5 sting Quandry

You should be aware of the fact there will be one more string.

Tuning will almost surely include one lower string i.e. the much talked about "low B string."

 

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Unless of course, your me and you have a high C instead of a low B.
Make sure you play severl 5'ers to see if you like the necks as well- some folks don't like most 5 string necks. Another thing to consider is whether or not you think having an extra string will be useful to you, or if it will just be a decoration or thumb rest (that's ok too, butnto quite as wortht he money I think). One more important thign to note is that the string spacing is almost always tigheter on a 5 string. Many folks don't liek them for this reason, and can't bring themselves to slap on a 5 (if tehy like that style of playing). I've never really had anythign except 5'ers, minus an essex I owned for about 3 months and am getting rid of this weekend.. boo on 4 stringers.

 

Hey, Ibanks, welcome to Talkbass.

Q: What should you be aware of?
A: That you are probably going to fall in love
with bass all over again.

I was a self proclaimed 4 stringer for many years. I bought a 5 string mainly because of all the talk about them here at Talkbass.

BEST DECISION I EVER MADE!

When I first got mine home, and played it for a few weeks, I thought, "It's nice, but, I don't think I'll ever prefer one of these to a four."

HA-HA-HA!

It took about a year of switching back and forth, but, now if a bass doesn't have 5 srings, I feel that there's something missing.

If you're sitting on the fence about getting a 5 string, allow me to push you over on to the five's side. You don't have to spend a ton of money either. My first 5 string was a $400 Yamaha; I didn't want to spend a pile of money, and then find out that I wasn't really into them. I just recently bought a fretless five. These guys get the lion's share of playing now.

No one can guarantee anything in life, but, I think if you spring for a five string, you will never regret it.

Think about this: You're playing a blues pattern in G - now you have the option of going DOWN to D, rather than only up.

I'd say get a 5 string.

Good luck.

Mike

P.S. The low B is simply one octave lower than the B note on the A string, second fret.

 

In fact I just purchased my first 5 string today....yea for me! Its a Spector ReBop 5 Natural Oil finish.....it's sweet!

The biggest difference to me was finding a comfortable 5 string. The neck will be larger than your 4 so keep that in mind. I played a lot of them b4 I found one that I felt had a comfortable neck and was easy for me to play, some are like baseball bats. Also check the top B string some of 5 strings have what we call a flubby B which means it just sounds like crap. Standard 5 string tuning is BEADG, take your time and shop around....good luck

 

I have both. The E-C tuning is pretty cool IMO.

 

Yep.. it sounds great on my new spector ( I just don't get tired of saying that). Down the road I'm gonan get a 5 string fretless jazz with standard 5 tuning.

 

5stringDNA,

can you shed some light on the high C tuning, is that just for the B string? or is that something like standard C tuning?

 

It just means that you have a high C string, higher than the G, instead of a low B string, lower than the E.


The 1/3
No comment.

 

Yeah,
B E A D G or
E A D G C.

 

Ibanks: Not a bad choice, provided the C-Curbow has the Barts.

 

It's missing a string if it only has 5 strings! Maybe one broke!?

But seriously, folks, watch for:
* String spacing
* Neck "feel" (some are pretty fat, or too thin, depending on taste)
* Scale (many prefer 35" scale, which is supposedly less floppy, but I prefer 34" scale)

Low-B strings tend to be "floppy", but that can depend on the string-set you choose, as much as the "scale" (string-length).

 

I own 10 basses, some more exotic, some more run of the mill. Out of those 10, I own 1 vintage Fender P w/flatwounds. The rest are all 5s, nuff said.

 

For anyone who is still reading this thread to find out what to look for on a 5 string:

IMO, the most important 5 string feature is a tight B. It should have the same punch and volume as the other 4 strings. You can find a ton of 5s with really flabby, weak B strings because their necks may be weak and flex too much to yeild an even tone. If it can't be remedied setup and a taper-wound string set, you have a bad bass

The preamp is another issue sometimes. The signal of the B can sometimes get a bit loud and a weak preamp may not handle it well (weak tone is a symptom if the string is tight).

When I first switched to a 5, I rarely used the B for much more than a thumbrest. As I got better and played with more advanced people, I started using it all the time. I hate 4s now! (It's a shame, too, because 4s are cheaper and easier to find.)

 

Werd.

I like active basses, especially w/ 5ers. Sometimes you can change strings gauges to tighten up the B, other times it's just a wimpy neck. You should also make sure the 5 sounds good w/ your gear, some cabs don't go as low as others.

 

I love active systems. If you have ever owned a bass with a good preamp, you can hear the difference when you play a cheap preamp.
Passive systems are all about the bass construction: if you hear a crummy B, it's not an electronics issue, it's a neck issue (assuming it's set up correctly).

 

Oh michael how could you


4 strings for life!(until I get a double neck 6 string hyperbass that is

 

Hey Ibanks.. Welcome to talkbass..

I just want to add something here..

If you've never grabbed a 5 stringer, when you get to play one, your hands are going to feel very strange due to many variations in the dimentions and specificacions of the instrument related to the extra string.. So when you try a bunch at the music store, remember to take in count the thickness of the neck and the string spacing.. specially the last one.. Some salesmen never give the costumers any advice on string spacing when trying to sell a bass, so ask for different string spacings and try them out.


I tried lots of 5 stringers in a year and thought 5 strings just were not for me until I discovered a 5string bass with wide string spacing, which is now my main bass.


Good Luck