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What's your best B?

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I am also primarily a 5 string player and have been chasing Killer Bs for years. I had a so-named Tobias for awhile, but it was a Nashville/Gibson made model and just didn't live up to its name.

I had a 35" Lakland 55-02. Not impressive either. I wanted to love it, but couldn't get there and off it went.

My best B is actually a Sterling Ray35! a 34" scale bass with a roasted maple neck and blueburst quilt maple top. The thing still makes me giggle every time I crank out a monster low B or C for effect! Blows me away that this 34", under $1k import has such an awesome B string... better than most $2-5k basses I've played. I don't know if it's the roasted maple or what, but DANG.

I also recently got a Kingston MTD Super 5 in Dr. Brown's Burst. It's a 35" scale and pretty/really good on the low B compared to most 5 string basses I've had, but it's not QUITE as sharp/clear/authoritative as the Ray35. The overall tonal palette of the bass I really like. If it had the low B of the Sterling it'd be dern near perfect!

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My Sterling Ray35 has a fantastic B string as well. I'd consider the stock pickups to be a LIIIIITTTLE "darker" sounding than the USA models, and I've wondered if that makes it have just the right beefy punch in that range. I've always called it "the R&B bass", because it sounds like a 90's R&B type tone- low, dark growl.

love the B on my L-2500 Series 750

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I think you're just bragging about having one of these babies! ;)
 
Good thing you don't have any expectation bias. They're completely different internally.

Dude I've listened to the bh-2's in demo of the EHB line and they sound just about as bad as the mk-1's did. A set of Aguilar soapbars make those basses sound almost better than the more expensive versions that come with nordstrands. How bout not assuming stuff about people you've read one sentence from? Can we stop this apparent growing trend on talkbass? Maybe? Sorry.. no need to answer that.. I'm js. If you like those pickups that's cool. Just about every bass I've had since my SR500 kind of blows those pickups away. I think there's a reason the more expensive models come with nicer pickups. Even my TMB505 with Nordstrand designed/Ibanez manufactured pickups give me something I'm personally much happier with.
 
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Fair enough but they get ragged on endlessly as though it's a must do to change them out, and I don't think it's required especially in a live bass. Still it's down to preference.

Nothing's a must and I'm not looking up soundgear prices right now but.. swapping out pups on an EHB1005 is still less expensive than an EHB1505, while offering a way to close the gap between them tonaly. I kind of wish I'd kept my SR500 and swapped them out myself. The string spacing was narrow but.. otherwise a nice bass. Anyway. We're kind of derailing. I've heard 55-01's that sound amazing with Korean Barts, may have been some post processing tho. Idk
 
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I've owned a number of 5 string basses over the years and have only encountered a single instrument that I couldn't get a good B out of: A Washburn Taurus. Other than that, B's have all been great, from 35" basses like Lakland to 34" like my current Wilkins'. Though I will say, the tapered B on the LaBella DTFs and Sadowsky flats has sounded not good on every bass I've tried.

I've owned three over the years, although none currently. One was a cheapy Washburn to see if I liked it. I didn't enough to have one with frets to ended up with a cheap Palmer B-05, sold it, bought another, sold it during a difficult life event. Can't get another. I am not sure I'd want to spend a lot on a new one in case I decide to sell it again or it languishes. I couldn't really get a sound I liked out of the cheap Washburn on any of the strings, though. Not anything I really liked, anyway.
 
I tried flats on my LEJ5. TI jazz flats. They were so amazing on my 4 string J that I was hoping they'd be great on a 5. I read that they weren't... and everyone is right. The B is not great. I took them off after a few months of trying and set them aside. I have a Jazz with flats, but not yet a P. I'll grab a basic/vintage-aimed P at some point on the the normal 4 strings on that bass and probably pitch the B string at that point, lol!

Speaking of strings, what is everyone using on their best B basses? I have D'addario NYXL 45-130s on my Ray35. (my best B bass)

I put TI rounds on mine when I had them. You have to have a light touch as they are skinny, but they sounded good to me.
 
. . . . What say you?

I only play 5's and I don't own basses with "issues".

Since 1996 I've gigged an MM SR5, 5 string Wal Custom mk3, Lakland 55-94, Lull PJ5 and a Sadowsky R5V. None of these basses had any issues at all, and all had strong B strings, or I wouldn't have kept them.

I used DR rounds, mostly Lo-Riders or Hi-Beams, until about 6 years ago, when I switched my Lull to TI flats and my Sadowsky to D'Addario NYXL's. These B strings rule!
 
The B string on my Yamaha TRB6P from about 1989 is the best I have ever had.
Only 34" scale and 2 truss rods on this one.
She has five piece neck through construction with mahogany stringers and a mahogany slab in the middle of the body.
Ebony board.
Also is one of the ones with Piezos in the bridge.
That bass is the greatest bass I have ever owned in over 50 years of playing.
It is so even across all strings.
Radiused Pickups
wide full string spacing and flat, no radius on the fingerboard like a classical guitar.
A wonderful instrument!
I had a fretless one stolen from me back in the 90's and just found and bought this bass here on TB for a great price a few years ago and I love it!
 
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