neck dive on 34-inch scale and super-solid low B. The price? I think around $1,000 and they're NOT Fenders, so it's definitely different enough sonic identity, but it definitely has some definite Fender-influenced playability and feel.

I hear you about gear over skill- I love the fact I easily bought TWO of these for quite a bit less than one EBMM. The Sterling name on the headstock bothers me not one iota, and nobody in 10 years of owning these has ever come up to me and said, "Hey that's not a 'real' Ernie Ball Music Man Stingray 5". I let my performance do the talking. Nobody's asking questions later. It's skill over gear. Amen, sir.

Good luck with it. It's never too late to refocus or reboot.
 
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#19
LadyLoveStingRay5 said:
This my exact advice. Set a price range and okay as many basses in the range as possible . Regardless of make , price , name on headstock, country of build , ect., buy the one that feels the best in your hands and is the most pleasing to your ears . Build quality is also a must . Don’t go by videos , nostalgia , or what the latest trend. Buy what works best for you. You know it when you play it. Don’t feel guilty about paying too much . It’s your last retirement bass.
Get what you want.
Click to expand...
Unless I see a great price on Sadowsky Metroline, I don’t see me going over $1,900 (preferably sub $1,500) except for a Stingray Special. Kids in school are a limiting factor for me, there are a lot of very nice basses in the sub $1,500 and I do not feel like I am shorting myself by staying in this price range.
 
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