Although I've owned a bunch of 5vers, (I currently don't) over the years, the usage of this stupid thing sure is driving me to want another!
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Hey, 5-stringers!
- Thread starter howlin
- Start date
I really cant say why I changed to a 5 string, but how it benefited me was the group I played with did a lot of songs in E & F. In F you play 4th string 1st fret. You are pretty much stuck on what you can play. Or 3rd string 8th fret, you have playing room but I just could not play 'low' enough. I recently started back playing 4. The venue I play ia small & does not have a drummer. I am not competing against a kick. I could play my 5 there & may do so, but it could be a little over-kill. Be sure to get a active 5. You will need a little treble to break thru the mix.
I got my first 5 in about 1995 and played if for a bit but I kept playing the wrong notes thinking I was on the E string so I put it away. Had a Ken Smith 5 made in 1999 and tried again but had the same problem plus I have short fingers so 4 made more sense. A couple years ago I got into a Country Rock band and was carrying both and switching between songs and it got to be a pain so I decided to just dive in and now I only play the 5. I guess you just got to just do it.
In 2008, a guitarist friend of mine (who a year or so earlier had decided to start dabbling in bass) invited me to try out his Ibanez BTB 6-string bass. It was revelatory...up until then I had been scared to even LOOK at anything other than 4-string basses. What I quickly realized, playing that BTB, was (is) that my hands are way more suited to bigger necks/wider fretboards...I had owned several 4-strings over the years (in particular a Rickenbacker) that caused chronic wrist cramping, making practicing/playing an outright miserable experience at times.
I don't own that BTB anymore (I bought it from my friend the same day he let me try it out, but sold it in 2011); however, I do own a Peavey USA Cirrus 6, a Peavey TL-Five, and a Jackson Kelly Bird V David Ellefson Signature. The only 4 I currenly own is a Peavey T-40 and, as far as 4-stringers go, it seems to work pretty good for me. Can't say I won't own any more 4-strings, but I'd probably have to sit and play one for a minimum of ten minutes to get an idea RE: whether the neck works for me or not...
I don't own that BTB anymore (I bought it from my friend the same day he let me try it out, but sold it in 2011); however, I do own a Peavey USA Cirrus 6, a Peavey TL-Five, and a Jackson Kelly Bird V David Ellefson Signature. The only 4 I currenly own is a Peavey T-40 and, as far as 4-stringers go, it seems to work pretty good for me. Can't say I won't own any more 4-strings, but I'd probably have to sit and play one for a minimum of ten minutes to get an idea RE: whether the neck works for me or not...
I originally got a 5 string to rattle more people's chairs, but soon learned that I could play a lot more things without shifting positions as much. Going lower is only one aspect of what a 5 string is good for.
LOW NOTES! Pure and simple.
I bought one of the first 5ers I'd ever seen -- a Peavey DynaBass 5 -- back in the late 80's and haven't consistently played on a 4 since. Except for my Azola BugBass....and I traded that for a5-string NS Designs OmniBass.
dcr
I bought one of the first 5ers I'd ever seen -- a Peavey DynaBass 5 -- back in the late 80's and haven't consistently played on a 4 since. Except for my Azola BugBass....and I traded that for a5-string NS Designs OmniBass.
dcr
I've been playing since 1998 and have been on 5-strings since 1994. It was Dream Theater that did it for me. I was already aware of John Myung playing a low B on "Take the Time", but when I heard Awake with the low B in the guitars and bass everywhere, I knew I had to have that sonic range.
My first 5'er was a Carvin LB75. Played my Stringray 5 for a long time before I finally settled in with Spector about 6 years ago.
My first 5'er was a Carvin LB75. Played my Stringray 5 for a long time before I finally settled in with Spector about 6 years ago.
A 5 just makes me think about the bass in a whole different way. A very refreshing way I might add. For me it almost immediately flushed a whole lot of playing habits I was quite happy to lose straight down the pooper. It fully reinvigorated my playing and made me see the bass itself in a whole new light.
I was thinking of taking one of my basses and converting it to BEAD. That would take care of having that low B but still the feel and weight of a 4 string.
....I wanted a Warwick, I swore I'd always be a 4-dude, but got a smokin' deal (1/2 price!) on a scratch n dent 5er and couldn't pass it up. I still play better on a 4, but the dang thing sounds so good I keep using it LOL.
The fusion jazz players I listened to played low b fives.
Jimmy Johnson was one of the first 5 stringers I listened to
so in 1991 I bought a 5. Having an extended low range for a bass player
is the balls. Try ending a tune on a low C versus an octave up on a 4 string.
Just don't compare.
Jimmy Johnson was one of the first 5 stringers I listened to
so in 1991 I bought a 5. Having an extended low range for a bass player
is the balls. Try ending a tune on a low C versus an octave up on a 4 string.
Just don't compare.
I'm mainly a gospel music musician and the Low-B is needed for a lot of gospel songs. I transitioned from guitar to bass. But I also find some newer jazz tunes where the Low-B string is needed. I've never owned a 4 string bass. I'm beginning to question why I bought a 6'er though. 
I love fives, beefy ones at that. I have a SBMM Ray 35, a Lakland 55-01 and now as of today I have a MTD Kingston Z5. I love fours too. Can't do sixes though.
I prefer 35" scale. I don't know how I came around to liking 5s but they feel good and I never had to adjust to them. I had a G&L 5 back in 89 and a Schecter Rob DeLeo in 2002. I didn't like either of them.
I prefer 35" scale. I don't know how I came around to liking 5s but they feel good and I never had to adjust to them. I had a G&L 5 back in 89 and a Schecter Rob DeLeo in 2002. I didn't like either of them.
I had my first 5 string after two years into playing. 5 strings have become my primary bass when it comes to free lancing as a bassist. I feel it's just a more versatile choice if you're trying to play a variety of styles. I even play 6 strings, but thats for a more specialized type of playing style that i do not do as frequently as just straight ahead rock type of gigs.
I started playing in the very late 70s so I only played 4's until the early 90s. Around that time 5's were becoming popular so I decided to get one to see what all the fuss was about. I was young and single with not a lot of bills so I originally aimed at getting a Tobias 5er. But after seeing the pricetag, I shifted gears and ordered a Carvin LB75. Still have that bass 20+ years later- its the longest any bass has stayed in my arsenal. So I always had one or 2 5ers around but I mainly played 4s until about 4 years ago when I landed a gig with a modern country band. We didnt have to tune down for our male singer but after just a couple of rehearsals, I realized a TON of songs had Eb's and low D's. I played our first few shows with the Carvin but my bandmates said it didnt cut through enough (surprisingly this included the lead guitard!). So I quickly picked up a G&L L2500 Trib and a Lakland Skyline 55-01, both of which sat better in the mix. And in the course of our shows, I literally used every note the extra range gave me. I've gone to see my old country band a couple times and the new bass player plays a 4. And to me, something is missing. Dont get me wrong, he's a good player. But to my ear, some of the songs lose that extra bit of oomph when he has to go up to a C or D instead of down.
