dont read unless you play bass

[bronto]

i play a 4 string ibanez, and am impartial to any particular style. actually, i think my sound is definately different, but not distinquishable as its own style yet. anyway, ive been looking into 5 strings and i think i need some guidance here. im used to the feel of an ibanez body, which is thin and light. i have a 22 fret rosewood neck and double j pickups. not sure on the electronics, but thats not my main concern anyway. any bassists (mellow?) wanna help me find something with a reasonable price? any suggestions will be much appreciated.

[Mr.Mellow]

Your best bet would be to go to a music store and test out all the 5-stringers. However, music stores tend to have a crappy bass section, and the bass people are not much help. How much money are you willing to spend? You said a reasonable price range, so I'm thinking under $500 or so. I was looking around on MusiciansFriend.com and I found a few 5-string basses around that price range.
   The first bass I found was the Fender Jazz Bass V. It's about $460. Can't go wrong with a Fender. However, the scale length is 34", and scale length is a big factor when you're dealing with basses that have more than 4 strings. The lower B string tends to be floppier and looser because it doesn't get enough tension with the 34" scale. Most decent 5-stringers are 35" or 36" scale. (Quick note: Scale length is measured by the space between the bridge saddles and the nut.) However, if you get a chance to play one at a music store, go for it. Try it standing up and sitting down, and make sure it isn't too heavy or bulky for ya. Fenders tend to be on the heavy side.
   Now, Ibanez makes a lot of models of 5 strings. A lot of them are signature models, so you're paying more money to have some guy's name on it. The good thing about Ibanez is that their lower priced models are still really good. My first bass was an Ibanez GSR-200 (or something like that). It's their lowest model, and I still play it all the time. You can't go wrong with an Ibanez.
   However, I don't have much experience with 5-stringers. When I go to a music store, I tend to just go straight for 4-stringers or 6-stringers, and usually play the more expensive basses. The thing is, after you buy a 5-string, you might decide that you want a 6-string instead. I'd seriously consider buying a 6-stringer instead, if you're looking for a lot of range. Once again, definately try a bass before you buy it. 6 string necks are very, very, very wide. If you're willing to spend the money, buy a Warwick Thumb bass. Warwick basses are absolutely fantastic, but also expensive as hell. They look great and sound perfect. They use really beautiful, exotic woods, too. If you can find a used one, it'd be recommended. I think new they go for about $1,200. Used might be a lot less, so definately check it out.
If you're looking to find a reliable place to buy used basses online, go to http://www.BassNW.com. I've never bought from them personally, but I've heard tons of good things about them, and have a good used bass section on their website. They're a bass-only music store run by bassists. If you live near them, you might want to drop by. Anyhoo, hope that helps. If I get a chance tomorrow, I'll try to drop by Sam Ash or something and test some 5-stringers, and tell you what I think about the different basses.

[bronto]

mellow you are the biggest help in the world. i thought you knew i hated fender bodys  . my friend has a warwick 4 string and i definately like the way that one feels, but i think ill just go with the less expensive brand that i know best...ibanez! ive tried alot of basses, and i still love the ibanez body the best. ill check out the musicians friend site later. on a side note, i just blazed the illest joint ever before i posted here.

[c| Splinter]

With all due respect to Mellow (since he definitely sounds like he knows his stuff), I'd be wary of buying from online if you can be.  Each bass has it's own personality regardless of brand, and if it is at all possible to play the actual bass, you should.  Its good to be able check to see if there are any slight warpages in the neck that can throw the intonation out of wack and make something intune when you play in down low, but out of tune when you go up the neck.  Good test for that is to tune at the fifth fret like normal, then tune with harmonics at the fifth and seventh frets to see if there are any discrepancies.  

If your local music store selection sucks, then Musiciansfriend.com is a good place to go.  another good online spot is www.americanmusical.com.  good selection, and the best thing about them about them is that you can split the payments up into 3 or 5 sections

I've always been a fan of Warwick.  My boy Justin from Tool plays those, and that's definitely my favorite bass sound around (in a pure aural sense).  I dig Ibanez guitars, but I did buy a really cheap 5 string from them once, and unfortunately the low B sounded like mud.  It was a cheap bass though.

Hope this helps.

[Mr.Mellow]

Yeah, definately try your best to buy a bass from a music store. The problem I have around here is that stores only carry a lot of entry level basses, and then the rest are the high end ones. No medium priced basses at all. I like MusiciansFriend.com, but I don't think I'd recommend them. I'd still recommend BassNW.com if you can find the bass you want there. They set-up all of their instruments and everything right before they ship em. Not sure if MF does that, they probably do. It's all up to you I guess, but still, check all the music stores first. Like Splinter was saying, every bass has it's own little flaws and such.

[Jackal.aHa!]

I have a 2000 Fender Jazz Bass...its pretty nice.

I would say take thier advice, its good...

I was trying out basses and I played a Squire 5- String, everyone bashes squire, but this bass was TIGHT!  The sound almost made me bust both my nuts. Check it out!

[bronto]

once again, i hate fender bodies, and all fender knockoffs.

[Overthrow.aHa!]

I wub my piece of crap entry level fender 4 string
its got a tradtion riding on its head thats importatn to about 20 in a world of billions but it stil pwns

[dr. letum]

This is just my opinion, but 5 strings should be reserved for Keith Richards and those who broke one of the other 6
My advice is to get better using what you have (i.e. 4 strings).  Most folks who have a 5 string bass can barely play 4 anyway.
PS-2 words Charles Mingus

[bronto]

im pretty confident with my skills on a four string...

[Mr.Mellow]

Charles Mingus pwnerizes. "Ah Um" is one of my favorite albums. By the way, I hear Lakland makes good 5-stringers, dunno how expensive they are though. Buy your new bass yet?

[bronto]

not yet, im out of a job, im up to 300.