Rickresource Rickenbacker Forum

I find blues a perfect style of music for the 5 string bass ...

I can imagine. These are the kinds of comments I was hoping for...just to know how often a 5er will come in handy.

No comments on the octave pedal to drop notes though? Can that keep the desired tone of the bass while dropping the note?

I don't think you'll be happy with it. I used to use one for guitar and it was a pain getting it to track notes properly. It ended up sounding really muddy. But I did get one great song out of it!!

My vote goes to Lakland, hands down, even the Skyline models. The necks are wide, true, but they are asymmetrical and don't feel at all like a baseball bat. I've been playing Lakland 5s for five years after 35 years on 4 strings only. The transition took about a week. I started with a Skyline and liked it so much I pulled trigger on a USA made 55-94. Best bass I have ever played. And I have played almost everything -- Fender, Hofner, Gretsch, Music Man, Steinberger, Rickenbacker, Gibson, Alembic and others. Since going to Lakland, I've bought a Sting Ray 5 and hated the neck, and a Jazz 5 and hated the neck, so sold both. Strings spacing feels too tight and the neck just isn't comfortable after the Lakies.

As for the "necessity" of a 5 string, no It's not necessary. But when I switch now to my NS Designs WAV4, I REALLY miss that B string. Having the B string doesn't only mean you use it to play B, C, C#, D and Eb. I find myself playing the B String all the way up to the 12th fret. It opens up possibilities and makes pattern playing much easier. The Lakland B is 35", and it makes all the difference. The B is defined, tight and thunderous down low, but equally clear all the way up the neck.

The main difference between the Skyline and the USA Laklands, other than price, is that the USA Models weigh less, have a satin finish on the back of the neck, graphite rods in the neck and better finish choices. Electronically, they are identical (if you're talking about a Skyline 55-02 and a USA 55-94). For blues, you could do no better.

I didn't like the current crop of 5 string basses out there so I built my own ...

http://www.3dentourage.com/425/fender-bird2.htm
http://www.3dentourage.com/425/c5pbass.htm
http://www.3dentourage.com/425/fender-bird3.htm
http://www.3dentourage.com/425/5%20string%20p%20bass.htm

I agree Jeff, sometimes the only way to please one's self is to D-I-Y.

(Having a five string is like have a basement, you got room to go down if required... )

My Warwick was a Corvette Pro-Line. Massive growling bottom end, but when you climbed down the neck on the D an G strings you got lost in the mix. It was a really nice bass other than that.

If I would have kept it I would have put in a 3 band EQ, maybe with some different PUPs.

Dave, thanks for the Lakland review, I have always been kinda curious about them, never have played one, though...now I am more curious...