Are 5 strings on the way out?

[davetc2]

Just got a 5 string about a year ago and then another recently as a backup. Haven't touched my 4's since.

 

[Domin8r]

I actually use a 6 string for all styles, effortless and functional...

 

[Millwallsteve]

I play a lot of double bass and recently had a low C extension fitted and does it make a difference, especially if you’re off the track improvising .
4 strings is always ‘home’ but that low B is something else , I’ve ordered a Shuker artist 5 string fretless and play a 6 fretless Pedulla .... if you like playing chords, 2,3 or 4 note voicings, there’s just no going back.
Saying that nobody as yet has come up to Jaco and it’s 4 strings but he’s a bit of a freak really..... like long gone pianist Bill Evans, nobody has matched his mastery of harmony.

 

[TomB]

For the session work I do, what matters is the sound of the bass, not how many strings it has. I routinely use both, though my 5's are light and I prefer them for live gigs. Like a lot have said, I rarely use the notes below E on the B-string, but I use the ones from E on up ALL the time.

 

[Tenorguy]

Just my 2 cents. I’m a full time musician I played five string exclusively for about 12 years I never really liked the way the B string sounded out of place. Going back through all of my recordings on 5 string I realized there was an audible issue.
Did a few test with my engineer and physicist friends to find out that the mass of the string is to great for the scale Length.
Even if the scale is 36” to 40” long the over all mass is still to great ( remember it increases with length ).
Went back to 4 strings and have and will not look back.
This is very reminiscent of s study done on the upright bass.
The volume of the box is actually 5 times to small for the given wave lengths it is to produce acoustically but that is what gives it its own unequal sound..
This is the very short end of a very long detailed story.
So what ever floats your boat .

 

[Stephen Shapiro]

If you're in Top 40 cover bands, a 5 string is still a must since many pop tunes are written on keyboards and go below a low E or D. As a recording engineer, I think they're kind of dumb and they don't record well or sit in the mix particularly well. As a listener and audience member, I think the low B should be a mostly thumb rest and for use in "emergencies only" string.

 

[RhynoRock]

Same story here. Once I got over the growing pains of getting used to the low B, it's been utterly invaluable. My poor Ric hasn't been gigged since late 2016. I haven't personally noticed much of a change in popularity with 5 strings recently. The few folks I know that stubbornly (and IMHO stupidly) stick to 4 strings aren't getting much work nowadays, that much I see.

 

[LowBSix]

I’ve played mostly 5s and some 6s since 1987, but I’ve always played like a 4 with the luxury of the extended range.
Having said that, I’m playing a 4 more frequently now. Yes, the trend is back to 4 as of now.

 

[Tenorguy]

The other thing I failed to mention is when looking through literature for both bass and more so cello the low B is used less the 3% of the time. And I have never been asked to play a 5 string on recording ( my primary occupation ) or live even though
I did routinely. It makes absolutely no difference. What matters is how you play and read that chart..

 

[Xjenrbcjsmsbfjw]

Weird, if anything I think I see more five strings, but obviously none of us are everywhere, maybe it's a local trend.

I remember when I was a little weird getting my five string, now everyone seems to be running around with six and up.

 

[Peter Mathews]

I actually owned 4 five strings this time last year.. now down to one. Almost exclusively playing 4 string P bass bluesy-type arrangements right now and haven’t picked up a five string bass this year. Horses for courses..

 

[Idle Plucker]

Any UK people here? From reading BGM, it seems that the four string is prevalent in the UK.

I’m in UK. Usual story - originally got a 5er because low notes kept cropping up in theatre parts, and you’re expected to play them. Briefly looked at other options like using an octave divider or detuning, but they didn’t work for me in a heavy reading time-critical situation.
These days I rarely come across a pad that doesn’t require a 5er for at least a couple of numbers, and in any case, as others have said in this thread, I’m happy playing across the strings in position rather than leaping up and down the neck all the time. So most of the time I stick to a 5 and the Jazz stays in its case at home, only coming out for a brief re-familiarisation/nostalgia practice about once a week if it’s lucky.

