A "B" string just sounds weird to me

[Surprise Panda!]

I don't know why. Like if I'm watching someone play a scale, and they go to the B string, it almost sounds out of tune and strange to me. It doesn't sound that weird when it's not in a scale. Like when Les Claypool is slapping on the B string, it sounds fine...


-Roy

[remo]

I kind of know what you mean, it sounds like a hyperextension of the natural scale/sound of the "bass guitar". On the brighter side the low B makes an AWESOME thumb rest!

[badboy1984]

B string is a great thumb rest but also give you more choice of note. I like the E note 5th fret rather than the open E lol

I use the first 5 fret more on the B string.

[brianmharrison]

I like having the extra d....

[JTE]

It depends on the bass. That's why I never bought a 5-string bass unitl I played Laklands. The B string on all the Laklands I've played does not sound like it's from another instrument, like most 5-string basses I've played. Even my relativley inexpensive 55-01 has five strings that sound integrated.

jte

[dystopiate]

+1 on it depending on the instrument. For me, higher tension makes for more musical sounding B strings. Try checking out some longer scale basses and/or heavier gauge strings (on my 34" scale basses a 135 is my minimum).

[Darkstrike]

Originally Posted by Suprise Panda!

I don't know why. Like if I'm watching someone play a scale, and they go to the B string, it almost sounds out of tune and strange to me. It doesn't sound that weird when it's not in a scale. Like when Les Claypool is slapping on the B string, it sounds fine...


-Roy

You don't notice it when he's slapping because of the speed of the notes.

Its dynamic's, happens on all of the strings, just more noticible on the B string,
Lets take the E note at the 17th fret B string, 12th fret E string, 7th fret A string, or the 2nd fret D string, all the same note, but they all sound different, its the thickness of the string, makes the tone change.

[BEADGCF]

Well...

Used to be, finding a 5-string with a non-floppy low b was incredibly hard to do for me (including those I just heard, as well as ones I actually tried). So naturally, any of those would sound "weird" to me as well.

However, in the last few years, build quality on 5+ string basses has gone up enormously in my opinion. So B's don't usually sound weird to me unless the gauge is funky or else whoever the person is is playing really badly.

A few months ago I was considering trying an 8-string Galveston (I've never played more than 6 and was curious). The soundclips I heard all had a low-end I can only describe as mushy...so I stayed away after hearing that and reading about others' hit-or-miss experience with the brand. The reason this is relevant I think is that "mushyness" might be what you're noticing on a bass if someone has cut corners on quality of string, nut, bridge, and/or electronics...

[Drewskie]

Originally Posted by badboy1984

B string is a great thumb rest but also give you more choice of note. I like the E note 5th fret rather than the open E lol

I use the first 5 fret more on the B string.

Exactly. I don't care so much about the low B. I want to get a low E & F higher up on the neck.