Suggestions for a 5-String

[Jonathan]

My GF started practicing the bass a few years ago and has really started to concentrate her efforts over the past few months. Her current bass (a cheap Stingray copy) is in definite need of replacing.

Her budget will be under $1000, and there's a few basses I've noticed may fit what she's looking for - I would like to hear any experiences or suggestions you all might have before I try to run a few of these down to actually play.

The first is a Conklin GT5......I've played one of these a few times and I was very impressed with how it felt for the price.

The other is a G&L Tribute L-2500......never played one.


Her favorite tones are on the modern / heavier side (TOOL being her favorite....King's X, etc..)

Any / all suggestions are also welcome.

[Rumblefish]

You can get a clean Music Man Stingray 5 string for under $1000 used.It'll do all the tones you're mentioning and is just hard to beat in my experience.

[modulusrules]

but used and you can get a pro bass if you really look, G&L makes a great 5 string. If your patient you can get a stingray 5 for about a grand. see below.
http://cgi.ebay.com/Modulus-Genesis-5-String-Bass-Guitar-MTD-BG5_W0QQitemZ280146932627QQihZ018QQcategoryZ4713QQ ssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
http://atlantabassgallery.com/basses.php?cat=0&cond=U

[modulusrules]

http://www.thegearpage.net/board/showthread.php?t=276592
http://cgi.ebay.com/Lakland-Darryl-Jones-5-String-Bass-Lake-Placid-Blue_W0QQitemZ180151697431QQihZ008QQcategoryZ4713Q QssPageNameZWDVWQQrdZ1QQcmdZViewItem
Lakand skylines are supposed to be AMAZING I haven't played one, but I've hear them and they sound great very versatile. Feel free to e-mail me if you want to talk over some things (i'm a gear nut) @ dwhiddon@bellsouth.net

[reentune]

Warwick FNAsare going for around $700 on ebay.
And G&L L-2500s are always great and around the same price.
I prefer the Warwicks, but the G&L might be more versatile.

[smorgdonkey]

A friend of mine has a couple of basses and likes good quality equipment...he uses an Ibanez SoundGear 5 string. Their price is in no way indicative of the quality of the instruments. I rented a SoundGear 4 string to do some recording about 5 years ago and after 2 months of paying a very inexpensive rent, I purchased it...it just so happened that a percentage of the rent went towards the purchase price so I was happy about that too. I also have a USA G&L JB-2. My recommendation is the Ibanez if you are playing rock to anything heavier.

My friend that uses the 5 string plays it through a couple of different setups...one being a Yorkville 200 watt combo with one 15 inch speaker and the other being a 700 watt Peavey with a 8x10 Carvin cabinet.

That old saying about "you get what you pay for" can only be won out by "sometimes you get way more than what you pay for".

[Bass Viking]

The first is a Conklin GT5......I've played one of these a few times and I was very impressed with how it felt for the price.

The other is a G&L Tribute L-2500......never played one.




I own a GT5 and it's a very solid instrument for the price. The neck is very comfortable, it sounds good and has a better B string than more expensive basses I've tried. The G & L Tribute is also a contender but watch out for noisy electronics. The one I played was unacceptably noisy in active mode. It played nicely though.

Definitely check out the Lakland 55-02 and Musicman! The Bongo I played recently had a great B string, as did a Stingray I demoed some time ago.

Also, I highly recommend a Peavey Cirrus. I played a 5 string recently at someone's house and liked it better than some of the more pricey basses he had.

[bard2dbone]

I own a GT5 and it's a very solid instrument for the price. The neck is very comfortable, it sounds good and has a better B string than more expensive basses I've tried. The G & L Tribute is also a contender but watch out for noisy electronics. The one I played was unacceptably noisy in active mode. It played nicely though.

Definitely check out the Lakland 55-02 and Musicman! The Bongo I played recently had a great B string, as did a Stingray I demoed some time ago.

Also, I highly recommend a Peavey Cirrus. I played a 5 string recently at someone's house and liked it better than some of the more pricey basses he had.
Those are all good suggestions that I would echo. But I'd like to echo the Lakland Skyline 55-02 just a little louder than the reast.

The iggest variable there is string spacing. If her Stingray copy (OLP?) is a four-string, then the 5-string will feel very narrow/tightly spaced. But if she's going from an OLP fiver to another fiver, the used Stingray or Bongo are your best choices.

The Lakland, however, has the same spacing across all five string as the four string. What that means is that the spread from B-G on the Stingray V is slightly wider than the spread from E-G on the four string Stringray. While the B-G spread on the Lakland will feel HUGE because the strings are all as far apart as on the four string, making 1/4 wider in stead of just a smidge wider.

Also if she likes the narrow spaced fives, look into the Fender Jazz V.

[Bassomatic]

Hard to beat a 'Ray for that genre.

[Thor]

Have a Lakland 5 and love it. If the Justin Chancelor sound is the goal - the Lakland with the Bartolini pups may be a bit too polite. + 1 to the other previous suggestons for the Stingray and the G&L. The folks at TalkBass love the Music Man Bongo - I personally have not yet warmed up to the body stying.

The funny thing is that, with the right techiniqe and rig, a good 'ole J-style bass could get you in the ballpark, and can cover a lot of other bases as well.

Happy Hunting,

Edward

[tms13pin]

Carvin's basses are very nice and can be had used cheaply.
I've got a LB75 and its a fine bass.

--Tom

[Jonathan]

Thanks for all of the suggestions.

After talking to as many people and reading as much as I could find, I've pretty much narrowed it down to a G&L L-2500 (US ver.), and the 'Ray.

The G&L appears to be the more versatile instrument, and she really likes what she's heard from the clips I've tracked down (and yes, the appearance of the instrument as well...;).....she fell in love with the blueburst).

http://www.glguitars.com/finishes/pics/L2500_Blueburst_body.jpg

Her birthday is coming up next month so I think I'm going to spring this one on her (the US made G&L)......she's worked very hard, thrown sundry objects across the room, and tried to contain her temper as best a little Italian girl can be expected - so I've gotta help her out. ;)

I'll post a clip of her fingerstyle take on "Schism" as soon as she gets the new rig.