Question for Jeff Rath (5-String related)

dwade · Post by **dwade** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 10:46 am

Steve....I got it, Jeffs got detail on his site, on a Laredo using a Dillion bridge he achieves a 2-3/8" spacing. Thanks Jeff for answering this months ago!

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:31 am

yep I use these bridges here ... they are found on Dillion, Epiphone, Johnson and other basses ... I usually have one or two of them laying around ... if anybody ever has one for sale I would like to buy it ...

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 11:33 am

this kahler bridge works pretty good as well ...

dwade · Post by **dwade** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 2:45 pm

I've been playing my MIM Jazz V (stock) live lately. I just measured the components.

Bridge - CL "B" to CL "G" = 2-13/16"
Neck width at nut = 1-13/16"
String space at neck Pup = 1/2" (edge to edge)

Its my only fiver, and has not been a tough finger reach, but I dont have any fast runs in the setlist. I have medium to cadet (for you golfers) size hands, a little on the small side.

I'm dreamin of a 4-2-5.....

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:00 pm

If you have smaller hands, they are great. I have a similar problem, for a bassist, my fingers are not incredibly long, and the Fender V I had just wore me out.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:22 pm

Steve, I figured you had the perfect hands for a bassist! LOL

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 4:42 pm

the Fender V wore me out too ... I liked the sound once I put in SD 1/4 pounders ... but damn that neck was wide ... for me the perfect 5 string neck is the p-bass 4 string neck with a 2 1/2" bridge but I can play the narrow and the wide ones if I have to ...

but if you have to play a 5 for some songs then why not make it a Ric?

atomic_punk · Post by **atomic_punk** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 5:40 pm

LOL Joey, maybe for a bassist, but certainly not a lead guitarist, had to give that up after breaking my wrist a few years back. On a Ric, it's much easier, but the Thunderbird, well, that's a stretch.

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 7:50 pm

My 4003S/5 has it's original spacing. I have to say that it was difficult getting used to it. What I mean is it was more the fact that it is a 5er than that the strings are closely spaced. I could not play it very well at all for the first week or two. It feels perfectly normal to me now. For some people it is just a matter of making adjustments.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:01 pm

Ted, have have you been playing the S/5 fingerstyle, with a pick or both?

rickfan60 · Post by **rickfan60** » Tue Mar 21, 2006 8:12 pm

Finger style all the way. I can play with a pick but it is not comfortable.

throw_this_away · Post by **throw_this_away** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 4:00 am

I played my dad's fender V for 5 hours straight one night (rehearsal with two different bands) and it played like a dream for a 5.

After playing my rics so much I feel like I have "too much finger" when playing near the nut on the jazz. I find the slightly wider ric necks perfect.

rickenbrother · Post by **rickenbrother** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:00 am

John, I know what you mean about having "too much finger" when playing a Jazz bass in the first position. I don't care for the amount of taper to a Jazz bass neck. I love the way Rick bass necks have little taper to them.

pma · Post by **pma** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 6:26 am

Jeff,

You mentioned earlier in this thread that if the 4004/5 had a 2 1/2" bridge you would have bought one. Would a bridge that size help with the pick up issue?

Paul

jwr2 · Post by **jwr2** » Wed Mar 22, 2006 7:05 am

I was basically discussing the whole design of the 4004cii5 ... Ric chose to be mainstream in their design approach and adopt the bridge and neck width of the musicman stringray 5 string bass ... I prefer a bass that is about half way between the musicman specs and the 4003s5 specs ... hence I use a p-bass neck and a 2 1/2" bridge ... for my hands that is perfection ... as per the hb1 and hb2 pickups I tried a Schaller 5 string bridge on my 2020 with the hb2 pickups ... it is almost narrow enough ... I finally swapped the Schaller out for the Kahler because it adjusts from 2 1/4" to 3" and I was able to tweak and adjust it to get a full response from all 5 strings and it also looks cool and adds sustain ...

So my original misgivings on the 4004cii5 were that I prefer a narrower neck ... I knew nothing of any pickup problems until I started converting 2030 basses 4-2-5 and talked with 4004cii5 owners about the pickups ... I will probably someday get a 4004cii5 but I suspect the neck may be a little wide for my taste ...