LeftyBassist.com

I saw the thread below on budget five stringers, and wanted to see if we could create a more general thread about special considersations to keep in mind for lefties who are planning on getting 5 string or other extended range basses. I confess that I am thinking about getting a five string bass myself and am debating different approaches. We already have a thread on companies that make five string basses, but have not looked at other issues inherent in it. Let me see if I can get us started.

1) Does it make sense to buy a cheap five stringer first to see if you like it (harder to do since lefty 5ers are even harder to find), and then get a better one if you decide to stick with it, or is making the transition simply a matter of will?

2) If you decide to go the 5 string route and decide to commit to it, does it make sense to commission a luthier to build one given the paucity of lefty 5 stringers out there, especially fender style 5ers? Or do you try to go with what is out there in the manufactured market?

3) Do you keep your four stringers and continue practicing on them in order to keep facile with them? How do you split up your woodshedding time?

4) How much time did you allow youself to make the transition before gigging with a fiver?

5) Are there any other considerations that lefty basses should keep in mind when considering purchasing an extended range bass? Are they easier or harder to sell, etc?

Thanks, and look forward to hearing some thoughtful responses.

Good questions. I made the jump to 5-string a long time ago (back in '93, when I had only been playing for a few years), and recently returned to playing a 4-string bass when I picked up a Ray34 here last year. So my transition is the opposite of yours, which means you should take what I say with a large grain of salt!

That said--I find it pretty easy to go back and forth between 4 and 5 strings, and I really like the freedom to do that. For all the obvious reasons (string spacing, positioning options, thumb position and string muting, etc.), there's some clear differences, but to me, there's some real advantages to having both in your arsenal. My practice time gets split, honestly, by whichever one I feel like playing, without anything like a rigid schedule: generally, I'll have one bass out on a stand next to my amp, with the rest in cases, and I'll have something on the stand for a week or two, then make a change whenever the mood strikes. It's pretty liberating!

In terms of how you buy one... that's always a problem for us lefties! When I first got one, I went with Carvin, because they're so lefty-friendly, but that was still a pretty expensive risk, I suppose. Probably the safest choice would be to snap one up on ebay or here if you can be patient....

Good luck!

velalv,


I recently bought my first fiver (a Yamaha TRB1005 I got from Carmine) as I needed something to complement my vintage-sounding flatwound-strung P Bass. I was very apprehensive about getting a fiver but it was actually a good change and an exciting challenge after playing a four banger for 25 years. I needed that to get energized. To answer your questions.

1) Does it make sense to buy a cheap five stringer first to see if you like it (harder to do since lefty 5ers are even harder to find), and then get a better one if you decide to stick with it, or is making the transition simply a matter of will?
You can find a used mid-range 5er for a decent price i.e Ibanez SR505 for about $400 seen on EBay. I would stay away from the really cheap ones you see on Ebay as the B string definition might suck and you won't enjoy it
2) If you decide to go the 5 string route and decide to commit to it, does it make sense to commission a luthier to build one given the paucity of lefty 5 stringers out there, especially fender style 5ers? Or do you try to go with what is out there in the manufactured market?
The only decently price Fender Style fiver I can think of is the KSD 705 they have on Adirondack but I heard the quality is not consistent (i.e dead spots, frets...) and you need to upgrade the preamp. Too bad, Ash/Maple Jazz basses are my favorites type of instruments. If I was to get one built by a luthier I'd ask Rod who seem to be reasonably priced and greatly talented.
3) Do you keep your four stringers and continue practicing on them in order to keep facile with them? How do you split up your woodshedding time?
Now, I don't find it difficult to switch back and forth. I strictly played the fiver for 2 month in order to get used to it. I usually don't look much at the fretboard when I play and keep my thumb anchored on the E most of the time unless I use the B string. That way I don't feel lost. Little by little I use more of the B string. I tend to not dwell on the notes below the D as it gets obnoxious quickly and I tend to use them as passing notes, it's always impressive though. I love being able to reach two octaves without moving my hand though
4) How much time did you allow youself to make the transition before gigging with a fiver?
It depends but for me it would be 2/3 month
5) Are there any other considerations that lefty basses should keep in mind when considering purchasing an extended range bass? Are they easier or harder to sell, etc?
Considerations: 34 or 35 scale? It's a tough one as it really depends on many factors. My TRB1005 is a 35, I like it played with fingers but prefer a lower string tension if I play with a pick. Also you need a high quality amp/cab. If someones plays with some kind of beat up 100W Peavey amp I'd say don't get a five it'll sound miserably muddy.
Not sure about buy and sell...you know...it's lefty so...Leftybassist made it easier for me to buy and sell, before it seemed like hell to me.

I agree with FrenchLefty. Get a decent mid priced 5 like an Ibanez 505, Warwick Rockbass, MTD or any Schecter which are all nice basses & great value & should hold their prices better than an SX or other entry level axe. The occasional unusual 5 pops up here or eBay now n then too. Fender MIJ 5 & KSD are the only J style production 5s I know of. Check out a Arnie's site too. I imagine moving them on would be easy as there's such a paucity of affordable lefty 5s. Top end basses come in many more makes & styles so it shouldn't be too hard getting one if you're ready. As for change over time, I just practiced our usual sets with the 5 at home & when I felt confident I gigged it, after about a month or so & could switch back without any probs. I actually needed to play a J 4 in a Blues Bros band & a fancy 5 isn't Duck Dunn so I was playing 4 with them & the next night a 5 with the dance funk band I played in concurrently. All my 5s are 34" scale as I find 35" cumbersome & tiring with too long a stretch (I'm short like Rocco n play chest height) so I sold my MTD Kingston. YMMV. I still enjoy playing 4s, especially for slap, funk, soul & disco, copping Rocco, Bernard, Verdine n the ol skool cool lines that grooved for days! Hope this helps your decision. Cheers, Glen

Thanks all. Sorry I have not wriiten in a while, I wanted to post a proper response.

