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

#102
georgestrings said:
I play both 4s and 5s - it's no biggie...


- georgestrings
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Same.

I switch between a Spector Rebop 5 w/ active EMGs and a 35" scale and a Fender Aerodyne with passive Dimarzio P/J's and a 34" scale. They are apples and oranges across the board except that they are both strung with GHS Boomers. Med gauge on the Spector and Heavy on the Fender.

Each bass gives me a totally different palette of tones to utilize. I can't get either to sound anything like the other, which is kinda the point.

I don't think I would ever take both to a gig, rehearsal yes, gig no. I prefer to stick with one bass all night. I can drop the low string if needed, only takes a second to tune off the guitar once he's done tap dancing on his pedals and playing hot potato with three different guitars.

It's okay though, gives me and the drummer time to noodle some free form grooves or sometimes play a game show style theme for the poor guy while he struggles to not to drop his guitar for the second time that night. Crowds love that. One night we started jamming the Imperial March while he strapped on his all black Strat. People loved it.
 
#103
Marcus Willett said:
True. For a few years before I switched, I was using a Hipshot. Originally tuned to D then to C (which made for an odd transposition).

It can be done and I was able to get by for a few years that way, but just got to the point where I thought to myself if I'm constantly using that (and I was flipping back and forth a lot), then obviously the stuff I'm doing calls for a lot of low notes, so I should just make the switch.

For me anyway, making the switch to a 5 was MUCH harder than switching back once I got used to it. These days switching back and forth between songs is easy, you get used to it.
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I have never been any good with Hipshot detuner although I love the concept, just tuning the whole bass DGCF makes much more sense for me. That said, fives make the most sense for me
 
#109
I've been mainly a five-string player for a while, but just got a Carvin SB4000, and love it. I've pretty much decided that it and one of my fivers will be the basses for my more modern cover band. That left me with another fiver, a Yamaha BB415, kind of out in the cold, so I strung it with flats and now it's the main bass for my oldies band. The Carvin has a D-tuner so I can get the extra low note when I need it, but I'm not really used to playing in drop-D yet. Throws me off. But I guess I'll figure it out.
 
#110
Like other in this thread, I was predominantly a 5 string player for years...

However 5s are not the mandatory tool they once where for me and I have a deep love for for bright and punchy 4 string J basses.

For me I'm split up about 50/50 between 4s and 5s.
 
#111
The low B has become integrated into my vocabulary to the point that I've started playing 7 string guitars. I started to become a fan of them on electric guitar so I wouldn't have to change tunings all the time since a lot of metal bands were tuning to B, C, C#, etc. Retuning all the damn time would get annoying.

I've been playing around with a lot of inverted 5ths on my 7 string acoustic. I like being able to play a G chord and hit a nice and deep D. When I throw a capo on the 5th fret, I still have a low E. If only I had the dough to order a 7 string classical right now.
 
#112
lowphatbass said:
I had that note installed on all my 4's. It is a great note!
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I see what you did there. Smart a$$. ;-)

But seriously, when I'm playing with horns, keys, vocals, it seems like the key signature is always two or more flats and you lose the low Eb. That's what I miss the most when I switch from a 5 to a 4. Most of my 4 strings have a D-tuner, but if I have to play completely differently (fingerings) to get a low Eb, I might as well just use a 5.

What would be wicked cool is if there was a way, similar to a kubicki, to extend the E string down to D but there would be a key to hold the string down at the regular E, then there are two levers to press, one to get Eb and one for D. Probably too complicated though, just play a 5.
 
#113
There's low Eb for "jazz keys", walking up to low E in blues, low D or C# for any situation, low C and B for modern country, modern rock, modern blues, and synth bass lines from any era.

Also... here's a concept... B string is playable above low E! :p

As always the answer is "play whatever you want", but I'll stick with fivers.
 
#115
cybersnyder said:
Most of my 4 strings have a D-tuner, but if I have to play completely differently (fingerings) to get a low Eb, I might as well just use a 5.
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This is why I have a hard time with going to a 4 string as my only bass. Yes, I could have two, but fiscally I want to try and keep it to a single, cover as many bases as possible bass.
 
#116
I switched from my Dingwall ABZ to a 74' P and 77' Jazz, oddly enough as soon as I shipped off to Berklee this year. Once every while I miss that extended position on G, F, Eb, etc blues, however I'm not the best player here and I'm not ready to stick out, so Fenders it is, haha.
 
#117
I think it's mostly psychological.

The 4-string still has ~3 octaves-worth of the same 12 tones. I play tunes in Eb on my 4 string, no problem. Limitations and constraints stimulate creativity.

Also, groove first, notes second ;)

Over the past ~15 years, nobody has ever asked me to use a low B string.

Then of course there's also this :hiding:
____
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#118
in 06 switched to 5's as my primary (now playing country)
I sometimes use my 4 still for my rock band
I have another 4 tuned Bb, Eb, Ab, Db

I would love to use both a 4 and 5 on my country gig, would be a nice break from the 5 string when playing four hour nights. I need to check the set lists and make it work.
 

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