• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Any Reason NOT to buy a 5 stringer?

#163
For those who care, I played the 5-string p-bass at Guitar Center today. The neck wss really wide but it felt comfortable. For comparison I played a 5 string ibby but the strings felt cramped.

I really fell in love with that fender. But with my level of play I don't know if I can justify the expenditure.
 
#164
cinnabar said:
To play devil's advocate, why stop with a 5-string? Just go buy the 6-string. That's my thinking anyway.
Click to expand...

Well why stop there then? Why not go 7? But why stop there? Why not 8? But why there......so on and so on ;). Just skip the fuss and do this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=i7Imd57EkYY and nobody will tell you to get more strings again (well....YouTubers will always tell you you're doing things wrong, but that's beside the point)
 
#165
rotis said:
For those who care, I played the 5-string p-bass at Guitar Center today. The neck wss really wide but it felt comfortable. For comparison I played a 5 string ibby but the strings felt cramped.

I really fell in love with that fender. But with my level of play I don't know if I can justify the expenditure.
Click to expand...

Man... I know it a tough decision. But, you said it right off... Ya played the bass, ya loved the bass. I've found if ya love somethin, you'll use it. Ya worry bout expenditure? It is worth a bit extra to have somethin you know you'll play. I often advise students to wait the extra month, spend a little more, it'll SAVE ya spendin in long run. And you'll havva bass you won't be able ta let sit. You'll wanna PLAY it. And if ya ain't sure, save some expenditure, buy used from one of the great TBers here.
As far as skill level, a great bass ya love, whether 4 or 5, will have ya playin more, your skills improve. If ya wanna improve yer skill, play/learn things harder than yer skill level, and learn. Same wit a bass. Get a great bass, that doesn't impede yer progress cuz it plays badly, has so so sound, etc.
Bottom line? Get what ya want. You'll play more, thus improve more quickly. imho.
 
#166
Just an update for those who care (and for those who are subscribed).

I bought a used 5 string Jazz MIM. That thing weighed a ton. I just sold it today for what I bought it for.

What I am thinking now is that I am more interested in the quality of instrument than anything else. I am planning to get a decent used American P 4 string. It will be in my budget and last forever.

I really liked having the low B but in the end 5 strings of poor quality is not as good as 4 string of a good instrument.

Thanks for the interest and input.
 
#167
I'm just going to throw this out there because I see it mentioned a lot. 5 strings basses are not necessarily heavier than 4 string basses, it really depends on a number of factors, mainly the type/size of wood used on the WHOLE bass, not the extra 1/4" sliver of neck/fingerboard.


For example, I have 3 basses, two 4 strings and a 5. The heaviest (by far) is my 4 string ATK300 (ash), then my 4 string Streamer (maple) and at a distant third my 5 string Cort (mahogany).
 
#168
Fenwick said:
I'm just going to throw this out there because I see it mentioned a lot. 5 strings basses are not necessarily heavier than 4 string basses, it really depends on a number of factors, mainly the type/size of wood used on the WHOLE bass, not the extra 1/4" sliver of neck/fingerboard.


For example, I have 3 basses, two 4 strings and a 5. The heaviest (by far) is my 4 string ATK300 (ash), then my 4 string Streamer (maple) and at a distant third my 5 string Cort (mahogany).
Click to expand...

Ditto. My Dingwall 5er is about 7.5 lbs while my Lakland Duck Dunn 4 string is about 12-13 lbs. Crazy heavy bass!
 
#170
Valid points but my op was about a five string fender p. And after getting the fender jazz five string, I then realized the weight difference.

The main reason I got rid of it was I didn't like the tone. The guy I sold it to said the pickups were dead.

Thus the statement that I am now focusing on the best P I can afford which most likely be a four string.
 
#172
To me fenders have among the poorest qaulity B string Ive ever heard. Theres plenty of better fivers out there for same price and lower imo. But reasons agaiant fiver are: Neck too wide, strings cost to much with the added low B, or even High C or high B version of fiver. And if you really want low bass, get a keyboard synthesizer instead. Lol.
 
