What is your motivation for your choice of bass on a gig?

[Heshima Moja]

Good evening everybody,

I am new to the Talk bass forum but was curious about something. I have been touring for a long time and resisted playing 5 or 6 string for a long time.

I come from a straight ahead jazz and latin background. I also grew up listening to hip hop and R & B but for my early years in my development and career, I played nothing but straight ahead(on fretless), latin(Salsa, Latin Jazz, Cumbia), and A lot of West and Southern African music. I marvelled at how all of the bass players in those styles play SO much bass with just 4 strings. But then I would see lot of cats who maybe struggled with truly exploring the 4 strings to their fullest potential. But jumped to 5 or 6 just to have it.

So I want to Know from you guys/ladies: What is YOUR personal motivation in selecting your bass for different types of gigs? I mean I guess I should use an example.

If I get called for a modern salsa concert or tour, I know beyond the shadow of a doubt, that I am gonna play my 5 or 6 because in modern salsa, the style requires the low b now. Whereas, If I get called to play with a samba group, is that gonna be necessary?

[Bassistwsp]

Surely it's not the amount of strings you have it's how you use them