Enjoy the benefits of a premium membership!
Upgrade Account
-
TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
Join free Log in
Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.
Four bangers on the decline?
- Thread starter Kwesi
- Start date
For the low notes I have a B-E-A-D bass - so, still a 4 stringer, and only 5 notes less than a 5. Almost only use it in church, when it's called for, but I don't need more than 4 for my classic rock gig.
I may add that there has likely been quite a few TB polls on this particular subject that would shed light on your question.
Maybe try a quick search?
I think they are both here to stay.
I played a 5 for a while in the mid-nineties but switched back to 4 and have never looked back. I don't particularly like the sound of a B string and I don't even own a five anymore. There's only twelve notes, extra strings don't really mean a thing to me.
The guys I like, John Paul Jones, Jack Bruce, Jamerson, McCartney, etc.......all played four string basses (athough you do see JPJ playing multi string basses with TCV). Good bass playing is good bass playing and the number of strings has nothing to do with it, IMO.
I played a 5 for a while in the mid-nineties but switched back to 4 and have never looked back. I don't particularly like the sound of a B string and I don't even own a five anymore. There's only twelve notes, extra strings don't really mean a thing to me.
The guys I like, John Paul Jones, Jack Bruce, Jamerson, McCartney, etc.......all played four string basses (athough you do see JPJ playing multi string basses with TCV). Good bass playing is good bass playing and the number of strings has nothing to do with it, IMO.
I don't know anyone besides myself with a 5er(though one guy I know has a 6), haven't gone to many gigs lately, but when I did, I remember it being mostly 4's too.
- Mar 13, 2008
- 18,894
- 142,211
- Disclosures
- Endorsing Artist Mike Lull T Bass pickups, The Bass Shop, Seattle WA.
Take a look at online inventory from your fave better bass retailer, I checked BassNW's and there are more 4 strings basses in stock than 5-6 etc. put together. Still it's an interesting question, guess I'll ask Mike Lull when I see him next week.
Kwesi, you are so in trouble.
No I think dad has spoken
LOL!
@Bassybill It was an honest question, haha! I did say that I was interested the comparison of 4 use to 5 use over time not necessarily what people happen to be seeing a lot of right this instant. I sure 4s are still on top as far as the number go.
I was at Mike's last week and his showroom was littered with fours, don't even recall seeing a five!
I can't speak for Mike Lull but in the Nordy club thread, Carey Nordstrand said he was building one 4 for every five 5s which is part of what sparked this thread.
I think the majority of people always buy 4 strings I think quite alot of bass players still keep their original bass or there first "professional bass" and from my experience there always 4s. People who buy more than 1 bass or keep more than 1 will likely have atleast 1 5 string in their arsenal. 4 strings are still the majority crowd I think.
That was kind of my point about a four forcing my brain to get off the B string "crutch." As someone who has played fives for over twenty years, I use the B string all the time, not just on stuff below E. Being between fives is a nice change for me, but when I get my five again, I'm sure I will be ready to go back to what I am used to!
I initially took "crutch" to be pejorative, but I know what you mean. I recently sat in with a friend's band and used his four string. We did Elvis' "Little Sister", and even though it's really basic I found myself wanting that low B. I realized there were a few places where I briefly dipped below low E, and "muscle memory" (habit) made me want to reach for them even though they were not there.
But speaking for myself, I don't see a problem with being hooked on five (so to speak): I don't own a four, and have no interest in playing one. Situations such as above are rare, and the limitation wasn't a big deal.
According to the Sadowsky shop, their sales of fours and fives have been roughly equal for years.
OBTW: as a five-banger I took no offense at the "are fives disappearing?" thread, and no one should take offense here either. It's a legit question about which kind of bass may (or may not) be increasing (or decreasing) in popularity.
It's silly to think that popularity has any bearing on which kind of bass is "better". All that matters there is "what's better for you".
It's silly to think that popularity has any bearing on which kind of bass is "better". All that matters there is "what's better for you".
If you check out the history of many instruments, "string inflation" (or its equivalent) is a common phenomenon. So we've had six string violins, 9 string guitars, harps with an extra octave or two and church organs that go down to inaudible low notes. In some cases you get extreme examples of this, maybe because some musicians feel that the difficulty they have expressing themselves would be remedied by a few extra notes, rather than development in other ways.
Anyway, these innovations rarely have real lasting power in the grand scheme of things. Who'd want to listen to Coltrane on a contrabass sax for long? The musical instruments that show real longevity are usually the ones that are deceptively simple but capable of true subtlety. I think history will show us that the four string bass belongs in that category.
Anyway, these innovations rarely have real lasting power in the grand scheme of things. Who'd want to listen to Coltrane on a contrabass sax for long? The musical instruments that show real longevity are usually the ones that are deceptively simple but capable of true subtlety. I think history will show us that the four string bass belongs in that category.
I wouldn't call it a crutch, but rather a temptation. I've heard some guys who imho abuse the B string. While I try to avoid that when playing 5, I can say that when I finally forced myself to play a 4 again after 11+ years of nothing but 5s, I found that my playing became simpler with less ghost notes. With the low B around, it is really tempting to want to throw in a lot of syncopated low ghost notes to drive the groove. The problem is that often less is more so it drives it right into a ditch
If you check out the history of many instruments, "string inflation" (or its equivalent) is a common phenomenon. So we've had six string violins, 9 string guitars, harps with an extra octave or two and church organs that go down to inaudible low notes. In some cases you get extreme examples of this, maybe because some musicians feel that the difficulty they have expressing themselves would be remedied by a few extra notes, rather than development in other ways.
Anyway, these innovations rarely have real lasting power in the grand scheme of things. Who'd want to listen to Coltrane on a contrabass sax for long? The musical instruments that show real longevity are usually the ones that are deceptively simple but capable of true subtlety. I think history will show us that the four string bass belongs in that category.
I get that but I can't recall any other instrument where the variations have become so regularly used. You don't even see 7 and 8 string guitars as much as you see 5 and 6 string basses. At least, I don't. I'm not saying that 5 and 6 strings are the logical evolution of the bass guitar but I definitely think that the evolution of the instrument won't be as restricted as other have. I'm of the opinion than the 5s and 6s are here to stay and, if anything, become more popular.
Anything with a lot of flat keys - gospel in particular, I'd want a five. For most of the time I prefer a four string. I think boutique manufacturers will see mostly 5+ string sales, so that's no surprise that Nordstrand sees 5 to 1 sales of 5's to 4's.
(EDIT: just realized that I'm playing a 5 in my profile pic, so nevermind my argument. Heh.)
(EDIT: just realized that I'm playing a 5 in my profile pic, so nevermind my argument. Heh.)
I can only speak from my own experience, but...
First cover bands generally need to be able to clip right along with minimal time between tunes - so better not to need to re-tune between tunes. OK, a lot of tunes are detuned to Eb for vox or whatever.
The band I've been working with has about 4 of those out of about 70 tunes. So, the hipshot does that Eb perfectly well. But, then we decide to do Beat It in D. That makes things a little more complicated, i.e. have to re-tune between tunes. OK with the 4, maybe, because the guitar has to re-tune as well. So, you can do that, but the 5 is rather more straightforward - no re-tuning.
All I meant was the instrument depends on the gig. If you don't play tunes with the low notes, then no issue. If you have the low notes and time for re-tuning, still can get away with the 4. If its showtime tune to tune with no breaks and have lower notes, then might need the B string. Just depends on the gig.
Latest posts
-
-
-
-
-
Vintage German parlour looks classical but needs steel strings?
- Latest: bass player 53