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For those who play 4-stringers only

Matthew_84

Matthew_84

Nov 7, 2010
6,497
5,101
Greater Toronto Area, Canada
#1
I'm sure this has been asked before, but here it goes anyway.

I own three basses, all of them are 4-stringers. I recently put a Hipshot Detuner on my Warwick Rockbass and I'm using the drop D position a lot more than I thought I would. It got me thinking that not only should I replace it with a 5-string bass, but that I should replace all of my basses with 5-string basses.

Every time I've played a 5-string, it did feel a bit weird in my hands. The strings either seemed too close and my fretting hand would be pressing the strings under my fingers too much, or the neck would feel too wide. I have never played a 5-string for more than five minutes at a time though, so I feel like on a narrower string spacing bass, I should get used to it after a couple of weeks. I also feel like it would help a tad to not only get faster string crossing shifts on my fretting hand, but also quicker fingerstyle strokes. I do not slap, so narrow string spacing isn't too much of a concern.

So for those who only play 4 stringers, I have to ask why? What is about 5's that you don't like? I know some bassist have played 5 stringers for years and then converted back to 4's. Why did you do this?

Thanks,

Matt
 
#4
Actually, I switch on and off between 4 and 5 stringers. . . Depends upon my mood and what we'll be playing that set.

However, I do dig a booming low D, so sometimes I just detune my E string, sometimes I use one of my octave options. Again, though, if I know I need those lower notes through B, I just snag the 5'er.

Most recently, though, my stage setup was totally overhauled. Wow. Everything hits the right way. In over 20 years of playing I finally sound 'right' with the 'right' power behind the notes. So, be sure to evaluate your sound reinforcement. You might already have what you need right at your feet.

Anyway, I'd recommend snagging yourself a 5 . . . And not replacing all your 4’s. Trust me, you'll miss them.
 
#7
I played 5's for about a decade in an originals band that was hard rock/ grunge type music. I didn't really use the B string like it was part of the bass. I played like I was on a 4 and only used the low notes for some accent in certain songs. After that band broke up I decided I could just do everything I want on a 4. I have nothing against 5's just prefer 4's.
 
#8
Through my years of electric playing I've gone from 4 to 5 to 6 & recently settled back on a 4. If you find yourself with a quality 5 or 6 string instrument it will have many ergonomic features to make it as comfortable to play as possible.

I recommend that if you've got a little bit of cash, you should look into picking up a used (or new depending on your budget) Lakland 55-02. Great bass for the money and then gig, play, practice, whatever with it & you'll eventually come to your conclusion.

I prefer the 4 because it's just my personal preference I guess & it was after a long road of trial & error searching for what I really wanted out of a bass. Although I will admit without hesitation that I do miss having the low B quite often.
 
#9
I've only played a 4 string for my 5 or 6 years. But i would love to invest in a 5 at some point. I really don't think it's be that dramatic of a learning curve, I prefer to be at one area of the neck and be able to reach all my notes, and I would like to not have tune my top string for the songs in drop. If I could easily convert my ric, I think I would do it. I think a six would be overkill for me, I don't need it. But a 5... Yeah.
 
#10
I just sold my two 5ers, and replaced them with 4 string models. I just prefer the feel of the smaller neck, and I can get lower tones through EQ or an octave pedal if I really want them in future. I use synths to get the super-low notes anyway.

With that said, I'm not a super-technical jazz player that whizzes up and down the neck, I can see how they would use 5's and 6's effectively.
 
#11
I feel like, for me, a 5 is one of those things where - if I happened upon one by chance I would have some fun with it and find some neat new things to do...but at the same time I never feel the urge to seek one out or buy one.

I do use drop D about 75% of the time, as well.
 
#13
When I started playing bass I didn't own one. A friend was the guitarist in a band who needed a bassist, and he lent me a bass to get started which was a 4 string.

I bought my own bass as soon as I could get the cash together, at the time I wasn't interested in buying anything other than fender. The only option i considered was P or J. It never occurred to me to even look at a 5 string (probably because I was already playing a 4). That was the only new bass I ever bought, and. All my others were second hand, and happened to be 4's, I've never even played a 5 string.

So basically I only play 4 string through circumstance and inertia.

I suppose I should try a 5. I might like it.
 
#17
I tried a 5-string some but didn't love it enough to stick with it, and as 95% of the songs my band plays wouldn't need it anyhow, I say stick to what I amggood at. iF 4-strings is enough for Billy Sheehan, Geddy, steve harris and countless others its' certainly fine for me.

(If I played more jazz fusion probably would try 5 string again)
 
#18
I always said I would never play a 5, and then moved to the D tuner as well and noticed I started using it more and more. One day I was trying to sell one of my basses and had a great trade offer for a SR 5. That is where I discoverd the flexibility of the 5 but also found out that I could not get used to the tight Stingray spacing. Finally picked up a Lakland 55-02. I can say that I have never ever had a bass I did not want to tweak in some way, new pups, new preamp etc etc until the 5502. It is just perfect for me and my style right now. I also love that I have so much more options when playing with the low B - especially in a cover band and a country rock side project. Of course YMMV. Down side is strings got more expensive!!!
 
#19
Depends on the gig I think. Used to be people avoided 5's because there weren't a lot of good amp/speakers that could reproduce the lower notes well. Speakers got better; Prog-Rock guys found a use for the extra string(s), and here we are today.
I'll note that Jamerson's "Bernadette" was done de-tuned to E flat; lots of classic R&B's are done on detuned basses.
When I was with a big-horn 'show band' I wound up getting a fiver to be flexible enough to do the R&B numbers in E flat & D without having to detune - but I did find the thing hard to slap. (Yes, I know I should be able to slap a fiver...still..working on that). Funny thing about big horn showbands is that THE big horn band's (TOP) bassist (Mr. Rocco Prestia) plays..a four. As does Larry Graham, etc.
I've gravitated back to the four(s) as I'm doing more '70s funk now, and the 5th string just kept getting in the way.
 
#20
I've just never felt the need to play that low, and I've never been in a band that called for it.

I did have, what was called at the time, an NS Electric Bass Cello that only came as a five string, so I had them string it with a high C instead of the B. It didn't feel any different and all it did was make it so I didn't have to shift positions as often.

Now that I have a fretless again I'm going to pick up an Aguilar Octamizer so I noodle around getting that Pino sound, but I still don't feel the need for a fiver. Nothing against them, just happy with four for the time being.
 

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