Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Do I need a 5?
- Thread starter Lepparda
- Start date
How bad are you at moving your hand up and down the neck? As others have suggested, you can tune a 4 string as low as you want to go with the right strings.
All a five gives you is extra range in each playing position.
Which is harder for you?
Learning how to adopt a 5th string and the change in neck width/string spacing.
or
Learning to transpose what you already know up to a higher position on the neck.
...Your choice.
Personally, the 5th string throws me off. I tried BEAD tuning for about a year and found it easier to cope with, but I also discovered I didn't really use notes lower than D. So I went back to E standard and tried a hipshot D-tuner. Took some getting used to, but I like that the best.
All a five gives you is extra range in each playing position.
Which is harder for you?
Learning how to adopt a 5th string and the change in neck width/string spacing.
or
Learning to transpose what you already know up to a higher position on the neck.
...Your choice.
Personally, the 5th string throws me off. I tried BEAD tuning for about a year and found it easier to cope with, but I also discovered I didn't really use notes lower than D. So I went back to E standard and tried a hipshot D-tuner. Took some getting used to, but I like that the best.
Logically a 5 string only gets you 5 lower notes and some extra freedom in how you play the already existing notes. I never saw the need for one based on that but I do have a drop D tuner just in case.
I've tried 5s at various time in the past. I've owned 5 in all, still own one of them. There are literally two types of music I found them useful for, one was for cajun/zydeco music which commonly has accordions tuned in D and G and the other was some Celtic music with bagpipes tuned in D and G (do you sense a trend here?). For the Celtic band, I ended up just drop tuning a 4 to DGCF.
Part of that is the old dog new tricks phenomenon. I never found the notes below D really usable...they seemed way too low although I know that's just psychological.
For me, the best thing about a 5 is still moving up the neck to play stuff you would otherwise play down near the nut, giving you easier access to two octaves of notes without shifts. You also get some seriously thick low E, F, G and A notes that way!
Part of that is the old dog new tricks phenomenon. I never found the notes below D really usable...they seemed way too low although I know that's just psychological.
For me, the best thing about a 5 is still moving up the neck to play stuff you would otherwise play down near the nut, giving you easier access to two octaves of notes without shifts. You also get some seriously thick low E, F, G and A notes that way!
With a 5 you need to watch muting and a pick player may have a harder time with this. Most 5ers seem to be finger players.
If you're band in Eb, playing a standard tuned 5 will be confusing. Tuning it down a half or full step will really take the useful tones out of the B string. Drop tune a 4 (and get and octave instead IMO.)
In a studio I would record many parts with a 4 and overdub with the 5 some low notes.
35" and String through bodies shine here. (Playing a 35" also makes playing a 34" fretless easier. Stretch is there in muscle memory)
With A Five you can get Short Scale fattness out of the upper region of the Low B.
You'll be able to use it as a consistent thumb rest and greatly improve right hand mobility
You'll need more out of you're amp in wattage and EQ
If you plan on bouncing back and forth between 4s and 5s, expect confusion. If not good for you. I got it and have kicked it. But be prepared to practice and if you gig, know which axe=tune.
An upright technique i know not the name of, if any requires a 5... for a great thumpy tone, rather than striking the string you pull it like a bow and arrow i suppose and when it releases you get a thump as you're finger or thumb hits the adjacent string with the energy. Release the E to thump into the muted B. No B No thump.
We spend allot of "Working" time in the first five frets. A 5 really does add allot of useful low notes where we need them and a second position to get them.
I still play a "4" when I use the 5, meaning I ignore the 5th string consciously when writing or learning parts. When I need it tends to be:
Ghost, octave and "thump" notes
I used the low D allot. C# C some. B open and proud only 2 times night (BOOOM)
It has the possibility of eliminating big jumps on the neck and simplifying difficult passages.
Songs in Eb, D, C# get a nice Low note.
Fat short scale tone on low strings, higher register.
Hope this Helps. Lakland 55-02 AWESOME 5. Lakland Jazz 5's are great too.
If you're band in Eb, playing a standard tuned 5 will be confusing. Tuning it down a half or full step will really take the useful tones out of the B string. Drop tune a 4 (and get and octave instead IMO.)
In a studio I would record many parts with a 4 and overdub with the 5 some low notes.
35" and String through bodies shine here. (Playing a 35" also makes playing a 34" fretless easier. Stretch is there in muscle memory)
With A Five you can get Short Scale fattness out of the upper region of the Low B.
You'll be able to use it as a consistent thumb rest and greatly improve right hand mobility
You'll need more out of you're amp in wattage and EQ
If you plan on bouncing back and forth between 4s and 5s, expect confusion. If not good for you. I got it and have kicked it. But be prepared to practice and if you gig, know which axe=tune.
An upright technique i know not the name of, if any requires a 5... for a great thumpy tone, rather than striking the string you pull it like a bow and arrow i suppose and when it releases you get a thump as you're finger or thumb hits the adjacent string with the energy. Release the E to thump into the muted B. No B No thump.
We spend allot of "Working" time in the first five frets. A 5 really does add allot of useful low notes where we need them and a second position to get them.
I still play a "4" when I use the 5, meaning I ignore the 5th string consciously when writing or learning parts. When I need it tends to be:
Ghost, octave and "thump" notes
I used the low D allot. C# C some. B open and proud only 2 times night (BOOOM)
It has the possibility of eliminating big jumps on the neck and simplifying difficult passages.
Songs in Eb, D, C# get a nice Low note.
Fat short scale tone on low strings, higher register.
