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Want a five string, price range $500-1000; what does TB suggest?

#22
Used Peavey Cirrus.

35" scale will be the best possible non-exotic for drop tuning.

Weight and ergonomics are about as ideal as anything. Neck thru, med-thin to thin neck, and the compound radius fretboard is a top tier feature, IMO. Stellar electronics and hardware.

I own three, but only after trying & rejecting pretty much everything $2G and under, and some over. Of course it's a matter of personal preference, but I think you're making a big mistake if you don't give it a test.
 
#25
Get a used Hamer 2nd generation 5 str Cruise bass...either with Gotch Bridge or 2Tek bridge...great basses! They are going for in between $500 and $600 for the 2tek model and between $450 and $550 for the Gotch model..

Then again, I may be more than partial to the Hamer CB's :D

DSCN0744.gif
 
#26
I have to agree with the person who said used Peavey Cirrus. I still have that on my list of a potential 5 string one day myself. Currently i'm using a Carvin SB5000 which I love. Many options from Carvin now that sound good and great custom option. Depending on options and bass model you can stay under 1k. But many other good options out there. I would think being heard in a hard hitting band would have almost or more to do with your amp then active/passive.
 
#27
Eh I don't know of any place in NM.

You should also try to consider a G&L Tribute L1500 or L2500. They are highly regarded, but kinda tough to find.

If you buy/sell from the TB classifieds, you can probably buy with confidence and if you don't like it, sell it for the same price. You're only out the cost of shipping.

I'd look for a used Cirrus 5. :bassist:
 
#28
Invisible_Kid said:
Alright, so I've narrowed it down to
*Spector Legend Classic
*Warwick Corvette
*Schecter Stiletto Elite

EDIT: just as a side note, I'm partial to red-colored basses.
Click to expand...

Word to the wise, you mentioned that you prefer medium-to-large spacing...all three of the bass mentioned above are considered to have very narrow spacing. Make sure you can play them first to see if you like the spacing before deciding on any of these. The Spector is the one with the widest spacing on your list, but they are still pretty narrowly spaced compared to any standard 4-string.

Getting heard in any band, from smooth jazz to deathcore, is not usually about the instrument and usually more about proper use of EQ. Also, any instrument you like will work for drop-A tuning, just make sure you are using a heavy enough gauge of strings (i.e. probably not what they carry on the shelf at GC) for the tuning you plan to use.
 
#30
I have a Spector 4 string and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT... I went into Guitar Center last weekend looking for a Spector 5 string and they dropped the Spector line.... WEAK SAUCE! I was very upset, so like someone else mentioned up above... I took some time and started playing with some new and use 5 strings.... I fell in love with a used (awesome condition) Ibanez BTB675, for me it was very comfortable and kinda felt like my sepctor...
 
#31
phatkat08 said:
I have a Spector 4 string and LOVE LOVE LOVE IT... I went into Guitar Center last weekend looking for a Spector 5 string and they dropped the Spector line.... WEAK SAUCE! I was very upset, so like someone else mentioned up above... I took some time and started playing with some new and use 5 strings.... I fell in love with a used (awesome condition) Ibanez BTB675, for me it was very comfortable and kinda felt like my sepctor...
Click to expand...

Great to know! I was skeptical about Ibanez because I've really only seen and tried their low-end basses, but now I really wanna try these two.
 
#32
Its a night a day difference between a $400.00 bass and a $900.00 - my first bass was a $250 Ibanez, I said I would never get another Ibanez... Never say never, lol but honestly, just take some time and try them all out and it will come to you... For me its not always about looks but how I feel playing it. Oh, and the price! lol
 
#33
Invisible_Kid said:
Well, I already have a passive Washburn T24, so I think I'd like to go active for this second bass; it's a little easier to be heard in a deathcore band, no? I'm thinking of doing some slap stuff in Drop A, is Warwick good with that?
Click to expand...

I use slap on all my basses: As long as the strings are fresh & the EQ's right, you're good. I mean, sure, an onboard preamp gives you more flexibility @ your fingertips. But your amp also has a pre-amp, @ least 3 bands of parametric EQ...or, if you've got a fancy rig like me *strut* you've got six parametric dials & 9 graphic toggles or whatev' they're called. It's been a while since I've used that big rig, resorting to a more modest "medium venue" combo, so I'm sure I've got the count wrong but I hope I'm making a bit of sense anyhow. In short, I find my Warwick to be slap-friendly. The B string is amazingly tight, which is one of the reasons I bought that puppy--I like my basses 34." Let's see, I slapped til my thumb bled (every set, stoopid kid I was) when I was in a hard-funk punkified band. I'm not one for labels, but we were ridiculously HEAVY. Have fun: You're getting lots of good suggestions. It's a buyer's market, & there's no "right" bass that fits all. Do what the others suggest: Head on over to the biggest McMusic nearby & do what you've got every right to do, which is test the living daylight outta the basses you might buy.
 
#34
I got a schecter elite 5 and the string spacing is indeed tight. It took like a month to get it down. Its still a little hard to do triples but now I can't play 4 strings rite lol. I really don't use my B string much unless I'm far down the board because the electronics are sub par. Its pretty muddy sounding until after the fifth fret. I'd still recommend this bass to anyone who doesn't mind the tight spacing. Its beautiful I like the neck, the build quality is a bit iffy tho.

Mine is of high quality but I've played two that looked felt and played poorly. Some are lighter in color and weight and feel cheap too me. One I played at GC had such a bad back bow that the B string was resting on the frets. Also if ur a sound dude these electronics just don't cut it, ill end up spending like 500 to change the pups and preamp.
 
#39
I have a Schecter elite 5 and I think the build quality is pretty good. The finish is the red one with a quilt top, the color seems a little dark and doesn't bring out the figure very well, but looks OK. The string spacing is kind of tight I guess but doesn't bother me because that's what I had before with my Ibanez SR885 (mid 90's). I can slap on it but I'm not a serious slapper. The B-string is pretty good. The EMG HZ pickups are kind of blah to me so I've been experimenting with different active EMG's. I also replaced the electronics with a EMG BQC 3band and it's still not really what I'm looking for. The EMG's have a serious high end that I don't like and haven't been able to EQ out to my liking.
The bass sounds good but doesn't really have any character, for lack of a better word

Bottom line: If you like the sound of it go for it but if it's not floating your boat be prepared to put a few hundred into pups/preamp, or better yet look somewhere else.
 

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