# 5-String For Metal/Djent?



## toolsound (Aug 31, 2008)

I'm a guitar player and just got my first 7 string guitar. I need a 5 string bass to go with it, strictly for recordings. I have a Sansamp DI and Pod X3 and don't plan on buying a bass amp. I'm not a bass player, so I'm a bit lost on what to buy.

I play metal. Think djenty stuff like Meshuggah, Bulb, Tesseract, etc. I'm willing to spend up to $700 or so. Suggestions?

Thanks!


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## Jason (Aug 31, 2008)

Brice HXB-405 5-String Nat Spalted at HomeOld

Also check out Schecters


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## Brendan G (Aug 31, 2008)

If you wanna go the meshuggah route try a used warwick not a rockbass which is to warwick like squire is to fender.


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## MF_Kitten (Aug 31, 2008)

you might want to go with distortion on the bass then, or at least some overdrive. for that to work well, you need a clear-sounding bass with humbuckers (to escape hum and hiss etc), and it has to be kinda bright. also, use thin strings to get the growly drone-like sound that meshuggah has.

try something like woodo guitars, rondo music, ibanez (BTB range is nice), warwick... i think most basses will sound decent when you cross a certain price range.


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## toolsound (Aug 31, 2008)

Well, the non-rockbass warwicks and the woodo's seem to be in the $900+ range.


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## Brendan G (Aug 31, 2008)

toolsound said:


> Well, the non-rockbass warwicks and the woodo's seem to be in the $900+ range.


Eventually you will find one for $700, if you don't want to wait, I would go with an Ibanez BTB as MF Kitten suggested


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## bulletbass man (Aug 31, 2008)

Ibanez SR go for insanely cheap used.

Some of thier models are really stunning and only go for 500 or so. (Models that new were over a grand)


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## TemjinStrife (Aug 31, 2008)

Personally I love my Schecter C-4 Elite. Anything with active EMG-HZs or EMG soapbars tend to be extremely clear and punchy, and active EQ can really put in some slam.


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## F1Filter (Sep 1, 2008)

A used USA made G&L L-2500 like this one will absolutely crush. They're like Music Man Stingrays on steroids. 

I own one myself and it's got one of the best low B strings I've ever played. And believe me when I say I've tried them all. This even includes some of the higher priced 'boutique' basses out there. Sadowsky, Mike Lull, MTD, etc.


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## Naren (Sep 1, 2008)

Brendan G said:


> Eventually you will find one for $700, if you don't want to wait, I would go with an Ibanez BTB as MF Kitten suggested



The bass player in my band has a Warwick 5-string that he bought used for $2600 (it was around $3500 new). I was looking at this one bass store the other day before I bought my Ibanez SR305 which is a pretty good cheap bass (active 3-band EQ, style sweeper, pickup blending etc.) and all the Warwicks were over $2000 with the most expensive around $4000. I assume some of it is the price being risen from being imported, but I assume that the $4000 bass must have been at least $3500 in the US...

Yeah, so my bass doesn't play nearly as good as his, obviously, but with some good tweaking, I can get it to sound pretty friggin' AWESOME. @[email protected]


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## yetti (Sep 1, 2008)

You could also check out the Ibby SRX.

Guitar Gallery | Sweetwater.com


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## gaunten (Sep 1, 2008)

MF_Kitten said:


> also, use thin strings to get the growly drone-like sound that meshuggah has.


 
actually, according to fredrik it's more like an Oil tanker being dragged over concrete.


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## toolsound (Sep 1, 2008)

I appreciate the help, guys. I went to guitar center today and checked out every 5 string bass they had under $1,000. 

I narrowed it down to a Schecter Studio 5 and an Ibanez SR505. I liked the sound of the Schecter. The slap/pop sound on the higher strings was perfect, but the low B had too much of a rattle that I couldn't seem to dial out. The Ibanez didn't sound quite as nice, but it sounded very clear and there was no rattling to be found. I like how it felt in my hands, too.

So after a lot A/B action, I finally settled on the Ibanez. It was on "the list" at Guitar Center and I snagged it for $500. Not bad.


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## The Dark Wolf (Sep 1, 2008)

I'm getting that exact bass in the next week or 2.


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## Brendan G (Sep 1, 2008)

I played the SR506 it was a nice bass.


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## Mattayus (Sep 2, 2008)

my crafter cx-150 does the trick pretty well! damn cheap too


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 2, 2008)

put some really bright strings on that, and you´re all set!


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## Stengah_2012 (Sep 2, 2008)

Nice bass! I've got an Ibanez SR something or other, I'm not sure what it is exactly, but it looks like just like that, only black. It's a 5 string with active EMG's; it sounds great. I snagged it from GC for about $300 six or seven years ago.


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## hairychris (Sep 5, 2008)

Join the club.  I've got an SR-505 and it's a really easy to play and pretty nice sounding bass. Used it for the first time in anger (recording) a few weeks back, and as an idiot guitarist it's really easy to make the jump because of the skinny neck.

Good deal on it too!


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## eleven59 (Sep 5, 2008)

FWIW, the "rattle" you were talking about with the Schecter is exactly what creates the "djent" sound you're looking for, when run through a distorted amp.


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## Mattayus (Sep 5, 2008)

Yeah a tiny bit of distortion is what does the trick. and you need quite light strings (mine are way too big and boomy, need to change them asap!)


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## MF_Kitten (Sep 5, 2008)

i´d say no thicker than .130 for a low B. preferrably lighter than that!


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## toolsound (Sep 13, 2008)

So after a couple weeks, I decided to take the Ibanez back and get the Schecter. The Ibanez was nice, but I decided the Schecter was closer to the sound I'm looking for.


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## polydeathsphere (Oct 26, 2008)

you dont need distortion for djent! u need a good bass and good strings. I'm hearing alot of people talkin about thin strings, but I just got a Warwick Katana 5 (discontinued, got the last one in guitar center for an INSANE deal btw) and it came with really thick strings and i get a perfect tone for meshuggah-style playing. It also depends on ur style of playing. I have a FellSilent cover on youtube check it out its Age of Deception


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## Sepultorture (Oct 26, 2008)

they certainly don't fall in the $700 category but i love Peavey cirrus 5's, especially through Ampeg SVT classic heads and an 8x10 cab, get that cannibal corpse, cryptopsy bass sound


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## Doomcreeper (Nov 2, 2008)

bulletbass man said:


> Ibanez SR go for insanely cheap used.
> 
> Some of thier models are really stunning and only go for 500 or so. (Models that new were over a grand)



those basses are really nice, my bass player has one and it plays great.


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