Having a 5 string bass guitar in your studio allows you to create diverse and somewhat unique bass sounds.
Also, a bass guitar with five strings is great to record heavy music or low-tuned bass tracks.
And if you own a home recording studio and record many metal bands, then it’s a good idea to have an extended-range bass guitar.
What’s The Best 5 String Bass?
So, here are the best 5 string bass guitars that I have tested for this post or played throughout the years.
1. Fender Player JB V
A 5-string bass that sounds and plays great.
If you want to buy a good quality 5-string bass that can work with various styles of playing and genres, then Fender Player JB V would be a great choice. This is a jazz-style bass guitar with different sound options, an awesome and easy-to-play neck, and overall quality.
In sound options, I mean knobs that let you dial in the sound you want because it offers treble and midrange boost and cut options. Also, it has an active/passive switch and noiseless pickups that sounds really great. This 5-string bass guitar can be used on stage, you can record with it and play any genre you want.
2. Schecter SLS Evil Twin
A great 5-string bass guitar to play metal.
Schecter SLS Evil Twin is one of the best 5-string basses for metal and there are lots of reasons for that. Not only it’s a high-quality instrument with a great neck and sound, but it’s also a cool bass guitar to record. It’s a high-end instrument that is worth every cent you pay.
One of my favorite thing about this bas is the neck-through construction that adds sustain and uniqueness to the sound. Another awesome feature is the Fishman Fluence pickups which are one of my favorites. It’s made for metal bass players and extra string gives you the ability to expand your playing horizon.
3. Ibanez SRF705
One of the best fretless bass with five strings.
If you are searching for 5-string fretless bass, I’ve got one for you and it’s Ibanez SRF705. I’m not a great fretless bass player but even for me, it was easier to play on this bass. I liked everything – feel, sound, and quality. I played it through a small bass amp and it still sounded awesome.
The sound comes from Bartolini MK-1 pickups which sound really good, balanced, and clean. And an interesting feature is the bridge which is an AeroSilk Piezo system and has volume and tone controls for piezo and boosts for treble and bass which gives you a diverse sound. I might not be an expert in fretless bass guitars but I can say that this bass sounds and plays great.
4. Yamaha TRBX505
Affordable and high-quality bass guitar.
Now let’s talk about more affordable and cheaper bass guitars. One of the best affordable 5-string bass guitars is Yamaha TRBX505. I have played many instruments made by Yamaha and regarding price, all of them sound great. I love Yamaha instruments and they always offer great quality.
This particular bass has a 34″ scale length which is good for drop tuning, 5 piece maple and mahogany neck, and 24 frets. It’s loaded with H5 Alnico V humbuckers and for controls you have volume, balance, and 3-band active EQ which is a great option. Additionally, it has a switch between active and passive circuits.
5. Sterling RAY5
Superb 5-string bass guitar to play rock music.
For home recording musicians who seek very affordable 5-string bass with great sound, playability, and overall quality, Sterling StingRay is perhaps the best one. You can plug it into any bass amp VST and the RAY5 bass guitar will still sound amazing and you can record high-quality bass tracks.
This 5-string bass has only one humbucker made by Music Man and that’s what you need. With one pickup, you can create great and versatile bass tones because it also offers a 2-band active preamp. In my opinion, this is one of the best 5-string bass guitars for rock music.
Conclusion
As you can see, there are quite a few great 5-string basses you can buy for your home studio. Great thing is that you can find a bass for your budget and I recommend extended-range bass guitars for everyone who records music at home.