Fair. What I did not say, but should have, to complete my point about retro sensibility is that a lot of the kids are playing 4s these days. Those of us who have been playing for a while play what we do because we do.
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4 strings only?
- Thread starter southernrocker
- Start date
A little bass history if I may…
The double bass got its English name- contrabass in German- because it doubled the figured bass played by the cello and or bassoon. Its music is written at the cello’s pitch but sounds an octave lower. The lowest note on the cello is “C”, so in order for the bass to play down to the “C”, one of two solutions was found. First, five string basses were made as early as the 1700s…. my college buddy had a five string Italian instrument made in 1760. The fingerboard was HUGE! The second solution is the “C Extension”. The “E” string is extended to the top of the scroll with a narrow fingerboard under it. The string is tuned to “C”, and C#, D, and D# are played either with mechanical stops, or, if you are very long armed, with the fingers. The string can be locked at the regular to “E” when the lower notes are not needed. This “C extension” is an add on option and there are major orchestras that won’t even allow an audition without one.
Now, to the bass guitar: since the low note of a guitar is “E”, my orchestral ears hear no reason for a bass to play (an octave) lower than “E”. I do use a drop “D” on occasion... Willie Weeks drops to Eb on “Can’t find my way Home” on the MSG version for legitimate musical reasons. Some bass players sound rather silly on newer recordings, especially on new country… like “See! I have a “B” string”. As for added upper strings, you loose that “getting fatter” bass quality of going up the fingerboard as opposed to a guitar-like quality of going across it.
I’ll stick with my “P” and my “fretless” double bass with the “C extension”.
The double bass got its English name- contrabass in German- because it doubled the figured bass played by the cello and or bassoon. Its music is written at the cello’s pitch but sounds an octave lower. The lowest note on the cello is “C”, so in order for the bass to play down to the “C”, one of two solutions was found. First, five string basses were made as early as the 1700s…. my college buddy had a five string Italian instrument made in 1760. The fingerboard was HUGE! The second solution is the “C Extension”. The “E” string is extended to the top of the scroll with a narrow fingerboard under it. The string is tuned to “C”, and C#, D, and D# are played either with mechanical stops, or, if you are very long armed, with the fingers. The string can be locked at the regular to “E” when the lower notes are not needed. This “C extension” is an add on option and there are major orchestras that won’t even allow an audition without one.
Now, to the bass guitar: since the low note of a guitar is “E”, my orchestral ears hear no reason for a bass to play (an octave) lower than “E”. I do use a drop “D” on occasion... Willie Weeks drops to Eb on “Can’t find my way Home” on the MSG version for legitimate musical reasons. Some bass players sound rather silly on newer recordings, especially on new country… like “See! I have a “B” string”. As for added upper strings, you loose that “getting fatter” bass quality of going up the fingerboard as opposed to a guitar-like quality of going across it.
I’ll stick with my “P” and my “fretless” double bass with the “C extension”.
...unless you are using a different instrument for your reference, like a piano. I believe you are generally correct in your assertion though, as 5-string basses did become more popular during the time that keyboards were assuming a more prevalent role in popular music.
My current main bass is a 5 string, though I prefer four strings because of the wider spacing, lighter/smaller instrument and the fact that I rarely use the B string makes it somewhat of a waste to have. I have another 5 with a high C that I also find fairly useless since the tone isn't nearly as good on it as playing higher on the G. There's no denying that both have their advantages, so it is of course a "to each his own" thing.
I do think that if you're gonna have multiple basses anyway you should have at least one 5 string since the need for one could come up.
you are of course forgetting tuning in fifths... but that's a different discussion all together.
I do think that if you're gonna have multiple basses anyway you should have at least one 5 string since the need for one could come up.
you are of course forgetting tuning in fifths... but that's a different discussion all together.
honistly ive been playing bass for over 6 years and ive played a 5-string once and if anything i thought it was dumb to have a string that goes lower
and in my 6 or so years of playing ive never really hit a wall that cant be solved by joining a new band and lerning diffrent styles of music
with new styles of playing come new worlds
Bryan R. Tyler
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That's good that you've found what works for you. Meanwhile, there are folks with both less and vastly more experience that have a need for more strings while still playing in a wide variety of musics. Don't mistake the fact that you haven't found a use for more strings for the fact that other people have. I had hit walls and knew I wanted a six within a year of playing- I just couldn't afford one. Now after 14 years, I can't even play some of my songs parts without one- at least not without difficulty.
Get Real!
Who's five string is that?
That's not my five string...
No way, no five string, no way, not me, not ever.
Stupid five strings, stupid six strings...
I love four strings, and things with four strings in them,
like gig bags, and cases....
You don't like four string; you suck!
Four strings rule!
My apologies to Dan Deacon.
Who's five string is that?
That's not my five string...
No way, no five string, no way, not me, not ever.
