5 String Bass Recommendation

jarain · 09-12-2008 5:59pm #1

Hi All,

I am considering picking up a decent cheapish 5 string bass, pretty much just to play around with it and try to get a feel for whether I would like them.

I normally play a G&L Tribute L-2000 as my main guitar and a Fender Aerodyne Jass Bass and a Mexican Jazz as alternatives/back ups.

Would like to try and avoid something with a very fat/chunky neck.

I was looking at these on Thomann:

http://www.thomann.de/ie/fender_squier_deluxe_jazz_v_bass_3sb.htm

http://www.thomann.de/ie/fender_squier_standard_pbass_special_02.htm

http://www.thomann.de/ie/warwick_rockbass_streamer_std_5_bk.htm

Anybody have any experience with these? or if you know of any alternatives?

Thanks

ham_n_mustard · 09-12-2008 6:06pm

i'd steer clear of the warwick if you don't like bigger necks. i traded a corvette only yesterday because the neck was giving my poor hands grief... got a nice explorer for it though so its all good

Dord · 09-12-2008 6:08pm

What's your budget?

With 5 strings you have to be a bit more careful in your buying choices. Some (ok a lot) have an utterly rubbish B string.

jarain · 09-12-2008 6:18pm

Was looking to spend around €300 but would go as far as €500 maybe. Don't want to break the bank just yet. Pretty much just looking for something to experiment with.

Heard some pretty decent reviews/talk about the jazz special on talkbass and basschat.

Rigsby · 09-12-2008 7:16pm

Seeing as you are familiar with the L2000, have you considered a G&L L2500 Trib. or maybe you are looking for a change.

Patricide · 09-12-2008 7:18pm

Id go down the rockbass route myself. Id say there the best quality instruments youl find for your budget(not counting going down the second hand route of course). But there necks aint exactly slender...

Darkstrike · 09-12-2008 7:21pm

The Squier's have chunky necks, real nice, but chunky, and over 2" at the nut, regular Warwicks are chunky too, so I'd assume the Rockbass's are similar.

Ibanez are known for thin necks, I've tried a Cort V and it had a nice thin neck.

As someone else said, why not a G&L, as you like them, or is there a place you can check out a few different brands?

Darkstrike · 09-12-2008 7:24pm

Patricide wrote: »

Id go down the rockbass route myself. Id say there the best quality instruments youl find for your budget

I dunno, the Squier Delux is a quality piece, realy quality for the price, I've not tried the Rockbass, still I wouldn't put the Squier out of the picture, but as I said, big neck.

Malice · 09-12-2008 7:29pm

I bought an Ibanez K5 last March and I love it. The neck is only slighter wider than my Squier Precision despite the extra string. As others have said, the neck has the usual thin Ibanez feel.

Patricide · 09-12-2008 7:39pm

Darkstrike wrote: »

I dunno, the Squier Delux is a quality piece, realy quality for the price, I've not tried the Rockbass, still I wouldn't put the Squier out of the picture, but as I said, big neck.

Rockbasses are quite nice, better than everything else ive played really for that price. Although i forgot about the cort stuff. They have really good quality gear for the price so id deffinatly reccomend the op to check them out.

O and going down the second hand route k5 is somthing id recommend aswell, lovely basses.

Rigsby · 09-12-2008 7:50pm

I recommended the G&L 2500 Trib earlier. Some one is asking the same question as you in this link.

http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=494955

jarain · 09-12-2008 9:23pm

Thanks for all the reply's everybody. All the suggestions have been great. Would really love the L-2500 but they seem quiet hard to find in bricks and mortar store to have a play. But as I love the L-2000 (most versatile bass I've ever played) I wouldn't have any qualms with taking a chance on 1.

The only issue I have with the bigger necks I would like to try and minimise the change over problems from a 4 to 5 string but a comfortable and well proportioned neck would solve that.

I am planning on hitting X-Music and a couple others at the weekend to have a play of a few basses.

Passenger · 09-12-2008 9:31pm

Well I used to play a Warwick RockBass and the neck was fine, unless you have very dainty wrists you'll be fine.

Parsley · 09-12-2008 9:51pm

jarain wrote: »

Thanks for all the reply's everybody. All the suggestions have been great. Would really love the L-2500 but they seem quiet hard to find in bricks and mortar store to have a play. But as I love the L-2000 (most versatile bass I've ever played) I wouldn't have any qualms with taking a chance on 1.

The only issue I have with the bigger necks I would like to try and minimise the change over problems from a 4 to 5 string but a comfortable and well proportioned neck would solve that.

I am planning on hitting X-Music and a couple others at the weekend to have a play of a few basses.

I'd recommend you an Ibanez ATK305. It was my first 5-string and I had no trouble at all adapting to it. Very nice neck, thin but not too thin and very nice string spacing. Killer tone as well, modelled on the Stingray but a lot more tameable with the EQ.

http://www.thomann.de/ie/ibanez_atk305nt.htm

Rigsby · 09-12-2008 10:26pm

jarain wrote: »

Would really love the L-2500 but they seem quiet hard to find in bricks and mortar store to have a play.

There is one for sale here. Maybe he will sell it seperately. If not, at least you'll have tried one out.

Scroll down towards the end of the page

http://www.buyandsell.ie/search/quick_search?search_term=bass+guitar&category%5Bid%5D=All+Categories&x=13&y=11

Darkstrike · 09-12-2008 11:17pm

jarain wrote: »

The only issue I have with the bigger necks I would like to try and minimise the change over problems from a 4 to 5 string but a comfortable and well proportioned neck would solve that.

Well, thing is, no atter what you choose, it is gonna be different, besides the B, you need to make sacrifices, either in string spacing, or neck width.

The earlier mentioned Squier, its neck is wide, for the string spacing to match a 4 string, better for slap, tap, etc.

An Ibanez(for example), has a thin neck, plays fast, will feel more comfy coming from a 4, but will be harder to slap, and for a small while your fingers might be stretcing for strings that are nearer than they should be, the strings might be too close to be comfy too.

Most basses balance, wider than the Ibanez style, thinner than the Squier/Fender way, best bet is to hit Xmusic etc. as you said, and try each type, and give each a good long go.

5 String Bass Recommendation

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