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Curious About 6 String Basses. Let's Chat..

#21
Gard said:
OK, I'll step in...

There are drawbacks: wider neck requires using really clean/proper technique (no "ape hanger" left hand technique), you have to pay very close attention to your right hand muting technique to keep any unplayed strings from inadvertently ringing out, and finally you have to deal with the pre-concieved notions of all those in your vicinity that want to judge you as a player before you've played your first note - " :eek: oh man, look at all those strings on his bass, I bet he overplays like a mofo!! :spit: "...:rollno:
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Couldn't have said it better myself. I play 6's and 4's and I switched to 6's only months after getting my first bass. What I've noticed is that the 6's, like Gard said, force you to clean up your technique and that translates over into basses with fewer strings. That especially becomes apparent when slapping. Everything just gets tighter. 6's also just feel right too me; the width and thickness of the neck just make me feel at home.

One thing that I have found very difficult transferring over to 6's is Victor Wooten-esque "rhythmic slapping". Not the double thumping but the techniques he uses in songs like More Love, U Can't Hold No Groove, and Sex in a Pan. Learning to mute while doing suhc complex things is something that I'm struggling with but then again I've only been playing a few years. For someone with more experience, adapting may be smoother.

6's open up a whole different world of melodic, and chordal playign for those that choose to take advantage of it. Being able to do 2 octave scale in a single position keeps the variety coming and minimizes "vertical" fretboard movement, which gets a little confusing for me sometimes. As many doors as 6's open up I try not to depend on the the B and C strings and, instead, use them as extensions of or alternative to the notes on a normal 4 string. This way if you move between a 6 and a bass with less strings you don't feel lost or uncomfortable and can play what you played on the 6 just as easily on the 5 or 4.

I suggest getting a cheaper 6 for your first if you decide to try it out because though some people know right away whether or not they enjoy playing 6's, others may take their time in deciding so shelling out for a really something really nice could be a bad move if, ultimately, it turns out to not be your thing.

Yea I think that's about all I have to say on the subject. I hope you do move over to 6 because it really is a lot of fun... that and the more people that play 6 the less i'll hear "stop trying to be a guitarist :mad:" :D.
 
#23
Jeff K said:
Which 6 strings have the widest string spacing (closest to a 4 string)?
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Most production 6 strings have 17mm-18mm spacing, some even a bit tighter than that (I think the Cirrus is 16.5mm IIRC), but the older Yamaha TRB's and the Brice Z6's are 19mm. The Brice HXB's are between 17.5mm and 18mm, the Rogue's and Galvestons are 17mm, again IIRC ....

Once you get into higher end basses you can get whatever you want, all depends on the price point you're shooting for .... :cool:
 
#24
Jeff K said:
Which 6 strings have the widest string spacing (closest to a 4 string)? My son would like to get a 6, but he actually prefers the widest spacing he can find for easier slapping.
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Our "stock" 6 string spacing is 18.3 mm, and on the LG/SKB/Century Signature lines, you can opt for the "wide" spacing at 19 mm (which is 3/4", same as a J or P) for $300 retail.

Frankly, I have the 19 mm option on my two personal basses, and I can indeed feel the difference, but the reality is that I am just as comfy on the standard 18.3 mm spacing on every 6er I "QC" before we case and ship it. I notice it, but it does not impede my playing in any way.

Anything under 18 is too small for me personally...
 
#25
I got the Douglas WEB846 from Rondo last year and did some customization on it in addition to putting some D'adario flats on it and I liked it a lot. Started gigging with it on about 1/4 of our songs. Since then I built a 5er fretless from some exotic brazilian woods and have grown to love that one even more. (I personally never figured out what to do with the C string)

I think I will put the 6er up for sale, as I cannot afford top keep it and the 5er.
 
#28
I play with a group that gives me frequent opportunities to solo (for better or worse). I find that the added upper register of the 6-string, as well as the tonal character of the high string, enable me to play "above the harmony" more effectively than I can on a 4- or 5-string. Hopefully, this allows me to play a more interesting, accessible, and entertaining solo for the audience.
 
#29
RickC said:
Here's something I don't usually see mentioned, but was definitely a factor for me. I found the 6-string less confusing of a switch from 4. The fact that there were extra strings both above and below the standard 4 made it easier to visualize, and switch. In other words, the symmetry helps. Since I still continue to play 4-stringers as well, the ability to switch easily is a plus.

