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Club Sadowsky!!!

#30,485
MVPBASS said:
Detuners= still a 4 string, so the question is .....
Why a 4 string instead of a 5?
Answer: Comfort, familiarity, for NE at least, i play differently on a 4 than i did on a 5 or 6.
Click to expand...

This would be my answer too. I love playing a 4 string, and most pop/classic rock stuff doesn't go lower than a D, so the Hipshot takes care of that. I also use an octave pedal at times.

But for heavier rock stuff or gigs where I need to be ready for anything (live band karaoke!) I take the 5 string.
 
#30,490
IMHO on the whole 4/5 thing, I agree on the older pop material, but not so much on newer material now that 5's have been out for a while. Plus, if you wanna' talk about worship music, having those extra low notes around without having to change to alternate tunings is REALLY handy... it's a callback to the days of old with the huge organs and big low bass tones. There's just no way to get the same effect of a bigger string with an even lower range for those low notes with detuning. You just lose tension and fundamental way too fast.

So I view 4/detuning as kind of a case for "rarely need/limited range", whereas the 5 is for "regularly needed/extended range". IME anyway.
 
#30,491
Vic said:
IMHO on the whole 4/5 thing, I agree on the older pop material, but not so much on newer material now that 5's have been out for a while. Plus, if you wanna' talk about worship music, having those extra low notes around without having to change to alternate tunings is REALLY handy... it's a callback to the days of old with the huge organs and big low bass tones. There's just no way to get the same effect of a bigger string with an even lower range for those low notes with detuning. You just lose tension and fundamental way too fast.

So I view 4/detuning as kind of a case for "rarely need/limited range", whereas the 5 is for "regularly needed/extended range". IME anyway.
Click to expand...

Todays pop music, bass is out
 
#30,493
Hi


Lol. Having fun. Lets be honest though. Anything you cover from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s is an automatic no 5 string needed. And just a few tunes the last 15 to 20 years since they've become popular. I even play a church gig the last 5 years and have been required to have one.

I think they certainly have a purpose but no thanks if I'm not required by the band leader

Rob
 
#30,494
Chef said:
why D tuners instead of a 5th string?
Click to expand...

how about both? :D

mgs-6.jpg
 
#30,497
bikeplate said:
Hi

Lol. Having fun. Lets be honest though. Anything you cover from the 50s, 60s, 70s, 80s is an automatic no 5 string needed. And just a few tunes the last 15 to 20 years since they've become popular. I even play a church gig the last 5 years and have been required to have one.
Click to expand...
Yep, this is what I was getting at, except I think it's more than a few in recent years.

But yeah, still the lion's share is good with 4 strings. Then you talk to people like Jeff Berlin, Victor Wooten, and many others, who are perfectly fine long term on 4's... if not as their sole instrument, at least their primary (noting Victor does own and fairly regularly plays a 5, too).
 

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