7-string bass pros and cons?

[MrAB4003]

Zombie thread revival!
Disclaimer - I'm not trying to bash 7 string players in any way. But I don't understand the practical need for such an instrument.

I think there are more cons than pros by far:
1. Muting - especially for 4-5 string basses
2. String spacing and extremely wide fretboard
3. Hard to find strings due to limited supply and demand
4. Image and Stigma - people think you only play jazz / fusion, progressive metal, like to tap, or only do solo pieces.

But the biggest problem I have with 7 string basses is the range of the open strings. In standard tuning, the highest string (F3) is way too high. You're well into guitar, keyboard, or treble instrument range with this string. Solo, chordal, or melodic playing are the only practical applications I can think of for this high of a string. There's no way that would fly with a guitarist.

On the other hand, the low F#0 is way too low. You can easily play the first 5 notes an octave up and get the same effect. Most humans can't hear below 27.5 hertz (A0) and the threshold for human hearing is 20 hertz (which is about E0). At that frequency, most people feel the sub-lows and hear the overtones, which are heard by the human ear as the note roughly an octave up anyway. Seems impractical to me.

I feel like I would be able to play anything I would want on a 7 string bass on a 4, 5, or 6 string bass.

 

[Gopherbassist]

Zombie thread revival!

Bumping a thread 16 years later pros and cons?

Disclaimer - I'm not trying to bash 7 string players in any way. But I don't understand the practical need for such an instrument.

I think there are more cons than pros by far:
1. Muting - especially for 4-5 string basses
2. String spacing and extremely wide fretboard
3. Hard to find strings due to limited supply and demand
4. Image and Stigma - people think you only play jazz / fusion, progressive metal, like to tap, or only do solo pieces.

But the biggest problem I have with 7 string basses is the range of the open strings. In standard tuning, the highest string (F3) is way too high. You're well into guitar, keyboard, or treble instrument range with this string. Solo, chordal, or melodic playing are the only practical applications I can think of for this high of a string. There's no way that would fly with a guitarist.

On the other hand, the low F#0 is way too low. You can easily play the first 5 notes an octave up and get the same effect. Most humans can't hear below 27.5 hertz (A0) and the threshold for human hearing is 20 hertz (which is about E0). At that frequency, most people feel the sub-lows and hear the overtones, which are heard by the human ear as the note roughly an octave up anyway. Seems impractical to me.

I feel like I would be able to play anything I would want on a 7 string bass on a 4, 5, or 6 string bass.

On muting: every instrument has its challenges. Anyone who wants to play one has to work through those challenges.

String spacing and fretboard: every musical instrument has to compromise between musical goals and ergonomics. Again, it's up to the player what they're willing to deal with.

Hard to find strings: have you ever tried to find gut strings for an archlute or a theorbo?

People want what they want, and do what it takes to get it.

Stigma: I don't care what some closed minded country player, who believes that the only real bass is a P bass that says Fender on the headstock, thinks. Or any other dimwitted naysayer. My music is made how I want with the tools I choose.

Range: Do pianos have too much range? What about organs? This is just a weird idea.

All this, and I don't play a 7 or ever expect to. But I have the option if I want it, and that is 100% a good thing.

 

[MrAB4003]

Bumping a thread 16 years later pros and cons?

What difference does it make? People on TB bring old threads back from time to time.

On muting: every instrument has its challenges. Anyone who wants to play one has to work through those challenges.

String spacing and fretboard: every musical instrument has to compromise between musical goals and ergonomics. Again, it's up to the player what they're willing to deal with.

I agree with these two points. But muting is harder to deal with on 6+ string basses, especially coming from a 4 string.

Hard to find strings: have you ever tried to find gut strings for an archlute or a theorbo?

People want what they want, and do what it takes to get it.

I guess? But they are not readily available because so few bassists play more than 6 strings. That's just supply and demand.

I'm not talking about gut strings for two lute family instruments that I've never heard of until now. I appreciate learning about them.

Stigma: I don't care what some closed minded country player, who believes that the only real bass is a P bass that says Fender on the headstock, thinks. Or any other dimwitted naysayer. My music is made how I want with the tools I choose.

I agree with this 100%. But some people do feel a stigma against 6+ string basses. It depends on the individual musician, how they think, band context, and other factors.

Range: Do pianos have too much range? What about organs? This is just a weird idea.

What's so weird about the idea? Range of an instrument is contextual. It depends on how many musicians are in the band or group. For most bassists, 7 strings are too many because the bassist is impeding on the range of the guitar, organ, keyboard, and other treble instruments. That doesn't happen with solo arrangements, which is why I said that initially.

Sometimes, less is more.

All this, and I don't play a 7 or ever expect to. But I have the option if I want it, and that is 100% a good thing.

Me neither. Having options is always a good thing, but too many can be overwhelming for some.

 

[Gopherbassist]

What difference does it make? People on TB bring old threads back from time to time.

Just pulling your leg. You actually made an effort to add to the discussion, which is more than what most thread necromancers do.

 

[bass player 53]

For me, as a bassist and guitarist, I bought a 7 string (Conklin Bill Dickens model) to tune it in guitar tuning, with the low B added. I wanted to play in a jazz duet context with my jazz guitar player friend. We never really got around to doing that, unfortunately. I still think it’s a sound (pun intended) idea.

 

[MrAB4003]

Just pulling your leg. You actually made an effort to add to the discussion, which is more than what most thread necromancers do.

It didn't seem like it haha! Sometimes it's hard to understand tone on the internet with everything being written.

I appreciate you adding to the discussion as well Gopher!

 

[Gopherbassist]

What's so weird about the idea? Range of an instrument is contextual. It depends on how many musicians are in the band or group. For most bassists, 7 strings are too many because the bassist is impeding on the range of the guitar, organ, keyboard, and other treble instruments. That doesn't happen with solo arrangements, which is why I said that initially.

