Four bangers on the decline?

[René_Julien]

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.

You're absolutely correct.
And yes, I may have misinterpreted the thread title.

I didn't read the whole thread... and reading the OP is on the decline.


I notice similiar trends. Not on a local scene like you and Kwesi, but in the metal circuit.
It seems like 10 years ago a precision bass with played with a pick through an SVT fridge was the standard. Now when I go to a metal festival most bassist play a 5-string modern (off the rack though, not boutique) bass.

 

[Buster Brown]

It seems like I am seeing a LOT more 6+ stringers out there today and (funny as it may seem) a lot of them are in Nashville. Don't know why..but it seems that way..

I'm an old guy. Been playing 4s all my life and have never had a complaint. I wll play 4s until I no longer play. If I wanted to play a 6 string bass I would have played guitar and why not?? Hell Guitards get all the girls!!

But seriously, if you feel the need to play a 5, 6, 10, 12, 25 string bass - go for it!! Do what you need to do!!

 

[Darkstrike]

Looking at the "What kind of bass do you play" threads, and just looking at fretted 4's and 5's, seems that 5ers are on the decline, and 4's are on the rise....

Original thread
4's = 79.69% and 5's = 37.83%

Second thread
4's = 81.60% and 5's = 35.60%

 

[René_Julien]

Looking at the "What kind of bass do you play" threads, and just looking at fretted 4's and 5's, seems that 5ers are on the decline, and 4's are on the rise....

Original thread
4's = 79.69% and 5's = 37.83%

Second thread
4's = 81.60% and 5's = 35.60%

Statistics are a tool of misinformation. 63% of the people realize that.

 

[bluesdogblues]

...Hell Guitards get all the girls!! ...

IME it WAS the bassist

 

[odin70]

It about time for the fiver to come back, with a vengance.

 

[Buster Brown]

IME it WAS the bassist

I hear that!

Unfortunately....all my groupies were always the fat girls...

 

[Aussie Player]

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.




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.



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!

I like your post, it was helpful and informative. For myself, I am a traditional blues based rock bassist. I learned and played a 4 for 35 years before I got a 5 and it was a really nice bass, but it threw me for a loop. I played it for about 6 months and sold it.

About 3 years ago, I got another one to give it a fair shake. I thought I was getting it after a few more months then fluffed a song I had played since the early 70's. Bye Bye 5. Guess I have done too many apprenticeships in my life.

Have bought a couple more 4's since then, but diversifed the sound to cover active and passive pickups and scales and I am very happy where i am.

I do know however, if I played country, which I never have, I would warm to a 5 far more, as they play slower from what I haev seen here in the US and a lot less notes than I play and that B strings would sound wonderful.

I am not opposed to 5's, they are simply not for me. I know I am a good player and I won't conpromise that level. Call it a comfort zone.

 

[nostatic]

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!

I've made that same argument in the past. To me a big advantage to a 5-string is being able to grab a few more notes without changing your hand position. If you're reading charts or tired that can make a big difference. That said, an F on the B string sounds different from an F on the E string. And that may or may not play into your choice of which to play. Of course with a 5 you have that choice and with a 4 you don't.

I played nothing but 5s for the past 11 years, tried to go back to playing a 4 twice and it failed miserably (I just could not play the instrument). Third time was a charm though, and I've been playing mostly 4 the past couple months. I've had very few problems though playing in Eb or D can get me a little frustrated. It has however forced me to go back and listen to some tunes again to get some "new" (old) ideas about how to attack a song. And I'm (re)discovering that guys like Chuck Rainey were playing absolutely sick lines on a 4-string. That doesn't mean it can't be played as well on a 5, but it will be different. So if anything, forcing myself to play 4 has broken me out of some ruts and habits and expanded my approach. Creativity is often spurred by constraints rather than more choices.

 

[SwitchGear]

I played 4's for 29 years and switched to 5 strings 9 years ago. I am done with 4 stringers because they are missing something very valuable - the B string. The B string is a important tonal addition, for myself, even used sparingly.

