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Really diggin aluminum guitars lately, I use a 5 string for a little bit of extended range though. Anyone have anything to show me that I can obsess over for a little while?

See that's the problem with the whole 70's revival part of the aluminum neck thing, I think you will have to talk them into building you a full on custom.

you could do some judicious drilling, add a new nut and 5 string bridge and a tuner similar to whats on my xl8 for the extra string.

I guess one thing you could do is turn BEAD but I would rather have all 5 strings myself

Yeah, BEAD da bess.
But that xl8 looks durn hot, too. I'd do that, depending on the body style.

I just googled, and it seems like you just missed (by 10 days) an aluminum necked 5 stringer on the bay of E. Made by a company called Hartke.

Here's a link with info on them: http://www.samsontech.com/hartke/produc ... itars/xk5/

Says it's an aluminum neck with a maple shell over it, so I'm not sure if that will work for you. Was going on Ebay for $600. Other than that, I guess you'd have to do like someone else said and go for a custom job, or mod an 8 string.

an EGC custom neck on a five string bass could be a much cheaper option?

Yeah the hartke ones are the only production ones i think have ever been made. Theres the XK which is made in korea and the XL which is made in the US. The necks were made by vaccaro so they have the full maple back, only the headstock shows the aluminum. The four stringers go pretty cheap on ebay from time to time, but i hardly ever see the 5ers...

http://www.ebay.com/itm/Hartke-Xk5-5-st ... 35cbb6f4d5

pretty secks