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Any 5 string Players happy going back to 4 String bass?

#41
I switch back and forth depending on what I need. I rarely "need" the B string but it's nice to have for some songs. Basically if I need a B string for one or more songs, I'll use a 5 string. If I want to look like Tony Levin without shaving my head, I'll play my MM SR5. If it's anything remotely "jazzy", I'll play a 5. If it's "rock and roll baby" I'll play a 4 string P bass.

Occasionally I'll flub up when switching between 4 and 5. That's a G, not a C! But that usually happens on songs that I'm playing from muscle memory, not from thinking about the song at all.

4 or 5? Doesn't really matter that much. I'm just happy that I'm fortunate enough to have plenty of choices. I just don't know how professionals play the same bass every day, day after day. Oh wait, they're pros, not hobbyist collector hacks like me. ;-)
 
#44
I was exclusively a 6 string player for over a decade - maybe 15 years or so. I rarely touched a 4 string or even a 5 string.

A few years back I suffered an injury on my left (fretting) hand. I couldn't play a bass with a wider neck, so for a time I was forced back to four string. I can play 5/6 string now, but I find my hand starts to hurt a lot sooner than with a 4 string, so I mostly stick to 4 string now. I still keep a few fivers and sixes around but typically can't play a full gig with them.

I am quite content sticking with 4 string - as a matter of fact, I prefer it. I put Hipshots on all of my 4 strings, so i am really just missing a few notes. I find that I miss the high C string (especially when soloing) more than the low B.

In any event, I am more than happy playing a 4 string and I find that I really don't miss the 5'er. FWIW I play a lot of mixed music, everything from pop to jazz and pretty much everything in between ...
 
#45
After much (too much in the opinion of many) vacillation on this subject, I have gone from 5 to 6 to 5 to 4. While a 5 could be useful for some gigs (church, contemporary jazz) I find that I play better on a 4. The low B is handy, but not necessary for my gigs. At church there are 2 keyboard players that can cover the low stuff. I don't do a ton of contemporary jazz anymore so...

I spent a lot of time and money playing basses I thought I "should" have played instead of playing a bass that I could really play well on. I'm using a 4 string passive jazz. 20 frets. Simple. Challenging.
 
#48
The beauty of a five string or six sting bass is that it affords the player a multitude of fingering options. Even if you never play the low Eb, D, Db,C or B, the crossing options that the additional string gives you make technically difficult lines much easier to play.

Additionally, the sonic quality of a fretted low E vs an open low E is very different, the fretted low E is way more solid and nasty. IMO.

For players who play less complicated types of lines and styles, they may derive limited use from the additional string. I personally love having the flexibility.

Staying out of the ultra low register and waiting for the precise moment to drop a low B or C..... priceless! Another reason to show some love to that B String.
 
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#49
Thought I posted the original post myself!

However, I perform in a Branson-style theater and each show features music from the 50's - 90's, R&B and Jazz, to Country and Pop Rock. I switched to the 5's because I NEEDED to!!!

But like you, I'm always looking at what's out there and there are some REALLY COOL 4-bangers I'd love to have a fiver in. Also, if you can justify both, you've got a much bigger world to shop in!!! But, the 4's without a 5 model are usually cheaper basses anyway and I don't need a wall full of cheap basses.

And the only 4 I'll play at the Rockbox, MAYBE, is a Kala bass uke to emulate a stand-up. It's much harder to palm the 5's than it was the 4's I was playing before so I'll probably grab one before too long.
 
#53
Got my first 5 string way back in 1988. Played them through 2002 then let them go and have played 4 exclusively ever since. My bass is equipped with a Hipshot D tuner and if I need to go lower I have no problem retuning the E down to B or even A. I find most 5 strings to be just a bit too big all around but I can't stand the tight string spacing of the more compact models. I am perfectly happy on a 4 string. I guess I should say I play my own music so I don't have the need to cover a wide variety of styles or genres at any one time. If I were in a cover band I'd probably seriously consider a 5.....
 
#54
Okay, this is an old thread but instead of starting a new thread I am breathing life into this old topic. I play in a top 40 cover band and I have been switching back and forth between 4 string(using a Drop D tuner) and my 5 string for the past 3 years. The 4 string just feels right and feels like I am relying more on my ability and less on the instrument to play bass lines. The open D sounds so much better to me than the fretted D on a 5 string bass and I even drop tune to C# for "Pour some Sugar on Me" with great results. Most notes below a Drop D seem to come across as rumble rather than a defined note in live situations in my opinion. I keep a 5 string around as a constant reminder of why I don't really need one.;)
 
#55
I played 4's all my life up until about 4 years ago. Auditioning for a band whose tunes really used it I made myself try. Didn't get the gig but I kept on until I learned 3 sets of material on the 5 (different band). At this point 4 bangers started looking funny to me! So I explored and tried and tried and tried. I had so much more difficulty finding the right comfortable 5 string than I ever did with 4's.
Then on a whim I bought a nice 50th Anniversary P Bass. Wham! Reset the gauges! And after 5 string necks the P neck which I never liked feels totally manageable. So I am back to 4 for the sound alone. I've kept the most comfy 5 I had (Bongo!) and am looking at those DTuners:)
 
#58
I think I have posted before but I seem to waffle a bit depending on the day.:help:

I started on a 4 because back when I started that's all there was. I don't recall exactly when I went to a 5, but it was a while ago. I liked having the options that a 5 offered. My only gig these days is church. I find that while I could get by with a 4, there are times when those low notes are appropriate. :)

I did "make" myself play a 4 string for over a year and as I said it was fine, but there are just enough things that I like to do on the B string that "require" a 5 as my main bass. Currently a Roscoe Century Standard 5 Plus which is amazing.

That said, I have been debating a more "traditional" sounding bass, and debating a 4 string for this bass. I do agree with some others - I think I play differently on a 4 string. I think you do different things because of the "limitations" when compared to a 5 string.

I wouldn't stray too far though. I think a Roscoe P/J with more traditional sounding Aguilar pups and OBP-1 active/passive preamp would be my choice. :bassist:
 
#59
GRoberts said:
I love playing 5 string bass, but there have been some occasional 4 string basses I've played that I would have bought had they been 5 string basses. Killer tone. I am tempted by a couple 4 string basses locally, but wondering if I'll be happy since I truly love the B string, the extra finger positions, the lower notes when I need to go there etc. I don't live on the B string or over use it. In fact, many songs I play never require the B string. But when they do, it makes my life easier.

Have any of my fellow 5 string bass player friends gone back to to a 4 string bass and been happy, or do you miss all the extra benefits you get from a 5 string bass?

I will not be selling or getting rid of my Nordy VJ5, I am simply wondering if a four string bass will leave me wanting?
Click to expand...

We're all different, but when I play four string I always wish I had the extra range.

One of my bands plays Motown/classic rock where I rarely need notes below low E. That said, I often play songs five frets up and frequently use the B string above low E.

Example: I just visited a friend's house and tried to play "Sir Duke" on one of his four strings. That line stays above E, but I had a helluva time playing it on 4. It's so much easier on 5: less position shifting. Yes, I could put a little thought into rearranging the line for four string, but why bother?

I'm a rudimentary slapper at best, but can see how slapping on four is an advantage for that style. Yes, "wide five" basses exist for those who need space between the strings, but you still have that extra string to mute.
 
#60
I have walked this way, and never looked back. My playing on 5 had became on the neck more vertical than horizontal: i played always same things on a limited part of the neck due to extended possibilities of the 5.. My playing waked up with the 4, like i discovered a new world..
 

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