Anyone moved away from bothering with a B-string?

[spade2you]

Originally Posted by Edward G.

All this over 5 extra notes?

Like many, if not most, I learned to play on four strings. Then, for about 12 years I didn't even own a four, using only fivers. Didn't think anything else could measure up.

Then purely by happenstance I got a four and decided they were just fine. Now I don't own any fivers.

My takeaway from all of it is that it does't matter a whit. It's five extra notes that are not even played constantly. Worrying about it to any degree is a perfect waste of creative energy.

Just play.

A good 5 string is just as good ABOVE the 5th fret as it is below. Once you understand how to transpose the notes, the low B string becomes much more useful. If ya don't, then it's just 5 notes.

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by topo morto

Interesting. I always thought it was because the width of the string starts becoming significant compared to the length, so the string becomes less of a string and more of a 'chime'...

That may be part of it, but on a really well designed 5+'er, they fix that somehow. There's a video on YouTube somewhere where Todd Johnson demonstrates this on his Zon signature bass. He gets a clear bell tone on the B string way up in the upper registers. How they did it? no idea. I suspect it's the pickups, but it could be something about the construction also.

And my Gibson Tobias 6 string didn't have that, at least not very much. It did get a little yucky if I went way way up, but around the 12th fret position it still sounded pretty decent on the B.

My Bunny 6 sounds awful on the B past the 12th fret position (aggravated by it being fretless), even though it's heavenly sounding 5th and below....

LS

[MysticMichael]

Originally Posted by topo morto

Anyone else decided to KISS and stick to EADG?

No. In fact, quite the contrary.

I recently transitioned from four-string to five-string, and I'm loving the "B" string. It's just opened up the fretboard/fingerboard to me in so many ways. Not to mention the added gravitas on the low end.

At this point, I really wouldn't want to do without it...

MM

[Fenwick]

Originally Posted by Grateful

It is sooooooo important to find the right spacing for 5 strings for the individual player. IMHO, it the is the single most important factor when considering a 5. Some are turned off for it being too tight (like me) others for being too wide (like, um..others).

Unfortunately there are 5 strings basses out there with crappy B's as well. So it may be that you hit the double whammy: uncomfortable spacing and a crappy B. Sorry to hear that.

I hear ya and I haven't written off 5s completely either, I realize I'll need to try a lot of instruments when I take that route again. I'm thinking at least 18mm or up for spacing.

But one of the important factors was how little attention the low B received and not because it was crappy, but because it just wasn't required that much. I play a lot of 80's thrash and early death metal and don't need to go lower than D for 95% of what I'm doing. As I expand into newer stuff I'll likely bring a 5 back into the mix.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

It's probably a matter of the amps used, string choice and condition, and possibly setup issues and/or technique... What amps/cabs have you used with those 5ers???


- georgestrings

I usually go through PA TBH... bit of a crapshoot. I also have a little Hartke Kickback 15. When I actually play out I'm usually more worried about the performance and don't care about the tone. At home and in practice I get into being cork-sniffy and tone-houndy...

The kind of issues I'm talking about are most verifiable listening through decent headphones.

I'm comfortable messing about with setup and adjusting my technique to twist the sound, and do so all the time. E.g. i often mute the B string with a finger just above my fretting finger to let me hit it harder.

[curbowkid]

No sir ree bob. Infact ive gone deeper down the rabbit hole of big strings and ordered a conklin gt7. NBD thread coming up this week

[HuntYouDown]

For the time being, I like 4 strings, I have a 5 string, but honestly I prefer songs that were written with E being lowest note. Also, when I play songs tuned below D my ears starts to hurt. I can see why Paul Grey is dead, beacause Slipknot played in B. That is pain, on your ears, being 30 hz at high decibels especially. A lot of songss suck too, when people just go for the lowest note. Also, I am a former guitar player and I am more familiar with e tuning. I have no problem playing songs in E, louder...plus the neck is easier to play, thinner and 40hz in E does not kill your ears like 30hz in B!

