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Ditto. Strictly fivers for some time now.
In fact, I have a couple of really nice 4s (not Sadowsky) that I should probably list for sale.
In fact, I have a couple of really nice 4s (not Sadowsky) that I should probably list for sale.
Chef
In Memoriam
I won't say retired, as I do have some nice 4's; I do take them out. Just not lots anymore.
Maybe not enough to justify keeping them, but, I've had most of those for decades now. "Tough sell." Lotsa memories in them.
I generally take two basses to any given job; sometimes for requirements, sometimes for diversity, sometimes just cause I have a bunch of basses....
I recently made myself take out two 4-bangers to a job recently, and found, amazingly, I could still get by on basses with 4 strings.
Shocking
Maybe not enough to justify keeping them, but, I've had most of those for decades now. "Tough sell." Lotsa memories in them.
I generally take two basses to any given job; sometimes for requirements, sometimes for diversity, sometimes just cause I have a bunch of basses....
I recently made myself take out two 4-bangers to a job recently, and found, amazingly, I could still get by on basses with 4 strings.
Shocking
I won't say retired, as I do have some nice 4's; I do take them out. Just not lots anymore.
Maybe not enough to justify keeping them, but, I've had most of those for decades now. "Tough sell." Lotsa memories in them.
I generally take two basses to any given job; sometimes for requirements, sometimes for diversity, sometimes just cause I have a bunch of basses....
I recently made myself take out two 4-bangers to a job recently, and found, amazingly, I could still get by on basses with 4 strings.
Shocking
Too funny CHEF, your statements made me laugh like heck, damn you have a serious collection man, and here i am worrying about keep the only 3 four bangers i have since i got a 5 P bass, LOL, i guess i will keep my 3 fours and start buying 5 ERS. I was intimidated by fivers, but now that i have gotten a little better and have been letting my thumb float i am loving the 5 er.
Ivan M said:
This happened to me before I moved to Sadowsky, but I have certainly found myself there. In fact I don't even own a four string electric bass guitar anymore. I can capture all the "classic" mojo on my PJ.
I used to think I "needed" to keep a four around just to be true to the craft, but no more. I didn't play one enough to justify a nice one, and never saw the point in playing a mediocre four banger when I had at least two or three KILLER fives lying around.
I suppose Sadowsky J four banger with single coils would be a joy to play, honestly it wouldn't get much time. I'm just perfectly happy with the Sadowsky fivers.
Once I became accustomed to five string bass, I decided that it was perfect for me and I had no more use for my fours. This happened before I got a Sadowsky, but the fours were really nice! Again, that's my decision... other bassists switch between four, five, six, whatever.
Trying a new hosting site. If there's any Steely Dan fans who still think that 4's aren't history 
- here's a couple other Overdubs along with the one's previously posted.
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Lunch With Gina
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Blues Beach
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Everything Must Go
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Things I Miss The Most
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - The Last Mall
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - godwhacker (muted) PS: not what you may think.
B.
- here's a couple other Overdubs along with the one's previously posted.[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Lunch With Gina
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Blues Beach
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Everything Must Go
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - Things I Miss The Most
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - The Last Mall
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed] - godwhacker (muted) PS: not what you may think.
B.
In keeping w/ the 4 string "pocket/groove" sensibility, I thought I'd share a quote from the Feb. '08 issue of BP, by John Paul Jones: " It makes the rhythm come alive when you leave holes for the drums to pop out." It's one thing to call it "cliche", but quite another to execute. Groove is a very elusive aspect of rhythm section playing.
I'd like to hear some opinions on who has "groove". I'm not talkin' "chops", although I'd trade all the chops in the world for solid groove.
B.
Edit: Just to clarify - I'm not sayin' that groove is necessarily exclusive to 4 string players - It's just that a good deal of rhythm section players I remember have 4 bangers as their bass of choice. jus' sayin'
I'd like to hear some opinions on who has "groove". I'm not talkin' "chops", although I'd trade all the chops in the world for solid groove.
B.
Edit: Just to clarify - I'm not sayin' that groove is necessarily exclusive to 4 string players - It's just that a good deal of rhythm section players I remember have 4 bangers as their bass of choice. jus' sayin'
P. Bass said:
I have to take exception to this one. I think the preference for a five string is simply that -- a preference.
Perhaps there may be a "good number" of rhythm section players playing four strings in modern western pop music, but there are countless other genres out there. Five string dominates the Gospel/r&b world, and there are no better groove players on the planet than they. Not to mention Latin, etc.
All the five really does is offer a few extra notes and a few different options here and there for certain things. It has never once changed my approach to playing or how
I see the roll of a bassist.
All it really does is allow me to play the lines I want to play in E flat!
+1 to that. I'm considering dumping my 62 P because my PJ5 with Chrome flats just nails that vintage P with a modern twist vibe that I was looking for for years. That and I really can't live without those lovely B string notes!!!
- Nov 4, 2003
- 11,943
- 3,137
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist- Suhr basses, PedalTrain, GHS, Ultimate Ears
Don't engage the boost buttons.
I personally don't use them.
Gain about 10 o'clock
Volume about 2 o'clock
Master for your over-all volume.
Dial them in for taste, but that should give you a pretty clean sound.
Set the bass control to about 2 o'clock
Mid freq to about 5 (1K-ish- almost all the way really)
Dial the mid level back till about 10.
Leave the treble flat.
