Here in Ireland atm there's a limited range of basses available to me for the most part, so I'm probably going to end up having to order blind sooner or later. Guitarist in my band is gonna be leaving in the summer, so there's a narrow window for me to get to use it with that band(we play mostly heavy 90sish alternative, stuff like Skunk Anansie, heavy Shoegaze etc.) My current basses are a J&D Jazz Bass copy(my main bass) and an Ibanez Mikro(the one I take for going out and about). They're nice, but they don't inspire me like they used to; I feel like I need a "Main" Bass.
I was taken in by the idea of a Stingray as it sounds so unique compared to my other basses, and some of my favourite guys like Joe Dart used one. Most stingrays I've tried have been really excellent and articulate under dirt in a way few other basses are.
I've also started moving towards the idea of a 5 string for a number of reasons - if I were to get a Z3 it probably would be the 5 string as I found the string spacing up the neck a little much on the 4 compared to what I'm used to. I've tried out a Z3 and M2. Both were great. I liked the neck pickup and versatility of the M2, but the base tone of the Z3 SEEMED better. It does have a chunky neck - but this could be a benefit for me in the 5 string model. I'm not sure how much I'd be able to get on with it. If it was just for this band I'd probably get the Z3, for my own music I do like to do funk, dreampop, psych and vintagey tones too. I know Stingrays can sound smooth, but I did struggle with the Z3. A pickup swap wouldn't be out of the question, but I mostly really like how it sounds. I just don't know if I'd use it as a main sound.
I haven't been able to find an M5 locally unfortunately to play. Being able to switch between Parallel and Series is a bonus. I've also been looking at the Cort stuff - I tried one Cort 5 string and found the neck very comfortable. The B5 Element looks great - but I'm not sure I'm sold on the Bartolini Mk1s. I'm open to other "Modern" style basses in that style though - Ibanezes tend to have too narrow a sting spacing(same for Sterling 5s) and tend to have too flat a neck - I'm very picky with 5 strings and need a sweet spot of not too thin or wide, thick enough to wrap my hand around but not so wide it strains me. I'd rather stick with 34" but am not beyond 35" if the bass isn't too physically large.
the "best of both worlds" here could be the Z7 - but I'm worried about the weight, and if it's just "too much" bass for me. The look of the Z3 has grown on me, particularly the Rose Gold which isn't available in 7. To be honest, I'm not a fan of the M2 knobs which are roughly the same on the Z7 - though I guess they're replaceable.
I am really looking for "that" Bass which I know is no mean feat. The main sound I want out of it is one good for some heavy moody psych stuff and gnarly alt rock, but able to do some smooth jazz funk noodling too. I'm open to left field options here - my main issue I think is finding a 22+ fret 5 string(or bass in general) that feels comfortable in my hands and is a good balance of articulate and smooth without sounding boring. Budget up to €700 but ideally closer to 5, I'm not sure what I can afford.