Four strings to die?

[sargebaker]

As long as I'm aroudn 4'S will never die! I want a double neck bass tuned EADG- BEAD, are double genereally like wicked expensive?

 

[Funkize you]

Well, I dont really expect them to go away forever, But I do think eventually that they wisp away to some extent. And the Post about "What do you play" has been there forever, I cant Find the Link, but according to LAST years bass sales (Info could be off) here was the List (To my memories extent)

4 Strings Sold 38%
5 Strings Sold 47%
6+ strings Sold 15%

As always I may be wrong, but This is what I have read (Recently) and according to US sales 5 string basses are MORE and MORE common sales, Even (Supposedly) out selling 4 strings.

Just an Interesting topic

Good Times

-Tim

 

[Mudfuzz]

As long as I'm aroudn 4'S will never die! I want a double neck bass tuned EADG- BEAD, are double genereally like wicked expensive?

Warmoth!
But if you think about it for a minute all you will have is a REALLY HEAVY 8 string.

 

[sargebaker]

Warmoth!
But if you think about it for a minute all you will have is a REALLY HEAVY 8 string.

Warmoth??? and heavy BAH! I SAY! I'm 5'4'' 100lbs, I CAN HANDLE IT!

 

[Easy Rider]

Yeah, I really am a 6 string and 4 string guy myself, I own a 5 string, but its kind of wierd, I guess I (for some reason) prefer "Even" strings.

Amen, brother!
I tried fivers, and I can play them fine. But I get that 'this is weird' feeling as well. Even strings just feel good to me.

I'd like to own a something of a fiver once: a custom ten
string (doubled fiver), preferrably Warwick.
But then again, ten is still an even number!

EZ

 

[Pause]

I think that my main bass for a long time is going to be a 4. It just feels so right to me, but I am feeling like eventualy getting a 6. No 5 for me

 

[Ericman197]

Probably 90% of music could be easilly played on a 4, but if you want to play the rest of it, then you may in fact need that 5, 6, or 7. I myself will draw the line at a BEADGC, and I probably won't go 6 for some time... I only want one for the very rare instances where I want to do harmonized arpeggios with the guitarist. A low F# would be useful as well so I could play the low notes up high, but even then... less and less useful. My CB 5'er is an absolute beast of a bass; it's gigantic. However, for me, I prefer as wide a neck as possible, since I have big hands. For the average mainstream bassist, 5 or perhaps 6 will probably end up being the limit due to the size of the player.

For that reason, I don't think 4s will ever be entirely replaced, but they will be pushed out of the limelight soon. It's not even so much that I use the B all that much, but mostly that I want the availability to go down to D without detuning, and that I have the ability to play low notes high up on the register. I based a song around the 5th~10th frets on the B/E strings simply because I wanted to avoid the open notes... it was much easier playing it that way with the B.

 

[dmaki]

The 4-string isn't going anywhere. Almost every bass player has at least one, and most bass parts can be played on one. There is no shame in playing a 4-banger, and they are going to be phased out just as soon as the 7-string guitar phases out the 6-string, which will be never.

 

[fenderjazz68]

I prefer the 4.

 

[hateater]

Hi,

I think the number of strings one prefers is a personal preference but, IMHO as a Bass Playing Dinosaur lol, that Bass is a 4 stringed instrument. perceptions may change in the future but just think of how many great recordings have been made with amazing lines played on 4 strings by incredible players in the last 40 or 50 years!!! I honestly believe that none of those tracks would have affected me anymore if they had been recorded on 5,6,8,10,12 or however many strings you can stuff on a Bass.

George

This thread is pissing me the **** off. Come on man, why the hell would a low B kill your interest for the bass? I thought that the bass had the lowest pitches out of all of the stringed insturments...

Open your ears.

 

[bass_man86]

I don't see it. All this 9 string 36 fret thing is great if you are some kind of high level jazz type, but IMO for most of us working stiffs, members of the Sultans of Swing, a four banger works just fine. Don't get me wrong, I love my 35" scale five bangers, but for most of the music I do, I can get by with one of my fours, and I don't believe that I am alone. No offense JT, and more power to you!

 

[hateater]

I don't see it. All this 9 string 36 fret thing is great if you are some kind of high level jazz type, but IMO for most of us working stiffs, members of the Sultans of Swing, a four banger works just fine. Don't get me wrong, I love my 35" scale five bangers, but for most of the music I do, I can get by with one of my fours, and I don't believe that I am alone. No offense JT, and more power to you!

The four banger doesn't always cut it! I have had a few bands where I HAD to play on my B string.

 

[AllegroNonMolto]

I play a 5 just because I hate having to use free strokes on the E string. The B being there just makes me feel secure. Not to mention as a former classical guitar player the string spacing just works for me and I am much faster at string crossing.

 

[Racsen]

String spacings are all diffrents my 5er has a regular string spacing

 

[JSCHRO7376]

I switched years ago from 4 to 5 and then to 6. It's just easier and more fun to go across the board playing a 6er and up, instead of "jumping" all across the board of a 4er trying to achieve the same. Also, I couldn't live without a low B anymore. To much fun

 

[Mike]

I played 5's for about 3 years. I liked them and miss them but they just caused too much discomfort for my fretting hand, and I'm 6'3 with pretty large hands. I went back to 4's and will stick with them.

 

[Adam Barkley]

I honestly have never heard a recording that made me want to get a five. My Name is Mud included

Also, I think somebody said something about metal players using fives, well, I every metal bassist I know uses a four tuned incredibley low.

I doubt they will go out of style, but if they do, I wont stop playing them.

 

[Tom Howland]

After playing 6-strings for the last three years.
I'am back to 4-string.
It's just personal preferance.
Most of my gigs are.
Fender P-bass
Stambaugh fretless
Plywood upright with gut strings.
Play what you like.

 

[FaBu-]

I honestly have never heard a recording that made me want to get a five. My Name is Mud included

Also, I think somebody said something about metal players using fives, well, I every metal bassist I know uses a four tuned incredibley low.

I doubt they will go out of style, but if they do, I wont stop playing them.

Do you mean all the metal players you know PERSONALLY or do you mean... like all of the metal players you know...? Because if you don't mean your personal friends etc, then I think you don't know too many metal players

 

[Dublin-Bass]

I think 4 string will allways have it's place in the bass world.

Exactly. I remember when I bought my first ever copy of Bass Player magazine back in 1990, one of the topics was "Is the 4-string Doomed?" with a drawing of people in a museum looking at 4 string basses in glass cages, and the question was asked for the exact same reason its being asked here, ie more people seem to be using 5 string basses. Well, time has answered that question and the answer was a definite "NO" as it is now. Here in Dublin theres always more 4 strings than 5's and over at the Bass Centre in London theres a mixture of both of course but most players I've ever noticed use 4 strings more often.
Even Paul McCartney was using a 5 string Wal for his 1989-1990 tour but has since gone back to using his regular 4's.

Me personally, though I bought a 5-string recently I'm definitely more comfortable with a 4. Mostly thats all thats needed anyway.