 

[Deleted member 96522]

IMHO many of today's young songwriters are being influenced by the popular music of the 1960s-1980s period. Much of that music was recorded using some kind of 4 string bass guitar, typically a Fender.

When it comes to bass tone & frequencies, I've found most songwriters and music producers to be pretty conservative anyway: They are usually satisfied with bass sound being fundamental, punchy, & consistent; and not much more than that. They want bass to be there without being the centerpiece: Kinda like the couch that everyone enjoys sitting on while watching the TV.

So yeah, it makes sense that 4 string bass guitar would be having a popular music resurgence. But like someone said in a previous post, it goes in cycles.

 

[Wyvern]

I couldn't live without my 5'rs, I won't even look at 4 strings anymore, even the Geddy Jazz I wanted for years.

 

[bigtone23]

I personally prefer 5s. It took me 5 minutes to adjust to it from 4 string, so I guess I was born to play them. I don't see them on the way out, but perhaps on a downturn of the usual style cycles. Lately, a P bass with flats is super popular, as well as short scale basses. Both of which were unicorns 15-30 years ago.
There are a lot more 6 string downtuned guitarists these days, so the 4 string bass mirrors that and downtunes, too.
There are also a lot of bassists that refuse to accept a bass with more than 4 strings due to a mental block or stubborn tradition. I certainly know many bassists like these.

The thing about BEAD or lower tunings is that you have to give up the high notes. Using a five, there is an extended bottom, plus a full upper range of the instrument.

I love 5ers, but have one bass in BEAD, just to try it out. It's cool, but there are lines that benefit from not having to slide waaay up the neck to hit those missing G string notes. That bass may just get repurposed to Eb or D standard and find more play time.

To the point, I don't see 5ers declining. In the cover band scene, I see more 5s than 4s.

This is true. I can show up with just one 5 string and do covers all night. Otherwise, it's taking out a standard tuned 4 stringer and BEAD tuned 4 to cover the notes needed.

 

[Bobo]

IMHO many of today's young songwriters are being influenced by the popular music of the 1960s-1980s period. Much of that music was recorded using some kind of 4 string bass guitar, typically a Fender. When it comes to bass tone & frequencies, I've found most songwriters and producers to be pretty conservative anyway: They are usually satisfied with bass sound being fundamental, punchy, & consistent; and not much more than that. They want bass to be there without being the centerpiece: Kinda like the couch that everyone enjoys sitting on while watching the TV. So yeah, it makes sense that 4 string bass guitar would be having a popular music resurgence. But like someone said in a previous post, it goes in cycles.

My pov has always been ‘if i’m doing my job, nobody notices’ but if i’m not, i’ll hear about it. The only time i vary from that is if i’m in a duo situation and i’m expected to be more in the foreground, and providing foundation and lead assignments, or in a multi-instrument band and the leader nods and says, ‘take it.’

 

[Coolhandjjl]

I see more pics here of new semi-hollow body basses these days. To me, that’s where all the action and interest is these days. Tomorrow it will be something else...

 

[Deleted member 96522]

My pov has always been ‘if i’m doing my job, nobody notices’ but if i’m not, i’ll hear about it. The only time i vary from that is if i’m in a duo situation and i’m expected to be more in the foreground, and providing foundation and lead assignments, or in a multi-instrument band and the leader nods and says, ‘take it.’

Yup, that's it. But it's kind of a bad thing for bass players who want to be a bit more 'imaginative' with the range of their playing and sound tho...

 

[PeteCarlton]

The local Ibanez dealer has more 5 than 4.

Probably because s/he can't sell them!

 

[mb94952]

I guess it comes down to personal taste, as always if you're like me and you play in a band but don't rely on music for a living (SADLY !!! I wish I could !). But, the players who got lucky enough to do this for a living say 5'ers are necessary in the industry. I didn't know there was an industry anymore. To me, Youtube IS the new industry and there we can play whatever we want, so I guess it defaults to my first opinion which is personal taste. I have always played 4's. My brain is not big enough to handle a 5, and all my "heroes" play 4's and it's good enough for them.

PS - I have noticed that players who used to play 6'ers on stage are playing 4's now. In the rock scene it's all about the 4 string, and that's where I live, anyway.