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Does anyone still play a 4-string?

#21
owned one 5 string. got rid of it after a year. just doesn't feel right to me.

i've ben playing many years, many different types of music, and never once needed a 5 string. the only time i ever played in a band that absolutely required goin that low, i restrung my bass BEAD. it was fine. i was surprised to learn how uneeded the G string was. i even had something go wrong with my G string once, and got through an entire set, no problem.

a drop D tuning has taken care of any other situation i've ran into.

i hate to admit but i think i've developed some sort of predjudice towards the use of more than 4 strings. i can just almost understand 5 strings, as i know it makes a lot of things easier for particular kinds of music, but anything past that makes me cringe when i see someone on stage with it. it looks really pretentious and unneccesary to me. if i see anyone with more than 5 stings on a stage they've got to work really hard to win me over. they've got to be god(ess)like on bass or i'm going to think they're trying to compensate for in their bass, what they don't have in their fingers and hearts. just my take on it, not lookin to start nuthin here.


 
#23
Joe Nerve, I understand what you mean. I use to be one of those players who though "Hey...I am an ok bass player. If I buy this six string, I'll be a really good bass player!"

Uh....No....

Unfortunatley, I just became an ok bass player with a six string. I would have been a much better player spending that 500.00 on lessons. I play a five string mostly but I have been eye balling the 4 stringers again. I used the sixer as a back up. Ironically, I got more compliments on my playing when I used the six string. Most of the compliments were from non-musicians who thought the sixer looked cool.

I don't mean to poke anybody with a sharp stick either. I can only speak from what I have done and observed. I think a lot of players could be better if they dropped a couple of grand on lessons, or music classes than on a new bass. :ninja:
 
#24
i play a 4 because it's how i express myself the best. i really like the sound of even deeper notes, but i've found that bass guitars are not the optimum medium for the creation of those notes for the sounds i like. 5 string basses always seem to have too much 2nd harmonic low midness to the sound that really turns me off.

i've played a zon before, though, that made both fretless and 5 string sound good in my hands. that was a really nice bass. still, it's not what i'm looking to do with my bass.

robb.
 
#29
I play progressive metal with a guitarist that uses a 7 string on some songs. I find it handy to have that extra string there for hit'n a g or f at higher positions on the neck and for that occasional low D. It sure would be nice to only have to worry about 4 strings though...

I know a guy that plays a 3 string. He doesn't seem to think that the low b or the high g are necessary. It's a custom, one-off of course.
 
#30
This is a VERY crude estimation but I believe I saw these statistics...

57% of basses sold are 4 strings
30% of basses sold are 5 strings
13% of basses sold are 6 strings

I am not shure if it is Precise, but it is close to this, I wish I had the link :hmm:

But I personally dont like 4 strings that much, I really need the sixth string in my music for solo's.

If you ever get the chance to see Otiel Burbridge you will understand what I mean, He bassically plays a five string till he solo's, I play the same way, When a solo comes up I play in the Higher fretts using all six strings. Plus I am a fan of high notes...

I have heared people say "I dont think guitarists should use Seven strings, They should leave the low stuff to us" (From an anotomus 6 String player :hmm: ) So then y bother using anything but "B-E-A" There is no point using the other strings using that logic...

I play Funk, Blues, Jazz, and Progressive Metal. Now when I play Funk and Jazz, I usually just use four strings (not using the B or C string) But I would like it there if I decide to use it...
 
#31
I don't ever want to get a five string mostly because I hate how the necks are always too flat. Never felt the need to go lower than open E. If I ever was required to play lower notes, I'd just string one of my basses B, E, A, D. I don't find anything really wrong with five strings, but they're just not for me.
 
#32
Who was the bassist who said, "I don't want my bass to look like the Santa Monica Freeway"? That's where I am at. I look at most low-B stuff as nu-metal territory and after playing four-stringers all my life, I think I am in fine company.
 

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