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7-string bass pros and cons?

#21
On the bassists=bashing-other-bassists-over-weapon-of-choice: We often forget/fail to realize/refuse to accept the fact that many lump bass guitars in w/guitars & don't even notice a physical difference. It's us nice, supportive, open-minded musicians that have an issue w/someone having different taste in tools. :)
 
#22
I really dont understand why ppl are so closed minded about things. The beauty of music is the freedom it provides. If you wanna play a 6 string play one if you wanna play a 7,8 string etc... play one there is no reason why you cant. I heard even Steve Bailey who I personally think is very good 6 string fretless jazz bassist make a negative comment about 7 string basses. Makes no sense to me.
 
#23
Since you are currently playing a 6 string, you should ask yourself "What am I unable to do on a 6 that I'll be able to do on a 7?". It seems that most players who are regular 7+ string bassists have a specific reason for the additional range (higher or lower). My move to a 7 and eventually to an 8 came from a desire to more fully support small groups (duo's and trio's) with chording/soloing/unison playing and a looking for the F#0.

I also play 6's and DB, mostly jazz and some classic rock stuff. With the exception of a few very hard core jazz jobs where the DB is "mandatory", no one gives a hoot what kind of bass I play .... :cool:
 
#24
bassteban said:
On the bassists=bashing-other-bassists-over-weapon-of-choice: We often forget/fail to realize/refuse to accept the fact that many lump bass guitars in w/guitars & don't even notice a physical difference. It's us nice, supportive, open-minded musicians that have an issue w/someone having different taste in tools. :)
Click to expand...

i was specifically talking about other musicians though. i've gotten more crap from bassists than i have from guitarists, drummers, keyboardists, singers, etc, combined over my basses.

folks that were educated enough to know the difference between a 4 string and a 7 and were still open minded enough about what i was doing to actually listen to what i did with them.

bassists, on the other hand, are a lot more prone to share with me their negative opinions, under the mistaken impression that i give a crap. it almost always is due to folks feeling threatened, as if "how dare i play a 7 when they can barely navigate a 4?" -harrumph- :hyper:

i love it, actually. :D
 
#30
RicoDirenzo said:
No I don't, but I have to tell you that the ones I do I couldn't begin to keep up with. Spectaular and unkown ( I live in a university town). The one music PHD bassist has tried them all and has always come back to his Devon 4 string fretless.:spit:
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So, one bassist, with a PHD, doesn't like ERBs and all of a sudden it's the gospel truth?
:rolleyes:
 
#33
WalterBush said:
Maybe it's because I'm a relative newcomer to it, but I haven't run into this, except on Talkbass...all the bassists I've met face to face have been interested, curious, or even impressed with the beauty of the instrument.

My guitar player was wary at first, but it took all of one rehearsal and about five minutes playing it himself, and he was a convert.
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I agree with you to a point... I went to a local guiter center where I live and asked to about ordering a 6-string wariwick corvette. He gave me a look of complete digust and asked why I want that many strings, I should just play guitar. I just smiled in exceptence that some people just don't get it... and I also laughed when he was playing a bass with a pick while it was distorted... irony huh?
 
#38
The biggest problems I've had are getting the strings I personally like (the company in question has been accommodating, but somewhat grudgingly, and they've messed my order up twice!), and getting people to do decent setups. The local guys are scared to death to work on them and/or see the chance to tack on obscene amounts of money due to the "additional complexity". :rolleyes: If I lived closer to the actual city, that wouldn't be much of an issue.

Plenty of positives, though, the most important being: 7-string basses allow me to play they way I want to play, namely being able to use the bass register in a harmonic, chordal context. I still use my sevens for plenty of "normal" bass playing, too, because as difficult to understand as it seems to be for people, a seven covers the territory of a four string rather well. ;^)

They don't have to be heavy, either. My Hanewinckel is somewhere between 9 and 10 lbs, while my Eshenbaugh is under 7! Both balance excellently. Just watch out for short upper horns, and neck dive shouldn't prove a major threat.
 
#39
For me, the only bass is a 4 string (the only exception being a bass VI...GASsing for one of those foreverrrrrr....been wanting to see/play one forever, too). The Eristic, are you telling me you have a 7 string that weighs less than my 4 string fender Jaguar bass?!? wow...my jag is fat..lol. I've tried ERBs and never liked them that much(just didn't feel right). They look reaaaallly cool, though. Of course, I could end up being a hypocrite later on (I'm only 17, after all) and exclusively play ERBs....if that's the case, please be nice? :D I also want to try a 12 string (with the octave strings). Anyways, I'm ranting. I just love bass. Whatever floats your boat. It's just gotta feel right to you.
 

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