Hope this Helps. Lakland 55-02 AWESOME 5. Lakland Jazz 5's are great too.
The tone on the b string is always a bit off sounding. Some basses get it sounding better than others but to me there is always a difference jumping from that E to the B. Also fivers are WAY more sensitive to feel. I can pick up almost any four string and get used to it in a minute but some five strings feel so different it's like a new instrument. Oh, and there's possible weight and ergonomic issues with neck dive being more common.
That being said, I don't like the poll options. It doesn't have to be one way or the other. I plan on getting my first five string but my current four string isn't about to go anywhere.
That being said, I don't like the poll options. It doesn't have to be one way or the other. I plan on getting my first five string but my current four string isn't about to go anywhere.
This is incredibly true. The one regret I have about the 5 that I own is that its 34" rather than 35". That being said, there are plenty of great 5 strings in both scales.
I usually get by with a 4 string equipped with a hipshot extender, but then again my band doesn't play a ton of songs that require me to go any lower than that. If that changes I'll change to a 5.
I switched to fivers 15 years ago because I was playing a lot of down tuned nu-metal (Disturbed, Limp Bizkit, etc...). Now that I don't play that anymore, I was contemplating switching back to 4, but enjoy the different tonal palette a fiver offers; the E on the B string sounds totally different than an open E.
I played fours exclusively for years, but bought my first five in 2008, and while I prefer playing fours most of the time, fives are darned useful. For example, I've played a couple of musicals, and a five was almost essential for both. And for the second one, having an active five (M-2500) was a plus.
In fact, I wish I'd bought a five earlier, because I was in a band with a songwriter who often composed in E flat and D. I got by with a drop tuner, which I liked for the tracks in D, but for E flat and some other keys a five is much better IMO. For example, when playing in B flat it's nice to have E flat easily accessible on the B string in a position consistent with standard tuning.
I haven't had any trouble switching between fours and fives either, provided I do so regularly. I hit a snag once after I'd been playing my five exclusively for months, and found the four disorienting for a few seconds.
I agree with others that you should take care when selecting a five, because scale length, string spacing, etc. make a huge difference in feel. I play mostly with a pick (due to a finger joint problem), so narrow string spacing is important to me. A relatively flat fretboard is also essential for me on a five.
In fact, I wish I'd bought a five earlier, because I was in a band with a songwriter who often composed in E flat and D. I got by with a drop tuner, which I liked for the tracks in D, but for E flat and some other keys a five is much better IMO. For example, when playing in B flat it's nice to have E flat easily accessible on the B string in a position consistent with standard tuning.
I haven't had any trouble switching between fours and fives either, provided I do so regularly. I hit a snag once after I'd been playing my five exclusively for months, and found the four disorienting for a few seconds.
I agree with others that you should take care when selecting a five, because scale length, string spacing, etc. make a huge difference in feel. I play mostly with a pick (due to a finger joint problem), so narrow string spacing is important to me. A relatively flat fretboard is also essential for me on a five.
What I don't understand is why people ask "Do I need"
When I first picked up a bass I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a Bass?'
I just went and bought one.
When I first saw a five I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a five?"
I just went and bought one.
When I first saw a six I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a six?"
I just went and bought one.
When I first saw a seven I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a seven?"
I just went and bought one.
Don't you yourself know what you need?
Only you know your criteria to choose.
When I first picked up a bass I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a Bass?'
I just went and bought one.
When I first saw a five I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a five?"
I just went and bought one.
When I first saw a six I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a six?"
I just went and bought one.
When I first saw a seven I didn't ask anyone "Do I need a seven?"
I just went and bought one.
Don't you yourself know what you need?
Only you know your criteria to choose.
Last edited:
I don't understand buying a 5 string bass, not liking it and selling it. Then buying another 5 string bass, not liking it and selling it. Then buying another 5 string bass, not liking it and selling it. etc etc.
You either need one (for whatever reason) or you don't. If you need one you play it so it becomes 2nd nature to you. If you don't. . . stop buying them!
I made a decision that I wasn't going to swap between 4's and 5's. So I stuck to 5's. My basses cost in the region of $2500 from the classifieds so I'm going to play them all I can.
I just play the strings I need for the song! Doesn't everyone do that? I don't play the B string on every number and sometimes I don't play the G string either, but I don't carry around a separate bass for those numbers.
You either need one (for whatever reason) or you don't. If you need one you play it so it becomes 2nd nature to you. If you don't. . . stop buying them!
I made a decision that I wasn't going to swap between 4's and 5's. So I stuck to 5's. My basses cost in the region of $2500 from the classifieds so I'm going to play them all I can.
I just play the strings I need for the song! Doesn't everyone do that? I don't play the B string on every number and sometimes I don't play the G string either, but I don't carry around a separate bass for those numbers.
If you do go shopping for a 5-string don't go cheap. $2,000 should be a good starting point. ... I've always found the most expensive the 5-string the less I notice it's a 5-string I'm playing. ... D-tuner, as stated, is a great way to go. Will Lee tunes his to a C, so that's lower than a 5-string. ... Try stringing your MM to B, E, A, D and see if that works for you.
This^
Tell me....Is there a law that states you can only play one or the other? I do play 5s and usually at church where the keys we play in make a 5 beneficial. I also enjoy my fours when playing roots music such as blues, folk, and old country. And, some of them are even fretless or fretted, passive or active, and I am even considering using picks with a fretless for something different (Oh heaven forbid....
). I have preferences too, but would never let that stop me from finding the right sonic tool for the needs of a particular song or style when needed.
Wow, people are still using this as a reason 5 string basses should be disregarded.
