Looking For Recommendations on a Quality Jazz 5 String

#41
It's great if you can play before you buy. But, sometimes that isn't possible. Just make sure if you do an online purchase the instrument has a good return policy! Bunch of good suggestions here. If you played them all before purchase I would hope you are in your 30s. Anyway, the Sire V10 is a good buy and from my experience a worthy adversary.
 
#42
Nash JB5

JB Models — Nashguitars

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#45
Don't settle for an instrument just because it has a historical name. There are a lot of companies doing it better today.

MTD Kingston Saratoga. A modern take, but in passive mode it can also deliver a vintage vibe. Very comfortable compound radius neck.

Maruszczyk Elwood 5. Just a really good jazz bass. But...really good.

Can't go wrong with Bacchus, Sadowsky, Lakland.
 
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#48
Sandberg California TT.

Not too far off the OP’s $1.5k, though it is a maple fretboard. Can probably find a variant with something dark.

I don’t own one but I owed a professional a great debt of gratitude and spent maybe six months subtly collecting his preferences for an instrument and that’s what I bought him. He’s been over the moon about it so I have high confidence in the quality. (I did play it a little when it arrived to make sure it worked before I gave it away. It was indeed excellent.)

You can hear it in action on this track (warning, slap content):

 
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#52
I've owned three five-string J basses: Fender Am. Standard (2008); G&L JB-5 (empress body, approx. 2017); and Sandberg TT-5 Superlight (2022).

The Sandberg is easily the best of the bunch. It's light (about 6.6 pounds) and has fantastic playability, and the preamp is wonderfully transparent IMO. I normally play passive, but on stage I usually engage the pre for a little more on-board adjustability. It must be very well-shielded from the factory, because I get virtually no single coil hum when favoring either pickup.

But my G&L, which I bought used, had some neck/fret weirdness that kept it from being as good as it should have been. In my experience, that's unusual for G&L, but I don't know how my example was maintained before I bought it. The tone and finishing were fantastic, and the neck has a very comfortable rear profile. For me, an empress G&L JB-5 with 12" radius fretboard (instead of the standard 9.5") would probably be almost as good as the Sandberg. Almost. ;)

So, I would recommend both of these. They're excellent.
 
#53
Federighi said:
Hey TB'ers!

Primarily looking for a passive 5 string J bass (or active w bypass). New or used ok. Dark fingerboards (ebony, rosewood, pau ferro, etc) preferred but not a deal breaker.

I'd like to spend somewhere around $1.5 but could stretch my budget to $2.5k give or take for something really special.

I think I might like a nice MIA/MIJ Fender reissue. I've also seen some very fine boutique clones out there that look awesome too but not seeing many 5 options available imo.

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
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Soundgear basses are worth a look. They have the slender neck of a jazz. I'm talking about the 2017 onwards builds by saying the Nordstrand pickups have the lows of a humbucker with the highs of a J. EQ can be switched between active and passive.
 
#54
I have a 2016 AmStd J5 and previously had a 2010-ish AmStd P5. These are very good basses. Like all modern Fenders, color choices are limited, my biggest complaint. Typically rosewood (after about 2015) or pau ferro boards come only with white or burst, maple boards with red, black, blue, etc. Tort guards with white and burst, white or black guards with other colors. Used prices have sadly, risen to over $1000 when I bought my P5 about a decade ago I only paid $700 for it. Keep in mind the current AmPro II J5s are $1899 new, so I’d say $1200 or less is a good price on an AmStd.
 
#55
Momose would be my first choice. Many think it’s the top of the Japanese crop. Sadowski custom would be my second choice though very expensive. I have the Ultra Jazz and Precision but four string only. The five is good but doesn’t match my Spector.
 
#58
Federighi said:
Hey TB'ers!

Primarily looking for a passive 5 string J bass (or active w bypass). New or used ok. Dark fingerboards (ebony, rosewood, pau ferro, etc) preferred but not a deal breaker.

I'd like to spend somewhere around $1.5 but could stretch my budget to $2.5k give or take for something really special.

I think I might like a nice MIA/MIJ Fender reissue. I've also seen some very fine boutique clones out there that look awesome too but not seeing many 5 options available imo.

Any input or advice would be greatly appreciated!

Thanks in advance!
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Get one of the Made in Germany MetroLine Sadowskys used, they go for about that amount. Absolutely fantastic instruments; impeccable fit and finish and tone for days.
 
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