Im sorry, but none of these guys come to mind when thinking about legendary bass players. Jaco, Geddy, Clarke, Wooten, Flea, McCartney, JPJ, Graham....these guys you listed might be on that list at some point.
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Do I need a 5?
- Thread starter Lepparda
- Start date
Im sorry, but none of these guys come to mind when thinking about legendary bass players. Jaco, Geddy, Clarke, Wooten, Flea, McCartney, JPJ, Graham....these guys you listed might be on that list at some point.
Go for it. I started with 5 and it made 4 easy. I still play 5s. The question is, do you prefer a wider neck with better string spacing or a thinner neck, but small string spacing?
I personally prefer wider necks and better string spacing, but it's up to you.
I personally prefer wider necks and better string spacing, but it's up to you.
Not as their main...in fact, Ive seen all of them except Jaco live and never seen them play a 5 string live.
If you play with a choir or instruments, you probably need a five. They like the flat keys and the low Eb becomes critical. If you play with a vocalist that likes the drop the key a few steps to help their range, you need a five. If you want to play bro country you probably need a five. If you have a P, a J and a MM, an active five would be a really nice addition to your armament.
Stanley Clarke made me pick up the bass back in 1980.
I've been a fan of Jaco and Geddy from way back.
All the guys I listed above have been playing for decades.
And I've been listening to most of them for decades.
If you don't know these legends....well.....
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Okay, but they use fives. Don't use one if you don't want to, but a five is an almost crucial part of a modern bassists gear today. It doesn't have to be your primary instrument, but you will into the need to own one.
I asked the same question a few months ago. You will always find opposite comments here.
Find a cheap one and try it. Only you can decide (cheap but decent...an awful B string won't help).
Find a cheap one and try it. Only you can decide (cheap but decent...an awful B string won't help).
But where is 3 on your poll?
In praise of WEIRD LOOKING basses!
Lower than B...
And of course there's always BEAD 4's.
In praise of WEIRD LOOKING basses!
Lower than B...
And of course there's always BEAD 4's.
Played 4-stringers for 112 years - give or take - and switched to 5-ers about a year ago. The main reason was e-flat tunes and a desire to use one bass for a set. 4 = Bass. 5 = Mo-Bass!
I own 3 basses....all Lakland 5 strings. Once I got used to playing a 5, which I started doing in 1999, I just stayed with it. It's all up to you and what type of music you play. If you only play classic rock, 4 string is all you'll need. Modern music, including country, is written for 5 string bass. Try one out. Be patient and put time in with it. It's a different animal.
- Jan 26, 2014
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- I teach lessons and perform live music in and around San Diego CA. Sometimes I even make money doing it!
There's absolutely no way to predict that. I had 6 string back in the day, it was a great sounding bass but i just didn't use the c string much, sold it and now only own a highly customized 5 string bass guitar (I can get every tone I need out of it), along with my electric upright 4. I've had 4 or others along the way that came and went, I'm obviously not a bass hoarder so if I'm not using it I let it go. It can't hurt to try a 5 string, but it's not like there's only one 5 string out there either. Don't have an expectation going in, try a couple and pick the one you really like best, not necessarily the one that costs the most or has the best sticker on the headstock. It took a while for me to reject buying instruments by the way they look, everyone does that to some extent, and sadly, there are band leaders who will judge you based on a look, so if you're buying for a job that's a different story. But if you're buying purely for yourself, go with what works best in your hands.
Here are some questions for you; Why should you care what the internet says? Who cares what anyone else plays or says you should play? Is the 5 string a novelty, or a purposeful tool? What kind of music do you like to play? Do you get hired to play, or do you just jam for fun? Do you play out, or do you just play with pre-recorded music at home?
Only you can determine if you need a 5 or a 6, or a fretless, or an upright, or a keyboard bass, or a washtub, or whatever. Don't rely on the internet to tell you what you do or don't need. Why be a follower?
FWIW, I started on 4 string in 1987 or so. Got my first 5 string in 1997, and I've had at least one or more 5 or 6 strings in my arsenal ever since. Some of my 5s over the years have been strung B-G, others E-C. I don't always choose to play them, but I wouldn't be caught without one. Nor do I choose to use the B or C strings every time I do play them. I certainly don't regret having them available to me.
OK now you're being ridiculous. The bass V was not a 5-string bass in the sense the OP is talking about. It was shorter scale, only had 15 frets, and most importantly didn't offer players any notes that weren't already available on standard 4-string models. It simply distributed the same range of notes across the strings differently. Fender never marketed it seriously and only ever made a couple hundred of them. Of course the "legendary" players didn't play them.
Alembic was the first company to actually promote fivers in the modern sense, on a boutique basis in the mid-70s, and they only became popular from the mid-80s onwards. By then all of your iconic players had already gotten started - even Flea and Wooten, if only as teenagers in their garages.
At any rate, the whole line of reasoning is irrelevant to the OP. Whether he needs (or wants) a fiver or not has nothing to do with who else does or doesn't need one, whether they're iconic or not, it only has to do with what HE needs.
Nope. In 17 years of professional playing, i've never needed a 5. A couple bandleaders asked me if I had one, but had no problem with my reply.
That said, I just joined a band where the bandleader demands a 5 (and he's paying me well enough to comply)
That said, I just joined a band where the bandleader demands a 5 (and he's paying me well enough to comply)
Thanks for all your feedback. I have come to the conclusion that:
1. I need to have a think about the music I play and the amount of times I will 'need' a 5.
2. Assuming the conclusion to 1. is that it would be useful, I then need to try out a few different models to find the one I like the tone of/like playing.
The Fender Jazz played through an Aguilar DB751 and DB410 is becoming my go to set-up, so logically a Fender Jazz V would be the extension to this.
Update to follow.
A
1. I need to have a think about the music I play and the amount of times I will 'need' a 5.
2. Assuming the conclusion to 1. is that it would be useful, I then need to try out a few different models to find the one I like the tone of/like playing.
The Fender Jazz played through an Aguilar DB751 and DB410 is becoming my go to set-up, so logically a Fender Jazz V would be the extension to this.
Update to follow.
A
Nathan East?
His Brother James bowered my Lakland 55-02 for a gig... loved it! and a 5 ... but i MADE him play my Pawn shop Mustang. It's a riot. and 4 string 30" scale so there the thead fishtails hahahaha
His Brother James bowered my Lakland 55-02 for a gig... loved it! and a 5 ... but i MADE him play my Pawn shop Mustang. It's a riot. and 4 string 30" scale so there the thead fishtails hahahaha
Anthony Jackson and Nathan East don't come to mind regarding "legendary bass players"?
I don't know what planet you're from, but it's not the same one as most of us.
