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Five string fears
- Thread starter jimmy rocket
- Start date
I switched from guitar to bass and, except for the first bass I ever bought (a 4 string ESP that returned two weeks later four a 5 string Jazz) all I've ever owned have been 5 strings. It took a while to adjust beacuse I still had EADG on my brain but that went away after some practice. I've owned 8 basses since then and all have been 5 strings.
I rarely use the lower notes on the B string, however I really like having the wider range of notes available in one position as well as being able to play the same lines farther away from the nut where the strings are closer together. For one thing it's easier to make longer reaches that way, but I also like having the option of the beefier tone of the lower strings.
I only rarely touch a 4 string and when I do I have a tough time with it. Oddly enough, on those rare occassions when I pull a guitar out of its case I have no real problem with it. I occassionally think about getting a cheap 4 string just to mess around with when I see a good buy here (especially a Geddy!), but it's never been a high enough priority for me to actually jump on one.
I say just do it. You'll quickly appreciate the extra flexibility you'll have with the fifth string and the adjustment usually doesn't seem to be too bad for most people.
I rarely use the lower notes on the B string, however I really like having the wider range of notes available in one position as well as being able to play the same lines farther away from the nut where the strings are closer together. For one thing it's easier to make longer reaches that way, but I also like having the option of the beefier tone of the lower strings.
I only rarely touch a 4 string and when I do I have a tough time with it. Oddly enough, on those rare occassions when I pull a guitar out of its case I have no real problem with it. I occassionally think about getting a cheap 4 string just to mess around with when I see a good buy here (especially a Geddy!), but it's never been a high enough priority for me to actually jump on one.
I say just do it. You'll quickly appreciate the extra flexibility you'll have with the fifth string and the adjustment usually doesn't seem to be too bad for most people.
I have one fiver out of four basses; my Yamaha TRB-1005. For me, it was all about finding a fiver that didn't feel like a fiver; a base on which I could easily ignore the B-string if I didn't need it. It's not quite that simple, but the Yammie turned out to be pretty darn close. I switch back and forth between my Yammie and my Jazz all the time, no troubles.
When you're looking for a fiver, look for one that has a wider nut spacing as fives go; your Jazz has a 19mm spacing at the bridge and a 1.625" nut. A fiver with similar string spacing will have the same bridge spacing and approximately a 2" nut. My Yammie has 18mm bridge spacing and a 1.7" nut, so it's a little narrower, but nothing like an Ibby or Warwick neck. Also look for a neck that feels similar to a four-stringer; the Yamaha is a flattened-D shape, which retains the thickness and contour of a four-string neck, it's just wider. A lot of fivers have either stretched or inflated necks which don't feel the same as the comparable four-string.
When you're looking for a fiver, look for one that has a wider nut spacing as fives go; your Jazz has a 19mm spacing at the bridge and a 1.625" nut. A fiver with similar string spacing will have the same bridge spacing and approximately a 2" nut. My Yammie has 18mm bridge spacing and a 1.7" nut, so it's a little narrower, but nothing like an Ibby or Warwick neck. Also look for a neck that feels similar to a four-stringer; the Yamaha is a flattened-D shape, which retains the thickness and contour of a four-string neck, it's just wider. A lot of fivers have either stretched or inflated necks which don't feel the same as the comparable four-string.
It gets easier to go back and forth with time. I did it up until I had a really narrow necked 5 and a really wide four... different number of strings on the same amount of fretboard. That was the last time I played a fiver, but I still itch for that low B sometimes.
This is my concern about getting a 5 string. I have large meaty fingers, and the only 4 string that feels comfortable to me is one with a 1 3/4" width at the nut, and 20mm string spacing at the bridge.
Now I know that I can get BN 5 string basses that have 20 mm string spacing, but I have only found one bass that might have the nut width that would be comfortable for me: the Modulus Quantum Wide 5 string is 2" at the nut. The problem is, there is not one anywhere near me to even try; I'm not sure the sound of the Modulus would work for the songs I like to play; the graphite neck may not feel or sound right; and at a mrsp of $4,100, I'm just not willing to even try to see if it MIGHT work.
