Headstock fivers: two by three or three by two?

[scottfeldstein]

I am quite blessed and fortunate in many ways. I have great family and terrific friends and I love my job. Even my health is pretty good. In spite of all this, I am also cursed. I am cursed because I own one five string bass whose tuner configuration is three by two, and a second five stringer whose configuration is two by three.

Every time I reach for the A string while tuning I'm about 50/50 erroneously either grabbing the E or the D.

Ibanez BTB745: two by three.

Warwick RB Corvette $$: three by two.

Cursed.

 

[never-enough]

We all have a cross to bear.
Do your best to keep your chin up!

 

[31HZ]

I played an FNA exclusively for years as my first 5-string, and as such I still feel most at home with 3/2.

Obvious solution: play 6ers

 

[Sid the Kid]

I have headless 5’s and sometimes I reach for the headstock to tune. Like a phantom limb. It doesn’t happen often anymore, but I got busted a few times. Pretty embarrassing.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

3 + 2 & 4 + 1 =

 

[Snert]

3+2 or 2+3 is always better than 5IL.
Headless is better than the lot.

 

[blowinblue]

How do you handle things when you have to set up on the side of the stage that you're not used to? Relax. You've got this!

M. M.

 

[ModuMan]

This is why the StingRay 5 is so good. You already know exactly what is happening.

 

[scottfeldstein]

This is why the StingRay 5 is so good. You already know exactly what is happening.

Oh, I don't know... if you have a four by one and a five inline, might you not sometimes reach for the G only to find you're twisting the D? (So to speak?)

 

[jamro217]

2-1-2. One at the top middle. Keep 'em guessin'.

 

[alembicbones]

My preference is 4 x 1 but i have 3 x 2 and 2 x 3 too. I've come to the conclusion that as long as the bass sounds good with any of these headstock configurations, I'm cool with it.

Bones

 

[definenredefine]

2-1-2. One at the top middle. Keep 'em guessin'.

This is clearly the right answer.

 

[Eric Swaim]

I like the look of the 3x2 but that's me. I have owned 5x0, 4x1, 3x2, 2x3,

 

[scottfeldstein]

I like the look of the 3x2 but that's me. I have owned 5x0, 4x1, 3x2, 2x3,

I gotta say that I love the aesthetic of the Warwick headstock. The shape, the tuner config, even the painted headstock. I'm a sucker for a painted headstock, especially when it doesn't even match the body. They were like "F it, paint it black." That's gangster.

 

[Jefenator]

3-2 makes the most sense to me but I'll deal with whatever.
2-3 seems a little goofy for some reason - but sometimes goofy is good. The Gibson EB-5 is so odd yet freaking cool looking to me, I just had to get one. (Reversing stuff for no reason - I love it...)

 

[scottfeldstein]

3-2 makes the most sense to me but I'll deal with whatever.
2-3 seems a little goofy for some reason - but sometimes goofy is good. The Gibson EB-5 is so odd yet freaking cool looking to me, I just had to get one. (Reversing stuff for no reason - I love it...)

View attachment 4692060

To me, two by three seems more practical and logical. If you're gonna have one side with an extra string it should be the treble side.

 

[ModuMan]

Oh, I don't know... if you have a four by one and a five inline, might you not sometimes reach for the G only to find you're twisting the D? (So to speak?)

Would I? No. But I don't own a 5 inline because that is objectively awful.

 

[Samatza]

mine are all different so I've learned to live with it. Doesn't really matter to me in any case.

 

[scottfeldstein]

Would I? No. But I don't own a 5 inline because that is objectively awful.

Yes, that's just science.

 

[JeezyMcNuggles]

I am quite blessed and fortunate in many ways. I have great family and terrific friends and I love my job. Even my health is pretty good. In spite of all this, I am also cursed. I am cursed because I own one five string bass whose tuner configuration is three by two, and a second five stringer whose configuration is two by three.

Every time I reach for the A string while tuning I'm about 50/50 erroneously either grabbing the E or the D.

Ibanez BTB745: two by three.

Warwick RB Corvette $$: three by two.

Cursed.

My five is 4 and 1

The B string screws me up the same way it does starting on different strings, the top string is a B, not an E. It's really only an issue between A and D. Something I have to consciously think about with those middle strings.

Loops me sometimes.