Going Multiscale, advice appreciated.

[lizardking837]

Afternoon everyone,

One of my bands (progressive metal) is almost done writing and demoing our first album. The guitar player is an ambitious dude and already has a vision and some rough demos for the next album. He's made it clear that we're going even more downtuned for Album 2.

The majority of our material is Drop C/D Standard and I use BEAD tuning for one song. The guitar recently purchased a 7 string guitar and is now writing songs in Drop G. Yes Drop G. As a proof of concept I tuned my BEAD bass down to GDGC and it sounded pretty dreadful. And naturally I have to play it even more gingerly than if the strings were made of silk.

So my plan is to save up some gig money (optimistic, I know) and invest in a multiscale. I'm leaning towards a 5 string for convenience. I'm also trying to keep the budget at or under $1000. As of right now I have 3 candidates:

1) Schecter Studio 5 FF: I like the EMG electronics and that it's 18v. Everyone I know who owns Schecter loves it and I constantly read good things about them. The thru-neck construction is another plus for me.

2) Ibanez Workshop SMRS 805: Much like the Schecter, Ibanez has a great reputation. Being a tone nerd, I love the idea of a selectable mid frequency. I can live with the bolt on neck and I know that Bartolini pick ups are kind of polarizing.

3) RedSub Coliseum 5: I'm not gonna lie, this is only on here because it has a 37" scale length. The price seems absurdly low and bordering on "too good to be true" territory. I've seen some reviews that say this is an absolute dog of a bass, but I actually like what I hear in the demos. Especially demos that uses a bit of studio compression and distortion. I'm also not afraid of modifying my equipment if need be.

So what do you guys think? I think the RedSub has the potential to be a gem, but if Multiscale/Fanned Frets isn't my thing or we abandon the project I feel like the Schecter or Ibanez would hold their value better. Also if there's another bass with a 37" B-string that fits my budget, please let know.

 

[Selta]

Not to dissuade you from the excitement a new instrument can bring, but, you should be able to do GDGC on 34/35 scale. You'll need to use substantially heavy strings, which come with their own trade offs in tone and playability.
Even as a prog metal bassist myself, I'll never quite understand the "lower, lower, lower" competition for tuning. F# is the lowest I'll go and that's super rare (2 songs), but most is simply drop A for me. Good luck with the endeavor!

 

[lizardking837]

Not to dissuade you from the excitement a new instrument can bring, but, you should be able to do GDGC on 34/35 scale. You'll need to use substantially heavy strings, which come with their own trade offs in tone and playability.
Even as a prog metal bassist myself, I'll never quite understand the "lower, lower, lower" competition for tuning. F# is the lowest I'll go and that's super rare (2 songs), but most is simply drop A for me. Good luck with the endeavor!

Well said. I am a "less is more" type of guy, but I also believe in getting the right tools for the job, too. I totally agree with you on the "lower" fixation too, there are plenty metal bands that play in standard tuning and still sound killer.

The guitar player taking the lead on the project has been adamant about going to Drop G for months and despite most of saying it's probably not a good idea, he's ready to go full speed ahead with it. All my basses right now are 34" except for my Bass VI, and they're in an array of different tunings. I don't feel like my current stable is too crowded and I wouldn't mind adding another bass and a relatively nice one at that.

 

[Sid the Kid]

I wouldn’t worry about having a through neck so much. It seems that most of the premium multiscale basses have bolt on necks. The extra punch of bolt on might benefit you more at drop G than the added sustain of neck through.

Of your choices I’d do the Ibanez. The 35.5” low G will be fairly taught with a thick string, and the almost 35” drop C you will be working with will sound great as well. Plus it is the most pretty of your 3 choices.

If you really want to reach the bowels I’d suggest starving for a few months and grab a Spector Dimension. You’d get the massive scale length, modern electronics, and neck through. In the end you’d probably be most happy with this decision, but I totally understand having a budget.

Good luck and have fun!

 

[seedokebass]

The Redsub might be a gamble as far as playability and overall quality from what I've read about them. I'd try the Ibanez and Schecter first or if you can afford I'd try to get my hands on a Dingwall... The Combustions, NG and D Roc are all stellar.

 

[lizardking837]

I wouldn’t worry about having a through neck so much. It seems that most of the premium multiscale basses have bolt on necks. The extra punch of bolt on might benefit you more at drop G than the added sustain of neck through.

Of your choices I’d do the Ibanez. The 35.5” low G will be fairly taught with a thick string, and the almost 35” drop C you will be working with will sound great as well. Plus it is the most pretty of your 3 choices.

If you really want to reach the bowels I’d suggest starving for a few months and grab a Spector Dimension. You’d get the massive scale length, modern electronics, and neck through. In the end you’d probably be most happy with this decision, but I totally understand having a budget.

Good luck and have fun!

The Dimension is a bass I'm considering and I do love Spector. But I read about the issues with the lowest string having a volume drop. Plus with the price figured in, it's a bit out of reach financially at the moment.

The Redsub might be a gamble as far as playability and overall quality from what I've read about them. I'd try the Ibanez and Schecter first or if you can afford I'd try to get my hands on a Dingwall... The Combustions, NG and D Roc are all stellar.

Yeah, I figure the RedSub is a craps shoot. I'm not opposed to doing my own set ups or having a "mod platform"/project bass but I'm not sold on it. At the moment I'm leaning towards the Schecter for the extra half inch in scale length, construction and electronics.