Sometimes, less is more.

Plenty of people on this very forum call the first four frets on a bass "the money frets." I watched a short interview with a player who plays a six, and he brought up the stigma he gets for that; his responce was "the four strings are still there." Just because you have more strings or more frets doesn't you have to use them all the time.

 

[MrAB4003]

Plenty of people on this very forum call the first four frets on a bass "the money frets." I watched a short interview with a player who plays a six, and he brought up the stigma he gets for that; his responce was "the four strings are still there." Just because you have more strings or more frets doesn't you have to use them all the time.

That's true! I'm mainly a 4 string player, so I'm used to going up and down the neck to access higher notes. But I find myself staying below the 12th frets when I play 6 string basses at music stores. It's easier to go across the strings than up and down.

Timbre of notes also matters. An open C3 note on a 6-7 string sounds different than the 15th fret of an A string.

 

[Gopherbassist]

Paging @Mrmatt1972

 

[Mrmatt1972]

Well, there are no cons to a seven string bass other than how big it can be. Yes the original strings are there. You can play it like a four string bass if you want to, but I like the seven strings and I don’t tune it all the way up to F I tune it B E A D G B E .

I GET TO PLAY CHORDS ON HIGH STRINGS MORE EASILY

That is the advantage

 

[crazycloud]

I agree with these two points. But muting is harder to deal with on 6+ string basses, especially coming from a 4 string.

The OP was coming from a 6 string.

I guess? But they are not readily available because so few bassists play more than 6 strings. That's just supply and demand.

But once you start playing 6s and 7s, you quickly find out where strings are available, how to get them, and how to plan for needing them because you can't walk into a local store and get a generic 4 string set if you need it today. I can't anyway as the nearest decent music store is at least 2hrs away and they never have what I want.
I know what I like for 6s and get most of them off Amazon.

I agree with this 100%. But some people do feel a stigma against 6+ string basses. It depends on the individual musician, how they think, band context, and other factors.

So? I have far too little energy in my life to spend worrying about what some other muso thinks. If I brought one of my 6s to a roots/blues gig, and played in the pocket, their problem would be what exactly? Some Jeff Albertson type in the audience who thinks a P is the only bass ever made might make a comment afterwards? Whatever would that person think if I showed up with my headless multiscale 6 (EHB1506MS) then?

For most bassists, 7 strings are too many because the bassist is impeding on the range of the guitar, organ, keyboard, and other treble instruments. That doesn't happen with solo arrangements, which is why I said that initially.

Most bassists don't play 7s or are interested in them, so who really cares what 'most bassists' think?

Sometimes, less is more.

And sometimes it's not.

Plenty of people on this very forum call the first four frets on a bass "the money frets." I watched a short interview with a player who plays a six, and he brought up the stigma he gets for that; his responce was "the four strings are still there." Just because you have more strings or more frets doesn't you have to use them all the time.

Yep. I've pointed out to a number of dolts over the years that my 24 fret 6 has a 21 fret 4 in it too. There are still some people stuck in the 70s that think a 5 is an anathema.

I also got into 6s when I did a few duet gigs with a girl singer / songwriter who plays acoustic. The extended range of the 6 whether B-B or E-E means I can fill out the pieces in all sorts of ways that would be harder on a 4, play melodies, chords etc and on the songs I sing, I can transpose down into my range by a simple adjustment of my hands.

 

[dabbler]

...
Range: Do pianos have too much range? What about organs? This is just a weird idea.
...

Different strokes for different folks, for sure, but after you go above a certain frequency it is no longer a bass in my book.

 

[Bob_Ross]

You'll never get called to play a country gig.

Note to self: Get a 7-string bass ASAP!

 

[Gopherbassist]

Note to self: Get a 7-string bass ASAP!

Maybe two, just to be safe.

 

[Gopherbassist]

Different strokes for different folks, for sure, but after you go above a certain frequency it is no longer a bass in my book.

I see your thinking, but to my mind bass is a capability, not a restriction.

 

[crazycloud]

Different strokes for different folks, for sure, but after you go above a certain frequency it is no longer a bass in my book.

And the Bosendorfer Imperial isn't a piano because it has 97 keys.

 

[dabbler]

And the Bosendorfer Imperial isn't a piano because it has 97 keys.

Adding less than an octave of range is not significant.

Nice try, though.

 

[dabbler]

I see your thinking, but to my mind bass is a capability, not a restriction.

Interesting response. But I'm pretty sure that if the control labeled "bass" on your preamp started affecting frequencies above, oh let's say 1khz you would take issue with the label, no?

So I have no issue with expanding your range but, again, at some point it is no longer "a bass".

Still we can certainly agree to disagree.

 

[winston]

I don't care how many strings other people use, my main takeaway from owning a Conklin Groove Tools GT7 was having a completely new appreciation for the simplicity, ergonomics and ubiquity of 4 string basses!!

 

[Gopherbassist]

Interesting response. But I'm pretty sure that if the control labeled "bass" on your preamp started affecting frequencies above, oh let's say 1khz you would take issue with the label, no?

So I have no issue with expanding your range but, again, at some point it is no longer "a bass".

Still we can certainly agree to disagree.

I suppose that would be relative. What is the range of the instrument being amplified? How many adjustable bands does the amp have within that range? How wide are those bands?

If you were playing an instrument that had the same low E as a bass does, but could play notes up to G9 (≈15,000hz) on an amp with only 2 bands, a low band centered on 1khz might be reasonably labeled as "bass."

@ardgedee posted an interesting chart in another thread:

Bass its self it seems is a relative term. So what is and isn't a bass instrument?

What is bass?