Set the tweeter on the cab at about 9 o'clock- don't run it straight up or "noon". Personally think it's a bit much- a little harsh sounding.
That should give you a good jumping off point.
The key is dialing in the mid-range.
Found that the mids are pretty present in the GB amps off the bass.
And the knobs are different than most others. Their taper is a LOT more even.
Instead of have everything piled in the first 30% of the taper and then not much after that (like most amps), they are a lot more even in their taper.
So if you find the setting a little more than you would "normally" do, that's OK. thats how they designed it.
I've used that same rig before, and it can sound pretty good.
Or, slip your F1 on top.
You see - this is the reaction I ALWAYS get from 5er players when talking Groove. You guys always focus on defending your reason for playing a 5er. I Qualified my statement by saying that groove ISN'T exclusive to 4 string bass. Did you READ my post? The operative word here is SENSIBILITY. The 5 & 6 string bass may provide more notes but groove isn't about more notes - it's about LESS notes as it were.(not so simple but ...). If you wanna talk GROOVE I'll talk but I'm not gonna get into defending my instrument. I'm trying to start something, for a change, that precludes tone, spec & all the other stuff that's been flogged to death.
(& yes - I still love ya Chas)
. I would now like to get some feedback on my inquiry IF anyone's interested.
B.
PS: & yeah - jazz has been played on 4 strings forever.(speaking of groove)
HI
I love 4 strings basses. I have a 5 out of necessity, not because I particularly like it. I find it tougher to play in general. Wider neck, muting worries, etc. Long live the 4 string!!
ROb
I love 4 strings basses. I have a 5 out of necessity, not because I particularly like it. I find it tougher to play in general. Wider neck, muting worries, etc. Long live the 4 string!!
ROb
I find one of the most appealing comforts of the classic P neck IS the 1-3/4" nut. It's the same for 5er players I think - "old habits die hard". How do you give up what you grew with as a player? I play with a 4fret finger spread & that P neck is heaven for me, especially at the nut. Did I just defend my instrument?
B.
I actually went a slightly different route. I played 6-ers almost exclusively for the better part of a decade. After a while, I was gigging for a band that I didn't need a 6er for and I was having some hand issues, so I moved to a 5er. After another while, I figured out that I really didn't even need a 5er, so I started playing 4's with a Hipshot de-tuner and haven't looked back. I had about 6-7 five and 5 and 6 string basses, sold most of them - I still keep a fretted and fretless 6 and 5 around (I just sold my 5 string Sadowsky a few weeks ago, and wouldn't mind picking up another fretless 5), but for the most part have pretty much stuck with 4's.
I still pick up the 5's and 6's every once in a while, but I am finding the 4's much more comfortable since I had the hand issues. It's just a preference for me ...
In keeping w/ the 4 string "pocket/groove" sensibility, I thought I'd share a quote from the Feb. '08 issue of BP, by John Paul Jones: " It makes the rhythm come alive when you leave holes for the drums to pop out." It's one thing to call it "cliche", but quite another to execute. Groove is a very elusive aspect of rhythm section playing.
I'd like to hear some opinions on who has "groove". I'm not talkin' "chops", although I'd trade all the chops in the world for solid groove.
B.
Edit: Just to clarify - I'm not sayin' that groove is necessarily exclusive to 4 string players - It's just that a good deal of rhythm section players I remember have 4 bangers as their bass of choice. jus' sayin'
Great subject!
I play 4's only and I think its a matter of preference. Sometimes I pick up a 5s and Its kinda fun and I don't think I would have any issue with the playability of the wider neck.
for me its more about my own creativity and what I hear in my head as "MY" sound and It just doesn't have that low B sound in it.
I remember reading an interview with Jaco in the 80's when the 5 string became popular and he was ask if he would consider playing a 5's. His answer was " Maybe once I'm done learning how to play a 4 string bass completely".
Its probably not exactly what he said but something similar. Although I don't believe that to be necessary a good reasoning, but at the time, it inspired me to play and stick with my 4 string and learn the s*#t out of it.
As far as groove, I consider myself more of a groover then a "chopper".
Granted, you need a sufficient amount of chops to be a groover but not a ton.
To me its all about listening to the whole thing, not just me. And find ways to play with the space in between instead of the notes. By doing the bare minimum but with as much feel as I can, it reveal the groove that is often buried under a million notes. Also, if I figure a good fill in a groove, I keep it for that special moment as suppose to repeat it constantly just because it feel good.
Very true.
In fact, I think to this day Roger builds about 50/50 4's to 5's as I recall.
^^^
Hey John,
Well said. I love what you say about saving a special phrase for the "right" moment. BINGO. & yeah - utilization of SPACE is paramount in groove IMO.
Also re DB players & groove - I think that the concept of open string technique is a BIG + in their special advantage to cop groove. I've watched a few great players with that ability in jazz combos. I like to follow that technique to a degree - in the use of ghost notes.(open string) & dead notes (non fretted). But it's not the same.
B.
Hey John,
Well said. I love what you say about saving a special phrase for the "right" moment. BINGO. & yeah - utilization of SPACE is paramount in groove IMO.
Also re DB players & groove - I think that the concept of open string technique is a BIG + in their special advantage to cop groove. I've watched a few great players with that ability in jazz combos. I like to follow that technique to a degree - in the use of ghost notes.(open string) & dead notes (non fretted). But it's not the same.
B.