Plus, a 5 string bass looks cooler than a 4, which are way too skinny necked, LOL.

 

[Dr. Cheese]

I've made that same argument in the past. To me a big advantage to a 5-string is being able to grab a few more notes without changing your hand position. If you're reading charts or tired that can make a big difference. That said, an F on the B string sounds different from an F on the E string. And that may or may not play into your choice of which to play. Of course with a 5 you have that choice and with a 4 you don't.

I played nothing but 5s for the past 11 years, tried to go back to playing a 4 twice and it failed miserably (I just could not play the instrument). Third time was a charm though, and I've been playing mostly 4 the past couple months. I've had very few problems though playing in Eb or D can get me a little frustrated. It has however forced me to go back and listen to some tunes again to get some "new" (old) ideas about how to attack a song. And I'm (re)discovering that guys like Chuck Rainey were playing absolutely sick lines on a 4-string. That doesn't mean it can't be played as well on a 5, but it will be different. So if anything, forcing myself to play 4 has broken me out of some ruts and habits and expanded my approach. Creativity is often spurred by constraints rather than more choices.

This is my experience 100%. Using the B string in all positions is the only way to really play a five. Anyone who only uses the B for low notes will never really acclimate to a five.

As I said earlier, I am currently between fives, and I used my Foundation at the rehearsal for the pastor's anniversary today. I had a blast! The only time I really missed the B was on a chromatic "Shout" style run that would have normally gone from C to E on the B string. I just played it an otave up and it still had great energy.

Off topic, that Foundation smokes! I love that Jazz tone, and that slap was wicked going through my Hartke.

 

[MrLenny1]

Just came back from the NE GTG and there was cose to an even ratio.
Valenti basses had both 4 & 5's, M basses seemed mostly 5 though.
Plenty of dedicated 4 string players & then some with a mixed quill of 4,5 & 6.
I say the 4 survives. stanley never seems to run out of strings when he plays.

 

[Darkstrike]

I've made that same argument in the past. To me a big advantage to a 5-string is being able to grab a few more notes without changing your hand position. If you're reading charts or tired that can make a big difference. That said, an F on the B string sounds different from an F on the E string. And that may or may not play into your choice of which to play. Of course with a 5 you have that choice and with a 4 you don't.

I played nothing but 5s for the past 11 years, tried to go back to playing a 4 twice and it failed miserably (I just could not play the instrument). Third time was a charm though, and I've been playing mostly 4 the past couple months. I've had very few problems though playing in Eb or D can get me a little frustrated. It has however forced me to go back and listen to some tunes again to get some "new" (old) ideas about how to attack a song. And I'm (re)discovering that guys like Chuck Rainey were playing absolutely sick lines on a 4-string. That doesn't mean it can't be played as well on a 5, but it will be different. So if anything, forcing myself to play 4 has broken me out of some ruts and habits and expanded my approach. Creativity is often spurred by constraints rather than more choices.

I could never understand that mentality when it comes to 5ers, that they're there for low-low notes and nothing more.

I mean, on a 4 string, I often pass the 5th fret of the low E, if I'm going for more stings, why wouldn't I utilize the whole string, just like I do with the standard four(to the best of my ability)....

 

[R. Laevinus]

A Majority still seem to play 4s for traditional reasons, but that IS changing. It's just like a lot of drummers still play traditional grip even though snare drums haven't hung on a sling for eons. (The reason for trad grip).

You don't hang out with dude who play in marching bands much, do you? Their snares still do - and always will - hang on slings.

Thank you for proving the point of the four-string crowd; different tools for different jobs. For all the jobs that I do, have ever needed to do, probably will ever want to do, a four-banger suffices. To say that there are no slots a four fills adequately, is plain, old-fashioned (and no offence meant to you, my good man, it's just the concept of one tool's supposed innate superiority I'm attacking) ignorance.

Sure there will always be people who will play 4 strings. Just as there are people who still play the lute. But when you really want to cut through the mix, a lute is never my first pick!

