Do you have to have a 5?

The benefits are mainly extended range in many sections of the neck. You can get a 3 octaves scale in the range of 5 frets.
And sometimes you need that D or that C or even a Eb and sometimes it just sounds better with that lower note instead of doing it higher on the neck ir on treblier strings.

 

Do I have one, nope!
Do I need one, nope!
Do I want one, nope!
Have I ever played on a 5 that was as comfy as a 4, nope!
Have I ever encountered a gig/job that required one, nope!

Do I think YOU should play what makes your ears and hands happiest, yeap!

 

It’s a bit like asking “Do you HAVE to have a non-stick omelette pan?”

I’ll leave the answer open.

 

And the answer is «no» in both cases.

 

I am here for the breakfast

 

Do you have to have a 5? No
Do I have to have a 5? Yes.
Do I have to have a 4? Nope. It comes with the 5.

After playing on 5's for a number of years, I've found that my playing style and the basslines I come up with for our original songs are heavily influenced by having a 5 and they do not carry over well to a 4 as I am either missing notes low or high. This was confirmed recently when I picked up a 4 string in a guitar trade and struggled. YMMV
Even though I rarely use anything below the low D, I have come to depend on having those low notes available when needed. But the big thing is also hand placement as mentioned above.
As someone who plays in different projects and genres, I am always covered with a 5, especially when songs have to be transposed depending on vocalist.

But to each his/her own. Some like 5's, some 4's, some 6's and beyond. Play what works for you, don't be afraid to try new things and accept that it is OK to like or not like something that people on TB rant about.

And FWIW, a well-seasoned and maintained iron skillet is basically non-stick that lasts forever and you don't have to slowly consume teflon bits...lol

 

"It depends" is the safest answer. Do you play music that requires notes below the low E? If so, then probably. Transposing up an octave works and is serviceable, but it breaks up the melodic contour of the piece, and you may or may not want that. Arrangement is choices.

 

Jaco only needed 4.

Amirite? Amirite? Amirite? Amirite?!?!?!

 

Did someone say omelettes?

I love my fives, but no, you don't have to have one. Unless you want the added range.

 

I prefer a 5, but I’m accustomed to them. According to the music people want me to play I could get away with 2.

 

Do I mainly play 4s, yes
Do you need a 5, no
Should you have a 5, yes

It gives more flexibility, especially in situations where you are improvising.

 

As long as the lowest note on the average upright bass is the E, no one actually needs a B string.

I like having a B string if for no other reason than that in addition to the extra 5 low notes and opening up new playing positions, it is also the ultimate thumbrest.

 

I don’t have a 5, but the biggest benefit I can see is that having the low B solves a lot of positioning problems. For instance, being able to in Bb up by the 6th fret rather than the first makes a lot of sense to me.

 

No.

(gee, how hard was that?...)

 

Ok, serious answer. I have a lot of basses and all but one are four or five strings. Four string to me is like visiting a favorite childhood hangout. It will always feel like home. That being said, I have found myself gravitating towards 5's in most band or jam scenarios. I don't really think about it as 4 vs 5 though, I appreciate the added flexibility and it can still do everything my 4 can. I like how I can walk up to the low E and also not adjust tunings when playing a song in Eb or D. When demoing instruments, I don't really care how many strings there are because I'm approaching the instrument with a different mindset. In jamming and band scenarios, the extra range is like additional vocabulary to use in your musical conversations and that's never a bad thing (unless you over overdo it on the low B... LOL)

 

6s are huge. I hate trying to play them. 5s are big enough to be uncomfortable, but familiar enough to make it work.

My suggestion, buy a 4, and cut the nut to a .130 and on