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high c or low b?

B

blankrider

Jun 2, 2010
23
0
#1
Hey guys, I just got my schecter studio 5 in the mail and it shipped with the traditional low b string. I changed the set of strings on there to my old flatwound chromes (didn't change the b string because i don't have a flatwound one) and i just am not seeing how useful the low b can be. I was thinking about changing it to a high c because i play alot of jazz and would like to be able to walk an Eb without shifting up to 8th fret.

Ideas/ Suggestions?
 
#3
Well i was thinking about the added range with the high c (since hitting Ebs and Fs in the middle of jazz runs can be hard at bebop speed) but it shipped with the low b and it seems like everyone around plays the low b so i'm just curious as to what the actual benefits of it are.

Also the 5 string i got is an 800$ bass i got for 279. How could i pass that up?
 
#4
I'm not a Jazz player so I guess not the best advise giver in this situation, but as far as I am concerned, a bass is a bass, and thus my vote would go with the B string.

Jazz or no jazz, bass = bass, which = low.

But, ultimately go with whatever works best for you.

:bassist:
 
#6
try 'em both! Buy a 6-string set and you'll have both. Sure it's a pain to rotate a million strings. For me: a low-B is more practical, but a Hi-C helps me to be more creative when jamming. You can even tune the C to a B and have it like a guitar.

There's no right answer.
 
#7
Well, I have two 5 string basses. A 35" with a low B and a 34" with high C. (As well as a fretless 6). I love both basses but usually find myself taking the bass with the low B to gigs/sessions. That probably most represents the music I'm playing though, (which is usually groove based or mainstream, ie. not alot of soloing).

I like the high C when I'm playing chordal stuff and soloing, but I also prefer the tone of those Eb's and F's on the G string over the C string in the context of a bassline.

If I was playing in a band where the low B was not required and I was going to be soloing I would take the high C bass...
 
#9
I play with a hi C and prefer it. Most low B's I have played have challenged the amplification. As a jazzer, you might find double stops to have more definition through the amp with a hi C than with a low B. Besides, the URB guys who play up in thumbs are hitting the same notes you would be on the C, and for the most part they don't go below E. I appreciate I am in the minority on this. As BillyIV says above, there is no right answer, do what feels better for you.
 
#10
im feeling like i'll order a high C chrome to at least try it out. I have a rock gig next week that i need the low b for so i'll use it then, but the majority of the time i'm playing jazz so i don't see the need for this loud thumping b string
 
#12
You're asking what the advantage of the low B is. Really, I can only think of one aside from the obvious ability to go lower than the standard E, which can be nice on occasion. The thing that's really handy is that it gets you away from the nut for some keys, especially for a jazz gig where you'd do a lot of walking. For example, a song in F. Instead of the low F being first fret on the E string, you could play the 6th fret on the B string. No more open strings or stretching your pinky about 4 frets over. Same thing for the keys of Bb, Eb, etc. If you have horns in your band, that may be of interest to you. On the other hand, if you solo a lot, and don't need or care about the above examples, I'd vote for the high C, especially for a jazz gig. You could still play the standard bass notes, but soloing would be a lot easier. Well, for you probably - I'd butcher my solo no matter how many strings I'd have :-)
 
#19
I'm going to have to voice my emphatic support for changing out the Low B for a High C. I have only one five string bass, but I struggled for YEARS to try and get a good sound out of the B string. Other than dumping more compression on it than I feel any bass should ever have on it, I wasn't able to do it. I had my bass set up several times and I still noticed prominent rattle of the B string when played open or lower than the 3rd fret, not to mention fretting any note on it caused more blurb and rattle than note definition.

With that said, here's my advantages towards switching to the high C. It can completely change the way your bass plays. After switching, I realized the reason my bass felt clunky was because of the thicker strings. Simply by putting .020's worth of space between the strings made all the difference in feeling comfortable. Also, the change in the degree of tension can change how well your bass stays in tune. When I set up my bass in the EADGC configuration, and since then, it has been my most reliable bass for accurate tones.

I have also only lost one note in the process. I do a lot of tuning changes, most notably tuning my E down to C. Trying this before with the B string would have been silly, but on the few occassions I need to zone out and rock a bunch of low notes in a row, I've been able to do it. Also having the Tenor "ADGC" setup below it makes it an interesting tuning for open bass playing. My open C sounds infinitely better than the 1st fret of any 5 string bass I have played. I played over 100 5-strings looking for the one that I had, and even then I changed it.

I'm sharing my experience just to give people ideas. I understand why many bassists want the low B, I just don't see the practicality in it especially if you bought a 5-string for under 800 dollars. The pickups won't be a high enough quality to accurately capture the lowest frequency, B. Sorry. I've played every 5 string made by Ibanez, Yamaha, Fender, Warwick, and the other big league instrument builders, and none of them could get a solid B tone to my liking. Maybe that's just me and I'm asking too much out of a warbling .120-.140 string but you'd hope they were designed to work in the first place.
 
#20
There's no money to make on a G-string, imagine a C-string! :bassist:

We play bass. If you want to play high buy a guitar :) (just joking)

If you really want to try the C thing it's fine. It's true that it can change how you view the fretboard and alter your playing. But don't show up at my gig gig with a high-C and ask to sit in :rollno:
 

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