Agreed, I'd never play a lute in a modern rock band. But... what if your gig was a period-correct orchestra? Or a neo-medieval rock outfit? Then a lute might be a good choice, no?

As I say. Different tools for different jobs. Arguing that one axe is superior because it fits your preferred genre better is, again, for lack of a better term - and again, no offence to you sir - plain ignorance.

 

[seanm]

I go out to see a band roughly every two weeks, let's say 24 times a year. In the last two years I have gone from seeing zero 5 string basses a year, to 1 or 2. So lets pick two to be fair.

That means that four bangers have declined at shows I watch by roughly 8%. Although it seems to have stabilized at that number.

 

[danhosh]

Tried to use 5's for years. For the music I play (indie rock / pop) - I find anything below E to be very "unmusical" sounding, especially once all the different layers of the band come into the mix. IMO

That said, If I were a solo guy, I'd be all about 5's and 6's.

 

[plankspanker13]

A four does 99.5% of what I need out of it. A Hipshot Xtender and a good octaver make the number 99.95%. That's enough for me. I have had 5's, and played them quite a bit. So few of them really felt right. I loved my Ibby Ergodyne 905 in my hands and ears, but hated the look and smell. That's about as good as it has gotten for me, and yes, there has been a Warwick 5 in my history (a broader neck, and I would have kept it). All of my basses now are 4's, and half have Xtenders. I have 2 different pedalboards, both with octavers. I feel right when playing, and that, of course, makes one play better. More left arm movement due to less strings means more show for the audience.

 

[-=DanAtkinson=-]

All the idols we have play 4 strings. The subtle yet technical bass runs we hear on record and see played live are the reason we play. None of us idolized an "oompah" thumb player who follows root chords, we like to hear subtle notes that are complimentary to the melody line. Most 5 string player which includes the great majority of metal players are just rhythm players pounding out the root chord with a pick and are not only boring, but very uninventive and non conplimentary in the least to the song.

Compare the dope in Metallica to John Paul Jones for example. Thunderous boomy root notes lost in the mix compared to tasteful melodic "chosen" notes that display technique, tone, separation and drool.

In the 50 years bass guitar has been gaining its own audience, 99% and right up to today have been done on a 4 stringer becuase it is faster, easier to move around on the fretboard, encourages deliberate hard played chords, and seems to carry superior tone control over any 5 or 6 I have heard.

So, at least in my house, as long as my ass point to the ground, it will remain 4 string territory.

Preach it!

 

[Fuzzbass]

I played nothing but 5s for the past 11 years, tried to go back to playing a 4 twice and it failed miserably (I just could not play the instrument). Third time was a charm though, and I've been playing mostly 4 the past couple months. I've had very few problems though playing in Eb or D can get me a little frustrated. It has however forced me to go back and listen to some tunes again to get some "new" (old) ideas about how to attack a song. And I'm (re)discovering that guys like Chuck Rainey were playing absolutely sick lines on a 4-string. That doesn't mean it can't be played as well on a 5, but it will be different. So if anything, forcing myself to play 4 has broken me out of some ruts and habits and expanded my approach. Creativity is often spurred by constraints rather than more choices.

My creativity was spurred enormously when I went from four to five: it became easier to play songs differently, and freed me from some arbitrary boxes I'd put myself in on four-string.

Going back to four won't be an option for me anytime soon -- I'm still learning how to maximize five. That said, even though it may be counter-intuitive to some, you're correct that the constraint of going from five to four will also spur creativity. Rethinking is always a good thing.

 

[Bassblisters]

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.

Hi, Kwesi. I live not to far from you and suspect that we both frequent the same stores and run into the same folks. I am very impressed with them and their cool, six string basses.

I've lived all over the country, and it's my impression that there are far more folks playing six string basses in our area than anywhere else I've lived.

I have two theories: 1) music style (funk/soul/gospel) and the need for economy of motion and the low B and, 2) lots of big dudes with huge hands who do better with big, wide bass necks!