5 string spacing - why 17.5mm ?

[woody357]

I'm looking into getting a Bongo 5, but I was wondering, Is the neck bigger than the SR5, and is the neck a C neck or a D. The reason I ask is because I average to small hands, and don't want to get a bass that I'm going to have to work at playing. I would like to try one before buying but, I can't there isn't any place that sells them here, so I'll have to order it on line. Can anyone help me with my questions?

 

[strummer]

To me, the neck feels very similar to the SR5, I mean they are both comfortable as anything
I don't have big hands, but to me the Bongo 5 is a real nice fit.
I recently did a trace on the neck profile for Smellybum oven on the skinny string side, so you'll be able to see the profile for yourself. I'd call it C, but what do I know?

 

[Smakbass]

I think 19mm on the warwick is the "wide" option.

I think more to the point was when the stingray was originally designed there wasnt really that much out there for production 5 strings and no real standard so I Imagine BP picked what felt best to him.

I am pretty sure Fender didnt even make a 5 string when the SR5 came out. Warwick was still a smaller more custom company at the time themselves...Ibanez had some 5's that were ultra narrow,,other than that all I remember is the more custom bass makers having 5s.

Was the SR5 the first production USA made 5er?

 

[phat5]

All i can say is i'm way more comfortable with the neck on my SR5 than with the neck on my previous fiver wich was a fender Roscoe Beck.

Much better neck and no dead spots

I too, am a former Roscoe Beck sig user, and I was dead set against anything narrower than 19mm. Thanks to a fellow EB forum member, I found the Bongo 5 to be very comfortable.

 

[pepperman]

My SUB5 neck is by far, the most comfortable 5ver neck I have ever played. As BP said, it just feels natural. I'm assuming, of course, that the SUB5 profile is very similar to the SR5 profile.

 

[MK Bass Weed]

Funny, I also play upright and sheesh, when you can actually get close to a decent instrument (the cost of a 5 or 6 Sting Ray 5s), you kinda adapt to the instrument with all of it's quirks. That's just the way it is.

I once broke the neck on my upright and took it to David Gage to get fixed.

Upstairs in his shop, there are a bunch of basses and he had me try all of them to get the idea of what kind of feel I liked, because we weren't going to be able to exactly duplicate my original... Every single one was different, so I go close and told David which one, then he got out the sander.

With bass guitars, things are so much easier with regards to standards, but I think the idea of just adapting to the quirks of the instrument like string spacing, pickup placement are much smaller humps to get over when moving from one instrument to the next and eventually disappear once that guitar becomes 'home'..I had my Ray 5 in 87, I don't even think about spacing anymore, just getting more Rays.

 

[mrpackerguy]

As BP basically said above, to each his own. Choice is a good thing. Lately, I'm bringing my 4 banger Stingray and a 5'er to every gig and for me, it's easier to transition in a gig between two basses that have relatively close to the same string spacing. So for me, I opt for another brand's 5'er. I've owned two SR5's and felt the string spacing was comfortable, but for me it's an intra-gig transition issue. If I could ever decide I want to play a 5'er all night, I'd probably go back to an SR5.

 

[Slapfest]

[QUOTE it's easier to transition in a gig between two basses that have relatively close to the same string spacing. So for me, I opt for another brand's 5'er. I've owned two SR5's and felt the string spacing was comfortable, but for me it's an intra-gig transition issue.

I couldnt agree more.
Its the swapping of string spacing mid-stream that I was noticing, and when I changed to a 19mm 5'er, I was instantly happier..... no 'breaking in" period.
I guess the correct point has been made here .....Personal prefernce is King.
BUT..... seeing as there ARE differing preferences, wouldnt it be nice to have the freedom of choice to be able to order and buy what we prefer.
I have heard the "custom shop" argument, but string spacing variations are an option offered by many other companies, and is a little more "nuts and bolts" than finish options etc...

I will now assume the position for the bashing I no doubt deserve... lol

 

[Big Poppa]

slap it isnt bashing it just adss hundreds of options it is a naive but glorious idea...at some point you just have to stop there adding one color is much much easier that addaing another option to the thousands of combos.....

Lets let this die OK?

 

[woody357]

Well I ordered a Black Bongo 5er this afternoon, I should have it in 2-5 days. I'm not going to let my band know. We have a gig on the 8th of Nov. I'll wait untill then and whip it out at the gig ahahhaaaah, untill then I'll just use my Schecter elite5 at rehearsals.

 

[CaptainFingers]

Sorry, but if you're going to quote manufactures, get the facts straight. Warwick: (tighter than MM @16.5) and Fender: (wider than MM) but not 19. I also know that my Spector wasn't 19 either.
I thought I read that the 17.5 was after the Rickenbackers?
Perfect spacing.

FYI guys,
My original Yamaha TRB6 and TRB5 (both from 1992) are 19mm string spacing at the bridge. And I know for sure that the Warwick Streamer Stage I 6-string is actually 20mm spacing at the bridge.

 

[mynan]

Resurrected a 2-year-old thread for that?...Yamaha and Warwick string spacing?

 

[LawDaddy]

Resurrected a 2-year-old thread for that?...Yamaha and Warwick string spacing?

This zombie thread might bring the servers down again :/

 

[jlepre]

let's see where this goes now...

 

[bovinehost]

I can tell you where it's going! I can see the future!