Four bangers on the decline?

[Mulebagger]

+1 to Kwesi because I didn't think this thread would go 3 pages. Nice work and I dig your you tube stuff as well. Keep up the good work.

 

[Kwesi]

Muting a 6 was the toughest part for me too. Overall, I'm pretty comfortable with them but I don't feel like I make use of the higher notes enough yet to justify owning another one but I will some day soon. I prefer 17mm spacing to keep the neck width down. And I can still slap on it so it's all good, haha. Sixes are pretty big around my way especially in the churches. Those gospel guys are monsters on them too.

As an addendum, I agree that 5's seem to be the new sweet spot. 6+ strings, tho, are still a little bit fringe. I lived with a 6 as my main instrument for about the last 10 years and definitely noticed life is a little harder with a 6 - somewhat fewer choices in terms of instruments and strings than with 5's.

I can't think of a reason for this except perhaps ergonomics. 6+ stringers are still a bit of a handful, so to speak, compared to a 5. Could be string spacing and so on. Technical adjustments may be another reason, particularly learning to mute strings - that was the biggest change I had to make when I went to a 6. You still have that constraint with a 5, but perhaps you can get away with it more on the 5.

Fender may be another reason - they have only one 6 string model (the Steve Bailey) and SB himself apparently didn't have a good experience with Fender regarding that instrument. He's gone over to Warwick now. But they make quite a few 5 string basses now. The 4 is still their bread and butter, tho.

If I could score a new left hand I'd love to go back to my 6 full time. I do miss the extra range. I can get by on the 4 but can do so much more on a 5+....

LS

 

[madbassplaya]

We are all entitled to our opinions but let me add a little more info:

I have been playing 40 years. I was there when back in the day was today. I have a son that is 23 and has been playing 10 years and he is into all the metal and heavy rock with a background listing to my old stuff of course.

As a father, I spend a lot of time talking with him about music, watching his DVD's with him, and talking "shop".

During those 10 years of being open minded and looking at what the youth of today is listening to, I still joke with him and call it "chainsaw music" because it does not have the melody that is "necessary" to create hits that last, and the example I use is Ozzy. Listen to his nursery rhyme melodies the same as he used 40 years ago and they still sell today.

But.....and there is always a but, Listen to Geezer Butler playing bass compared to any that replaced him in the 35 odd years since. No comparison in the fullness, melody, note "selection" run fills and, where they are applied, in fact his bass lines become part of the melody being heard, part of the song instead of under the mix as a drone in rhythm chord mode.

I find I practice more these days than I ever did (at least 1-2 hours per day) and at one point I didn't practice anymore. I again listen to the bass players, the notes being played, how well they fit and compliment the meody line, the separation, tone, amount of cut in the mix right down to the gear and amps being used, if live.

Bass players have the best gear available in history. The guitars are made with Quality Control where once there was no such thing. The amps are light years improved over what was available 40 years ago but the skill level has gone way down so that instead of the charts being full of nice tones and great bass playing, you now have to search for a great player. They just are not there because their influcences were not that good either.

Let me finish by explaining it this way.

Look at guitar players today. Mostly crap compared to past decades.

Most young players still have to go back to Page, Hendrix, Townshend, Iommy, and creep forward to perhaps Zakk, Randy or Dime and now it is time to remember that these guys are now 25 years ago, and grew up on the same Page, Hendrix etc.

What does that tell you?

I get what you are saying. However, you cannot lump all 5 string bass players into the "pound the root" category. there are plenty of 4 string players who are not great musicians either.

Here's a 6 string player and there's no way he could do what he's doing on a 4 string: Adam Nitti

If those aren't well chosen notes "musical" notes, I don't know what is.

 

[Kwesi]

+1 to Kwesi because I didn't think this thread would go 3 pages. Nice work and I dig your you tube stuff as well. Keep up the good work.

Haha, thanks man . Honestly, I feel like I should've worded it different after all these responses. It kinda seems like people think I'm looking down on fours or convinced that their way out or something. I should've named the thread "5s on the rise?" or something. It even rhymes!

 

[SeayBass]

OK= how many of those dudes we see playing 4 strings also own and play 5 string? and vice versa? I got 4's, 5's, 6 too. I play them all- but most 'jobbing' requires only the 4 strings. On my hot-sh*t gigs, I bust out the all the toys, but 9/10 times I am called to play bass in the very traditional ensemble scenario.
I wish I got to do some of those smokin gospel gigs. That is AWESOME bass music.
And most of the brothers round here who play gospel and lots of slap/funky/smooth stuff have the 5's and 6's.
My vote: style/gig related.

