TL;DR: I’m interested in a 5 or 6 string bass with an active/passive switch and J style pickups in the range of $500-600 (used preferred), can see additional context below
I’ve been playing bass off and on for years, got a Dean Metalman V in high school and recently had been playing a lot more and felt time for an upgrade (has sentimental value at this point but is quite uncomfortable lol). I looked around locally and am lucky enough to be in a city with a Spector dealer and loved the Icon NS-2 (4 string with active PJ pickups), bought it on the spot. Really enjoying how it feels, sounds, and looks but now I find myself jonesing to try/have something with more strings and would like to add some other different dynamics along the way.
Many of my favorite bassists use J basses at least some of the time, and I like how J’s sound. Since my current bass is active only, I’m interested in having the option for passive but seems like active is also helpful on 5 strings, so a switch seems ideal.
Seems like a Sire would meet most if not all of these considerations, but I’ve never seen one and hesitate to buy something that I have never even tried the brand. I know it’s relatively stringent criteria and there might not be one that meets everything but figured I’d see if anyone has ideas - thanks in advance!