Budget 5-String options

#21
I'm gonna swim against the ever present TB current of "Of course you need another bass!", and suggest that you set up a four string that you already have for BEAD. Save some dough to put towards your amplification needs. Once you have that sorted, you can decide if you actually need a legit 5er and save up for a better than beginner one.
 
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#22
It would help if you could get your hands on some of them. Brands don't mean much if the bass isn't comfortable for you. 5's have so many different specs, from string spacing to nut width, neck profile, scale, active/passive and so forth. There's no right or wrong as it is a preference, but it's important to find what feels 'right' to you and IME that is one of, if not the most important factors in people having success transitioning to a 5.

That all being said, and not knowing the going rates for basses in AU, I have been happy with every Squier 5 that I have owned. I think their spacing is 19mm (maybe 18?). I also have a Sterling by MusicMan Ray 5HH that is narrower at ~16mm and it is an astonishingly good and versatile bass for the money. My preferred spacing is 18mm and I usually struggle with narrower than that, but for some reason I can play the Ray5HH.

There are plenty of great budget 5-ers out there, so find one that fits and have fun!
 
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#23
Used Ibanez SR(405 seems to be the "highest" model for your $$). Which is what I recommend.

Or, Used Ibanez SRX505 (although I haven't played the SRX personally, they also seem to fit your criteria).

I noticed the bassist for Bizkit played Ibanez BTB 5s at some point, but these could be more $$. Again, look for a used deal.

He also used Warwick Streamer, which is out of your range, However, the "Warwick Rockbass" streamer LX5 is cheaper, but still a bit higher than you want to go, I saw ONLY 1, [that was close] on eBay right now for $380 US, but even that ONE is just above your limit).

He also apparently used a Jazz 5 according to internet lore, (so a Squier Jazz 5 is possible, and common) but I don't get the "metal vibe" from a Jazz, regardless of how many strings are on it. Plus, I don't like the string spacing on fender type 5s. (YMMV, of course, cuz it's for you, not me). :D


Keep us posted though.

T$
 
#24
Warwick Rockbass 5 string Passive. Used is in your range. Double humbucker and it cuts through the mix nicely if you eq it right.
warren8.jpg
 
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#27
So in Limp Bizkit, Sam Rivers used an Ibanez if you really wanna go for his tone, not that it matters though IMO. He probably also used them because they were affordable, so I say nothing wrong with Ibanez or Yamaha, I am a giant Yamaha fanboy btw, just give them a try if you can. They work for pretty much every genre, but if you can also try one, I say give a Sire Marcus Miller Jazz a try, has a lot of tone changing and variety the lowest model isn't too pricey but I'm guessing your price range is 300 to 500, so all those are in that range. If you are buying online only then those three brands are the safest bet, Sire being safest, and Ibanez IMO last but still safe in ranking. While I also love Squier and my two basses are CV by Squire, the really cheap stuff, especially five strings just are so risky I rather ya not risk it...

Harley Bentons ain't bad just hit or miss quality but they are also the best of the lower end quality hits. This bass doesn't have to be the last five string, I agree that tried to get a cab or combo setup for playing live for sure.

Good luck man, rock on!
 
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#29
I gig with an Ibby SRA305, which is now called a Gio. It has EMG 40 soapbar routs, so I was able to upgrade the pickups as gig money allowed all those years ago from HZ's to full actives. Great value-for-money; with a 1.77 inch nut, narrower bridge string spacing, and relatively light weight.
 
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#35
In Los Angeles we have Craig's list online. A local buy and sell sight. There are tons of basses for sale all the time on the site under "musical instruments". I see great quality basses for great prices all the time. I've helped a few guys find very goo basses for much less than in a store.
You just have to know a bit about what you're look for and what to buy and revive.
 
#37
I bought an Ibanez GSR105EXMOL a few months ago for the fun of it. I have better basses. It was US$249. It needed a good setup and a neck shim to make it playable, but it is a fine playing and sounding bass now. Not very heavy. Pretty happy with it for the price.
 
#38
AncientNoob said:
I'm gonna swim against the ever present TB current of "Of course you need another bass!", and suggest that you set up a four string that you already have for BEAD. Save some dough to put towards your amplification needs. Once you have that sorted, you can decide if you actually need a legit 5er and save up for a better than beginner one.
Click to expand...
+1 Then you can save for a 5er that you really want! What State are you in? Keep an eye on you local dumbtree and Cashies. They occasionally have 5er's. Head into you local Music Store and see what they have at that price point. Play a few and buy what you like. I, too would recommend Ibanez and Yamaha, though I currently do not own either as a Bass.
 
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#39
When I went looking for my first 5er, I tried a LOT of different Ibanez and Yamaha models, 'cos I gravitate toward "modern" basses, and found that, for my ears and hands, by *far* the best value was the higher-end Schecter Stilettos, what was then the "Studio" and "Elite", with thru-necks. My ears and left hand loved my Elite-5 but I sold it because the string spacing is just too narrow for my very large hands. YMMV, and that was a few years back, but check out the Schecters if you can - they also make more Fender-style models. They can be amazing value.

But to get back to the initial question, I own an Squier Jazz 5 that I bought as a platform for a MIDI pickup - the Roland units are really designed for a Jazz body. I just wanted the cheapest *decent* Jazz 5 platform I could find, and it was a Squier. But it was *not* an Affinity, it's a VM ("Vintage Modified"). I tried the Affinities, which were a tiny bit cheaper in price but much cheaper in terms of components and build quality. The VM played better than a made-in-Mexico Fender that sold for around twice as much. I bought it for a special purpose, but it's got great tone and I sometimes play it on rock numbers in place of a made-to-order $3000 headless graphite bass. Original pickups ("Duncan Designed)"/tuners/bridge.
 
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#40
Of the 3, my personal experience indicates Yamaha has the best quality-control of the bunch. Quality-control these days though is typically fretwork. I would rather have an OK bass that had some fret-leveling done after purchase over a $2,000 bass with fret-buzz. Same re: "fret-sprout".

I would suggest you set priorities.
  • Quality-control? Probably Yamaha.
  • Fender sound? Squier.
  • Modern sound? Yamaha or Ibanez.
  • Etc...
 
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