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4 or 5 strings?

The GC rep is a n00b!

Anyway, I don't find either 4 or 5 easier or harder. On narrower spaced 5 strings, slapping requires a bit more accuracy. The only downside to a 5er is that some of the inexpensive ones don't have a very solid B string. On the flipside, you can always add a higher string if desired.
 
Hi, My name is Dakota. I'm new to the forums and I'm a percussionist. actually I'm a drummer:D. I was at guitar center and I was going to buy a five string but the employee told me that a 4 string is the only way to go. and that I shouldn't buy a 5 string because they are way harder learn on. I want to play metal with my friends band that needs a bass. and I have a budget of $600. :help: what should i get??????

When you buy a 5-string, you get a built in 4-string, and there's nothing particularly difficult about learning on one or the other. As others have pointed out, metal will demand that low B sooner or later, so a 5-string is a bonus all the way around.
As for what particular bass you should get, that's a matter of taste and playability that only you can judge. A $600 budget offers a wide range so you should be able to find what you're looking for. If you've never played bass, your best bet is to find someone who does, or a guitarist if you can't find a bassist, and take him or her shopping with you. Guitar Center employees, all sellers for that matter, aren't as motivated to help you find the right bass as they are to move inventory and separate you from as much of your money as they can. Everything they tell you should be filtered through that understanding.