LeftyBassist.com

Hi Folks

I had a conversation yesterday with a couple of folks who do gospel and Contemporary Christian music, and insisted you needed a five string bass. I have been doing just fine with my four string Jazz Deluxe, but the Gospel guys especially were insistent on needing a five string bass because it would be easier to play all of the flatted keys. Honestly, I got me a bit depressed because I just bought my American Deluxe, and I could not think of production 5 string basses (as versus boutique) for lefties other than Music Man's Sterling/Stingray, g&l, and Carvin SB 5000. (Also, I have never played a five stringer). These are not low cost basses, that is for certain.

Could we start a list of five string basses available for lefties? I think it would be useful.

I'll start us off:

Musicman Stingray 5
Musicman Sterling 5
Carvin SB 5000
G&L 2500


Others?

Tobias
Schecter
Spector
Warwick


all have 5 string lefty models

I love my schecter studio deluxe 5. I picked up my bass for 320$ on ebay

I don't think MM offers the Sterling 5 in lefty.
All Carvin basses are available lefty - Icon, LB75, XB, B50 They are coming out very soon with a Brian Bromberg sig model available in 5 string also.

you could always add a Hipshot D-tuner to your low E and extend yourself easily into E-flat. while a 5er can make life easier for some tunes, the D-tuner can get you there until you're totally sure you need more strings

and when you start covering material by/like Andre Gouche ... you'll be looking for a 6er and skipping right past that 5-string

all the best,

R

My head, fingers, and wallet already hurt at the thought of a six finger. I like Andrae Crouch, but my favorite gospel artist is Fred Hammond, I think he also plays a six stringer. I have a hard enough time getting my mind wrapped around the concept of playing a fiver, forget six. Those guys are usually incredible bass players, it's like they are just born with a gift. I have a love for the music, a talent to play it....well, that's just a whole other matter.

Nope, you can take that off your list.


Fender Jazz V (Japan)
Cort Artisan A5
Cort Artisan B5
Cort Artisan C5
Yamaha TRB1005
KSD J605
KSD J705
MTD Saratoga
MTD Kingston Artist
MTD Kingston Heir
MTD Kingston Z
Ibanez SR505

Ibanez GSR205L

Yamaha BBN5L

Ibanez has been mentioned already, but they have a good selection of five strings at affordable prices. The Soundgear series comes to mind, although I think the best bang for your buck is the SR505- solid, great price, Bartolini pickups... just a great bass! Even the SX basses on www.rondomusic.com are a great deal.... $200.00 or less...

I would say the five string has been a relatively recent addition to the bass world, and lots of gospel music was played on a four string. Don't get pressured into buying a bass you may only need to use on a couple of songs; and I would say that is the key - that the instrument needed for a song depends on what range the song/instrument was intended for. I say let that be your guide... if most of the songs you're asked to play favor a five string, because the song has notes played below "E", then you will have to strongly consider the "B" string...

It sounds like the people asking for a five string want you to play the low organ notes. If there is no organ in the band, I can see why they want you to have a five string. If there is an organ in the band, then I don't think you should have to play in the same range as the organ.

One last thing - as far as flat keys go - you can always tune down a half-step to "Eb", or drop down to a whole step to "D"... these are options you can try before having to spend more money.... or, you can ask the people who think you need to buy a five string bass to contribute to your purchase, if they think it's so necessary!

Thanks for the thoughtful comments guys. I would definitely be open to getting an extender put into my Jazz, I really love the playability of it and don't want to sell it. As far as the organ is concerned, that is right, we don't have an organ. We have a keyboard with an organ sound programmed in, so we could cop the organ tone if need be, but I rather just keep my four strings. I am the regular Sunday bassist for my church (I also do weekdays sometimes), and we typically play Contemporary Christian, and I think the four stringer works for that. A few of us (yours truly included) have been itching to move into gospel as well for variety's sake. I just was flabbergasted when folks had asked me about getting a five stringer given that a couple of weeks ago folks in my church asked me about getting an acoustic bass for small group settings with just an acoustic guitar, and maybe a jimbe.

I have been open to getting an acoustic bass just to round out the collection (I have an American Jazz Deluxe and a Squire P special), but as you can sense, not feeling like getting another electric at all.

At this rate, I might need to start asking for donations.

I might be wrong, but I think Ibanez cut WAAAAY back on their lefty offerings this past year.

I think the only lefties they make right now is the SR300L 4-string and they make a GSR200L, GSR205L, and a GSR206L which are 4, 5, and 6 strings respectively.

In fact, they are currently doing a Paul Gray tribute bass... and it's NOT available in lefty, if you can believe that.

I've played a GSR200L, and... maybe I'm a snob, but I thought it was basically built like a kid's toy bass.

Great idea & resource, when we're done we need to edit & correct it & sticky the list I think.
Don't forget Steinberger Spirit XL5, Hohner BV5, Warwick Rockbass, Spectors cheaper series, Aria IGB68/5. Of course, there are quite a few used, discontinued models floating around on eBay, etc that pop up from time to time. Washburn XB500 was a great cheaper 5er I had, still got my Ibanez 645 & love my 505, so there are affordable options.

Absolutely right. They dropped the lefty SR500, SR505 and SR506, unfortunately, and instead issued their GIO-models (the GSR's you mention, an affordable version of the Soundgear) in lefty versions. Too bad!

And that Paul Gray tribute has nothing to do with Paul Gray, except that his picture is on it. It's not even a real ATK, the only thing it shares with the ATK is that it's based on the Stingray concept. They dropped the big ATK bridge, the large triplecoil pickup and the versatile electronics on those. I'm not a fan of Paul Gray or Slipknot, but I love ATK's and I really don't like the latest offerings by Ibanez

LOL you should try my 7 string out.
Heres a pic, Conklin GT7
http://i267.photobucket.com/albums/ii31 ... 070073.jpg
I certainly wasn't born with any gift, just the dedication to spend thousands upon thousands of hours practicing, with hopes of getting good someday.


To the OP: F bass will make you any bass in a lefty model, you just have to specify. There is a lefty BN5 (5 string) in the classifieds going for $1600, which is a steal for that bass ($4k new).
Ibaneze has a soundgear 4,5 & 6 string basses too. They're great, great tone and very playable for the price.