|  | | 
01-13-2013, 01:35 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Edward G.  The shifts aren't a big deal to me. What I will concede is it's nice to have the low Eb and D. Beyond that, I don't really care about the notes below them. For my ear and equipment, they are largely unusable.
On a practical, mechanical level, the interchangeability of bodies and and necks among fours is substantial. Fivers are far more proprietary in nature. Because of all this, all things being equal, I'll probably choose a four. | Absolutely. That is why I stick with the 4. I never used anything below the D...which I would like to have. Not enough to use a 5 all the time.
I tried the hipshot but could never get it to tune right. I'm sure it was me and not the machine.
__________________
Fender Jazz Bass MIA 1995 club #1085 Lefties Who Play Righty #295 Fretless #847 Genz Benz #430
|
01-13-2013, 01:44 PM
|  | Registered User | | Join Date: Jan 2007 Location: somewhere in middle America | | Quote:
Originally Posted by micgtr71 Absolutely. That is why I stick with the 4. I never used anything below the D...which I would like to have. Not enough to use a 5 all the time.
I tried the hipshot but could never get it to tune right. I'm sure it was me and not the machine. | The Hipshot tuners seem to sound better when detuned if you have an angled headstock. Unfortunately, it doesn't toggle back and forth reliably if you have an angled headstock. They work alright, but should probably be adjusted after a few flicks if you really like being in tune. |
01-13-2013, 03:21 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Sweden | | | I still have a good active J 5:er for those moments, but after 25 years of strictly 5 strings I'm back to passive, vintagey 4-stringed J's and P's. Since I don't play neither gospel nor modern metal 4 strings is enough for 99% of what I do.
GASing for a 5-string passive P though, to keep a great and functional sound while covering the last percent ;-) |
01-13-2013, 03:26 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lloegyr | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Taurusmoo I still have a good active J 5:er for those moments, but after 25 years of strictly 5 strings I'm back to passive, vintagey 4-stringed J's and P's. Since I don't play neither gospel nor modern metal 4 strings is enough for 99% of what I do.
GASing for a 5-string passive P though, to keep a great and functional sound while covering the last percent ;-) | Yeah, a good passive 5 is what I want - I do wonder if a lot of people who reckon their B is fine would feel the same with no EQ/pre.
__________________
Zoom Owners' Club #81
|
01-13-2013, 03:29 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Jul 2005 Location: Columbia, SC | | | Get a Dingwall and you'll never be belly-aching about sh**ty B strings again.
__________________
Dingwall ABZ5 + Circle K Strings + Yamaha BBT500H + Bass Big Muff + Low Down Sound 3-way 1x12"
|
01-13-2013, 03:32 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto "If it doesn't have a B string, it isn't a bass". | That's funny, considering bassists got along for many, many years just fine without a B string. |
01-13-2013, 03:34 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lloegyr | | Quote:
Originally Posted by DrSpunkwater That's funny, considering bassists got along for many, many years just fine without a B string. | None of those years were in my lifetime. And I have grey hairs...
__________________
Zoom Owners' Club #81
|
01-13-2013, 03:42 PM
|  | Registered User
Endorsing Artist: FEA Labs, Jule Amps | | Join Date: Jun 2004 Location: los angeles, CA | | | Played nothing but 5 B-G for a decade, then went back to 4 to relearn the instrument. These days I'm playing a fair amount of 5 as well, but strung E-C with a drop D tuner. I'm able to function fine without the B, though once in awhile I wish I had it, usually when playing in F (so I could be up at the 6th fret).
All basses are a compromise, and I approach 4 different from 5. For the stuff I'm doing I find the C to be quite useful. There are times I could use the B as well, but then in reality I should go 6 and I'm not willing to do that at this point in time for a variety of reasons.
__________________ music | light | gear Quote:
Originally Posted by R Baer Regardless of what you see in the magazines, you just can't argue toast physics. | |
01-13-2013, 03:45 PM
|  | Registered Loser | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | | " If it doesn't have a B string it isn't a bass".
Um, wrong.
__________________
Jimmy M is free. Run.
|
01-13-2013, 03:50 PM
|  | Yeah, I've got the moves like Jagger. | | Join Date: Oct 2006 Location: G.R. MI | | | I went to a 4 with a drop tuner. Actually thinking about maybe getting another 5........
