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4 or 5; Is the B worth it?

sonnos

sonnos

Apr 6, 2014
16
5
28
Geneseo, IL
#1
Hey everyone! i've been playing bass for about a year and have recently been interested in extended range. i'd eventually like to play a six, but i think i would learn better if i just start with five. my question is, to those of you who have transitioned completely and those of you who play 4 and 5 stringers, is the b string worth having? -thanks in advance!:bassist:
 
#3
I thought so when I was using piano sheet music (SN) and the ledger notes went below my E. But, 99.9% of what I do now is fake chord to Nashville numbers and there is no need for the low B IMO.

If you play from SN I'd say yes, go for the 5 for help with those ledger notes if for no other reason.

Thought unloosened - If you play melody the 5 gives you two octaves in the same area, that is a plus.
 
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#4
IMVHO
Yes
But I don't play on it all the time.
I use it for accents mostly.
Walkin on a thin line needs an Eb in the verses so there and on Birthday by The Beatles because of the tempo of the song going to the E in the third lick is faster to go in a stright line.
But those are the only two I can think of at the moment where I use the lowB alot in a song.
Good luck
 
#6
IMO, if you want to play a 6 eventually, just go with a 6. I don't think a 5 will help the transition that much. I play 4's and 6's, and have never owned a 5.

As for the B string . . . I could live the rest of my life very contently without the notes below E, but there are times when they comes in handy. And there are some musical situations in which the bassist is expected to provide those notes. But I find that I use both the B and C strings far more for the added fingering options than for the added total range.
 
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#7
sonnos said:
Hey everyone! i've been playing bass for about a year and have recently been interested in extended range. i'd eventually like to play a six, but i think i would learn better if i just start with five. my question is, to those of you who have transitioned completely and those of you who play 4 and 5 stringers, is the b string worth having? -thanks in advance!:bassist:
Click to expand...

Some people who want low B without bothering with 5 strings, or they don't like allegedly losing the punch of the E being lowest, have an extra 4 string bass strung B E A D. You lose the ease of hitting the higher notes on a G string but it's something to consider.
 
#10
As stated earlier, If you really think you're going to end up on a 6 string it makes sense to go ahead and get a 6 string.
I have been playing a 5 string for almost 20 years now and can't ever going back to a 4. The reason I play a 5 str. is not so I can play low Eb down to B notes. Its all about technique for me, I tend to play between frets 5-12 mostly. With a 5 string this keeps me in the same hand position. I mostly play low E on the fifth fret of my B string, low F on the 6th fret and so on… I even start my beginner bass students on 5 string, I feel it works better for reading and overall playing but hey, James Jameson was able to manage without a 5 or 6 string. ha. This is only my opinion for what it's worth.
Good Luck to ya
 
#11
As with others here, I find it useful to stay in position and to have other options for playing patterns. Sometimes it is easier to play a particular line without having to move up to the 11th or higher fret when you have the B.
 
#12
A follow up
I started playing 5string in 06. I come across two super deals on a nice Fender Squire P and a 1990 G&L SB1 from the original owner.
The Fender played nice sounded great with SD 1/4lbers.
I gave it it a young girl at my church to upgrade what she was playing.
The G&L was a monster but sgain never played it. Flipped it for a Genz Benz combo and cash.
The point is I don't play 4s anymore no matter how good they are.
 

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#15
The B makes a great thumb rest...

But seriously, it's nice. I can manage without it, but I find myself missing it when I pick up a 4 string. That being said, the 5er has to have a GOOD B string. Playing a bass with a bad B might just turn you into a four string purist.
 
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#16
Personal Opinion:
I never had need for the fifth string. It became one more thing to mute and an occasional thumb rest. Combine with that more expensive strings, more frequent truss rod adjustments for weather change, a wider/less comfortable fret board, difficulty amplifying the low B without creating mud, and issues with spaghetti noodle like B strings in a lot of sets it was just a no-go for me. Lots of guys love'em and swear by 'em, but for what I play a 4 is plenty good enough. I sold my 5'er after a year or so. I will say that recently I have been considering getting another one and stringing it E-A-D-G-C, but I just love my narrow fret board to much to go back.
 
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#17
strictlybass_ic said:
Personal Opinion:
I never had need for the fifth string. It became one more thing to mute and an occasional thumb rest. Combine with that more expensive strings, more frequent truss rod adjustments for weather change, a wider/less comfortable fret board, difficulty amplifying the low B without creating mud, and issues with spaghetti noodle like B strings in a lot of sets it was just a no-go for me. Lots of guys love'em and swear by 'em, but for what I play a 4 is plenty good enough. I sold my 5'er after a year or so. I will say that recently I have been considering getting another one and stringing it E-A-D-G-C, but I just love my narrow fret board to much to go back.
Click to expand...

i've tried a 5'er on a few different occasions but always went back to 4's with low tuning
 
#20
I find that I need to go down to D on a regular basis, but rarely if ever, go below that. I have a 6 string retuned to low F# for real extended range and its fun to play with at home once in a while, but I'd never use it in a band context.

My solution was a hipshot D-tuner on my main 4 string and I'm quite happy with it. I was never crazy about the sound of the B string in certain sets of strings either.
 

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