That’s very likely the main reason. However, AFAIK, you still can get the HF PJ4 (my first Mayones). I know for certain that they don’t make the JJ4 anymore, but perhaps if one said “pretty please” very insistently, they’d make an exception!? 
1 Like
What brand is this? That’s a very Peavyesque headstock. Love the bass.
1 Like
It’s made by a luthier named Surine.
1 Like
Newb-ish question, given the ribbing about number of strings…
What would happen if you bought a fiver and then just took the B string off? I know the neck is wider and the string spacing is narrower on a fiver, but other than the weirdness of having that extra bit of fingerboard with no string, would the bass still play properly? Or is there something else in the physics of a five (or six) string that would “break” the playability and/or sound if you removed the extra string(s)?
I realize this is a largely rhetorical question, but why would anyone choose to do that?! Seriously, I mean, literally, why?
The net result would be that you’d end up with a heavier bass, a wider neck, and no benefit from what it was actually designed and built to deliver.
Honestly, if the tunes someone plays require the handful of lower notes a fiver provides, that player should use a fiver. If such is not the case, then a fiver isn’t necessary or otherwise optimal in any way.
Also, physics are not affected by removing the B string. It would just be that much less tension in the neck, so a truss rod adjustment would be necessary to maintain playability with good action and no buzzing.
2 Likes
Agree. A 5 is mostly drawbacks other than those 5 additional notes. The B string on most 34" and lower 5’s simply doesn’t have a good timbre above about the 7th fret anyway, at least to my ears. I have only heard a couple that I like and even on those the E string sounds much, much better.
So if you remove the B, you now have a 4, but a lot heavier and with poor string spacing. The one nice thing would be the very flat fretboard.
1 Like
Man, I really want a SBV-550 the same color Fumi has here. She has one in every color, it’s cool, but this is the best color.
There’s a 500 for sale in that color now but I want a 550, and they want too much for the 500.
Here’s the 500:
https://jp.mercari.com/item/m10919283810
I guess I could just buy it and a different 550 and swap the pickguards. Still, they are asking double its value here.
6 Likes
Well, you know the checklist:
- is the expense hurting you right now regarding essential stuff (rent, food, health, …)?
- life sucks already, why not enjoy it a bit!?
- you can’t take that money with you to the other side, so…
- value is in the eye of the be…buyer
Go for it!
8 Likes
And, of course…
- You know you want to. If you weren’t looking for a push off the ledge, you wouldn’t be posting here
7 Likes
Well there’s no way I am buying the 500 for that price but hmm another 550…
2 Likes
Interesting that the seller couldn’t even be bothered to put a D string on to sell it!
3 Likes
…to be continued
3 Likes
We had an inkling…
3 Likes
Ooooooooooh 
Congrats!!
5 Likes
That body shape brought to mind a comment by Tom Waits on his live “Nighthawks at the Diner” album: “Using parking meters for walking sticks.” 
8 Likes