Anyone moved away from bothering with a B-string?

[Steve Dallman]

I used a Hipshot D tuner in the 80's and when I found myself leaving it in D most of the time I decided it was time to try a fiver. I bought a used Wahsburn in the late 80's and that was the end of plying 4's. Playing a 4 string feels like I have a finger missing. I'd rather give up the G string than the Low B string.

 

[HuntYouDown]

That's supposedly between 5 and 9 Hz, so at least low B is a couple of octaves away from that. True, if having a 5er made me crap myself, that would be a good reason for having one!

Most of the sound you usually hear on the low strings of the bass is not the fundamental, though. If you get a low pass filter and a big rig and some decent headphones, you can tune out those harmonics and just listen to the fundamental. And you're right, it's very low!

Agreed, but the lowest a human can hear is 20 hz, any lower than that is felt in the body, but not heard. A low E 4 is 40 Hz, a low B 5 is 30 Hz, I believe 20 Hz would be low F# like the Warwick Dark Lord bass. But it's too low for me, if my ear hurts under D, it's not for me. I don't see how Fieldy does it, he must have some hella earplugs. As for me, I am most comfy on a four string. Just my two cents, after researching this subject awhile a couple weeks ago. As a musician, my hearing matters.

 

[philtoler]

A good 5 string is just as good ABOVE the 5th fret as it is below. Once you understand how to transpose the notes, the low B string becomes much more useful. If ya don't, then it's just 5 notes.

+1 and also as a backing vocalist I find it much easier with a fiver because you can more often keep the same left hand position and so better resist the temptation to keep glancing at it while you are singing - a small but significant contribution towards the overall performance of the band and better coms with the audience.

 

[topo morto]

OK, you guys have convinced me. B's it is, and [DEL]stop tonehounding until I can afford that Dingwall or Knuckle[/DEL] try a few other basses to see if I can find one I like better.

 

[spade2you]

I wouldn't say that you necessarily need a Dingwall to get a good B.

 

[topo morto]

I wouldn't say that you necessarily need a Dingwall to get a good B.

fixed

 

[Gab124]

My Lakland 55-02 has a great B string with the right strings, and my other equipment can handle it fine. I have found though that I don't use it enough to warrent the extra weight over a nights gig. I really just love a great 4 banger with a Hipshot, so that is my main bass. Most of my favorite music was recorded on 4's, so that has always influenced my style I guess. I will pull it out if a songs needs it, but that is really really rare I can't pull something good off on a 4.

 

[stepswork4me]

OK, you guys have convinced me. B's it is, and [DEL]stop tonehounding until I can afford that Dingwall or Knuckle[/DEL] try a few other basses to see if I can find one I like better.

Try some different strings. Even try buying single B's. Maybe a brighter string for the B. I use steel rounds, DR Hi-Beams, on an ESP Ltd. F-205 and the B is good.

 

[Quackhead]

I like 5-strings, and have even owned a 6-string that i really liked, but I've moved back to 4-strings.

 

[Tom Howland]

I dig 5-string, but play 4-string about 70% of the time.
I never found the perfect 5-string till I played a friends MTD 535.
Now I gas for a 535 to go along with my P-bass, and J-bass.
I could never see a point in time where I play 5-string only.

 

[NeckPickup]

This thread reminds of those discussions about 35" scales versus 34". There is no right answer and you'll get 1000 different opinions. Play what works for you and consider the styles of music you like to play. A great player sounds fantastic on any instrument.

 

[woodyng]

I like to have one of my 4 stringers tuned Bead,i don't really miss those few top notes of the g string,and i find it easier to keep my 4 string playing style intact. Most 5 strings i've tried feel like the strings are too close if the neck size is ok,or if the string spacing is "right",the neck feels humongous.....i just use the BEAD bass for a few select songs....i did try playing the bass for a whole practice once,and did not find the extra lower notes all that useful or great sounding for a lot of the songs.....

 

[topo morto]

A great player sounds fantastic on any instrument.

But a rubbish player can sound great on a good instrument, which is more what I'm aiming for

 

[unclejane]

But a rubbish player can sound great on a good instrument, which is more what I'm aiming for

I dunno... I sound bad on good instruments too like my Bunny and L2K.... OTOH, it is a pleasure to own a good instrument regardless so, meh... it's money well spent

LS

 

[MegaSwing]

I see what you are saying and play mostly a four. But I thnik it is more than just the extra low notes. What I did like about the five was having an F on the 6th fret. This opened a lot of possibilities for lines that did not include shifts.

The shifts aren't a big deal to me. What I will concede is it's nice to have the low Eb and D. Beyond that, I don't really care about the notes below them. For my ear and equipment, they are largely unusable.

On a practical, mechanical level, the interchangeability of bodies and and necks among fours is substantial. Fivers are far more proprietary in nature. Because of all this, all things being equal, I'll probably choose a four.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

I not only play a 5, I play a 5 string Warwick F.N.A detuned a whole step ADGCF.
I play fretless and fretted, play Doghouse too which I currently do not own.
IME the most important factor to not creating sludge out of the "b" string is the string itself. Diameter and tension, action height appropriate and of course the picking / plucking action.

Next is a speaker and amp that is truely able to put the power/volume at that freq. And move enough air to get it past the front of the stage without it being an avalanche of mud.

I have a 27hz low string, reproducing it at volume and "hearing" it are factors of the drivers and the environment. at such low frequencies its easy to crutch and reach down to the eq and think (falsely) I don't hear it let me boost the low... often centered at 40hz (lo E).
Contribute to that that most amplifiers start shelving rolloff at @ 50Hz to protect drivers. And add to that that FOH subs are slow and "flubby" (dubby?) rumble monsters with little crispness and definition.

what i'm saying is that a low note is tough to produce with all of the factors involved with USABLE definition. A good ear and EQ acumen is mandated!

 

[Helaskold]

As someone who plays metal almost exclusively when I'm not messing around at home, I can't stand having a B string. It just doesn't feel "right", and I like to use a 4 string unless the B is absolutely necessary... but if I can just go up an octave or just form any progression that doesn't require it, I will. So... yes and no on it. Haha.

 

[bassfran]

I've been back to 4 stringers for a few years now. And roundwounds, too.

Just haven't had a need to get down to the sub-bassment.

 

[Mike M.]

I started in 1970 and didn't get into 5'er's until late 2009. While I play 4 string about 80% of the time I love having that low B when the situation calls for it, as with some of the songs I play at church. No, you don't have to have a 5 string there, but it sure adds in certain things when used right.

It's still a challenge. I've gotten a lot better about knowing what note is what. You know..."is that a D or a G!"

 

[bryan gibson]

I love my new fiver, and the ability to shift positions less has really helped my tendonitis. Problem is, as I'm starting to find out, that my current rig doesn't have the oomph to really get the job done. Unfortunately I don't have an extra grand or so in loose change to upgrade the whole thingee. As for now, I'm back to using the four on gigs. In my totally non-scientific study, it seems that the four stringers have considerably more "usable volume" before clipping/farting out. I'm no engineer, so wail away