6-String Basses. What’s the deal?

[ArtechnikA]

My fretless 6 has been my number one player for more than 10 years. For most of those, it was my only bass. I did eventually buy a fretted 5 as a backup.
MHO is play one bass and learn it really well.
Others prefer diversity, but I like that it feels and sounds the same every time I pick it up.

 

[Bassist4Eris]

These two comments interest me because they’re the exact opposite of how I assumed I would approach this. I play a lot of 5-string bass and treat it like a completely different instrument than a 4. I assumed I would approach a 6 the same way… different shapes with less shifting up and down the neck. Starting with the center 4 strings and expanding from there may be a more effective way. I guess time will tell.

Allow me to be the dissenting voice, then. When I adopted the five (2002-ish) I treated it as a four with an extra string. When I got my first six (2007) I was determined to treat it as an instrument in its own right, with its own unique possibilities (and challenges). This for me made all the difference. I never fully mastered the five, but as this point I've been playing the six so long I sometimes get lost on the four (which I started on way back in 1989).

And so I advise against thinking of it as a four or five with some extra notes. I suggest learning arpeggios and scales across all six strings, so you understand how the whole thing fits together.

 

[Jefenator]

For me the 6-string is not a constant necessity. But the extra range comes in handy often enough, it's pretty easy to justify keeping mine.
The main application is a smooth jazz group that gives me a lot of solos.
But last year I subbed on a musical and the main guy agreed to cover a guitar intro. We doubled on actual guitar later on, but for this number (No Me Diga) there was exactly one quarter note rest in which to switch.
I might have favored the 6-string anyway. The book was clearly written for a low B 5'er but the 6 makes for less drastic shifting.

 

[tb-player]

I also am fluent on guitar and to some extent keys, so it's just easier to chop something out on those instruments.

OP here. It’s funny. For years I’ve said, if you want to play high notes, just get a guitar… lol. In fact, I pissed off a fairly prominent bassist on this thread. Am I about to join them?? d’oh!!

 

[tb-player]

The neck profile make them very confortable to play. However, they are so transparent that will highlight ALL your playing (flaws included) which will force you to work significantly in your muting technique. At least, that's what happened to me when switching to both, 5 and 6. To me, this was more difficult than adapting to the additional string, probably because I had a poor technique to begin with.

View attachment 5133157 View attachment 5133158

I’m an MTD/Tobias guy. I’ve owned a bunch of them, but never a sixer. I have my eyes on an Elrick six because I know that neck profile well. I guess we’ll see.

 

[dbsfgyd1]

I love 5-string bass. It’s my go-to. I normally string B-G, but I’ve also done the E-C thing with good success.

Lately, I’ve been looking at 6-string basses (B-C basses, not the Bass VI) for the purpose of exploring solo playing, chords, and learning full tunes on the 6. It seems like it could be a nice challenge and an opportunity to shop for something cool, of course.

Anyone here ever make that transition? Curious to hear how it went. Any tips?

‘I’ve not, but I’ve heard some incredible art coming from one of those in the hand of a skilled artist. Best wishes.

 

[CryingBass]

Tight string spacing on some 6’s is problematic for Mr Sausage-fingers here.

The flip side is that the necks get pretty wide. But coming from DB that’s not so much of an issue IMHO YMMV

Think of them as a 4 Sandwich.

 

[jjcarswell]

The challenge I had when going from 4 to 5 to 6 was sight reading…now that I’m comfortable with the 6, sight reading is much easier due to less shifting. My opinion is that if you’re just playing songs you know or anything not involving sight reading, the switch from 4 to 5 to 6 is not a big deal. It depends on the sound you’re looking for. Now I only use a 6….except for string bass of course…a different animal

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Tight string spacing on some 6’s is problematic for Mr Sausage-fingers here.

The flip side is that the necks get pretty wide. But coming from DB that’s not so much of an issue IMHO YMMV

Think of them as a 4 Sandwich.

This 4 sandwich concept may work for me thanks.
When I had the fretless 6 I thought of it as a five with a side order of high C...

 

[DJ Bebop]

"6-String Basses. What’s the deal?"

 

[Chris cook]

I love 5-string bass. It’s my go-to. I normally string B-G, but I’ve also done the E-C thing with good success.

Lately, I’ve been looking at 6-string basses (B-C basses, not the Bass VI) for the purpose of exploring solo playing, chords, and learning full tunes on the 6. It seems like it could be a nice challenge and an opportunity to shop for something cool, of course.

Anyone here ever make that transition? Curious to hear how it went. Any tips?

I got an Ibanez sdgr 5 string in the 80s
An 8 str Kramer XL-8 in 1978 (stolen)
A 12 str hammer Quad in 1980 (sold)
Got my 1st 6 string in 2019
I have a 4 - 5 - 6 string now.
Stop just thinking about buying a 6 string bass
and go buy one.
No matter how many strings a Bass guitar has
It's still a Bass right.
Moving up to A 6 string bass will only do great things for your bass playing.
Go for it.