[smogg]

Originally Posted by Grateful

I can't say I agree with that mentality, but I am pretty sure I'm stuck on 5 fivers for the foreseeable future. All the B's on my basses are excellent, and I use that B string all the time (though rarely going below the D). As other have pointed out, it's about positioning.

I also don't agree with the "I don't need 5 because I can do it with 4" bit either (because in some cases, technically, you can't). But 4's and 5's and 6's all have their places, IMHO.

Now about those 18 stringers....

Originally Posted by georgestrings

Agreed, although I play both 4s and 5s... I think it's kind of dumb to say that a 4 string "isn't a bass" - or a bit trollish, actually...

I also agree 100% with you on:

"I don't need 5 because I can do it with 4" bit either (because in some cases, technically, you can't).


....since many of the songs I play require notes lower than D, and I refuse to lose use of my G string, a 5er is the only answer *for me* in those situations... A BEAD tuned 4 string won't cut it, since you lose the G string - I don't mind doing the drop D thing, but it only covers so much...


- georgestrings

I'm pretty much in this camp as well. Out of 35 years of playing the last 15 or so have been exclusively on 5ers. Not so much for the low B as for the more well rounded tool aspect that suits my needs as a working player. (IE: 2 octaves in same position, playing in Eb with out rerunning, etc.) I don't like re-tuning through out the night and I don't want to be swapping out between two or three basses all night either. (especially on so many small stages where there simply isn't room for multiple basses.) Also as mentioned earlier an amp and cab that can handle the low B string properly is a must. Also my 5er is 35" scale with 18 volt active electronics and is of good build quality. So yeah IMO/IME that makes a difference as well.

[Fenwick]

Originally Posted by curbowkid

No sir ree bob. Infact ive gone deeper down the rabbit hole of big strings and ordered a conklin gt7. NBD thread coming up this week

Technically there is nothing deeper or bigger about 7 strings, only higher and thinner.

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by HuntYouDown

. I can see why Paul Grey is dead, beacause Slipknot played in B

This is the most persuasive argument yet...

[wneff]

My main basses are a Lakland 4402 4 string with a drop D tuner and a Warwick $$ fretless 5 string. I don't need a low b in 90% of the cases. This is taking care of all my needs - if I need a low B for something I use the fretless. I don't change strings on the fretless all that often, so its a LOT more managable to keep the Lakland with new strings for slap and not have to worry about buying 5 string sets all the time.

[georgestrings]

Originally Posted by topo morto

I usually go through PA TBH... bit of a crapshoot. I also have a little Hartke Kickback 15. When I actually play out I'm usually more worried about the performance and don't care about the tone. At home and in practice I get into being cork-sniffy and tone-houndy...

The kind of issues I'm talking about are most verifiable listening through decent headphones.

I'm comfortable messing about with setup and adjusting my technique to twist the sound, and do so all the time. E.g. i often mute the B string with a finger just above my fretting finger to let me hit it harder.

OK, how do you know what it sounds like thru the PA - do you get out front with a wireless??? I can see that Hartke not doing so well with a low B, and I don't place alot of stock in "headphone sound", since it really doesn't relate very much to how something sounds in a band setting...

I still don't believe the issue is with the basses - atleast the Ibanez's, anyways...


- georgestrings

[HuntYouDown]

Originally Posted by topo morto

What I tend to find is that the B sounds weak by comparison on passives, while on actives the you can get a strong B with EQ, but that leaves it sounding fake and lifeless compared to the higher strings. You also tend to get weird bell-like sounds on the B string, especially on the higher frets.

Incidentally I've never had this problem people talk about with a 'floppy' B... it's just the sound.