 

[TomB]

Does it really have to be one or the other? I think it's great that so many players are taking such creative approaches to bass playing, the number of strings is just logistics, really, a means to an end. I would expect that all those configurations mentioned in the poll will survive in one fashion or another. ...hope so.

 

[Mulebagger]

right hand muting is definitely easier on a 17mm 6 but I like a 18-19 mm 6 for good clean slapping. The Status I have is the perfect mix but the volume and pan knobs sit where I like my hand sometimes. Such a bummer.

I've gone to stringing a Zon Sonus Custom E-C and find its easy to mute and not bad for some poppin either. Give that a try some time with you are jonesing for that 6 string feel

I will always keep a 4 string in my lineup because I just like playing one once in a while. It's good for the brain to adjust to different basses.

 

[unclejane]

Muting a 6 was the toughest part for me too. Overall, I'm pretty comfortable with them but I don't feel like I make use of the higher notes enough yet to justify owning another one but I will some day soon. I prefer 17mm spacing to keep the neck width down. And I can still slap on it so it's all good, haha. Sixes are pretty big around my way especially in the churches. Those gospel guys are monsters on them too.

Well, I sure did.... In fact, as soon as I picked up my first 6 in the store (a Washburn) I ran right over to the high C and used it for practically everything . That's why I walked out of the shop with that bass and a big hole in my credit card too. Didn't care about the ringing strings and stuff either, I was just so amazed at all the extra range I could get.

The muting technique (I personally went to the floating thumb) is a good investment on any bass, turned out for me. Even on the 4 I've found the muting to be really useful - didn't even know I had the occasional ringing string there either.

I wish Carvin would come out with the assymetical neck on their 6's. I've often thought that'd make the 6 accessible for me again. My BB76F neck is a bit of a baseball bat, tho it's clearly exactly the same design as the 4 (just wider).....

LS

 

[Aussie Player]

I get what you are saying. However, you cannot lump all 5 string bass players into the "pound the root" category. there are plenty of 4 string players who are not great musicians either.

Here's a 6 string player and there's no way he could do what he's doing on a 4 string: Adam Nitti

If those aren't well chosen notes "musical" notes, I don't know what is.

Oh..I agree with you. I personnaly have never seen many 5 or 6 stringer players I liked. Can't name a second one at the moment, but I do like Nathan East, who is both competent and tasteful and with pleasing tones on is 5 string.

The youngsters will adopt the 5 a lot better than older bass players. Once you gain a level of competence, it is abhorent to fluff a song you know, because of the foreign instrument.

I do like sound of the B string, but I can't use it for what I play and I am not prepared to put the time into learning another instrument when I can play as well as I can on a 4, and that does not include any note under bottom E.

 

[spade2you]

You don't, or at least I don't think so. I play what I want. I'm comfortable on 5s and everything I can do on a 4 I can also do with that one more string so playing a 4 doesn't make much sense for me. Eventually, I'll pick up another 6 along the way .

I guess I didn't mean you personally, which I should have specified and drank more coffee. I just get the impression that there's something about musicians that makes most of them prone to having polarized personalities.

 

[madbassplaya]

Oh..I agree with you. I personnaly have never seen many 5 or 6 stringer players I liked. Can't name a second one at the moment, but I do like Nathan East, who is both competent and tasteful and with pleasing tones on is 5 string.

The youngsters will adopt the 5 a lot better than older bass players. Once you gain a level of competence, it is abhorent to fluff a song you know, because of the foreign instrument.

I do like sound of the B string, but I can't use it for what I play and I am not prepared to put the time into learning another instrument when I can play as well as I can on a 4, and that does not include any note under bottom E.

I think that's the key.

I began playing on a 5er and I switched to 4 strings for a while. My playing wasn't very "melodic" and I wanted to learn to use more with less. If you get what i'm saying. I've played both 4's and 5's for a while now and I've had a couple of 6ers (great basses, but not for me). I mainly play Christian rock/Contemporary Praise and Worship and that Low B is often essential to what I want to do on the bass.

 

[Kwesi]

5 strings has been standard outside the US for a good 15 years...

It does seem like every time I see a player born outside of the US, they're using 5 or more strings. Then again that could be the music I listen too, haha.

 

[klokker]

Someone posted this earlier and its true............at least in my experience..........go to Guitar Center and you'll see 25 4's and 2 5's hanging on the wall. That could mean that every 5 they get pops out the door before they hang it on the wall but I doubt it.

I play a 5 in a praise band and a 4 everywhere else. I don't see 4's in decline at all. Most people are I know who are into bass have both.

Peavey dropped its 5 from its Cirrus usa line I believe.