Anyone know of a cheaper (than $4,100) 5 string bass, that has a warmer more "vintage" sounding bass, that also has a 2" nut width and wide string spacing?
Large fingers shouldn't be a deterrent. Did you ever see Jesse "Guitar" Taylor play? He had fingers like hot dogs, but he could play the absolute hell out of a Strat way up over the 12th fret.
Well, it is a bit more than just large fingers; it is also having had the joint replaced at the base of right thumb, and some restricted motion from having Dupuytren's Disease in my hands. So wider is really the only thing that works for me.
Everyone seems to have much praise for the transition to 5-string, yet I'm curious about something. No one in this thread, except myself, has mentioned the need to counter sympathetic string vibration.
Has everyone here also mastered the 'floating thumb' or some other method to rectify this phenomenon, or is it just being ignored?
As I mentioned in my post, that is really the ONLY thing that turned me off about Fivers (the need to completely change my right hand finger style to keep open strings from ringing out).
If there is a better/easier way, please let me in on it because I would be up for another try, if so...
Has everyone here also mastered the 'floating thumb' or some other method to rectify this phenomenon, or is it just being ignored?
As I mentioned in my post, that is really the ONLY thing that turned me off about Fivers (the need to completely change my right hand finger style to keep open strings from ringing out).
If there is a better/easier way, please let me in on it because I would be up for another try, if so...
When I first started out (with 6 strings), sympathetic string vibration was admittedly a pain. In my case, I'm primarily a pick player, so I use the heel of my thumb to mute lower strings and fretting hand fingers to mute higher strings. Works fine.
What I did was, I started practicing everything in keys that had NO open string notes. So when an open string started to vibrate, it sounded just terrible and demanded to be muted immediately. And I found I quickly developed habits, almost unconsciously, to shut this noise up. I also found using the palm of my picking hand works best at one certain angle between forearm and strings, at one certain strap length (wearing the bass quite high). So that's how it worked out, and that's what I do.
Someday in the distant future, I'll try 8 strings. But I know my muting technique works just dandy for 6 and 7 strings.
I use a 4 string tuned BEAD when I need the lower notes...I buy 5 string sets and pitch the g string.
The g string only gives you 5 higher notes, and being an old school bass player, I hang around the lower notes much more often...in fact, I can't think of an instant I even use the 5 highest notes.
The g string only gives you 5 higher notes, and being an old school bass player, I hang around the lower notes much more often...in fact, I can't think of an instant I even use the 5 highest notes.
+1I had played a four for about a year when I bought my first 5'er. I had band practice immediatly right after I bought the bass, I didn't have any time to try it out at all. I was used to the feel in about 30 minutes. I will never ever go back to a four string as my main bass again.
Got rid of my 4 strings. All I own are 5ivers. But, they arent everybody's bag of tea. I still enjoy playing a 4 once in a while. But, I like wide 5 necks.
You are not going to be comfortable moving from a 4 to 5 in an hour. Thats just not realistic by any stretch. You will need to give yourself a few weeks or even a months to really feel comfortable.
The hardest thing for me was to stop reaching for the B string when what I wanted was the E. That took me about 3 or 4 sessions. After that, I just played as before while always looking for ways to use the B, and using it more and more. I'd say I was comfortable after those 3 or 4 sessions, but proficiency with the B string took a bit longer.
Don't take the easy way out. Oftimes the only way to get past something is to go through it.
Well put. I could never totally replace a 4 with a 5. My technique is totally different between the two. Same way I use different techniques on my piccolo tuned Steinberger. I like wider spacing on a 4 and narrow on a 5 or 6. I like lower action on a 5 than my 4. I slap on 4 but don't like slapping on a 5.
I see each type of bass as a different instrument. Some folks play one bass and are perfectly happy, other prefer multiple basses. No right or wrong answer, just different answers for different people.
