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4string to 5string tone issues

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davidsamoraMD

Jul 3, 2013
3
0
#1
Hey guys,

Can you elaborate as to why when I (for example) pick up a 4string Warwick bass and I slap on it and am blown away by that unique Warwick (big clear) tone, when I try to do the same on its 5string equivalent, it sounds (muddy) nothing close to the 4string?

What follows is extreme disappointment that I can't have that killer tone combined with 5-string range. Why is this and how can I get around it?

Thank you.


David
 
#2
Are you getting the same tones from each bass when playing other styles? If its just the low B that is giving you a muddy sound, thats kinda expected. Its hard to get a clear sound out of a low b like you get out of the upper register strings. you'll have to play around with the eq a bit to try to get it how you want it. The lower you go the muddier its going to get because there are more and more overtones sounding which muddy everything up.
 
#3
GirouxJB: I am not referring to the tone of the low B-string, but of the whole instrument. If I play the exact same slap line on both basses on the exact same strings, the 5string bass sounds very different (and not in a good way). I'm talking about same model, pick-ups, etc etc. Just the added 5th string.

I chose the slap example because it is a style that really brings out the tone of the instrument. Obviously if I just finger it, the difference is not as blatantly obvious.


David
 
#4
The party line argument is that since a 5-string neck will almost out of necessity have more mass than a 4-string neck, the instruments can't sound identical.

But I'm not sure there's a lot of empirical evidence to support that argument.
 
#5
The fact the basses sound differently has everything to do with that they are different pieces of lumber with different tonal characteristics, not the number of strings. While a little more mass may have something to do with some tonal variation, the way the wood resonates, has much more to do with tone than a few extra ounces of mass.
 
#10
I feel it has to do with mass of neck and possibly body if it's slightly bigger.
Me and my good friend (also a bassist) have always noticed that when we used to go try masses of the same basses at The Bass Centre...you can wail away and slap galore in E using open E on a 4 string bass, and it never sounds the same playing the same E slap happy wail riff on the same model 5 string.
I know I always 100% prefer the way slapped open E sounds on a 4 vs on a 5.
 
#11
davidsamoraMD said:
Hey guys,

Can you elaborate as to why when I (for example) pick up a 4string Warwick bass and I slap on it and am blown away by that unique Warwick (big clear) tone, when I try to do the same on its 5string equivalent, it sounds (muddy) nothing close to the 4string?

What follows is extreme disappointment that I can't have that killer tone combined with 5-string range. Why is this and how can I get around it?

Thank you.


David
Click to expand...

I have never noticed this problem ... I have a bunch of 5 string basses ...
 
#12
Well, at least one guy above knows exactly what I'm talkin about- Caca de Kick.

Thank you for making me know that I'm not crazy!

My quest to find out the reason and if there is a way around it, will continue.

I dare anybody to find a 5 string version of a bass that slaps with the same tone as its 4 string counterpart. I've tried it with Musicmans, Warwicks, J basses. All with the same outcome.
 
#15
Hmmmm..... perhaps it's related to the change in technique needed to slap the more narrowly spaced strings on a five-er?

(Me? I play with a pick and have no dog in this fight. But I'm just thinkin'?!?)
 
#16
davidsamoraMD said:
Well, at least one guy above knows exactly what I'm talkin about- Caca de Kick.

Thank you for making me know that I'm not crazy!

My quest to find out the reason and if there is a way around it, will continue.

I dare anybody to find a 5 string version of a bass that slaps with the same tone as its 4 string counterpart. I've tried it with Musicmans, Warwicks, J basses. All with the same outcome.
Click to expand...

My Music Man Sterling 5H has GREAT slap tone! I can't play slap at all. But, Mike B (mb94952 on here) came over yesterday and played some killer slap on it. He liked it so much, he's shopping for one now for himself. I had not previously even heard a Sterling played that way. Set in Parallel, with the mids cut a little and the bass and treble turned up a little, the slap tone was just plain awesome.
 
#17
Caca de Kick said:
I feel it has to do with mass of neck and possibly body if it's slightly bigger.
Me and my good friend (also a bassist) have always noticed that when we used to go try masses of the same basses at The Bass Centre...you can wail away and slap galore in E using open E on a 4 string bass, and it never sounds the same playing the same E slap happy wail riff on the same model 5 string.
I know I always 100% prefer the way slapped open E sounds on a 4 vs on a 5.
Click to expand...

I don't play 4s anymore and don't slap much either and when I do slap I use one of my 5ers. But I totally agree with the above. If you are serious about slap you don't want a 5er and you don't want 24 frets. I'm sorry but they just don't sound as good.
 
#18
bassbenj said:
I don't play 4s anymore and don't slap much either and when I do slap I use one of my 5ers. But I totally agree with the above. If you are serious about slap you don't want a 5er and you don't want 24 frets. I'm sorry but they just don't sound as good.
Click to expand...

+1
its the nature of the beast a 4 string will always sound better PERIOD!

Also Paul Turner of Jamiroquai stated this in an old interview

Invalid Link Removed

Ever wonder why despite he has a fine Alleva Coppolo LG5 he plays his trusty vintage Jazz Bass whenever he can. (he changes quite frequently during live gigs back to his Fender Jazz Bass and I feel it sounds much better.
 
#19
Dbassmon said:
The fact the basses sound differently has everything to do with that they are different pieces of lumber with different tonal characteristics, not the number of strings. While a little more mass may have something to do with some tonal variation, the way the wood resonates, has much more to do with tone than a few extra ounces of mass.
Click to expand...

I very much disagree. Neck mass and stiffness even affects the tone of guitars. A bass is a combination of wood and metal in a stable state of tension, from the strings and compression in the neck. Think of it as a stretched spring. If you change either the mass or stiffness of that spring, its resonances change.

The stiffness of the neck, does have a tonal effect.
 
#20
davidsamoraMD said:
Hey guys,

Can you elaborate as to why when I (for example) pick up a 4string Warwick bass and I slap on it and am blown away by that unique Warwick (big clear) tone, when I try to do the same on its 5string equivalent, it sounds (muddy) nothing close to the 4string?

What follows is extreme disappointment that I can't have that killer tone combined with 5-string range. Why is this and how can I get around it?

Thank you.
David
Click to expand...

You are certainly not crazy. There could be a technique issue here - you may be muting the B string when slapping and not realize it. As others have pointed out, the strings on the 5 may not be as new as the 4 string. EQ settings on the bass and the amp are going to mess with it too.

However, when comparing 4 string models and 5 string models of the same brand, I can certainly hear the difference. 5 string bodies typically have more mass. Bigger bodies, bigger necks and so on. It's one of the reasons I stick with 5 string basses - they sound better to me. 4 strings usually sound deficient on low end and low mid presence compared to the 5 string model. That's how it works for me....
 

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