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5 string vs BEAD

5 string vs BEAD

  • get the 5 string

    Votes: 167 64.2%

  • go BEAD

    Votes: 50 19.2%

  • carrots

    Votes: 43 16.5%
  • Total voters
    260
#21
I go though phases where I want a five or a six. Right now I'm going through a phase where I decide to kick them to the curb and only have fours. I have no problem with multi-string basses (as a matter of fact I've played them as long as fours [which is a long time]) but I usually find my way back to a four. I would say play what is comfortable. Pay no mind to what others find comfortable. It really is a preference issue. I have all three (right now, but that is probably about to change). Good luck (this will most likely be an issue for the rest of your life if you like both or all). I find most gigs don't require any more than a four any more but who knows in the future. I think I'm more confused now as to what I should do. Thanks dude! Guess I'll at least get rid of one bass.....Maybe.


I hate this place. It never makes me make rational decisions.

Think I'll trade a couple of fives for a new five in hopes that it'll be the one. Seriously, I hate this place!
 
#22
In my opinion, the point of buying a 5 string is to increase range. To get the low B in exchange for the high G is really defeating the purpose of expanding range. This is all my opinion, but I say get the 5-string. Especially if it's not too much more expensive than just going BEAD.
 
#24
rarisgod said:
In my opinion, the point of buying a 5 string is to increase range. To get the low B in exchange for the high G is really defeating the purpose of expanding range. This is all my opinion, but I say get the 5-string. Especially if it's not too much more expensive than just going BEAD.
Click to expand...

I'd think that tuning BEAD would actually decreases the basses range since you don't have all the top end notes anymore.
 
#29
tis a pickle..i always played fours, then cos i like metal i thought i should get a five so i could play lower range (plus i was playing lots of blues live and it would make all keys more easily accessable), so i bought one but with my small hands found it oncomfortable, so i returned it and got a very nice four string.

i then decided to set up my old four string as BEAD so i could play the size of a four with the lows of a five..but i missed having the G string!
i found without having the full 'normal' range i couldnt play as interestingly as i would like.

i have now decided that i just generaly dislike playing detuned metal bass (verging on inaudable, follows guitar and root notes, lack of note control) and i make do with four strings and a Hipshot D X-tender :)

carrots?
 
#30
Before deciding if it would be better to set a 4er BEAD instead of buying a 5er, I think it's important to know what style you're playing (most of the time) and whether you're using the G string a lot or not. I (for instance) play only metal, so I'd make good use of the B string. However, since I've played only 4ers, I found the narrow string spacing of the 5ers I've got uncomfortable (16,5mm). So in the end I sold those and got back on the 4ers - and no, I don't miss the 5ers, I just miss having a B string. So what I'm also planning now is getting 2 identical basses as main axes (1 as backup) and set a 3rd BEAD. I don't think there's a definitive answer on this matter, some players love the 5ers, other don't. The best solution would be to play a 5er for a while (maybe you can borrow one) and see if you can adjust to it; if not, mod you current bass ;)
 
#32
Depends on what music youre playing.
If youre in the mega-hardcore rock/metal/punk band, a fifth string would literally be the cars 5th wheel: Not needed here, because tapping and chording doesn't appear very often in there genres.
For the bands im playing in i choose one 4 string, set it up and tune it so the E string is the guitars lowest note one octave down and go fourths upwards for the other strings from there on. Turns out I have one Bass tuned to DGCF because of this at the moment. Thats the easiest way.

If you planing to buy the 5 string because of added range, or if you play in the mega-fusion-progressive-freejazz-whatever band, then PLEASE go for the 5 string.:D

For me its of course the 4 string. :D I'm a four string guy...:bassist:
 
#33
Hey now! I play[ed] a lot of punk and metal and I used chords a lot. Guitarists always were blown away by my style. (Local band I auditioned for were speechless at my take on their songs!) It blew their minds that I'd play full clean chords with some drippy chorus during those slow verses!

I only ever wanted or used 4 strings for those though. P-Bass, P-Bass, P-Bass. EADG. Always. :p (Unless they begged me to use my Schecter... :ninja:)
 
#35
i've tried a couple of BEAD basses and thought they were ok. However, despite Tony Levin's assertion that "G strings are for strippers", (said rather tounge in cheek about his 3 string Music Man), I found myself missing the G string.

Having sold all but my 4 string tobias after a financial disaster some years ago, i find myself missing having a 5. When used sparingly, those low notes can make a real statement. Also, there are some songs that just call for it. Lastly, there are those drop D songs that you can just play on a 5 and not worry about transposing in your head when you're playing at the 7th fret.

The biggest thing to consider when 5 shopping is how the bass feels to you. (That and the quality and balance of the B string). Unfortunately, quality in a 5 tends to come with a price tag. Try a whole bunch of basses. If you've played 4 for a while a 5 shouldn't feel so unnatural to you you that you have a really hard time playing it.

String spacing and neck shape come into play here. I found that really wide spacing and chunky necks (like on Alembic extended range basses) didn't work for me. Too narrow can be an issue as well. Necks with an asymetrical shape like MTD and Modulus felt more comfortable to me, but you may have very different impressions. Good luck!
 
#36
cassanova said:
You would be decreasing the range of pitch available to you. That's how I should've said it, Either way IMO you're still limiting yourself when you do that.
Click to expand...

Not really, you can't change the range of pitches available on an instrument, just change which ones you have.

If I tune Eb, I don't loose or gain a note, just what notes I have change. BEAD is just doing the same, only further.
 
#40
Hi,

for what its worth..I played a steinberger tuned bead, and it sounded ok. It wasn;t the same as a real 5 string. It gets the job kinda done, but not with that real low B pounding!!

Hope this helps your choice,
Bll
 

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