From 4, to 5 or 6?

[FromTheBassMent]

I truly only NEED 4, but I like having options.

I need 5. I love being able to walk up from the low D to G. I rarely have an opportunity to hold a sustained note below E, but on the occasions when I do it's good fun. There are tons of great 5's at reasonable prices, or at ridiculous prices if you want to go that route.

I have played many 6's, and I find that often the C string sounds a bit thin. There are exceptions, such as the Roscoe 6 I played at a recent TB GTG... but all of the 6's I've played that really floated my boat were pretty pricey. The high string would be nice for soloing, but perhaps even more so for adding some high chordal bits and for opening up new harmonics. I've been put off by prices, and by the fact that a lot of 6's have wide string spacing and therefore wide necks that I worry would be fatiguing over the course of a 4-hour gig.

So, play some of each. You will certainly not regret going to a 5... once you get comfortable not only with the "low notes" but with exploring new positions on the neck, you will likely be hooked for life. I can still play a 4, but find myself constrained without that B string.

 

[Tom7]

... but all of the 6's I've played that really floated my boat were pretty pricey. The high string would be nice for soloing, but perhaps even more so for adding some high chordal bits and for opening up new harmonics. I've been put off by prices, and by the fact that a lot of 6's have wide string spacing and therefore wide necks that I worry would be fatiguing over the course of a 4-hour gig.

Nice post; I liked it. Yeah, 6 string basses with perfect sounding B and C strings can get a bit spendy ($11,549 retail for the one below), but wow are they fun to play.

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The way you described "needing" a B string is how I feel about both a B and a C string, and you even listed some of my reasons for wanting a C.

Sometimes I get calls to fill in for a band's regular bass player when he can't make a gig. I like these calls and the challenge of standing and delivering without rehearsal, but only if I can play a 6er on the gig.

It may be nothing more than Dumbo's feather, but I am just reassure when I walk into a situation like this, because "everything" I need is right there in my hands... even if they are awfully tired in the 4th hour of the gig!

BTW, working things on a 6er in the wood shed, then switching to a 5 for the gig results in great strength and stamina in your hands, kind of like swinging two bats in the batting cage does before stepping up to the plate with just one bat.

 

[JoeVictim]

Nice post; I liked it. Yeah, 6 string basses with perfect sounding B and C strings can get a bit spendy ($11,549 retail for the one below), but wow are they fun to play.

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]


The way you described "needing" a B string is how I feel about both a B and a C string, and you even listed some of my reasons for wanting a C.

Sometimes I get calls to fill in for a band's regular bass player when he can't make a gig. I like these calls and the challenge of standing and delivering without rehearsal, but only if I can play a 6er on the gig.

It may be nothing more than Dumbo's feather, but I am just reassure when I walk into a situation like this, because "everything" I need is right there in my hands... even if they are awfully tired in the 4th hour of the gig!

BTW, working things on a 6er in the wood shed, then switching to a 5 for the gig results in great strength and stamina in your hands, kind of like swinging two bats in the batting cage does before stepping up to the plate with just one bat.

You guys really need to stop linking basses that cost more than my used car...

 

[Tom7]

You guys really need to stop linking basses that cost more than my used car...

[Laughing!] I guess if I were in your shoes, I'd be doing 3 things:

(1) I'd stop eating out and make other financial sacrifices to save up the dough I need to meet my goals.

(2) I'd watch like a hawk places that sell used basses. Hard times make people do desperate things, and you could score a mind blowing bargain if you are vigilant.

(3) Ask to try every 5er and 6er you come across to help clarify the decision when the time comes so you can act fast and pounce on the bargain when it appears.