Does a 4-string bass become obsolete after picking up a 5-string?

[MoeTown1986]

I own both and gig both. They have their place.

 

[Marc valero]

I have a 1990 Stingray 5 and two other fivers, my 88 or 89 Stingray 4 hasn't been touched since 1991. I am strictly a five-string player, but there are still plenty of four-string players in my area among the older crowd in my age group and I don't think too many of them tune down at all.

 

[bluesblaster]

How did we get people from place to place before we had SUVs with 3 rows of seats?

Just fine, as long as we didn't have more people than fit into our cars. If we did, we had to take 2 cars or 2 trips. For those situations, the SUVs are really useful!

It all started back in the wild west with stage coaches

 

[Altitude]

I don't disagree with you, except on the jazz thing I would much rather hear an upright in that situation as you probably surmised I'm a little traditional that way

Actually I agree, that would be an inefficiency of my example. I am a doubler personally.

 

[bluesblaster]

As a long time fan of the grateful dead's music, I thought Phil Lesh's playing was more inventive before he went to the six , maybe its the idea of getting more from less

 

[Loring]

The only thing limited is your thinking--- I don't hate on 5s but 99% of every good bassline ever played was played on a 4. Marcus Miller is limited? Mark King is limited? the list goes on for miles. Ha, good joke.

IMO_ 5's are for lazier players who want to corner-camp at one position (usually 5th fret) and LIMIT their playing, vs more adventurous 4-string bassists who play the whole neck of the bass.

IME- The only thing I would want a 5 for is to play the low E-Flat tunes. But the extra weight, muting requirements, price, neck width, etc... isn't worth it for me- when I can tune down my 4- in 30 seconds.

Like that Myung guy sheesh so lazy!

 

[sean_on_bass]

My 5-string never made my 4 string obsolete. In fact i sold the 5 and went back to 4 and have been there quite a while. Call me old school, but my bass heroes generally play 4 string basses. But at the end of the day its different tools for different situations. I do hope to own a 5 string and even more so a 6 string in the future.

 

[scowboy]

Interesting thread for me right now. I've been playing since I was a teen in the early 80's and became active again about 15 years ago. My biggest heroes are many of the usual suspects of that era, John, Geddy, Rocco and Bernard; all really awesome 4-string players. When I started playing again I was strictly a 4-string player and then shortly after I started playing gain and after three or four attempts became comfortable with a 5-string. FWIW, after playing many 5-string basses ranging from $700 to $4500 the Stingray 5H remains my 5-string bass of choice.

Now to the point of this thread...I've probably bought and sold 40-50 basses in the past 15 or so years. For me, the GAS has slowed way down in the last couple of years and I find my self focusing on keeping or getting basses I really want to hang on to long term.

I currently have one 5-string and three 4-string basses. I just bought another 4-string this past week and I'm looking to buy one more bass. I go through all this to say that I'm always attracted to 4-string basses but the reality of it is I almost always play my Stingray 5. In my current search for that fifth bass I was gravitating again to 4-strings but I'm constantly having to check myself and think about getting another 5-string because I do play my 5-string more than any of the others (two is always better than one right?).

Ugh the struggles...

 

[Zimborg]

Yeah, I tried the BEAD thing for a very brief period, but quickly discovered that I still needed a G string - so, it was time to conquer the 5 string, because 4 strings were too limiting in "some* circumstances... That's not a matter of "don't want to", the range of notes needed simply isn't there...

I've tried 6 strings, but really don't need the notes a high C gives, and don't care for necks that wide - but I can certainly see how they work for some players...

FWIW, I actually prefer to play 4 strings, as I find them easier to play, and definitely easier to "perform" with - but some of my paying gigs require a 5 string, so that's what I use in those cases...

So your preferences and circumstances seem to suggest 5 strings as the right tool. Thats a highly individualized set of reasons. This speaks in no way to blanket instrument superiority.

The right instrument inspires you and fill the musical holes in the group you’re playing with.

 

[bikeplate]

Nope

 

[ClusterFlux]

It should be obvious from the various reactions that different players have different needs and preferences.

Ultimately, there is no way to know what you personally will prefer, until you spend a little time using different instruments. If it turns out that you need or prefer a 5-string over 4-string, well, it is what it is. Worrying about it in advance will not eliminate any requirements to use a 5-string, or what preferences you subsequently develop.

 

[mesaplayer83]

So your preferences and circumstances seem to suggest 5 strings as the right tool. Thats a highly individualized set of reasons. This speaks in no way to blanket instrument superiority.

The right instrument inspires you and fill the musical holes in the group you’re playing with.

I'm not aware that I ever insinuated that any instrument was "more superior" than any other - although I do advocate using the right tool for the job at hand...

 

[Eikari]

Why exclude something, rhat doesnt my seafare vessel.

Variety is the spice of life.

 

[blue4]

5s are nice, I own one and play one occasionally. I can tune a 4 to BEAD and play anything that I can on the 5. Any note on the G string can be found higher up on the other strings. I may not be able to park on the 5th fret and not shift my hand for an entire set on my 4 like I can on the 5 but that certainly doesn't come close to making the 4 obsolete. Why would someone brag about playing a 5, when there are guys playing 6s or more? For that matter, why have this thread every week or so?

Uh oh, looks like the 5 is obsolete too.

 

[bwoodman]

Instead of worrying about obsolescence, enjoy them both.

Exactly - in fact, get a double gig bag and take them both to gigs - I've done this for years because it's nice to have a backup + takes the stress out of deciding which one to take!

 

[iriegnome]

Short answer.. Nope.

 

[NOVAX]

Even Doris (one of the few to make a fiver look cool) reverts back to the lowly four when she wants to.

 

[mesaplayer83]

Exactly - in fact, get a double gig bag and take them both to gigs - I've done this for years because it's nice to have a backup + takes the stress out of deciding which one to take!

I do the same thing - I used an Incase Dub for years, and now have a Mono M80 double...

 

[Luciferiad]

If you're playing drop D and you need an open D, then a four string tuned accordingly is really the way to go. I play fivers exclusively, but I can tell you there are a few basslines out there that are really a bear to wrangle on an E-standard tuned 5. Everlong by Foo Fighters or Slither by Velvet Revolver are a couple I have played both ways. While neither is particularly difficult, without the open D they just don't come out quite right.

Or maybe I'm not any good. That's always a possibility.

 

[LowEndOperative]

I use a fiver and a fourer nightly.