First, Frenchy talked about the KSD's as well as Rod, and I want to confirm what he said. There is a shop in Baltimore that had a couple of KSD Jazz basses, and I did not like them one bit. The active sound was too "active" for my liking, there were a number of dead spots, and they were heavy as all get out.

Regarding Rod, I had a chance to play his left handed 5 string P that he took to NAMM and thought very, very highly of the neck and body. I also played a number of his four stringers and also thought highly of them, especially the one with the Nordy big singles. If I commissioned a build it most likely be with be with him.

Second, I am glad that those of you who play 5 stringers can swithch between 5 stringers and four stringers pretty easily. Overall, that makes me feel good. Mainly, I have only been playing for about 2.5- 3 years, and I wanted to be able to have a five string electric and a four string aocustic, since it seems that a 5 string acoustic (like the Michael Kelly) is going to be completely useless acoustically beacuse of that low string, and for extra options. I want to cover both.

Finally, I don't think personally I would go for the Ibanez for the same reason I would not do a G&L L-2500, the string spacing is so narrow. I got to play a Stingray 5, and that was ok, but I likes a lot more playing the MTD 535, I just did not like the low output of it, and the aesthtics, as I am an unabasked Fender look kind of guy.

Based on what you said, a Carvin SB5000 would be a good choice.

hi people! i'm new here but i thought i'd chime in with my experience...
i went from 4 to 6 strings when my dad picked up a Brice 406HXB in a pawn shop in Arizona for $140. i was using a Vintage Stingray copy (cheap British brand, probably comparable to SX), but i had replaced the pup with a Duncan Alnico classic MM and it sounded pretty sweet! Anyway, i got the Brice and really liked it, although the neck did seem pretty huge! I didn't care for the stock pups, they were very dull, and the pre was pretty horrible, so i replaced the pups with EMGDC and CS pups and so much better! Anyway, i started rehearsing and gigging with it pretty much immediately, i mean i don't play jazz or anything so it was pretty easy to get used to, although it can still seem a bit baffling when doing any improv stuff.
anyway, i don't find any problems switching between my 4s and my 6, but am really please to have just bought a 5 from this site!
FWIW i would say, commit to buying a 5 (or 6) if you're serious about playing it. if you're gonna get bored of the novelty after 2 weeks and leave it lying in the corner, then don't bother. it really depends on what sort of player you are and also if the sound (and look!) of the bass inspires you rather than if it's hard to play or not - anything is relatively hard to play at first - if you love the sound (and look) of it you'll persist! and to that extent i would say, you can buy a cheap 5 or 6er off of ebay, but if you want a good pro, gigging sound you'll need to change the pups, and that really bumps even the cheap ones up to mid-range prices, which are at the same time used higher-end prices!!!
so i guess to conclude i would say, depending on how serious you are, see if you can get a cheap ebay 5 or 6 string bass, but used, and pay less than £100 for it, which gives you about £150 to upgrade the electronics (so £200-£300) area, or buy a used higher end bass like a Yammy TRB or German Warwick (£450-up). I, personally wouldn't bother with a mid-level Peavey Millenium or Warwick Rockbass, not that there is anything wrong with them, but they occupy the same range as the used higher-end stuff, whereas if you get a cheapy used ebay job and hate the way it feels before even getting to the sound, at least its only cost you £100.
Phew!!!!

I would suggest you buy what you expect to gig with. I've had everything from SX 5ers to SR5, MM Bongo, XB75 and MTD. The big question for me is neck profile. I hated the MTD neck, it was waay to wide for me. I love Carvin LB, XB, and Musicman Stingray SR5 - the close string spacing works for me. The Bongo neck was also a bit too wide and shallow. Most Warwicks are like baseball bats IME.

I bought my first 5 string in 2001 and went with a lower end Yamaha BB series bass. It was plain black and had a wide neck. I loved it right off the bat save for the bland tone of the pickups. My goal was to save for a Musicman Stingray5 which I wasn't able to afford until 2006. When I brought that bass home, it was game over for the Yamaha. Funny thing is the narrow spacing of the SR5 was not as comfortable to me at first. But after awhile I really began to like it and now would have a harder time on a wide spaced 5ver.

I still have the SR5 which is my favorite bass but I managed to aquire a Bongo 5 and a Warwick Corvette Double Buck 5 over the past few years and find them all equally comfortable to play. I had a Carvin fretless 5 that really didn't have the tone I was after although it was really nicely made.

The big hurdle for me with a five string bass was trying to play songs on the fly that I had been playing for years with ta 4 string bass and the low E tuned to D. Took a little getting used to but don't miss having to re tune that E string mid gig.

I would not spend a large amount on a 5 string bass until you have an idea of what type of string spacing you prefer, neck shape, pickup configuration etc. I find that most Ibanez, Yamaha offerings have pretty bland tones and for us leftys, I don't think there is a Fender option.

Consider a used G&L, Musicman or Warwick as really good options. All three of these brands sell for considerably less on the used market and are often found in mint condition. My Warwick has a fatter chunky neck then some would prefer, but the fairly narrow spacing makes it a dream to play and the low B string is just insanely powerful.

Its a fun transition for sure. I would absolutely consider a higher end used bass over a cheapo new one if at all possible as you will appreciate the instrument so much more and not lose money if you decide to resell it.

Good luck!