4 strings only?

[Valerus]

I only do 4. It's all I need!

 

[mccartneyman]

As any washtub bassist knows, you only NEED one string.

 

[Ric5]

As any washtub bassist knows, you only NEED one string.

Yep ... Why would anyone ever need more than one string?

 

[billoetjen]

And - as any theoretical physicist knows, you only need one HYPERDIMENSIONAL string...

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

As any washtub bassist knows, you only NEED one string.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
ERWs- extended range washtubs. They're the wave of the future, man.

 

[FlabbaFan]

To each his own, clearly, but I don't like the music I hear being played on 6-stringers, or even most fivers, especially if it's a high B.
If I was forced to play a non-4 string bass, I would choose a 3-stringer, EAD. Heck, that high G often sounds wimpy to me anyway. If possible I try to stick to the thicker strings.

In my opinion, it's only the rarest of bass players who can tastefully play lead style lines in the upper registers, without abandoning what it means to be a bass player.
I'd much rather listen to a groovy bassist play one note than a math rocker exhibit his ungroovy dexterity all over the fretboard.

 

[kb9wyz]

Well, Mr. Bryan,

Thanks for the input. I like how you put it. Of course I was thinking more of your average bassist than of your very good ones. But you do make some some great points and pointed out a couple holes in my thinking, so thanks. I will definitely refine my theory some more.

And to answer your comment about not knowing the full range of what a 6 can do, I do know what it can do. I am not technically at the place to do it, and really won't be for some time. Part of the reason I switched to a 4. (Kinda started in an bass-ackwards kind of way.) I am a Pattitucci fan and totally respect what can be done on a 6'er.

With love, Brother.

 

[Deluge Of Sound]

I also don't use anything other than a four string, mostly due to string spacing issues-I have small hands and not-so-great manual dexterity, so I find the strings on fivers & sixers (and most guitars, unless they're classical) too cramped together for me to finger as cleanly as I want, or the string spacing is fine and the neck is just too wide to be comfortable.

 

[Bryan R. Tyler]

With the functionality part, I didn't mean from a technical playing standpoint- I meant how it can add more functionality to even basic playing. It was no comment on your playing, to be sure. Fender came out with the Bass V, the first five-string which also had a high C, in the late sixties specifically because studio players who had to sight read a lot had to jump around the fingerboard, even when playing simpler parts. They added the extra string and only put 15 frets on it, so it had the same range as a four-string, but the extra string added an ease of playability (at least for some). The less jumping you have to do, the easier a time you have with sight reading.

 

[billoetjen]

I'd much rather listen to a groovy bassist play one note than a math rocker exhibit his ungroovy dexterity all over the fretboard.

+1.5

 

[NWB]

Count me in four-only camp.

They are the tool that works perfectly for what I want to do.

 

[spade2you]

I'd much rather listen to a groovy bassist play one note than a math rocker exhibit his ungroovy dexterity all over the fretboard.

The concept that all 5+ string players are shredders and that a 4 string will make you groove better are simply false, but highly propagated rumors. Furthermore, I think too many musicians define "groove" as things they understand and/or can do. With a slightly insecure chip on a lot of musicians' shoulders, a lot of stuff that isn't basic gets labeled as shredding and a lack of groove.

As I've stated in many threads, 5+ string basses tend to get a lot of bad press because logistically the bass must be designed a lot better than a lot of what's out there since design flaws are amplified as you add strings and widen the neck. I know I'm in the boutique camp, but I find a lot of stock 6ers simply not very useful while it's not difficult to build a good 4 string and get them at a reasonable price.

On top of a well designed bass, the technique must also be refined. You can't simply have one or the other and expect things to work out. If you have a good 6 string technique, it can be applied to 4 and 5 string basses with ease. If the technique works on a 4 or 5, but not a 6...it's either the design of the bass, technique, or possibly both.

Ultimately, I think 6ers tend to get the most bad press simply because people don't know how to apply them. If you can learn about position playing, some may find a 6 string easier to play. Since most look at a 5 string simply as 5 lower notes, it's no wonder they don't think they're awesome.

 

[TwoGearGeeks]

Im in the club. I don't plan on owning one any time soon. I love my 4s. If I want a B string, Ill string a bass BEAD. That simple.

I just bought a BEAD 4 string!

 

[TwoGearGeeks]

The concept that all 5+ string players are shredders and that a 4 string will make you groove better are simply false, but highly propagated rumors. Furthermore, I think too many musicians define "groove" as things they understand and/or can do. With a slightly insecure chip on a lot of musicians' shoulders, a lot of stuff that isn't basic gets labeled as shredding and a lack of groove.

As I've stated in many threads, 5+ string basses tend to get a lot of bad press because logistically the bass must be designed a lot better than a lot of what's out there since design flaws are amplified as you add strings and widen the neck. I know I'm in the boutique camp, but I find a lot of stock 6ers simply not very useful while it's not difficult to build a good 4 string and get them at a reasonable price.

On top of a well designed bass, the technique must also be refined. You can't simply have one or the other and expect things to work out. If you have a good 6 string technique, it can be applied to 4 and 5 string basses with ease. If the technique works on a 4 or 5, but not a 6...it's either the design of the bass, technique, or possibly both.

Ultimately, I think 6ers tend to get the most bad press simply because people don't know how to apply them. If you can learn about position playing, some may find a 6 string easier to play. Since most look at a 5 string simply as 5 lower notes, it's no wonder they don't think they're awesome.

I guess I'll give a +1 to this reasoned and reasonable response. I play 4 strings only. I tried like the dickens to shift to a 5, but it just wasn't me. I just bought a 4 string with BEAD in case I need a few extra notes down low.

Personally, I know that I have a lot to learn about playing a 4 string, so adding a 5th string would hinder me. For me, it's like trying to learn a new language half-way into learning English.

That said, I think there are people who can groove on any number of strings and people who can wank away on 4 strings or less. Shoot, Ray Manzerek's left hand was one of the best live groove-holders in the 1960s!

My 2 cents.

 

[FlabbaFan]

I'd much rather listen to a groovy bassist play one note than a math rocker exhibit his ungroovy dexterity all over the fretboard.

The concept that all 5+ string players are shredders and that a 4 string will make you groove better are simply false, but highly propagated rumors.

To clarify, I never meant to imply what you argue against. I too believe that the type of bass one plays has no bearing on one's capacity to groove. And there are certainly plenty of technically adept yet woefully unmusical players on a 4-string.

Again, this is all within the realm of my tastes. I would never say that no one should play a 6-string. I would never tell anyone what to do with their music. I just might think it sucks. And they won't care. And then we go back to playing music exactly how we like it.