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Do I need a 5?
- Thread starter Lepparda
- Start date
Please define the word "need". Then a few factors determine if its the best choice for you, not the least of it is your repertoire, style, genre, even your age. Personally, I don't need a 5. Been doing well for 4 decades w/EADG. For me keeping my calendar full of gigs is infinitely more important than the presence or absence of a B string.
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Ric5
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- Jan 29, 2008
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I played a 6 for quite awhile, but found I just liked noodling and chording. With a gigging and recording band I never even touched the B string more than a couple times in the entire run, so I discovered i didnt have a genuine 'need' for it. Your mileage may vary, of course.
I played the same band and music that I do now for six years with a 4 first tuned a half step then a full step flat. For me when I had the cash to try it I found it easier to find and try playing a 5 than to get a 4 and modify it with aftermarket tuners or for BEAD.
I'm not sure a bunch of complete strangers can tell you how YOU will feel about a five string.
The answer: some stick with a five, some go back to four, some have an on/off love affair with them (me).
5 string only here. Nothing against 4 string basses, it's all you really need, but I have no plans to go back to one.
Bass is bass. I play the strings that are there. If there is one or two strings too many, I just leave them out.
madbass6
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- Jan 13, 2009
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in my opinion no one can really answer that question.. as its a matter of taste/styles etc. 34 "scale lenth vs 35" wide neck vs normal neck ! allot of factors go into buying a first 5 string bass not just the extra string! i recomened going to your local GC and try different low end ones first before purchasing an expensive 5! also keep in mind string gauges also plays a huge factor in sound and feel especially on the low B or high C string ! wish ever is your preference.. good luck!
Can you honestly say that any of them would deter us from playing something that they don't or haven't played?
If I had a"vision"of tapping polychords on a seven string with all fingers,do you actually think that "The Greats"would try to limit my "vision"?
Would they actally say"No.No.You should ONLY play what I did!"?
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If you spend adequate time with both types then you can switch back and forth easily as needed. If you neglect one, it gets harder and harder to switch, simply from the physical differences.
No you don't need a 5 but they can be very useful.
I love my 5 and won't go back to 4 as my main. I like the hand positioning options where I can fret the E, I like not having to drop-D tune and have that awkward situation where all strings are tuned in 4ths except my lowest, I like being able to practice scales, modes, etc across 5 strings because I can cover a full two octaves without big shifts (though I also practice those shifts as well), I enjoy the tighter string spacing, I like being able to play more genres that take advantage of lower notes, and after practicing on my 5 for awhile my 4 feels gimped. I tried BEAD tuning but I'm not a fan.
In short, I can do everything on my five that I can with my four, but not vise-versa without having to retune or anything like that.
I still play my 4-string, but for me 5 > 4. YMMV.
In short, I can do everything on my five that I can with my four, but not vise-versa without having to retune or anything like that.
I still play my 4-string, but for me 5 > 4. YMMV.
...so is this the part where we all chime in on our particular preference and why the OP should do the same as us? 
This is too wide a question...depends what you play, how you play, etc. Too many variables.
Plus, "need" is a powerful word.
It doesn't hurt to try one, though, to see how it feels in your hands and hear how it sounds with your playing. Try renting or borrowing one for a month and see for yourself.
This is too wide a question...depends what you play, how you play, etc. Too many variables.
Plus, "need" is a powerful word.
It doesn't hurt to try one, though, to see how it feels in your hands and hear how it sounds with your playing. Try renting or borrowing one for a month and see for yourself.
I've used a 5er for a few years. Might go back to the 4 to make it a little easier on my right hand. I do like going to the B string occasionally, but it's not a huge part of my playing.
He asked if he NEEDED a 5 string, not if he wanted one to mess around with. Can you think of any top bassist who switches between 4 and 5 strings regularly? I sure can't because it's counterproductive. Any musician builds up that muscle memory. Patterns, hand placement etc...you get used to that for years and then introduce a 5 string, good luck because it all changes. Just something as simple as looking at your right or left hand, you now have to remember what you normally play on the 2nd sting down is now the 3rd string down etc...much easier to just tune another 4 string to an alternate tuning IMO.
For me it's MUCH easier going from the 5 to the 4 than the other way around. If I practice exclusively on my 5 then going to my 4 is a piece of cake, in fact, the 4 almost feels like a toy after practicing on the 5 for long enough. There's the difference in string spacing which takes a few minutes to get used to, but that's no biggie. When I first went from my 4 to my 5 it was harder to adapt, but I'm glad I finally did.
I agree the subtle string spacing difference isn't bad on mine 3/4 and 11/16, 19mm and 17.5, but I sometimes have brain farts and am a string off if I look at the Fingerboard.
