LDS714
Well-known member
Picked up a new (to me) bass yesterday. An ESP LTD LB5 Jr. It's a short-scale 5 string with a single P-style pickup.
Scale length is slightly longer than a Strat, but shorter than my old EB3. The neck is very comfortable to me and has a definite taper as it moves from the body to the headstock.
The tuners are a bit, uh, aggressive and IMHO could use a gear ratio that allows more turns of the key per turn of the post.
It's a bit headstock heavy (neck dives) but not as much as an Ibanez Mikro 4-string.
It has a tiny bit more neck relief than I'm used to with my Gibson and Rick, but I believe a tweak on the truss rod will rectify that nicely. The frets are smooth, and amazingly level for a budget instrument. But like I've mentioned before I'm spoiled. My old EB3 spent a year at Gibson right after I bought it and was reworked from top to bottom by their top tech, so any comparison is inherently unfair.
Sound is, ummm, OK. I got it to use with a group that plays heavier, downtuned music (drop D and drop C on the guitars) so although it delivers the sludge required for that gig, it would definitely not be a choice in the studio for anything that requires a lot of articulation in the higher end. Not a good bass IMHO for funk styles, slapping and popping just doesn't have the required bite - now that being said, I did buy it used and haven't put new strings on it yet, this could all change with a fresh set of High Beams.
All in all, I couldn't be happier, especially for what it cost ($129 used) and to me it plays and sounds as good as basses I own and have played that cost ten times as much. Highly recommended if you're someone who likes or needs a shorter scale length and needs the extra bottom or extended range in particular positions provided by the B string.
Scale length is slightly longer than a Strat, but shorter than my old EB3. The neck is very comfortable to me and has a definite taper as it moves from the body to the headstock.
The tuners are a bit, uh, aggressive and IMHO could use a gear ratio that allows more turns of the key per turn of the post.
It's a bit headstock heavy (neck dives) but not as much as an Ibanez Mikro 4-string.
It has a tiny bit more neck relief than I'm used to with my Gibson and Rick, but I believe a tweak on the truss rod will rectify that nicely. The frets are smooth, and amazingly level for a budget instrument. But like I've mentioned before I'm spoiled. My old EB3 spent a year at Gibson right after I bought it and was reworked from top to bottom by their top tech, so any comparison is inherently unfair.
Sound is, ummm, OK. I got it to use with a group that plays heavier, downtuned music (drop D and drop C on the guitars) so although it delivers the sludge required for that gig, it would definitely not be a choice in the studio for anything that requires a lot of articulation in the higher end. Not a good bass IMHO for funk styles, slapping and popping just doesn't have the required bite - now that being said, I did buy it used and haven't put new strings on it yet, this could all change with a fresh set of High Beams.
All in all, I couldn't be happier, especially for what it cost ($129 used) and to me it plays and sounds as good as basses I own and have played that cost ten times as much. Highly recommended if you're someone who likes or needs a shorter scale length and needs the extra bottom or extended range in particular positions provided by the B string.
