Has anyone here abandoned their 5 string basses totally for 4 strings?

[biohazed]

I swapped back to 4 string full time probably about 2 years ago and never looked back

 

[dhomer]

I went 5 and sold the 4's.. now it feels awkward playing a 4..

 

[Lichtaffen]

I like the idea of the 5 string bass, but most things I play don't require anything lower than a low E. I've sold every 5 string I've owned basically for that reason. Why deal with muting the extra string when you're only using those 5 lower notes like 1% of the time? That was my rationale.

With that said, I'll probably buy a 5 string again in the future.

 

[Jason Wilson]

I've always had 4 strings (and still do) but playing in a covers band really requires I used my 5 string. I LOVE my Kubicki x factor and it goes down to D in standard tuning, but when covering songs with either keyboards or R&B etc, I needed the extra notes so I have to use my 5.
I agree it is hard to find a 5 string with an awesome B string sound, but they are out there.

Luckily, there are no right or wrong answers, you love what you love and play what brings a smile to your face. You know that feeling when you are standing in front of your amp, lost in the music and hearing how awesome your bass sounds whether a 4, 5, 6, 7, - 29 string (I made that one up).

 

[dudelove]

yes i do.
i started to learn on 5iver, get a 4 string for myself, since the 5iver wasnt mine.
later he cave it to me, and i cave my 4 string to my younger bro.
and few month later, i ended up buying a 4 string

 

[fishdreams]

i am considering it, as a matter of fact....

 

[jeff5311]

If I went to only 4s I'd tune one BEAD.

But it really depends on the type of music and the venues you are playing.

At church, there's ridiculous folded horn subs and over half the tunes require a low B.

For the two wedding bands I play with that have minimal PA support, the low B doesn't have half the thunder and not needed except on the occasional modern country ballad.

 

[preside]

If the B is just a thumb rest to you, try practicing, that 5 will feel great in no time. If you think access of the lowest 5 notes on the B as it's primary asset you have missed the whole point of the instrument. Also there is no good, inexpensive 5 string if you think you have one you have not played a good one yet.

 

[wraub]

I played my 5er as my sole bass for about a decade. Hundreds of gigs, session work, desperate late nights playing alone... But I digress.

Got a Jazz bass ~6 years ago, really ate into my 5 time. Got a P bass a while back that I play so much it makes my Jazz bass jealous. My 5s hang neglected.

I still won't sell the 5s, though. Still useful, at times.

wraub

 

[roadkill2309]

I can't figure out why I'd switch from 5s to 4s. I play bass like a 5-string player (across the neck rather than up and down it), so it has nothing to do the the notes below E. In fact, I spend very little time in the 5 dark frets, so switching back to 4 would require that I change the way I play.

 

[samurai1993]

Tried to play a 5s months ago, never liked the feel of it, and never needed the lower notes.

 

[Aussie Player]

If the B is just a thumb rest to you, try practicing, that 5 will feel great in no time. If you think access of the lowest 5 notes on the B as it's primary asset you have missed the whole point of the instrument. Also there is no good, inexpensive 5 string if you think you have one you have not played a good one yet.

Can't agree with that. I have an Alembic Essence 5 string which costs $8,000 currently with the option myine has and also have a $200 Squire Affinity Jazz 5 which is a truely wonderful bass irrespective of price. Wonderful sound, tone, growl and punch. Only cost $19 for a set of EB Slinky's off E Bay and it is ready to go.

 

[KeithAlanK]

Played a 5 for a long time and never liked it.
Went back to four a few years ago and love playing again.
New band requires drop-D, and I would rather retune a few times per set than go back to 5.

 

[Nu11nV01D]

I enjoy my 5 for hard nasty rock and my 4 string Jazz for slap and smooth jazz. I do try to slap on my 5 and I end up hitting two strings at once and I'm like "Damn I forgot I was playing 5..."

So your scenario may become very real for me if I find a 4 string growler.

 

[bassbenj]

Can't agree with that. I have an Alembic Essence 5 string which costs $8,000 currently with the option myine has and also have a $200 Squire Affinity Jazz 5 which is a truely wonderful bass irrespective of price. Wonderful sound, tone, growl and punch. Only cost $19 for a set of EB Slinky's off E Bay and it is ready to go.

I can't agree with it either. If my USA G&L L2500 basses aren't "good ones' then they don't exist. Note I'm very picky about my 5 and 6 string basses. If the open E sounds different from the E on the B string, I won't own it. And I've got things like Modulus and Alembic to measure against.

So that said, I guess you haven't seen the monster SX love-in threads here? Yes, as 5er jazz bass clones they do the job. And my Squire P/J 5er does the job too. What's to compare against? Fender doesn't even sell one! Sure they've been tweaked in by me but so what? It's still not a lot of cash. Now I agree that many cheap 5ers out there don't measure up, so pick a good one!

 

[joebar]

i play fives now but i use the b more for a thumbrest than not and use it sparingly which is the key.
a four feels a little narrow in my hands.

 

[Aussie Player]

i play fives now but i use the b more for a thumbrest than not and use it sparingly which is the key.
a four feels a little narrow in my hands.

Good Point. Bassists, particularly guitar player s who adopt bass to get the gig and ride the B string are lousy bass players.

All the B strings offers is some range, position control, rich tone as an asset. It is not the key string and should be used as sparingly as the G string, meaning only when the note is appropriate as a compliment to the other notes you are playing in any sequence.

Sometimes when I drop from B octave on the E string down to open B on the 5th, I actually hold off a note and let it ring. Tehw sustained note carries better, does nto muddy up the riff or note sequence and adds dimension to "your" sound.

 

[roadkill2309]

i play fives now but i use the b more for a thumbrest than not and use it sparingly which is the key.
a four feels a little narrow in my hands.

Good Point. Bassists, particularly guitar player s who adopt bass to get the gig and ride the B string are lousy bass players.

All the B strings offers is some range, position control, rich tone as an asset. It is not the key string and should be used as sparingly as the G string, meaning only when the note is appropriate as a compliment to the other notes you are playing in any sequence.

Sometimes when I drop from B octave on the E string down to open B on the 5th, I actually hold off a note and let it ring. Tehw sustained note carries better, does nto muddy up the riff or note sequence and adds dimension to "your" sound.

I agree with both of these.

 

[maguire]

It's a somewhat difficult decision for me. The low "B" helps me separate my range from a guitarist - and gives valuable options to bring another octave into a composition. If I use a four it is tuned BEAD for that reason.

I always think that the guitarist's low E is the same as the 7th fret on the A string. That means that a guitarist has access to more than half of the standard bass scale (not that they use it in the same way). But I want to get away from guitar range so I can keep our ranges separated.

I like the slim neck on four for more agility, but musically the 5 string is difficult to turn down. If I wanted to play faster I'd probably switch over to 4's. Right now I'm all 5's.