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Does it make sense to own the same bass in different string combinations ?

M

Mauricio Moldes

Jul 22, 2018
5
1
#1
Dear Fellow Talk Bass users,

My name is Mauricio Moldes, and I am writing to you from sunny Barcelona - Catalonia.
I have been playing guitar since I was 15 ( currently 30), and in the last 3 years, made a change to bass.

Started with a 150$ used Jazz Bass copy (Invalid Link Removed), and about 1 year ago, acquired a used Ibanez SR300E (200$ used )

IMG_20180616_193230.jpg

I normally buy my instruments used, to get the best "bang-for-euro", and generally I am capable of performing simple maintenance on them.

Recently I have joined a new covers project, that has a keyboard and a female singer, with the objective of playing live bars once per week.
This raises the necessity to re-arrange the tunes that I am used to playing in their standard key.

Here is one of my previous projects, playing QTOSA - In my Head.


I am searching for my first 5 string bass. To accommodate for the diversity of tunes we are playing and the range of the keyboard.

As a non-professional musician ( I am bioinformatician, working in biomedical research), does it make any sense to have the same bass in different configurations (ie a ibanez SR 300 4 string, and a ibanez SR 305 5 string).
The question arises as I really love, the diversity of sounds this bass is capable of, not accounting for the lightweight and small body!

Looking forward for your expert opinions,

Cheers from Barcelona,

IMG_20180613_114617.jpg


 
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#3
Hi, welcome! It make sense to me to do that, If you love that model of bass, get it in 5 string. Myself, I stopped playing 4's in general and just have a 5 (my main player is actually a 6 string). If you do get the 5 string version, do yourself a favor and learn to really use that low B string as more than a thumb rest until you need lower notes- it has more benefits than that, for instance up above the 5th fret you are into the 'normal' range of the bass, only, higher up the neck in a more comfortable spot, to rest your arm a bit.
 
#4
Mauricio Moldes said:
As a non-professional musician ( I am bioinformatician, working in biomedical research), does it make any sense to have the same bass in different configurations (ie a ibanez SR 300 4 string, and a ibanez SR 305 5 string).
Click to expand...

Whatever works for you. Some players are happy to switch between 4 and 5 string basses. I'm not.

What worked for me was putting the 4 string bass away and only playing the 5. When I was comfortable on the 5 I found I didn't want to play anything else. That was over 25 years ago.
 
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#8
Yes, it makes a lot of sense to me. If you like a certain bass with 4 strings, why not have the same with 5 strings if you need a 5'er? But then I have three of the same exact bass so..
 
#9
I thought you were talking about having multiples of the same exact bass (3 four string Jazzes for example). I see no issues with having multiple of any kind of guitar if you're into alternative tunings. I made mention here at TB once about having a 5 string in alternate tuning and everybody here acted like I had 2 heads. It's still tuned that way and it works well for the one song I play it in. I need a sequence of harmonics that are significantly easier to play in an alternative tuning.
 
#11
Instead of buying multiple basses, you could get a Roland GR-55 and Roland GK-3B (I bought my complete rig used for under $525 in mint condition). Then use alternate tuning patches. 1 stomp, new tuning.

I find that the GR-55 tracks better on bass than it ever did on guitar...

On a 4 string you could have the following tunings:
  • EADG
  • BADG
  • ADGC
  • BEAD
those are the standard 4 string tunings before you get a little crazy...
 
#12
I have a 5 and a 6 of the same model. Got the 6 and liked the way it felt and played, wanted a 5 because that’s what I’m most comfortable with.
All I will add is this, instead of jumping right on to another soundgear this would be an excellent opportunity to find something new and try it out. Even if you end up on the soundgear you might find something you like even more.
 
#14
Mauricio Moldes said:
Dear Fellow Talk Bass users,

My name is Mauricio Moldes, and I am writing to you from sunny Barcelona - Catalonia.
I have been playing guitar since I was 15 ( currently 30), and in the last 3 years, made a change to bass.

Started with a 150$ used Jazz Bass copy (Invalid Link Removed), and about 1 year ago, acquired a used Ibanez SR300E (200$ used )

View attachment 3089741

I normally buy my instruments used, to get the best "bang-for-euro", and generally I am capable of performing simple maintenance on them.

Recently I have joined a new covers project, that has a keyboard and a female singer, with the objective of playing live bars once per week.
This raises the necessity to re-arrange the tunes that I am used to playing in their standard key.

Here is one of my previous projects, playing QTOSA - In my Head.


I am searching for my first 5 string bass. To accommodate for the diversity of tunes we are playing and the range of the keyboard.

As a non-professional musician ( I am bioinformatician, working in biomedical research), does it make any sense to have the same bass in different configurations (ie a ibanez SR 300 4 string, and a ibanez SR 305 5 string).
The question arises as I really love, the diversity of sounds this bass is capable of, not accounting for the lightweight and small body!

Looking forward for your expert opinions,

Cheers from Barcelona,

View attachment 3089751


Click to expand...

If you love your bass, but want a 5th string, it makes sense to me. Cant go wrong with what you already love. But, you'll never know what's out there without trying something new either.
 
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#17
Mauricio Moldes said:
I am searching for my first 5 string bass. To accommodate for the diversity of tunes we are playing and the range of the keyboard.

As a non-professional musician ( I am bioinformatician, working in biomedical research), does it make any sense to have the same bass in different configurations (ie a ibanez SR 300 4 string, and a ibanez SR 305 5 string).
The question arises as I really love, the diversity of sounds this bass is capable of, not accounting for the lightweight and small body!
Click to expand...

Mauricio: my best advice is, do whatever makes *YOU* happy! And welcome to Talkbass! :)
 
#20
JimmyM said:
An advantage that can't be overstated if you like to use more than one bass but don't want to deal with EQ and volume differences.
Click to expand...

I have one jazz fretted and one fretless I use and I like that they have the same output and similar tone (enough so that the room EQ isn’t thrown off).

I’m planning on bringing three basses to an audition this week and am wondering am I nuts?
 
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