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What's your favorite 5 string and why?

My Sadowsky 24F5 is definitely my "go to" bass (and is a 5-string).

What makes this fiver great:

- 19mm string spacing at bridge, just like a standard 4 banger
- dual soapbars give it a HUGE tone
- weighs only 7.35 lbs !
- Sadowsky pre-amp sounds amazing

Later
Rob

Yeah, I tend to favor my Modern 5-24's, too, for the same reasons. The neck profile is perfect for me. It's a close call though, with all my other fivers which, after looks, were chosen for their playability. They include Lakland, F Bass, Drozd, Fodera, and Yamaha. Even my Fenders play well. Formerly-owned Roscoe and Zon basses also fall in that category. I didn't care for the Stingray 5 because its neck was like a baseball bat.

Bottom line, most higher-end basses play well and sound good.
 
I've got limited exposure to 5ers, but I bought the one I liked the most - MTD Kingston Heir 5. Why do I like it?

35" scale feels comfortable and gives great feel and sound across the range, from open B to 24th fret G
Asymmetric neck fits my hand perfectly
19mm spacing at bridge
Looks great (flamed maple top on swamp ash body, in a dark cherry colour)
Relatively light for a 5er (9lb)

Those are the reasons I particularly like it - the amplified sound is great as well though!
 
Well, for me it's a Sadowsky. I've played all kinds of basses over the last 10 or more years and I think I've settled on this as my bass. I like the neck (maybe not quite as nice as a Roscoe neck) and the feel. I think they look great and the sound is what I want to hear for my tone and gigs. The Hardware and stuff is great, and the VTC - with a little bit of pickup blend - is about all I'm using right now change up my tone for different genres and styles.

Of course I've said this before, but I intend to make this bass stick.
 
I have been "distracted" by cosmetic factors in the past, be it wood, finish, shape, etc.

However, as I'm getting older, some common sense is finally kicking in..."sound" and "feel" are my biggest determining factors.

Keep coming back to a musicman (classic 5 stingray) due to both of these reasons.

For fretless however, its gotta be a pedulla pentabuzz...again for both sound and feel.

K.
 
Sadowsky MV5.
It just comes down to feel and tone. I'm always buying and selling other basses, and every time that I start thinking that some other kind of bass is my favorite, I do a head to head with the metro and the metro kills the competition. There may be something better out there for me, but I've not played it yet. The sadowsky is just so easy to play and sounds so great.
 
1991 Modulus Quantum 5 with EMGs and two band preamp. Terrific neck profile, even response between strings, play it nice and it responds nicely, slap it hard and it barks right back. Had this one for almost 15 years. Since I have owned probably 50 basses in the last 20 years, I think that's a good indication of this one being a keeper.
 
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2007 Afterburner I. It plays like a dream, is beautiful in my eyes, and sounds like the biggest P-bass on earth...
 
I have to say that a Dingwall is probably the only bass I have any mild GAS for - that fanned fret idea really grabs me. A Dingwall is out of my reach at the moment but the shop I bought my bass from had some seriously nice examples (including a couple at £8,000 each...).
 
I've been playing 5-ers for a few years, now. Been through a good number of basses, and settled on an Fbass BN-5 and VF-5.

Playability is great, tone is satisfying to me, and the deal-maker was the balance on a strap. Fbasses tend to balance naturally with the neck higher than other basses I've played, and the ergonomics suit me perfectly.