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by BassChalice Everybody pay attention to Phalex now! | Quote:
Originally Posted by hover He's got the Moo OO OO OO OO OO OO OObs like Jagger.... | Quote:
Originally Posted by jive1 All you chubby white dudes look alike to me. | |
01-13-2013, 03:50 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lloegyr | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Floyd Eye " If it doesn't have a B string it isn't a bass".
Um, wrong. | I'm sure I wrote more than just that...
__________________
Zoom Owners' Club #81
|
01-13-2013, 03:52 PM
| | Registered Loser | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto I'm sure I wrote more than just that... |
Right you are.
"Personally I've always felt that (for me) "If it doesn't have a B string, it isn't a bass".
Still wrong.
__________________
Jimmy M is free. Run.
|
01-13-2013, 03:53 PM
|  | Am I on time? | | Join Date: Jul 2007 Location: WA State | | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto Yeah, a good passive 5 is what I want - I do wonder if a lot of people who reckon their B is fine would feel the same with no EQ/pre. | That's a good question. My 5er is active, and I wouldn't have it any other way. It seems to me that a B string on a passive bass would sound like it's seriously missing the earth shaking lows of an active bass IMHO.
Am I wrong?
__________________
Soundgear #25
Ibanez #210
Carvin #18
In Loving Memory of my wife April Allison 1963-2010 |
01-13-2013, 03:57 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Lloegyr | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Floyd Eye Right you are.
"Personally I've always felt that (for me) "If it doesn't have a B string, it isn't a bass".
Still wrong. | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto It's just a personal feeling that "there is a lot of bass below E - shouldn't an instrument called the bass be able to handle the whole useable 'bass' range?" | Surely a valid point?
__________________
Zoom Owners' Club #81
|
01-13-2013, 04:01 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Mar 2010 Location: Across the creek from Cinci | | Quote:
Originally Posted by Floyd Eye Right you are.
"Personally I've always felt that (for me) "If it doesn't have a B string, it isn't a bass".
Still wrong. | Um no. It's a personal take and your opinion doesn't matter in that.
__________________ Quote:
Originally Posted by GrooveWarrior What nut's are those? | |
01-13-2013, 04:02 PM
| | Registered Loser | | Join Date: Feb 2010 Location: St. Louis | | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto Surely a valid point? | There is also a lot of useable range missing from every single 20 or 22 fret guitar, no? Why not take it a step further and say that it isn't a bass if it has less than 12 strings and doesn't go down to 17.32Hz?
__________________
Jimmy M is free. Run.
|
01-13-2013, 04:02 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Apr 2008 Location: Christiansburg, VA | | | I've been all over 4 to 5 to 4 to 6 to 4 now I'm back to a 6, and I'm not going back.
__________________
Dave
Ibanez SR756 -> Radial JDI -> board|Worship Bassist Club member #1138 |
01-13-2013, 04:20 PM
|  | Groove farmer | | Join Date: Jan 2005 Location: the 5th dimension | | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto
It's just a personal feeling that "there is a lot of bass below E - shouldn't an instrument called the bass be able to handle the whole useable 'bass' range?"
Surely a valid point?
| Not all that valid, really. You'll need more than five strings to cover the "whole" range.
With a low B you're merely covering "more" of the bass range than with four strings.
Besides, a "real" bass only has four strings, commonly known as... The double bass, the string bass, upright bass, bass fiddle, bass violin , doghouse bass, contrabass, bass viol, stand-up bass or bull fiddle.
They look like this...surely you've seen one?   |
01-13-2013, 04:26 PM
| | Registered User | | Join Date: Nov 2001 Location: California | | Quote: |
Anyone moved away from bothering with a B-string?
| Yeah, within a week of getting a 5-string.
There are just so many cumulative hassles innate to the concept relative to any compelling advantages that to blow off 5s was a very easy and obvious decision.
I think if people understood the traditional, formal role of bass instrumentation in ensemble music, they would make a lot more conservative and sensible choices in their gear.
"Modern bass guitar" has become something very different from bass.
__________________
No one's serious/And it makes me furious -- Curtis Mayfield (1942-1999)
|
01-13-2013, 04:44 PM
| | | Quote:
Originally Posted by topo morto Yeah, a good passive 5 is what I want - I do wonder if a lot of people who reckon their B is fine would feel the same with no EQ/pre. |
Don't care - I like both my passives and actives, so it's a non-issue for me...
- georgestrings | | Thread Tools | Search this Thread | | | | 
Posting Rules
| You may not post new threads You may not post replies You may not post attachments You may not edit your posts
HTML code is Off | | | |
