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How many years (if any) did you play 4 strings before buying a 5 string?

#166
I have been playing some 30 years now. I started on a 4 and then went to a 5 string in 2004 because I joined a metal band and they all had seven strings. After I left the metal band, I found that I really didn't use the 5 that much anymore and thus sold it as it sat in my closet most of the time. So I'm back to 4 bangers and to be honest, they are my first love and probably always will be. I did like the fact the 5 string gives you a place to help support you plucking fingers when playing fingering style. Having that extra low B was a bonus, however I personally found it tends to get lost in the mix when playing live. I much prefer taking a 4 string and tuning it down to C for that angry tone. C sounds sicker away for metal music imho. lol
 
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#168
Bassheart365 said:
I finally bought a 5 string bass in 2014 - after playing 4 string basses exclusively since 1977 - that's 37 years! Still trying to break old muscle memory habits but it's getting better...
Click to expand...
Yes, there is a learning curve for the 5; mostly involving muting the B string. I use a combination of floating my right thumb on top of the strings and using my middle left finger. The left finger mute takes a little more thought at first, because you have to fit it into your fingering scheme.

I started playing in 1970 and got my first 5 in 1989. So, I went 19 years. I then played 5's and 6's pretty much exclusively until about 8 years ago, when I "discovered" the HipShot; and since then have mostly played the 4's, though I keep up my chops on the 5's and 6.

The truth is that most of my cover gigs these days don't need the low notes. I keep hoping that I can find that successful small format punk jazz gig where I can roll out the 5's and 6. Just isn't happening for me.
 
#171
bloobass said:
started on 4 in 86, bought my 5 about 22 years later. Took a little time to get comfortable, but now I think I play it better than I ever did the 4...I should add that I not only added a string, but I made a pretty substantial upgrade also. I've played the 5 pretty exclusively ever since. I just recently started incorporating the 4 back into my playing, because the band I'm currently in does about 2/3's of a set tuned down a 1/2 step. It's much harder to go from the 5 to the 4, than vice versa...probably because I've played the 5 so much in recent years.
Click to expand...

Yes..I've been on a 5er for 2 years, had been playing 4 string 37 years. Now it is difficult to adjust back to the 4 string.
 
#173
I started playing when I was 13 and played (4 string) till 30. I took 10 years off and decided when I got back into it that I wanted a 5 string. Played 5ivers exclusively for the next 15 years and went back to four three years ago when I decided to put together my ultimate fretless PJ (my first "real" bass was a 70s fretless PBass), with a detuner on it. That drop D is as low as I find I need to go. Also started learning finger style guitar 5 years ago so I get my more strings fix there.
 
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#174
I've borrowed/played 5's many times in then past, but have never owned one. I've been playing for close to 20 years.

There are times when I'm gassing for a 5 string because one would actually benefit me with something my buddy and I are working on.

Still haven't.. yet.. new recording gear is where my interests lie at the moment.

I really do want one..
 
#175
Bassheart365 said:
I finally bought a 5 string bass in 2014 - after playing 4 string basses exclusively since 1977 - that's 37 years! Still trying to break old muscle memory habits but it's getting better...
Click to expand...

24 years on four before getting a fiver in Y2K.

I now play five string exclusively, and no longer own any fours. I do not mean to imply that you should do the same! Just saying that five is "just right" for me (I have no interest in 6 or more, either).

I know exactly what you mean by muscle memory. What I would up doing was putting my fours aside to concentrate on five (I believe that's called immersion). After two months I was gigging on five, after another month I was actually comfortable gigging on five. ;) But times can vary: some players adapt much more quickly, others more slowly.

What also helped in the transition from 4 to 5: learning new songs and mapping them out from scratch on five string. That helped me get the hang of five string as a whole, and once I did it was easier to convert songs that I'd played for decades on four. Sometimes very little conversion is required, but usually the low B can provide greater convenience and creativity.

One final piece of advice: do NOT think of five string as "four string plus one". With a quality fiver the B string is playable well above the 5th fret, and of course 5th fret and above are in four-string land. It's not illegal to play fretted low E... to the contrary, use the B string whenever it's appropriate and convenient.
 
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#176
Fuzzbass said:
24 years on four before getting a fiver in Y2K.

I now play five string exclusively, and no longer own any fours. I do not mean to imply that you should do the same! Just saying that five is "just right" for me (I have no interest in 6 or more, either).

I know exactly what you mean by muscle memory. What I would up doing was putting my fours aside to concentrate on five (I believe that's called immersion). After two months I was gigging on five, after another month I was actually comfortable gigging on five. ;) But times can vary: some players adapt much more quickly, others more slowly.

What also helped in the transition from 4 to 5: learning new songs and mapping them out from scratch on five string. That helped me get the hang of five string as a whole, and once I did it was easier to convert songs that I'd played for decades on four. Sometimes very little conversion is required, but usually the low B can provide greater convenience and creativity.

One final piece of advice: do NOT think of five string as "four string plus one". With a quality fiver the B string is playable well above the 5th fret, and of course 5th fret and above are in four-string land. It's not illegal to play fretted low E... to the contrary, use the B string whenever it's appropriate and convenient.
Click to expand...

Yes, so many years of slapping an open low E...it's taken me some time to do that on my 5 string cleanly. Gotta be more precise! And yes, playing a fretted low E opens up a whole new world of goodness..
 
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#178
Picked up my first 5ver about 5 years after picking up a 4 bagger.
That was about a year and a half ago and still haven't played one song on the 5 string.
Way to many instruments in my house right now.
You might say "that's not right".
 
#179
Ken J said:
Picked up my first 5ver about 5 years after picking up a 4 bagger.
That was about a year and a half ago and still haven't played one song on the 5 string.
Way to many instruments in my house right now.
You might say "that's not right".
Click to expand...

Ha. Just because five string is right for me doesn't mean it's right for you or anyone else. Play what you wanna play. Peace!
 
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