My main bass is a 5-er. I also have a 4, but kinda miss the B string as a thumb rest for songs that don't require the B. 6 on the other hand is too much for me, the fretboard becomes way too big and I don't need a higher string. It's not worth it considering there is one more string to mute and playing on the low B string becomes extremely uncomfortable. Heck, even on a 5 string it's rather uncomfortable to play riffs on the B. A 5 is definitely what I consider to be the best of the bunch along with a 7 string guitar.
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4, 5 -Or- 6 String?
- Thread starter IrishRifles
- Start date
Sorry I didn't respond to you, I wasn't intentionally ignoring you, I just didn't see it before, lots of posts here.
And no, don't worry you didn't strike a nerve with me, I'm not pissed off nor am I a troll. Look at my posts since the beginning of this thread:
I agree with your last statement, what works for you great, what works for others, also great, just play what you like.
whatever you like playing keep doing it!
My comments all along have been meant to answer the OP question about why I use what I use, and to engage other users. I never once said anything negative about 5 or 6 string basses or bassists and have commented back and forth with others who are extended bass players so please don't call me a troll when all you have to do is read my posts to see that I'm not.
Now about your last post that I guess you were waiting for me to answer. There really isn't anything for me to say, you did a better job of explaining why you use what you use, which is what I asked you to do, and I appreciate that.
But you still seem to have hostility towards people who aren't on TB who said to you that "extended range instruments aren't basses." All I can say is that it sucks that someone said that to you, I don't agree with them, but I'm not the one who said it, you seem to expect me to answer for what these other people said.
Its like you came into this thread with baggage, hashing out an argument that was started somewhere else. I'm going to say this one more time. I use a four string but that is because my approach is old school, I also play flatwounds, I don't think my strings even come in 6 string sets, BUT PLEASE whatever you love playing, keep doing it!!! Every instrument no matter how many strings, has its place in music.
5. I have been mainly a five string guy for about 10 years now, and it comes the most natural to me.
I recently got a 4 and did my first full band gig with it last night. I must say that I missed the lighter weight and the feel of the 4. Now that I am teaching again it is a must as well. I have flats on it for a much different sound.
I recently got a 4 and did my first full band gig with it last night. I must say that I missed the lighter weight and the feel of the 4. Now that I am teaching again it is a must as well. I have flats on it for a much different sound.
I'm a 4-string player. I learned on a 4-string and play rock, rockabilly, blues and blues rock. Most if not all of the music I like was written for a 4-string bass including my own riff-based original material. Four-stringers are generally lighter weight and more graceful to my eyes.
My 7 tuned g#beadgc. Because its the only bass I need to bring. I used to lug around several basses in different tunings. This one covers them all. The neck is huge but considering I primarily only use lowest string on the first few frets its pretty comfortable.
It's also cheaper and less time consuming to string than multiple basses. I use a daddario xl 6 string set along with a matching .145 for the low string. Less than 30 bucks to string where at one time I was using DR strings on 3 different 5 strings. About $120 to restring them all and it took forever. The other benefit is now my rig is set up for one bass instead of trying to get a happy medium for 3 different basses
It's also cheaper and less time consuming to string than multiple basses. I use a daddario xl 6 string set along with a matching .145 for the low string. Less than 30 bucks to string where at one time I was using DR strings on 3 different 5 strings. About $120 to restring them all and it took forever. The other benefit is now my rig is set up for one bass instead of trying to get a happy medium for 3 different basses
When you have talent like this gentleman, I guess the number of strings is not that big of an issue. You could always find a way to do what you need to do and make it sound good...
5, because I love the ability to use the 5th string to anchor my thumb, also I play some music that requires the B string
Sorry I didn't respond to you, I wasn't intentionally ignoring you, I just didn't see it before, lots of posts here.
And no, don't worry you didn't strike a nerve with me, I'm not pissed off nor am I a troll. Look at my posts since the beginning of this thread:
My comments all along have been meant to answer the OP question about why I use what I use, and to engage other users. I never once said anything negative about 5 or 6 string basses or bassists and have commented back and forth with others who are extended bass players so please don't call me a troll when all you have to do is read my posts to see that I'm not.
Now about your last post that I guess you were waiting for me to answer. There really isn't anything for me to say, you did a better job of explaining why you use what you use, which is what I asked you to do, and I appreciate that.
But you still seem to have hostility towards people who aren't on TB who said to you that "extended range instruments aren't basses." All I can say is that it sucks that someone said that to you, I don't agree with them, but I'm not the one who said it, you seem to expect me to answer for what these other people said.
I'm going to say this one more time. I use a four string but that is because my approach is old school, I also play flatwounds, I don't think my strings even come in 6 string sets, BUT PLEASE whatever you love playing, keep doing it!!! Every instrument no matter how many strings, has its place in music.
I just wanted to put this whole thing into perspective:
It started like this:
I mostly play 5's but I play 6's as well. the only 4's I play are fretless, and I could easily see myself swapping them out for 5's too.
