4string vs 5string

[DragoshBass]

I am playing metal with some dubstep bridges. The tunings are going to drop C and drop B . What would fit better ? A 4 string or a 5 string ? And any suggestions for a bass that is suitable ? Now i have an ibanez sr3006 but it.s not working so well in the mix. I will sell it for 700-800 euros.
Waiting for your answers.
All the best bassbrothers!

 

[ggvicviper]

I think a 5-string would surely better suit your needs than a 4-string. You'll still have the low notes of the four, but no detuning required.

If an active 6er isn't working so great in the mix (maybe too much growl or something?), I say a passive Jazz-style bass would suit you better. Fender Standard Jazz Bass V is right in that price range, but there are other options too.

 

[remainthesame]

if you dont mind tuning strings up past their intended pitch then get a 5. and my standard recommendation (im very biased mind you) is to try a BTB.

 

[Lee Moses]

That's a difficult question to answer. That sounds like a situation made for a 5-string. But you could also tune a 4-string B-E-A-D or something similiar, assuming you don't wander too high in the upper register. But either way, it's a matter of personal preference.

 

[two fingers]

if you dont mind tuning strings up past their intended pitch then get a 5. and my standard recommendation (im very biased mind you) is to try a BTB.

+1on the BTB. The mid frequency knob on that bass is a secret weapon for plowing through any mix.

 

[khutch]

Well, the lowest note you need to play is a B or C. What is the highest note you need to play? Will a drop-tuned four reach it? If not then you need a five, at least. If you are already using all the range of your six and are just not happy with how it sounds then maybe what you really need is another six??

 

[Kummonen]

If you play intricate unison riffs they might be easier on a five-string. You would get two octaves in one position. Some would also say that closer string-spacing is better for fast fingerstyle playing.

 

[DragoshBass]

My six string has 16.5 and it.s too complicated to play. I.m looking for a bigger string spacing. I was thinking...what if I buy two 4 stringed basses and one of them i tune BEAD and one of them drop C. Or a 5 stringed one for B songs and a 4stringed one for drop C songs. Because i think that i get more punch on E string tuned to C than to B string tuned to C

 

[Lee Moses]

My six string has 16.5 and it.s too complicated to play. I.m looking for a bigger string spacing. I was thinking...what if I buy two 4 stringed basses and one of them i tune BEAD and one of them drop C. Or a 5 stringed one for B songs and a 4stringed one for drop C songs. Because i think that i get more punch on E string tuned to C than to B string tuned to C

I really don't think you need two basses for the half-step between B and C. That means that's two basses you're going to have to lug around with you and be comfortable playing instead of one. I don't know why you couldn't string either a 5-string or a 4 string with 2 E strings, and tune the lower one down to B, if that's what you want. Admittedly, I've personally never tried tuning an E-string that low. But that would cover your drop C songs as well as the B.

 

[khutch]

If you want two basses that is fine. Many here want far more than two! I agree that you do not need two basses to do what you need to do and I also agree that dragging two basses around every where you go is a drag, man, a drag. As we used to say long ago in a galaxy far away. Since you don't seem happy with a six string at all I would say you want a five string and you can get by fine with just the one if you put a Hipshot tuner on the fiver and capo it at the third fret. That will give you GCFBb on the top four strings. Your bottom string will be a D but you can use the Hipshot to drop that to a C (the open string will be an A of course) and the lower tension will get you the low string "punch" you want from a B string. You can go with a light gauge set of strings if need be to get the sound you want from the C string. Then when you want to play BEADG you remove the capo and flip the Hipshot to B.

The Ibanez BTB series have the wide string spacing you want so they are a good choice. The MTD Kingston basses are also wide spaced and they have asymmetric necks which I love. They would be my first choice but either one of those is a good option.