 

[Five or Six]

Like the "handle" I play 5s or 6s. I can't play a 4 anymore, it's alien to me. If I string my 3001 Rick to B-E-A-D I can kinda do it but, there just aren't enough strings. Ya, I can run above the 12th but, on a 4 that has become foreign. So, the 4 has been in the case for years. But, I do keep it in tune.

 

[Snert]

I play sixes because it makes me look more competent than I really am.

That made me laugh, and I might steal it.

I have found that the 6 is an inspiration and makes me want to play differently. I can confidently say that I am a better player after buying it because it's made me practice more and differently.

Ditto, especially for non traditional roles which are just fun a lot of the time. For example, some more melodic lines under a guitar that also provides much of the rhythmic content.

I love my fretless GGi-6.

That is a sweet looking Gould.

MHO is play one bass and learn it really well.

Reminds me of the old adage, "beware the man with only one gun, for he surely knows how to use it" (cribbed from the Five Watt World podcast and Keith Williams.)

 

[Pontiac Thrasher]

That made me laugh, and I might steal it.

Ditto, especially for non traditional roles which are just fun a lot of the time. For example, some more melodic lines under a guitar that also provides much of the rhythmic content.

That is a sweet looking Gould.

Reminds me of the old adage, "beware the man with only one gun, for he surely knows how to use it" (cribbed from the Five Watt World podcast and Keith Williams.)

Prior to the invention of the internet it was "probably knows how to use it."

 

[groooooove]

I love 5-string bass. It’s my go-to. I normally string B-G, but I’ve also done the E-C thing with good success.

Lately, I’ve been looking at 6-string basses (B-C basses, not the Bass VI) for the purpose of exploring solo playing, chords, and learning full tunes on the 6. It seems like it could be a nice challenge and an opportunity to shop for something cool, of course.

Anyone here ever make that transition? Curious to hear how it went. Any tips?

yup. it's worth it.

The upright bass has almost an identical register to a 6 string electric. there's a reason for that. its because it rocks.

 

[winston]

Haven’t seen much on this thread yet about ergonomics, for me that’s what kept me from switching to a 6 though I loved the musical possibilities. I’d recommend actually getting your hands on a few different 6s before committing to one. I have discovered that if I can’t comfortably get the tip of my fretting hand thumb and middle finger to meet wrapped around the neck at the nut, the bass won’t work for me as I’ll have to contort my wrist to play the low strings. Some narrow 6s pass this test for me but most others don’t. My first 6 was a Peavey Cirrus with 35” scale and it was just too long and wide to play comfortably.

Also while people tout “you can stay in one position longer” as a convenience benefit of a 6, it can sound wayyy out of place if you’re playing open Cs and notes on the lower frets of it for rootsier and more traditional genres. Play the notes where they sound best for the music, not where it’s easiest for you. I’m sure that’s my upright bass experience talking.

Not at all against 6 strings or the people who love them. In the hands of Anthony Jackson, Oteil Burbridge, John Patitucci and many others the contrabass is a remarkable evolution of Leo Fender’s vision. After owning 4, 5, 6 & 7 string basses and a 10 string Chapman Stick I feel most at home on a 4 string narrow J-bass neck, 5 strings with the same nut/bridge spacing as 4 string J, and E-E 30” Bass VI-alikes. But would love to get a narrow-spaced Ibanez 6 some day.

 

[ShadowGroover]

Ergnomics? My comfortable 6 technique differs from 5 and 4. Try to play 6 like 5 or 4 and my wrist will protest.

6 is its own instrument. High C is not only great for chord tones, its amazing for upper register soloing.

Make some techique concessions for 6 and be rewarded beyond standard 5 or 4 fare.

 

[Jefenator]

OP here. It’s funny. For years I’ve said, if you want to play high notes, just get a guitar… lol. In fact, I pissed off a fairly prominent bassist on this thread. Am I about to join them?? d’oh!!

For that show, I did try practicing the nylon string guitar song on my 6-string bass. Even for me, who plays 99.9% bass, the guitar was very clearly the better tool for the job. Worth having the extra instrument & mic in our super tiny band pit.
Guitars & keyboards didn't go extinct after high C basses for a reason. OTOH 6-string basses are here to stay - also for a reason.

 

[B-Mac]

I love 5-string bass. It’s my go-to. I normally string B-G, but I’ve also done the E-C thing with good success.

Lately, I’ve been looking at 6-string basses (B-C basses, not the Bass VI) for the purpose of exploring solo playing, chords, and learning full tunes on the 6. It seems like it could be a nice challenge and an opportunity to shop for something cool, of course.

Anyone here ever make that transition? Curious to hear how it went. Any tips?

I'm sure that @gebass6 could provide you some helpful insight.

 

[dabbler]

To the OP:

You are clearly experienced and pretty much know what you want. My first 6er was an SX and it let me try the waters for cheap:

SX Ursa 2 MN Ash NA 6 String Bass

Apparently I liked what I got because, well,

But I did later get a pair of Brices too: