# Cheap 5 string bass



## YYZ2112 (Jan 22, 2008)

I'm in the market for a cheap 5 string bass that's not total crap. Something mid priced in the $400-500 range would be perfect. Any suggestions would be much appreciated.


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## keithb (Jan 22, 2008)

'round these parts there seems to be one word on cheap basses: Brice HXB406 (if you can deal with 6 strings)

Brice HXB-406 6-String Nat Q at HomeOld


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## Jason (Jan 22, 2008)

keithb said:


> 'round these parts there seems to be one word on cheap basses: Brice HXB406 (if you can deal with 6 strings)
> 
> Brice HXB-406 6-String Nat Q at HomeOld



 Beat me to it.. They also offer that in a 5'er but it's at the older/higher price of $289. Also check out there 5 string page


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## YYZ2112 (Jan 22, 2008)

Cool.... Thanks guys


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## Apophis (Jan 22, 2008)

Something from Cort?


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## Jason (Jan 22, 2008)

Apophis said:


> Something from Cort?



Only thing I ever see available in the states for cort is the curbow..


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## Ishan (Jan 22, 2008)

too bad  look at this : http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/ba...pikusutory-56k-go-take-shower.html#post819564


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## eleven59 (Jan 22, 2008)

The Squier Jazz Basses are nice, and I've heard good things about OLP.

Lots from Ibanez in that range too, same goes for ESP and Schecter.


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## Apophis (Jan 22, 2008)

Jason said:


> Only thing I ever see available in the states for cort is the curbow..



wow, first time we have something what isn't available in US, almost a miracle


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## Jason (Jan 22, 2008)

eleven59 said:


> The Squier Jazz Basses are nice, and I've heard good things about OLP.
> 
> Lots from Ibanez in that range too, same goes for ESP and Schecter.



Ya for twice the money of the rondo's  Olp are hit and miss I don't like there 5 strings. Ibanez has some good shit. Schecter is ;holy: Fucking amazing for the price.If it weren't for Rondo I would most def get one.


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## eleven59 (Jan 22, 2008)

Jason said:


> Ya for twice the money of the rondo's  Olp are hit and miss I don't like there 5 strings. Ibanez has some good shit. Schecter is ;holy: Fucking amazing for the price.If it weren't for Rondo I would most def get one.



I've never tried the Rondo stuff, but I know the Ibanez, Schecter, and ESP stuff _sound_ incredible, and Shannon's got good things to say about the Squiers (I play a Fender Jazz Bass V, and even that's not that much more than his price range).

I guess I'm just confused why people are suggesting such cheap basses when he said mid-level, and listed a price range well above the Rondo stuff.


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## keithb (Jan 22, 2008)

Good point...I have NO idea what to buy at that price. The Brice gets great reviews for the extreme low price bracket, and three seconds of playing Popsyche's F Bass convinced me that if I ever won the lottery, that would be my pick.

Any particular ESP or Schecter models you'd recommend? I've been looking at basses recently myself.


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## Ishan (Jan 22, 2008)

Schecter Stilleto Studio 5, relativly cheap (check the bay) and VERY GOOD for the money.


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## Jason (Jan 22, 2008)

eleven59 said:


> I've never tried the Rondo stuff, but I know the Ibanez, Schecter, and ESP stuff _sound_ incredible, and Shannon's got good things to say about the Squiers (I play a Fender Jazz Bass V, and even that's not that much more than his price range).
> 
> I guess I'm just confused why people are suggesting such cheap basses when he said mid-level, and listed a price range well above the Rondo stuff.



Because quality wise there in that price range


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## Jason (Jan 22, 2008)

keithb said:


> Good point...I have NO idea what to buy at that price. The Brice gets great reviews for the extreme low price bracket, and three seconds of playing Popsyche's F Bass convinced me that if I ever won the lottery, that would be my pick.
> 
> Any particular ESP or Schecter models you'd recommend? I've been looking at basses recently myself.



this exact one.. such clear and focused tone.. 

Schecter Guitar Research


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## darren (Jan 22, 2008)

There are loads of great choices in that price range. 

Buy Squier Deluxe Jazz Bass Active V 5-String Bass online at Musician's Friend

Buy OLP Tony Levin Signature 5-String Bass online at Musician's Friend

Buy Peavey Grind Bass Guitar 5 BXP NTB online at Musician's Friend

Buy Ibanez SR405QM Soundgear 5-String Electric Bass online at Musician's Friend

Buy Ibanez BTB205 5-String Electric Bass Guitar online at Musician's Friend

Buy Peavey Millennium 5 AC BXP 5-String Bass online at Musician's Friend

Buy ESP B-255 5-String Bass online at Musician's Friend

Buy Yamaha RBX375 5-String Bass Guitar online at Musician's Friend

Buy Ibanez SRX595 5-String Electric Bass Guitar online at Musician's Friend


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## Desecrated (Jan 22, 2008)

cort action bass 5, really cheap, works good.


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## ghoti (Jan 23, 2008)

Schecter Stiletto bass if you can get one used...I don't know if there's better price for quality out there nowadays than Schecter.

Among new models, Rondo's stuff, or Musician's Friend house brand (Rogue). If you like basswood bodies and active electronics on a bass (like I do) you'll do quite nicely for a couple hundred.

Dean basses sound really good to me. Decent value for lower-end instruments. The more expensive models don't thrill me as much as the low-end ones do comparably.

Peavey plays awesome; not totally thrilled about the electronics but if you can find a used one they're great deals as well. The construction, sound, and playability on some of those is really good IMO.

Yamaha is a solid choice. Not really my style for the most part but lots of guys love them. Likewise for Ibanez.

Fender and Gibson don't have too many 5-string models because they're selling on inertia and not innovation...don't get me wrong; the quality is solid for the most part, just the price and features don't thrill when compared to others.


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## arnoroth661 (Jan 23, 2008)

keithb said:


> 'round these parts there seems to be one word on cheap basses: Brice HXB406 (if you can deal with 6 strings)
> 
> Brice HXB-406 6-String Nat Q at HomeOld



Honestly, what's the catch. Really.


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## arnoroth661 (Jan 23, 2008)

arnoroth661 said:


> Honestly, what's the catch. Really.





Rondo Music said:


> Since about 1985 Rondo Music has built these custom brand instruments to our specifications based on our customer's requests. The instruments are imported from a variety of countries including China, Taiwan, and Korea.



 My acoustic from Korea is alright, but China?


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## Jason (Jan 23, 2008)

arnoroth661 said:


> Honestly, what's the catch. Really.



nothing.. 

http://www.sevenstring.org/forum/bass-guitar-discussion/46467-new-bass-day-brice-hxb-picstory.html


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## Jason (Jan 23, 2008)

FWIW All the peaveys I have played as of late didn't sound very good


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## ghoti (Jan 23, 2008)

arnoroth661 said:


> Honestly, what's the catch. Really.



What catch? You can get this Buy Rogue LX406 Pro 6-String Bass online at Musician's Friend

for $30 more...which, considering shipping is free comes out to about the same price...

3-band EQ, brass nut, and the only "drawback" is you have basswood instead of alder. I had one and it kicked some serious ass. I don't think it's set up quite as well as the Rondo stuff, but once that's done I think it's as good or possibly better.



Jason said:


> FWIW All the peaveys I have played as of late didn't sound very good



That's funny. I played some at GC that just weren't working, but the one I own plays and sounds (acoustically) better than anything else I've tried except for some Schecters. Maybe their QC isn't that great and I just got a good one, or maybe the ones you and I played lately just have been abused in the music store and/or not set up right...


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## Jason (Jan 23, 2008)

ghoti said:


> What catch? You can get this Buy Rogue LX406 Pro 6-String Bass online at Musician's Friend
> 
> for $30 more...which, considering shipping is free comes out to about the same price...
> 
> 3-band EQ, brass nut, and the only "drawback" is you have basswood instead of alder. I had one and it kicked some serious ass. I don't think it's set up quite as well as the Rondo stuff, but once that's done I think it's as good or possibly better...




Nope, I have played alot of rondo and owned and played a few rogues. No competition.



> That's funny. I played some at GC that just weren't working, but the one I own plays and sounds (acoustically) better than anything else I've tried except for some Schecters. Maybe their QC isn't that great and I just got a good one, or maybe the ones you and I played lately just have been abused in the music store and/or not set up right.



At four or more stores? Not likely.  and it wasn't the setups it was the tone


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## darren (Jan 23, 2008)

Have you ever checked out Ibanez ArtCore guitars and basses? Seriously scary-good quality for Chinese-made guitars. Don't pre-judge just because of where the factory is.


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## Jason (Jan 23, 2008)

darren said:


> Have you ever checked out Ibanez ArtCore guitars and basses? Seriously scary-good quality for Chinese-made guitars. Don't pre-judge just because of where the factory is.



Ibanez :: Electric Basses :: ATK These?

Ya they do sound pretty good.


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## ghoti (Jan 23, 2008)

They sound quite good, but it's not a sound I go for on bass (if that makes any sense). Hollowbody short-scale, like the p-bass sound, is something I respect from other players but usually don't like as much from myself...maybe because of some of the ones I started on...my first bass guitar was a really cheap hollowbody and I remember playing p's at school that weren't that great quality...I guess like a lot of band instruments.

Rogue had a heavier sound to it than the Douglas I have but the best reason I prefer the Douglas is that it's a fretless 6'er (nobody else sells one). Aside from that I'd have been hard pressed to decide which one I preferred.

Lots of guys at talkbass.com like Peaveys, and I like mine quite a bit...the electronics are a bit bland but the feel and sound is better to me than most. But every one I've tried at GC didn't quite measure up to my ears and hands, so maybe I just got lucky.


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## Ishan (Jan 23, 2008)

I'd stay away from Douglas and SX (china made) but Brice are great (Korea)


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