Every "true" bassist needs a 6-string bass.

[Mytola]

If six string bass means a Bass VI, every player should give that a whirl.

So much this! I bit the bullet a while ago and now I use it for both my bands. Love that thing.

 

[Lefty Joe]

My first reaction is: sounds like someone hasn't discovered the magic of a good pitch-shifter. But that overlooks the great usefulness of being able to play across the neck in different positions when there are additional strings ... something that has rarely mattered to me, but enables a lot of others to do some pretty awesome playing. So, y'know, diff'rent strokes ...

 

[Ralph Manak]

You are the true bassist (and true to you bassist) you are with whatever bass you play.

 

[Fuzzbass]

C'mon, man. A true bassist plays a bass, end of story. The particulars of the chosen bass are irrelevant.

I wanted to vote "100% disagree", but couldn't because of the Jaco silliness in the poll description. In other words: I disagree 100% with the poll title, but I'm not bigoted against sixers.

 

[Sean150]

No true bassist worries about being a true bassist.

 

[REV]

I seem to remember reading on this site somewhere that Jaco only needed 4 strings.

 

[kesslari]

I really dislike the wording of "no".
I wouldn't say that every "true" bassist needs a 4 string bass, either.
It's like a 12 lb sledgehammer. Some people work better with a 10 pounder, or with an 8 pounder. Nobody "needs" to use a particular variant of a tool.

 

[Dincrest]

Depends on the gig. Like if you're a pit player for musical theater, on Broadway or something, you probably want a 6-string bass so you can easily transpose between keys (different songs in different keys), and especially if you're playing scores for multiple plays. There's musical scores that have bass players using the low notes of the low B and the high notes of the high C, particularly modern musicals.

 

[dune]

There's a logical flaw in the premise and/or polling language: "You do you" is not consistent with "Every True Bassist Needs A 6-String" because that implies that "you" are not a "true bassist"

Semantics ftw!

I think that the OP chose his words carefully and that the implied insult was not unintended. In that, however, he's simply taking a cue from today's media by writing the headline in the most provocative, trolly/clickbaity manner possible. I think it's clearly having the desired effect.
Sensationalism FTW.

 

[CletusMarley]

This is the only 6 string I've been playing lately.

 

[sleddogn]

4 banger's only and low strung...only way to fly

 

[bigdaddybass12]

Ohhh come on, we all know the more strings your bass has the better you are!!

 

[corvette_br]

My ideal answer would be "100% disagree that a true bassist needs a 6-string bass. You do you". I say that having played a six-string as my main instrument for the last 31 years.

 

[DuluthDank]

I got to a point with the 4 string where I wanted to be more versatile as a player and musician. I thought about 6 string bass, but ended up going for 6 string guitar. I'm glad I did. Those high and low bass strings just aren't idiomatic for most of what I'm interested in, and guitar can slot in to pretty much any style. There's also something about 6 string bass that codes as "i'm an instrumentalist nerd". Nothing wrong with that, i was just interested in broadening my musical fundamentals, and i'm already nerdier than most.

 

[corvette_br]

Truly Scottish carrots.

I was about to comment that no true Scottsman would play a six-string.

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

Finally, some carrots.

 

[2saddleslab]

 

[five7]

Shoot, myaswell get a 7 string if you really want to man up.

 

[bholder]

choose the right tool for the job sometimes the six is needed sometimes not

 

[Lee Moses]

while being called a bass guitar

I don't believe that was true at its inception. That term came a little later, and even today is far from universal.