I think it's in the strings, on my Jazz 5, I got Rotosounds 66 and it by all means,is not weak. I agree I like the 5 for the fatter notes and extra grit. But the big ass neck on my Fender Jazz 5, is sort of uncomfortable. I always like my many 4's better. I sort of like Flea, he seems to put out like if it can't be played on a 4 then you suck. Bass is low enough as it is, you should focus on technique on highe notes, etc..

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by georgestrings

OK, how do you know what it sounds like thru the PA - do you get out front with a wireless??? I can see that Hartke not doing so well with a low B, and I don't place alot of stock in "headphone sound", since it really doesn't relate very much to how something sounds in a band setting...

I still don't believe the issue is with the basses - atleast the Ibanez's, anyways...

- georgestrings

The sound I get live is perfectly good enough for live...
(Sometimes you can get out front in small venues quite easily as the desk is often in a booth behind the audience. And the little Hartke sounds fine with my keyboards!)

The kind of differences I notice between B and higher strings are more apparent when recording, in quiet passages, or just playing for fun.

I think you are right, I have to decide if I care so much about something that probably doesn't make a blind bit of difference when I am actually playing out. From a practical standpoint I still much prefer a 5 with a boring B to a 4.

[curbowkid]

Originally Posted by Fenwick

Technically there is nothing deeper or bigger about 7 strings, only higher and thinner.

I always thought with F# tuning you had a beast of a low string

[HuntYouDown]

[quote=topo morto;13711791]Well, the name of the instrument is a 'bass'! But it is my feeling that stopping at E doesn't allow the instrument to quite do justice to that name - coming from a synth background, there is a lot of life in the bass register well below that. The lowest D on a 4 is barely 'bass' really...

Have you ever heard of the "Brown Note?" It is sol low that your earscan not even hear it. The Hz level is low, in other words. B is not far from that, and kind of almost stupid in my opinion, I mean E is tried and true. Why experiment with rupturing your eardrums and going to the lowest register, pointless!

[Moe Monsarrat]

I find new uses for my B string everyday. I see NO downside to more fingering options, more tone options and more notes. I played 4 strings for many years and still use them in the studio, but all my shows are on 5 strings. I've never regretted the change.

[Willie Dizon]

I appreciate all basses no matter how many strings they have.I'm a 5 string convert since I've played 4 bangers most of my life.Personally I love the extended range and I have to rethink some bass lines which stretches my creativity. Now if I try to play a 4 string I actually get lost.LOL!!

[topo morto]

Originally Posted by HuntYouDown

Have you ever heard of the "Brown Note?" It is sol low that your earscan not even hear it. The Hz level is low, in other words. B is not far from that, and kind of almost stupid in my opinion, I mean E is tried and true. Why experiment with rupturing your eardrums and going to the lowest register, pointless!

That's supposedly between 5 and 9 Hz, so at least low B is a couple of octaves away from that. True, if having a 5er made me crap myself, that would be a good reason for having one!

Most of the sound you usually hear on the low strings of the bass is not the fundamental, though. If you get a low pass filter and a big rig or some decent headphones, you can tune out those harmonics and just listen to the fundamental. And you're right, it's very low!

[NYCbassist]

[quote=HuntYouDown;13712460]

Originally Posted by topo morto

Well, the name of the instrument is a 'bass'! But it is my feeling that stopping at E doesn't allow the instrument to quite do justice to that name - coming from a synth background, there is a lot of life in the bass register well below that. The lowest D on a 4 is barely 'bass' really...

Have you ever heard of the "Brown Note?" It is sol low that your earscan not even hear it. The Hz level is low, in other words. B is not far from that, and kind of almost stupid in my opinion, I mean E is tried and true. Why experiment with rupturing your eardrums and going to the lowest register, pointless!

For the most part there's no right or wrong on this subject. But.....If you're in a cover band doing Stuff like Nickelback, GodSmack, Chevelle, etc....That requires a 5'er to do the song justice, Then you need a 5 string. If you don't need it then you don't need it. I love working up & down the neck on a 4 string as opposed to using the 2 octaves on a 5 string.