5 string vs BEAD

[robert43]

Hi all my son keeps on telling me to buy a 5 string bass.
What I was wondering as I own a SX P bass & a Squier PJ bass, would I 1 be better to buy a 5 string bass say SX
Or 2 with 1 of the basses say get a new nut refile it to take the 4 bottom string s of a 5 string set & tune to BEAD ?
I am just wondering is it going to be like a 12 string guitar I bought my son a couple of years ago & gets uesed for 15 mins every 12 months

 

[PilbaraBass]

robert,

i've played 4s for 18 years...i bought my 1st 5er last may.. a squier jazz deluxe active v...i now play it 90% of the time (vs 2 other basses).. it's not the same analogy as a 12 string guitar at all, imo...a 5 string is a a 4 plus..

kerry

 

[PSPookie]

I like 5ers. Until a few days ago I had nothing but 5s.

 

[DanRJBrasil]

with a a bead you will miss the g for sure even more if you are a slap guy

 

[Darkstrike]

I've done both, never miss the G for regular play, but chording up high and tapping I really do.

 

[christw]

I got my first nice 5'er a few days ago. (Schecter CV-5 prototype with Ken Armstrong J / MM.) Have NOT looked back. My only fear is that the Ric 4001 I'm picking up soon or the USA P I'm looking to get soon are going to steal me back.

But you will not look back!


Oh, and I could not live without the G. No matter what style I play I use it in chords, fills, etc. It just wouldn't happen unless the BEAD was for reggae. But 5'ers still win.

 

[bassanddrums]

5! But I can't talk because I only played 4 string a year before I bought my 5er (SR505, total beaut).

 

[TheBassPreacher]

I have a 4 with a hipshot bass extender, usually covers most everything I need.

 

[RickenBoogie]

I voted BEAD, but only because I got rid of my only 5er and strung one of 3 basses BEAD. For me, there's no missing the G string, but I could certainly agree that a 5 has much more versatility.

 

[basspraiser]

I went from an all 4 player to an all 5 player in less than 2 years.....go with a 5er...there are several songs where you need all 3 octaves....I almost bought a REALLY sweet BEAD strung bass but came to my senses knowing that i would miss the G string now and then...

also - for me and my "old mind" it is easier to keep the notes straight ona 5er other than switching back and forth between 4 string basses!

I find the 5th string easy to "ignore" when I want to play 4 strings and nice to have when I need it....

also - (maybe it is just me or the basses I play) but the E string seems to sound better on my 5ers than on any 4 banger I had!!!

 

[spigmu]

I voted BEAD, but only because I got rid of my only 5er and strung one of 3 basses BEAD. For me, there's no missing the G string, but I could certainly agree that a 5 has much more versatility.

Same here. It's my own personal biases absolutely, but I hadn't come across a 5 string that didn't lack the punch and fatback of my 4s, so I made the ATK BEAD and have never looked back.

I would also add that I never go high unless I'm being goofy. My main bass, an Ashbory, hasn't had a G on it in ten years.

 

[robert43]

Hi all 1 of my worries was I once tried a OLP 5 string dont know the model & its neck was like a baseball bat.
How do you people with 5 string fing them the neck.? thanks

 

[Renaissance]

I've never considered going back to a 4. Every once and again I'll pick up my 4 and play it some (I guess I just have a soft heart), otherwise it's 5 all the way.

 

[bassanddrums]

Hi all 1 of my worries was I once tried a OLP 5 string dont know the model & its neck was like a baseball bat.
How do you people with 5 string fing them the neck.? thanks

Ibanez Soundgear, Thin as a 4 string neck. I don't understand how people play p/j 5 strings.

 

[Solarmist]

Ibanez Soundgear, Thin as a 4 string neck. I don't understand how people play p/j 5 strings.

+1 - That's what I use too - an Ibanez SR5. Not only are they narrow [45mm nut], but they are thin front to back [19.5mm at the 1st] with a nice eliptical profile. Go to your local GC or music store, and try one at least. String spacing is 16.5mm (bridge).


I tried the BEAD thing for a while, but couldn't get used to not having a G string as a reference point plus I just needed a G string for its range. If you haven't tried playing BEAD do so before setting up a bass that way - you might not like it.

 

[Stumpy]

I played 4s for nearly forever and then picked up a TRB 5er and haven't looked back since. I think you might just like it.

 

[cassanova]

Not sure how much you're looking to spend on a 5 string but here are some other basses besides Ibanez that have necks that don't feel like a baseball bat.

Peavey Millenium
Peavey Grind
Fender Jazz
Yamaha TRB
Spector Legend

 

[FunkMetalBass]

I'm an ERB guy, but I'm also really big into modifying basses.

I noticed that when I modified my Squier with the BEAD (back in the day), the B was a little floppy, possibly attributed to the 34" scale, although there were numerous other factors involved, and you will certainly be able to tighten it up with a thick gauge string. I personally did not miss the G-string as a week of playing made it all feel like home with the D on top.

Most 5-strings will have a thinner spacing, but are also designed to handle that low B, many times with a neck-thru construction and/or 35" scale.

I recommend you go to a music store and play the 5-strings, specifically looking at string spacing and scale length. If nothing really speaks to you at all, mod the 4-string with a relatively heavy B (.130+). It's just a plastic nut that will cost $0.50 to replace if you don't like it.

 

[Joe Nerve]

If you're talking SX basses then I say just get a 5. It'll only cost you about $60 more than it would it change the nut and strings. I've strung some basses BEAD and always wound up missing the G. If it ain't original music and if you're not writing the bass parts there are going to definitely be times that the G will be missed.

 

[Rugaar]

I set up my SX P for BEAD and it's great--no problems with the B string at all. And I don't miss the G string one bit. Chords and tapping? Meh. I leave that to the guitars. I'm a bass player.



But if I were looking at buying a brand new bass I'd definitely consider a 5, as long as the string spacing wasn't too narrow. I just can't get my fingers to work on skinny little necks with close strings.