Found a song that’s better on 4 string

[Malak the Mad]

MtM, I bought it as a 'hot rod' piece to up-rate the pickups, etc., but it's more than good enough as-is. I have no illusion it'll replace an Ultra or Elite, etc., but for the money, it is very impressive, and more importantly, I have really, really enjoyed it.

And isn't that what really counts…one's own personal, musical enjoyment no matter how much or little it cost?

It's amazing how much bass you can buy for so little vs. back when I started out in the Fred Flinstone days in the 70's.

From what I've seen 'round these parts, that seems to be true. (I didn't buy my first bass until 2011)

But, just to be the nit-picky "animation nerd" that I am, the Flintstones were practically extinct by the Seventies, except in syndicated reruns. No, my friend, the Flintstones go back to a day when this was considered "socially acceptable".

 

[dmt]

I've played fives only since the mid-80's. For some reason, I bought a James Johnson Signature Jazz Squire (I think it was the Lake Placid Blue with the matching headstock that sucked me in). First four I'd owned since 1988.

OK, so I'll own up: For certain straight up and down rock tunes in E or A, it's just a return to my beginner days banging along on open E and A and D for certain things. Stones. Mellencamp. Petty. You know, THAT stuff. There, OK, I said it.

I can always go back to the five for that Steely Dan stuff . . . . .

 

[bluesblaster]

All the classic steely dan records were done on a four string, ask Chuck Rainey if you dont believe me. The five string didnt appear until Gaucho came out with Anthony Jackson on some tracks

 

[JW56789]

All the classic steely dan records were done on a four string, ask Chuck Rainey if you dont believe me. The five string didnt appear until Gaucho came out with Anthony Jackson on some tracks

Well DMT and BBlaster, I'd have to admit I'm NOT Walter Becker or Chuck Rainey, who obviously cut a lot of their catalog on four-string axes.

But for me a lot of the Dan catalog 'falls under my fingers' a little easier (especially 'Josie' out of E-flat or D)on a five, but that's what happens when you're a mere mortal alongside master musicians. Those big footprints are easy to track, but mighty hard to walk in.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

I only play 4-strings, I've never really been able to do much with 5- or 6-strings compared to what I can do with a 4, it's like I'm too dumb to remember what the other strings are and I can't improvise on them in real-time, haha! I know that sounds silly, but it's true. I'm sure I could figure out whatever I needed to on a more, um, string-enhanced instrument, but I've never felt the need and therefore haven't done so.

In short, yes, I know EXACTLY what you're talking about, haha!

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

This really hits home for me. I've been playing modulus quantum six fretless and fretted for quite awhile. Moved to a new town and joined a old school funk band recently. I've never been comfortable slapping on a six so I just avoided it. At a gig the drummers wife asked me if I could slap. I couldn't really answer the question and after some soul searching decided I needed to play a four to be stylistically correct for the band. Nothing I owned was really right. Found a 2013 natural ash with maple neck music man classic stingray on reverb. Got it 5 days before a gig and went through the song list to get the 4 string positions under my fingers. I hadn't slapped for a long time but the bass basically begs to be slapped and it was easy to pick up where I left off. I never owned a stingray so don't know if this is typical but this bass is acoustically the loudest bass I have ever owned and very resonate & just sounds amazing through an amp. I love the slab body and birds eye maple neck. On the gig it was a winner all round with lots of positive comments from audience members and smiles from band members. Now that we are on lockdown I'm rediscovering the joys of the four string in heavy practice.

Yeah, Music Man basses do indeed normally just scream to be slapped, popped, and otherwise funked, and all I've ever played or owned have also been unusually resonant and acoustically loud. They spend a LOT of time/effort on wood selection and neck joints.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

I have found this especially with downtuned songs, specifically dropped D. Used to try to play it all on my 5 string but feel better when tuned appropriately. Thinking of getting a 4 string just for dropped D. I find this somewhat for Eb tuning, but not nesrly to the same extent.

I have a bass I keep tuned a step down and one B-D for when I need them, more than 4 is just too many for me. If it's physically possible to play on 4-string, I play it better on 4-string. I guess just muscle memory and such.

 

[Thegrandwazoo]

MtM, I bought it as a 'hot rod' piece to up-rate the pickups, etc., but it's more than good enough as-is. I have no illusion it'll replace an Ultra or Elite, etc., but for the money, it is very impressive, and more importantly, I have really, really enjoyed it.

It's amazing how much bass you can buy for so little vs. back when I started out in the Fred Flinstone days in the 70's.

Hell, I started in like 1998 and the difference is immediately apparent when I pick up a 300-dollar bass nowadays.

 

[Watchootognbout]

All the classic steely dan records were done on a four string, ask Chuck Rainey if you dont believe me. The five string didn't appear until Gaucho came out with Anthony Jackson on some tracks

Anthony Jackson never had a five string bass.

It was his detuned "Career Girl" Fender Jazz.
His six string Contrabass was still in development.

 

[lowphatbass]

Different strokes I’d say. I approach things differently on a 4 string than a 5 string. All my basses are pretty decent so I’m probably the biggest factor. I can’t speak much for 6 strings as it’s never been my thing.

 

[Jim Carr]

These posts always freak me out a bit because I believe there is a totally unrealistic sense of a given Musician’s worth in 99% of the cases . When I hear a song I’m listening to the melody, lyrics and underlying chord structure. The bass, the guitar etc. are probably the last things on my mind. I don’t want to hear things through the myopic lens of a musician.

it’s even more pronounced when a bass player thinks that their work defines or determines if a recording makes or breaks a piece of music. Five string, four string, eight string or whatever, the listener doesn’t care.