I tried 5's, but was always getting lost on them. The first time I picked up a 6, it felt like home. I look on the high string as gravy; not something I was particularly looking for, but fun to have.

/rick
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Very well put.

I think this is the same reason I feel so at home with my new 6er (only after a week or 2!). I still hit the wring string every once in a while on my 5er, but never on my 6er!
 
#30
Wide necks is what I love about my 6, 7, and 8 string basses. I like my spacing relatively narrow and I cannot handle 4-stringo because of the wide spacing.

Of course, I'm a man of options and versatility. The more available notes and tones, the better for me.

Now that I play in the ERB category, I will never seriously consider buying a 4 or 5 string ever again unless I know I can turn it for profit.
 
#32
I struggled a bit with my six string for the first couple of years that I had it, then, I moved to England for a year and took only that bass. That did it, no more struggling. You sort of need to only play it for quite a while to really get it. Once you've settled in you can switch back and forth without much issue.
 
#33
I have 2 Carvin 6 strings basses ( one fretted and one fretless ) and I go that route because I wanted to solo and do some chords.
Now the narrow strings pacing start to be painful because I want to slap and well I don't use that much the C string. But they look so cool.
 
#34
i started on 5. i yearned for more. 6 opened a lot of doors. you have to get used to playing around MORE bass, but at the same time, you might not have to go so far for your notes.

i INSTANTLY started adding chords to songs. if you do chords on low strings, it can often muddy things up. but adding a higher octave note into a part can REALLY make an impression.

the soloing is nice. i dont feel restricted anymore. i used to find myself all the way up the neck and running out of frets, only to have to jump back into rhythm at the other end.

just keep in mind, if you go to 6, you're going to want to stay there. unless youve got the presence of mind to NOT reach for that C string whenever you feel like it. when my 6 got snapped in half (read: idiot guitard broke it) i had to jump back to my 5 and play a gig the next night. that was awkward.

oh.. and people think you're a mad man with such a giant instrument :D:D
 
#35
WJGreer said:
I play with a group that gives me frequent opportunities to solo (for better or worse). I find that the added upper register of the 6-string, as well as the tonal character of the high string, enable me to play "above the harmony" more effectively than I can on a 4- or 5-string. Hopefully, this allows me to play a more interesting, accessible, and entertaining solo for the audience.
Click to expand...
I thought of a better way to describe this. Go to your bass and play an open D and an E on the 7th fret of the A string at the same time. The notes are a whole step apart. It sounds like garbage.

Now play the same open D, but play the E on the G string, on the 9th fret, or better yet, an octave above that on the 21st fret. The notes are still fundamentally a whole step apart, but the interplay and tension between the "bass" note (the D) and the "lead" note (the E) starts to sound better the more distance there is between the two.

This concept is one of the reasons I think bass solos get a bad rap - we are often trying to play a melody down within the depth of the harmony that the other members of the band are creating. With a 6 string bass, we can play in a high enough register to have a distinct voice above the harmony, creating interplay and tension that is pleasing to the ear.

Having said all this, I admit that I have been playing my five strings a little more than my 6 recently. Oh well.
 
#36
To be honest, I didn't get my six string to have a six string. I bought because it's a great sounding, great playing bass with looks to boot, and it was an amazing deal. I use the B all the time, but to be honest, I only use the C once in any of my band's songs. However, I do use the C while I jam at home, and I do write riffs with it. Still kinda getting used to it.
 
#37
Hope you don't mind if a 7-stringer jumps in.

I went from a 4 to a 5 to a 7. My reason for going to a 7 (and, had there not been such a thing as a mass produced quality 7, I would have gone with a 6) was because I wanted to delve deeper into what is possible with a bass guitar and learn to play an instrument that offered greater versatility in a wide variety of musical genres. I suppose there was also a little bit of the "see the mountain and conquer it" mentality thrown in.

Frankly, I'm loving the 7 string and the fact that bass guitar feels new to me again in some ways because there are a lot more stylistic exploration opportunities and ensemble configuration possiblities ahead for me. Exploring the possibilities of extended range basses - whether 5, 6, 7, 9, etc. strings can be pretty exciting.

Craig
 

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