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Going to Give V a shot/ Advice please

M

mike marciano

May 29, 2010
21
24
#1
Hello all,
Im the bass player for two great groups here in Florida.

Link Removed
The Motown Connection

heres my dilemma... Im 56 and been playing a 4 string fender since I was 10, my scale length & muscle memory is kinda built in by now
Im wondering if it will be really difficult to reprogram?
I never tried a V or VI
I would like to give it a go
Which is more advantageous?
Setting up the bass with Xtra Low
or High Strings and Why?
Any Recommendations as to cutting down the Learning curve?
Good V or VI Maker?
Thanks Again
Mike
 
#3
I find im in the same boat as you, in that I've primarily been a 4 string player most of my career, but have been tempted into the 5'er side in the last couple years as well. I really agree with the last poster. If you stick to a Fender, or similar spec'd bass except in a 5 string version, the transition shouldn't be too difficult. I know 35" 5'ers are heralded for their low B clarity, focus, tension and punch, but I personally have felt more at home on a 34" 5 string as far as playability, although I have had to go to a higher gauge B to increase tension and avoid a 'floppy' B:ninja:, for lack of better description. Its been worth it for me, so hopefully you find the same Mike! Good luck man:D.
 
#4
Honestly i just got my first 5 string and i was always intimidated by a 5, you will love it and get used to it in no time, its just a 4 with that extra string which serves perfectly as a thumb rest. Remember you can play your 5 like a 4 but you cant do it the other way around, in about 2 weeks worth of time u will be used to a 5.
 
#5
The 5 is useful for everything back to Motown covers - heck, a lot of Stevie's stuff is in Eb. Keep the Low B for cover work. The high C is useful for chordal and solo work. If you gig in trio situations with a single guitarist the chordal capability is pretty useful. Just depends. I believe with a little work, you would find the Low B really useful.

Good basses would include the Stingray 5 and some of the Fender 5's. Like any other Fender, you have to be careful to audition enough instruments to get the weight/tone balance right. The SR5 has a pretty useful Low B on average. The Fenders can be really hit and miss. Look for the ones that have the string retainer on the B at the nut to increase the break angle. That's key to avoiding a "floppy" B. I found a Marcus Miller 5 a few years back that is just a general compendium of all the best things Fender has ever done on a bass.

A little further up the price ladder, the Sadowsky basses are great workhorses, and very dependable as well.

Another thing going to a 5 is that you will mainly need to learn to mute the B when you are playing lines on the other strings using your right thumb laid across the string. That is more generally effective than using the B as a thumb rest; but that's another discussion; just an important technique adjustment. GL.
 
#8
Catbuster said:
How 'bout a P Bass V? It's a 34" scale Fiver that I would assume is pretty near perfect for a 34" scale 4 string Fender player.
Click to expand...

Dude the P BASS FENDER 5 is AWESOME, thats what got me into wanting a 5, i tried the 2010 P 5 and fell in love with the 5 string thing, for me its weird that wider neck i find I simply love it, maybe i am ******** or something but i find slapping on the five a little easier than when i slap on my 4, go figure maybe im backwards but i love those 5's now.
 
#9
Ivan M said:
Dude the P BASS FENDER 5 is AWESOME, thats what got me into wanting a 5, i tried the 2010 P 5 and fell in love with the 5 string thing, for me its weird that wider neck i find I simply love it, maybe i am ******** or something but i find slapping on the five a little easier than when i slap on my 4, go figure maybe im backwards but i love those 5's now.
Click to expand...

No, you're not backwards... I like the MIA P5 a lot, too. I've got pretty big hands, and that's probably the reason. I've no need for a 5 string though, so I lack it.:atoz:
 
#11
Thank you all for the GREAT advice
Yes There are times Im looking to just get Lower than The E
but my Basses are all set really low action,
Ive tried detuning before, then I have to adjust the rod,
and I hate doing that,
Thats the main reason for wanting to Try a V
I figure I could leave the Truss alone in the 4s ( leave them set as is) and just have the v ready for when I want it

THanks
Mike
 
#12
mike marciano said:
Thank you all for the GREAT advice
Yes There are times Im looking to just get Lower than The E
but my Basses are all set really low action,
Ive tried detuning before, then I have to adjust the rod,
and I hate doing that,
Thats the main reason for wanting to Try a V
I figure I could leave the Truss alone in the 4s ( leave them set as is) and just have the v ready for when I want it

THanks
Mike
Click to expand...

they make heavy gauge strings for down tuning to keep the tension. DR comes to mind.
 
#13
5string5fingers said:
Why no go with a fender 5 string then? It'll feel just like your 4 with an extra string.

I've always liked to go lower. If you spend more time in the low register then low is going to be best for you. 6 string wont be of must use unless you tend to go high.
Click to expand...

The only problem with Fender 5-strings are that they only make the American Standard versions, which are out of a lot of people's price range, especially if it's not going to be their "main bass". They also make a Squier model, but...
 
#17
I played 4 strings exclusively until I was about 40, then I went straight to a 6 string. It did take some getting used to a little while to figure out some of the nuances like muting the unplayed strings.
Now I have a mix of 4,5 and 6 strings and have switched off between them for the last 15 years and honestly I play the 4 string the least of all these days. It takes some getting used to, the necks are a little wider but the flexibility it gives is amazing. Right now I have one of my 5 strings set up BEADG and the other EADGC, not sure how much I really like the latter.
I would suggest a fender 5 string, possibly a P as was suggested in the thread. It feels pretty much like the regular P.
 
#18
I've gone thru the same process recently. Lot's of good advice here. I've always been a Fender player so biggest issue I ran into when playing a bunch of 5s was string spacing. Some of the basses that I really like, such as some the Ibanez's, had string spacing that was too narrow for me. Had a hard time playing regular 4 string stuff on them. The Fenders have spacing that is very close to a 4's spacing so feels more natural.

Since I didn't want to spend a ton of money to figure out if I'd like a 5er or not, ended up with used Squier Affinity Jazz V. These are surprisingly good to start with and the one I bought has upgraded bridge and pickups. New these sell for $230 and can be found for under $200 used. I've put decent strings *DR Sunbeams) on mine and tweaked the setup and couldn't be happier. I like my action pretty low too and I've been able to get the Squier in the same ballpark as my 4 other basses. I've played a couple of MIM versions and they were much heavier and I didn't like them as much.

In terms of adjustment to the extra string, you don't tend to use it that much, especially at first. Obviously it depends on the type of music you're playing but I've found the real advantage the fact that you don't have to shift as much and having the Eb available. I've started to incorporate the B into my exercises and scales as well as playing chromatically and naming the notes names to lock it in.

Good luck
 

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