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Five- or Six-String Players: How much would you miss your low B, really?

#41
I use the B and C all the time. For my death metal band I could easily forego the high C, but couldn't do without any of the other strings. For my atmospheric metal outfit I suppose I could lose the C and just play up stupidly high on the D string, but I would prefer to keep the C for ease of playing.

I learnt to play on a four, but never felt comfortable with it. Five was better, but always felt like something was missing. I got a six a few years ago, and from day one I knew that six strings was the way to go for me.
 
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#42
The past two years I have been playing 4 string uke basses after a few decades of 6 string standard scale and extra long scale basses. I find that there are times I can definitely use the low B but the high C is starting to confuse me during playing. As a result, I am in the final stages of having a hand built 5 string uke bass being completed and when that happens I will most likely jettison (sell) my beloved Status Graphite 6 fretless. (Not because of the 6 strings, but because of pinky and ring finger pain on the fretting hand when playing standard scale for more than 15 minutes). It will be a bummer, but I'd rather see that great bass get more playing time and I know Rob Green would too.
 
#44
I use my 5-strings primarily for songs that have dropped tunings, so i don't have to detune one of my 4s. As others have mentioned, I tend to play more across with them, but it's a bit of a work in progress.
So, I guess as long as I didn't want to do those things, I could get by without the B just fine...:(
 
#47
I had this crisis of conscience 25 years ago. How much do I miss having the low B? Not at all. But I do like having a low D available to me. For years I just tuned down when I needed the low D, but now I use Hipshot Bass Xtenders. However, I still have my 5, and over the weekend I've been trotting it out and having a lot of fun playing it. Not nearly enough fun to start playing 5's on a regular basis again :D but it IS fun again.
 
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#49
With my currentest band (on hiatus right now), I couldn't live without it. I tried the d-tuner thing for a while, but I couldn't improvise with it. I have a 4 that is (was?) my favorite bass, and I have considered going BEAD on it, but that would require some relearning, and I just can't justify it. It's not so much a genre thing as much as tranposing for the vocal. Even transposing to higher keys, the B gives me more options. Sometimes when they go up, I go low.

I prefer 5 string spacing, as has been previously mentioned.

I can't think of a single reason to give it up.
 
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#50
I liked a high C over a low B on the five strings. So I went E-C.

Six string, I played more across the neck, and I enjoyed the noodling possibilities and looping fun. Bass lows, chords, higher noodling.

The six string sold, and I decided to focus my bass selections on light weight, 19mm string spacing, four strings.

The five strings are gone, a couple of the four strings have de-tuners on the E strings, and I’m now comfortable with a drop D.

I’m learning how to work with octave pedal options.

TLDR: I’ll take a 7.5 lb four string anyday over the few extra low notes.
 
#52
i have 1 5 string and until I become famous and gig all the time thats how it will stay. mostly in recordings I just need a 4 string and prefer it, but live if i have even 1 low note below E I will use my 5 string. Current band I play in mostly has 1 song with a low C released and maybe one on the next record so ill use my 5 for live. In the studio though my 4s are easier.
 
#55
Depending on the gig, I'd miss the low B more than the open G string. That's why for most church music I play a BEAD 4-string. Still love my 5 string, but mostly I play 4 string now.
 
#57
A lot of it depends on what kind of music I'm playing. I do a lot of Swing gigs on upright, and it's more comfortable for me to do slap funk on a 4 string electric. But I'm also in bands where the guitarist uses open tunings and that low D (as well as the notes below it on the B string) is really useful...and I enjoy using the upper C when I'm taking solos or for those moments where I'm doing some chordal backup. My solution is...more basses.
 
#58
I know this reply will be buried but while playing church/praise music I used the low B regularly. Of course the keyboard stomped on my space as much as possible but when she wasn't there, it sat just where it needed to. For our last gig, I only brought a 4 and had to drop the E down to D on the fly for some songs.
 
#60
Not one bit.
My Five has been strung EADGC since 2005, I bought a six last year kept it standard for a little bit to see if my taste had changed,
I changed it to be EADGCF and have been happy with it ever since. I don't see myself having a low B unless I get a seven string or an instrument with an extended range fingerboard like an Ibanez SRF706 (I want one) and that's mostly because I'd string it with Thomastik Jazz Flats.
 
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