Stupid five strings, stupid six strings...
I love four strings, and things with four strings in them,
like gig bags, and cases....
You don't like four string; you suck!
Four strings rule!
My apologies to Dan Deacon.
I only have 4 string basses. It took me a long time to even see a need for a 5 stinger, tried one out, sold it about a month later. It just wasn't for me for a number of reasons.
All 7 of mine are 4's: 2 P's, 2J's, a Guild Starfire, a Gretsch Broadkaster and an Epi Casady. Tried a 5 once at rehearsal - didn't dig it. To my ears everything below the low D didn't sound musical, so that's where I stopped. I don't need the extra weight or fingerboard width for 1 whole step. If I had the extra dough, I might be tempted to get Fender VI or Dano for the tic-tac sound.
And, so far as I know, every bass track I've ever liked was done on a 4.
And, so far as I know, every bass track I've ever liked was done on a 4.
Well I wasn't going to add this but I decided too.
The bassists I really look up too most are Jaco, Victor Wooten and Stanley Clark.
For the most part (NOT always, yes I have seen Victor Wooten with a 5 string bass, please dont yell at me)
But anyways, for the most part I see them with 4 string basses.
thats part of the way I look at it
The bassists I really look up too most are Jaco, Victor Wooten and Stanley Clark.
For the most part (NOT always, yes I have seen Victor Wooten with a 5 string bass, please dont yell at me)
But anyways, for the most part I see them with 4 string basses.
thats part of the way I look at it
i would'nt know what to do with 5 or 6 strings, that's from a different era. i learned from black sabbath, iron maiden , metallica, ac/dc, ozzy, classic rock/new wave/punk, etc... all 4 string players. today they learn from alot of 5 string players so it's natural for them. i've owned one 5 string bass in the early 90's, i had it for a few months, that was it.
First bass I ever played on was a 6 string Cirrus. I had a good time, all my friends play guitar so I bought a 4 string Ibanez. At the time I felt inadequate with only 4 stings so I picked up a used 5 string ESP. I could play the 5 alright, but the Ibanez sounded better to my ear. I didn't really care for either the LTD or the Ibanez. I sold them both. By this time I'd been to a lot of music shops and tried out a bunch of different basses. No longer hung up on the need for extra strings, I just wanted to learn to play. I picked out what I felt was the nicest sounding, best feeling and playing bass out of a couple different stores, an active Fender Special Deluxe P/J. I'm also enjoying a $200 Squier CV 60 P bass I bought about a month ago.
I was over my friends house last week with my two Fenders. I know the Cirrus series are highly regarded, but I'm no fan of his sixer. I mean, it's OK, it looks really nice. Feels OK. Maybe I'm still too new, but it's just too many strings IMO, I NEVER use the C string. I don't like the tone a whole lot either. Maybe it needs fresh strings, or new batteries. Whatever it is, all three of the 4 string basses I've had sound a whole lot better imho. My Fenders (one Squier) and the Ibanez have way more "THUMP". The pre amp on my Fender Special Deluxe seems to have a lot more impact on the tone than the Cirrus also.
I really like 4's, the way they feel. I think they sound great. I know there are great sounding and playing 5-6 string basses out there, but for a couple hundred you can get yourself a KILLER sounding 4 string. I've still got an itch to find a good deal on a fiver, but there sure is nothing wrong with 4 strings, and six....maybe for a soloist or somebody with more experience, skill than I've got, I have no desire to own one and I hate it when I'm over my friends house w/o my Fender and I'm stuck playing around on his 6er.
Blues, classic rock and hard rock are what I'm into and the 4 strings suits the genres perfectly imo.
I was over my friends house last week with my two Fenders. I know the Cirrus series are highly regarded, but I'm no fan of his sixer. I mean, it's OK, it looks really nice. Feels OK. Maybe I'm still too new, but it's just too many strings IMO, I NEVER use the C string. I don't like the tone a whole lot either. Maybe it needs fresh strings, or new batteries. Whatever it is, all three of the 4 string basses I've had sound a whole lot better imho. My Fenders (one Squier) and the Ibanez have way more "THUMP". The pre amp on my Fender Special Deluxe seems to have a lot more impact on the tone than the Cirrus also.
I really like 4's, the way they feel. I think they sound great. I know there are great sounding and playing 5-6 string basses out there, but for a couple hundred you can get yourself a KILLER sounding 4 string. I've still got an itch to find a good deal on a fiver, but there sure is nothing wrong with 4 strings, and six....maybe for a soloist or somebody with more experience, skill than I've got, I have no desire to own one and I hate it when I'm over my friends house w/o my Fender and I'm stuck playing around on his 6er.
Blues, classic rock and hard rock are what I'm into and the 4 strings suits the genres perfectly imo.
That's different, starting out with a 6er and all. If I started with one, I would've probably quit! I can't stand the feel of a 6!