#173
darkstorm said:
To me fenders have among the poorest qaulity B string Ive ever heard. Theres plenty of better fivers out there for same price and lower imo. But reasons agaiant fiver are: Neck too wide, strings cost to much with the added low B, or even High C or high B version of fiver. And if you really want low bass, get a keyboard synthesizer instead. Lol.
Click to expand...

I can barely play bass let alone bass and keys at the same time.
 
#174
rotis said:
Valid points but my op was about a five string fender p. And after getting the fender jazz five string, I then realized the weight difference.

The main reason I got rid of it was I didn't like the tone. The guy I sold it to said the pickups were dead.

Thus the statement that I am now focusing on the best P I can afford which most likely be a four string.
Click to expand...

This doesn't surprise me. I've got a MIM Fender V and it's my least favorite bass. It plays great and looks like a million but when I got it tone stunk and B string was only passable. I really don't like the neck profile on it either. The best feature on it is the Fender headstock (which sometimes is important) To get it to sound decent I had to replace pickups with Fender SCN pups and to get the B string decent work on setup with new nut etc. So it sounds pretty good now, and plays really nice but took some money. It's still not a favorite.

A favorite is my Squire PJ. I love the wide flat neck. I love the string spacing. I love the p-bass tone. And so oddly Fender doesn't even make one like this (PJ 5er). Personally I'd never go back to 4 strings again unless I got involved in oldies or slapping or something.

But by far my favorite axes are my G&L L2500 babies. Fretted and fretless they do it all and kick serious butt. If I was only allowed to keep one 5er, my fretless G&L would be the one I'd pick. Good deals do exist on used ones, and you can't be scared of knobs and switches.
 
#175
OP here. Quick update. I bought an SR5 musicman by Erie ball used from Guitar Center. Sounded nice but I didn't click with it. Can't really explain it. So I took it back. I found a 5 string American P NOS and jumped on it. Played it last night and adjusting to the 5 is a Challenge but it sounded so good.

The neck is like a skateboard but man is this thing nice.
 
#176
awilkie84 said:
This is exactly how I look at it!
There seems to be a lot of arrogance & ego being tossed around by the non-5 players here, too.

I love all the "harder to play" comments. It's only hard if you don't under stand the tuning progression of each string & their relevance to where the lower notes are going to be placed on the B string.

Personally, I started on a 4 string bass, and still go back to one for playing songs by certain bands (Rage, Tool, SOAD), but my 5 strings are just as comfortable as my 4 and just as easy to play. I've even dabbled with 6 string basses and had no issue playing those, either.

Am I a virtuoso? Hardly. I don't even have my major scale modes memorized & I can't improv for ****. What I can do is understand the relationship between strings tuned to fourths (regardless of standard or drop tuning) and where their respective octaves will be. If you can do this, you'll be fine on a 5 string.
Click to expand...

This^^

I don't get why 5 string is harder either. Unless you have very small hands or something. I have average to smaller than average hands and a 5 (or 6) string is no problem. It is all about the relationships between strings. 2/3rds of the time time I don't think about what note I am hitting. Just its relationship to the other notes. But I'm no expert either. :)
 
#177
claytitan said:
This^^

I don't get why 5 string is harder either. Unless you have very small hands or something. I have average to smaller than average hands and a 5 (or 6) string is no problem. It is all about the relationships between strings. 2/3rds of the time time I don't think about what note I am hitting. Just its relationship to the other notes. But I'm no expert either. :)
Click to expand...

Is harder for me because I am used to the third fret on the second string to be a C not a G.

It's like all the notes moved. Not sure how that fact would bother someone but whatever.
 
#180
I never wanted a 5 until I started taking lessons and the guy that was teaching had a 5. He switched to a 4 string for the lessons but they got this Music Man in the store that was a SR. The neck feels to me to be the same width as the P-bass I have. I kept playig with it after lessons and even once during the lesson... needless to say it is now on my stand.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back