A solid composition stands on its own. If someone wants to argue that song X is driven by the bass line, then fine, but I’m talking about 99% of what I hear.

While I agree that "A solid composition stands on its own, the phrase "...hearing things through the myopic lens of a musician" gives me pause. The implication is that one is looking from too close a vantage point and thus misses something that is not in focus from where the (nearsighted? shortsighted?) viewer is.

Besides the mixed metaphors of nearly identical meaning, i.e., "narrow lens" (missing the big picture by not looking) + "myopic point of view" (can not see the forest for the trees) = "myopic lens," the notion that a good musician cannot combine a clear view of details that pertain to his/her part with a deep understanding of the whole composition is, IMHO, mistaken.

IME, a bassist who does not listen beyond the bass line is a poor musician, and is, by definition then, a poor bassist.

 

[Mannyinnewyork]

Sure thing doctor.

 

[frankie5string]

Anthony Jackson never had a five string bass.

It was his detuned "Career Girl" Fender Jazz.
His six string Contrabass was still in development.

Anthony Jackson's 6 string bass came out and was in use by him before any contemporary 5 string design came out. He had a few by CT and KS/Fodera before "The Contrabass" was designed and produced.

 

[Bassdirty]

So it's okay if I think of my four as 3 two strings, stuck together?

NO!
Its 4 one strings.

Years ago, a band I was in was doing the song "slither" by Velvet Revolver. The song isn't difficult to play, but almost every other note (or 2) is an "open D string" between some higher fretted notes, that way you play D(open string), then keep your hand position up high to play the fretted in between, but on the same string. Which is how Duff plays it on his 4 string.(Oh, Duff)

I only play 5 string and it was a Bi-atch to keep hitting the D on the fat string, and skip up with middle and ring fingers 2 strings up quickly and cleanly, like the record.

I finally just gave in and dropped the E down to a D so It would sound (and play) like the recording. Was MUCH easier, and sounded better too.
That was the only time I had to change tunings on my fiver.

Now, that said, even if I played a 4 string, I still would have to drop the E to a D, so this story has almost nothing to do with the topic at hand.

I like the 5. I can do all I need with it. I like the spacing (on my Ibbys). And I can slap on it (well, as much as I care to, that is).

T$

 

[Bassdirty]

All the classic steely dan records were done on a four string, ask Chuck Rainey if you dont believe me. The five string didnt appear until Gaucho came out with Anthony Jackson on some tracks

While this is true, I would guess that If 5ers were common "back then", Walter Becker would have used one..or more.

 

[Bassdirty]

But, just to be the nit-picky "animation nerd" that I am, the Flintstones were practically extinct by the Seventies, except in syndicated reruns. No, my friend, the Flintstones go back to a day when this was considered "socially acceptable".

Love that flintstones commercial..ah, the good ole days.

BUT, I believe his [J Wilsons] point wasn't "when the flintstones were or weren't on television". My guess from reading his post was that in the 70's - When J. Wilson Started playing bass/shopping for bass the choices and "beginner/entry level" gear was like the "Flintstone ages". (Like basses were made from logs or carved stone type of situation, ya know, like the FLINTSTONES.)

As Usual, here to help.
As usual however, I could be completely wrong.

 

[littlebooner]

NO!
Its 4 one strings.

Years ago, a band I was in was doing the song "slither" by Velvet Revolver. The song isn't difficult to play, but almost every other note (or 2) is an "open D string" between some higher fretted notes, that way you play D(open string), then keep your hand position up high to play the fretted in between, but on the same string. Which is how Duff plays it on his 4 string.(Oh, Duff)

I only play 5 string and it was a Bi-atch to keep hitting the D on the fat string, and skip up with middle and ring fingers 2 strings up quickly and cleanly, like the record.

I finally just gave in and dropped the E down to a D so It would sound (and play) like the recording. Was MUCH easier, and sounded better too.
That was the only time I had to change tunings on my fiver.

Now, that said, even if I played a 4 string, I still would have to drop the E to a D, so this story has almost nothing to do with the topic at hand.

I like the 5. I can do all I need with it. I like the spacing (on my Ibbys). And I can slap on it (well, as much as I care to, that is).

T$

Slither is one of the songs I drop tuned on my 5er as well. Stars( by Switchfoot), Spoonman (Soundgarden) and eventually Evenflow (Pearl Jam) as well. They weren't unplayable on the 5 string, just sounded better otherwise.

 

[bluesblaster]

While this is true, I would guess that If 5ers were common "back then", Walter Becker would have used one..or more.

purely speculative, but perhaps.

I did look through some of his estate sale catalog and dont recall any, he had lots of vintage stuff and quite few sadowsky's

 

[jdh3000]

I feel at home on a 4 string. I've tried playing 5 and I know I could get used to it, but there is something that keeps drawing me to a four... I'd like to get a 5 string and get familiar with it.

I would like to be to be good enough to have it with me to pick up on a few songs, but would still play 4 most of the time... It's just in my head I know...but what else do I have?

 

[Malak the Mad]

Love that flintstones commercial..ah, the good ole days.

BUT, I believe his [J Wilsons] point wasn't "when the flintstones were or weren't on television". My guess from reading his post was that in the 70's - When J. Wilson Started playing bass/shopping for bass the choices and "beginner/entry level" gear was like the "Flintstone ages". (Like basses were made from logs or carved stone type of situation, ya know, like the FLINTSTONES.)

As Usual, here to help.
As usual however, I could be completely wrong.

I don't doubt Wilson knew where my heart and head were with my response. But if I need to spell it out, I saw an opportunity to be the "self-ascribed animation nerd" that I am AND share a weird little bit of history with the young'uns AND hopefully spark a little laughter during these strange days.