Ernie Ball 5-String Regular Slinky Bass (.045–.130): the prog-metal 5-string canon
Reviewed by the Change Your Strings editorial team ·
Ernie Ball's 5-String Regular Slinky Bass (.045 to .130, P02836) is the most-played 5-string bass set in prog-metal and modern rock. Nickel-plated-steel roundwound on hex steel core, long-scale, with the .130 low-B that 5-string players need for B standard tuning. John Myung's Dream Theater rig sits on the Slinky bass family per Ernie Ball's String Theory feature on him. Pick this set when you want a working-pro 5-string spec without specialty pricing or specialty alloys; this is the gauge the prog-metal genre is built around.
Anatomy
Why this is the prog-metal 5-string default
Tone
The 5-String Regular Slinky sounds like the canonical prog-metal 5-string: balanced top end (not as bright as stainless or Cobalt), mid-forward, with the .130 low-B holding pitch under fast pick attack across drop-tuned passages. It's the gauge profile most working session bassists default to before reaching for specialty alloys.
Compared to the other Tier-1 5-string bass options:
Best for
- Prog-metal + modern metal 5-string bass in B standard (Dream Theater, Periphery, Tool, modern prog catalogs)
- Working session 5-string bass across rock, fusion, and pop where the bottom-string B is needed
- Players who want the Slinky family feel on a 5-string without stepping to specialty alloys
Worst for
- Slap-heavy funk — Slinky 5-strings are good for slap but the dedicated slap-funk lane (Flea / GHS Boomers M3045-F-5) has more snap on the high strings
- Vintage Motown or jazz fingerstyle — flatwound 5-strings (La Bella) are the lane
- Drop-tuned 5-string metal below B standard — step to Power Slinky (.050-.135) for more bottom-string tension
Verdict
The 5-String Regular Slinky Bass is the working-pro prog-metal 5-string spec. Nickel-plated, .045-.130, the canonical gauge most 5-string players default to. John Myung sits on the Slinky family per Ernie Ball's String Theory feature; many working metal bassists do. If you want maximum brightness, step to the Cobalt 5-string variant. If you want longer life at the same gauge, step to the Coated Slinky 5 or Paradigm 5.