[MINIRANT] I never really got the whole 'Jaco only needed 4' train of thought, or worse, the, '6 if you are a wanna-be guitarist' nonsense. What Jaco played or would be playing today if he were alive affects me not in the slightest. Also, I've been playing guitar since '72, bass and keys since '75 so there's no 'wanna be' in me. Whatever I've got in my hands, be it my BB75 or my ES-175 or a Motif under one hand and a Minimoog under the other they are all just tools to get the music out. [/MINIRANT]
So yeah, 5 or 6 for me, and active please
To which I responded:
To which you said:
^ Unlike the above statement I don't wish to generalise, however it seems that all the negativity in this thread is coming from the 5 and 6 string camp. Us 4 stringers are either: old, punks, not men, or aren't very good and we need to practice more.
Where as all the 4 string players have simply said that they feel more comfortable on a 4 string. Perhaps instead of making fun of the 4 stringers you could spend your time explaining why you use what you use, it might be more constructive in answering the OP.
Rev J, you seem offended that someone told you that a 6 string isn't a bass... well in a way when you start getting into 6, 7, and 8 string basses, or even 8 string basses that are doubled up, they aren't really bass specific instruments. There is a point where it becomes more "full range."
So I responded the way that I did. I personally have nothing against all 4 string basses or all 4 string bass players. I DO have a problem with people who make cliched ignorant comments that instead of sounding like they have any thought behind them they sound like the person saying them has just pressed play and is repeating some ignorant crap that someone else has said to them. In my comments I wasn't saying that was all 4 string bassists it was only the 4 string bassists who make those types of comments.
As for old school. I actually consider my playing style to be firmly rooted in old school. Underneath the six strings (which happens to be a Fender I do love a little tradition), the effects, the coated round wound strings (Bootsy Baby), and the active electronics is a foundation and approach rooted in Jamerson, Rainey, Anthony Jackson etc. New toys old sandbox.
C/S,
Rev J
He has a point about the 6,7, and 8 string basses entering the not-quite-a-bass in the traditional sense. The traditional bass guitar was only really meant to replace the standing bass, and even then just for backing up guitar. Even the first 6 string basses were EADGBE.
Things are changing, now with 7 string electric double basses and the like coming out. The bass is making headway towards the damn piano as far as flexibility, and I for one am all for it. That being said, its not like the 4 string is on its way to irrelevancy (except for maybe in the hard rock and metal world, and even that is a huge maybe) and there is an exceptional amount of proof that a 4 string is more than enough for most situations.
I play a 5 because I play a lot of heavier stuff and changing the tuning every song is a bigger hassle than learning the songs transposed on a 5.
Things are changing, now with 7 string electric double basses and the like coming out. The bass is making headway towards the damn piano as far as flexibility, and I for one am all for it. That being said, its not like the 4 string is on its way to irrelevancy (except for maybe in the hard rock and metal world, and even that is a huge maybe) and there is an exceptional amount of proof that a 4 string is more than enough for most situations.
I play a 5 because I play a lot of heavier stuff and changing the tuning every song is a bigger hassle than learning the songs transposed on a 5.
If I for some reason had to choose, I'd pick my 4-stringer. Since I have the option to have more than one bass guitar, I have two 4 stringers and one fiver. I like them all, never tried a 6-stringer though, I kinda feel the fiver is a far enough stride away from the original idea.
I prefer a good 5 string I feel that musically it offers a lot more than a 4 string without being a tad over bearing
I've long held personally that you never need more than four strings to rock. Occasionally I've had to D-tune in a set, but that's rare and that's it, so having the fifth string doesn't appeal to me for the weight and size differential. It also makes me be more creative when a tune gets put in a key that would take me lower than E. Also, a four string just seems more "me" in my gut.
For me the five has been my standard as it gives me the low B. I have not played a 4 since I switched to a five almost 25 years ago and never looked back. It seems to me that the smaller companies like Alembic, Thompson, and Smith back then became pioneers of the extended range bass because of players like Jimmy Johnson for the low B 5 and Anthony Jackson who took it a step further by adding the high C to become what he termed the Contra bass guitar. When Vinny Fodera began his collaboration with Anthony later, refinements with materials, ergonomics, and sound balance became a quest to build the best possible instrument, of which others then soon followed. I finally purchased a Smith 6 2 years ago to replace an aging parts bass 6 made years ago, the five is my primary instrument and I am a groove player by choice so the high C is really not necessary for me. I started playing bass on a family guitar tuning down the first 4 strings and had no interest in playing guitar.....it's the low notes that moved me. That's where I'm stayin.
I play a 5 and loving it. Viva el low B.
If I could buy another, I would go for a 6! More strings, more options and versality !
If I could buy another, I would go for a 6! More strings, more options and versality !
This is my opinion too. I play a lot of my guitars tuned down because they really sound better that way. It brings out a nice deep full tone. So many guitar down-tunings don't lose tone but actually GIVE you tone. I presume this is why down-tuning is so popular among guitar players.
But with a bass my exerience has been just like Arock's. The low notes on a bass guitar are just barely making it when tuned normally, so down-tuning just seems to make it all worse unless you put in a big effort choosing strings and the like.
My theory is that guitarists have somehow influenced their bass players to think that they need to down-tune as well. Except for certain fingering situations I don't really think that it helps your bass tone at all.