 

[Kwesi]

Someone posted this earlier and its true............at least in my experience..........go to Guitar Center and you'll see 25 4's and 2 5's hanging on the wall.

Not in my neck of the woods.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

Not in my neck of the woods.

Rockville, Towson or Glenn Burnie usually have a vast majority of four strings. Chucks has a lot of 5 strings but I think that a lot of them have been on the wall since I started going there many years ago.

 

[john_chimpo31]

Does it really matter? I play both (4 and 5 string). I use what is necessary.

 

[René_Julien]

I didn't read the whole thread (and this issue is a rhetorical question on tb).
I think 4-string P-style and J-style basses will be made and sold long after all of us here (even or youngest fellow bassists) end our career.
And I personally think that's awesome. A lot of 5-string basses may be better and have more capabilities when you look at them objectively, but when it comes to charm they will always lag behind on traditional dinosaurs of 4-string passive basses.

That's the thing about musicians and the gear they prefer, and this goes for almost any instrument,... we are traditionalists... the majority of us. And we cling on to past holy grails of equipment.

All by all, it is my experience that among musicians bassists are the most progressive when it comes to their instrument.

I find nothing wrong with modern new technology, if it's helpful.

 

[Fuzzbass]

I think 4-string P-style and J-style basses will be made and sold long after all of us here (even or youngest fellow bassists) end our career. ...

I think a number of four stringers (and I'm not referring specifically to you) are being overly defensive. Too many have interpreted the topic as "Are four stringers going extinct?", which is a gross misunderstanding. I don't believe anyone has said or implied that (it's unthinkable IMHO).

Kwesi had a good point when he said that he possibly should have named the thread "Fives on the rise?" Still, there's nothing wrong with the current thread title. Any stress here in the thread is from four-stringers who have misinterpreted.

Again, I live in the same area as Kwesi, and out at gigs, fives have slowly and steadily been on the rise. That does not mean the trend will continue (it may even reverse, who knows?); it certainly doesn't mean that fours will disappear.

 

[Fuzzbass]

Oh..I agree with you. I personnaly have never seen many 5 or 6 stringer players I liked. Can't name a second one at the moment, but I do like Nathan East, who is both competent and tasteful and with pleasing tones on is 5 string.

Earlier in this thread, I smiled when someone said "I play country music, and have to use a five string to hit low D and C". On that note... you probably don't like country, but Michael Rhodes is an absolutely incredible bassist, and usually plays fives. I could name many more examples.

The youngsters will adopt the 5 a lot better than older bass players. Once you gain a level of competence, it is abhorent to fluff a song you know, because of the foreign instrument.

Excellent point. That said: perhaps I'm an exception, but after 20+ years of playing fours, I switched to five and have played it exclusively for eleven years.

I do like sound of the B string, but I can't use it for what I play and I am not prepared to put the time into learning another instrument when I can play as well as I can on a 4, and that does not include any note under bottom E.

With a properly intonated bass, you can play the B string above the 5th fret -- i.e. in four-string land! I do it all the time when I'm playing classic rock and Motown. IMO it's a huge mistake to think of a fiver as "four string plus one". Grok the entire fretboard!

 

[Kwesi]

Rockville, Towson or Glenn Burnie usually have a vast majority of four strings. Chucks has a lot of 5 strings but I think that a lot of them have been on the wall since I started going there many years ago.

I've been to the GCs in Rockville and Towson and, yes, most of the basses were fours but the selection of 5 strings was definitely not small when I went. I don't think you're right about Chuck's though. I'm sure some have been there for some time but the only one I can think of that's really been there for a while is the fretless Ken Smith. I don't think they change out dead strings and when I went up there last most of the basses I tried had fresh or close to fresh sets. Then there's JiveSound which I'd say is probably split even on 5+ and 4s. Hot Licks and Music & Arts are the only chain type stores that comes to mind that really don't have much in the 5+ department. Though there's this nice F Bass BNF6 that's been there for some time. It's so out of place in that store that it's just hilarious.

I think a number of four stringers (and I'm not referring specifically to you) are being overly defensive. Too many have interpreted the topic as "Are four stringers going extinct?", which is a gross misunderstanding. I don't believe anyone has said or implied that (it's unthinkable IMHO).

Kwesi had a good point when he said that he possibly should have named the thread "Fives on the rise?" Still, there's nothing wrong with the current thread title. Any stress here in the thread is from four-stringers who have misinterpreted.

Thank you! This exactly what I've tried to post a few times since the OP but I don't think many are listening. You worded it much better than I have. Four strings aren't going anywhere and I know that just as well as anyone else.