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I don't think I'll ever be able to play a 4 banger again

#81
I have two P basses, a J, a MusicMan and a Yamaha, all 4. I do want to trade my Yamaha 4 for some 5 string, at least for a backup. Here, however, is my issue with 5 strings:

1. The Low B. I do not like the sound of the low B at all. Not one 5 I tried had a clear-sounding low B. It's too muffled for me.

2. The string-spacing on all of the 5's I've tried is just too small, and just doesn't feel right to me. Even the 5-String P Bass doesn't feel right. The closest to my satisfaction is the Musicman 5, but even that's not making me say, "I want this!"

I am trying to be open to change. Songwriters, directors and producers these days want that low B, but I find it very hard to buy into.
 
#82
I played a 5 string at a local music store, and the b just felt right to me. it just..it fit. i loved the sound, i loved the tension, i loved the thump...like i said, it just fit with me. i like bass, i like lower bass notes, and i hardly play above the d string...maybe only for the black sabbath-y fills :ninja: but thumping on a b string just fit with me. I'm starting a very slow, heavy, hardcore band that emphasizes low notes, and to me, a 5 string is going to do just that...emphasize the low notes. i only own four strings, but i desperately want a 5 string. it only took me about 30 minutes to stop pedalling on the b and to realize that there was another string. i've heard of people never ever getting that or feeling that. my next bass is definitely going to be a 5 string. but, i have no money! :bawl:
 
#83
scatman said:
I have two P basses, a J, a MusicMan and a Yamaha, all 4. I do want to trade my Yamaha 4 for some 5 string, at least for a backup. Here, however, is my issue with 5 strings:

1. The Low B. I do not like the sound of the low B at all. Not one 5 I tried had a clear-sounding low B. It's too muffled for me.

2. The string-spacing on all of the 5's I've tried is just too small, and just doesn't feel right to me. Even the 5-String P Bass doesn't feel right. The closest to my satisfaction is the Musicman 5, but even that's not making me say, "I want this!"

I am trying to be open to change. Songwriters, directors and producers these days want that low B, but I find it very hard to buy into.
Click to expand...

find a longer scale 5 string. i've found that 36+ is the clear range for b strings
 
#84
Bongolation said:
No, I understand what you meant; what I meant was that I always transpose fingering to play the lines in the lowest possible register. I thought that having the B would be a big help. It hasn't on the bass I got, at least not with roundwounds. The fundamental needs to be much stronger.
Click to expand...

Depends on your bass. I have no complaints about the sound on my 5s, especially the Rob Allen. And having a low Eb is pretty essential (to me) if you're playing jazz tunes with horn players and want to be in a low register.

As for the OP's question, I bought my first 5 in 2000, not because it was a 5 but actually despite the fact that it was a 5 (the bass is that good). I was a 4 kinda guy. That bass (Zon Lightwave fretless 5) converted me to 5. I haven't owned a 4 since, and until recently frankly couldn't even play a 4 when I picked it up. I key off the low string and having it E instead of B threw me totally off. Which is really strange since I double on guitar. The last month or so I picked up a 4 more often since I picked up a funk gig and the thought of going "old school" is attractive (especially since you can be a bit more sloppy on a 4 wrt damping strings and for slap). But I find that I have incorporated the B into my approach, not so much for notes below E but rather up the neck in other positions. It just is more natural for me and easier. I'll go lower when I really want the change in tone of the note, but I like the option of playing low G in two different places. ymmv.
 
#85
Interesting thread. With my main band, I always bring two basses. One is a EBMM Stingray HH 5, active with roundwounds. That let's me get not only the B string but the active sound and the roundwound sound. The other is either a Fender 51 P reissue with chrome flats, or an Upton plywood upright (it has a pickup). (Depends on the venue and the vibe we are trying to convey that night.)

To me it is not just 5 v. 4. It is one tonal spectrum that is modern in almost every way (5-active-roundwound) versus another that is old school, for want of a better term (Fender P with flats or an upright). :bassist:
 
#86
Variety is the spice of life. I had an 08 p5 that I loved, and I will get another soon. I will also get a 5 string ray, just because I love them. But to me, there is just something special about a Stingray 4H, and I'll always keep one in the stable.
 
#88
I started on a 4, picked up a SR5 and am very happy with it. Yeah, I had my doubts, smaller neck is more comfortable and easy to move on, but those low notes are really coming in handy and I'm really getting used to slapping with the tighter string spacing. For me, I probably won't be going back to 4 string anytime soon.
 
#90
SpamBot said:
So the D# on the G string of your 4-string doesn't sound as good as the D# on the C string of your fiver strung E-C? ;)

Goes both ways pal.
Click to expand...

Not really true, in my opinion. The G string is so much lighter than the B string. I'll use the B string eighth fret in a pinch, but that's about as far as I'll go up on it. The E string can get to about the 12th fret before it gets hinky, the A goes higher yet, etc.

My very little experience six strings is that its about as difficult to find a C string that blends as it is to find a B string that does. Hell, sometimes I think my G string is from another planet.

I still play fives, but I don't feel like I'm crippled when I'm on a four, that's all.

KO

Added: SpamBot - if you haven't seen the Twin Cities threads for the MN get togethers, look here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=506154. For the MN Bassists club, here: http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=470659. I'm looking forward to meeting you.
 
#91
scatman said:
The Low B. I do not like the sound of the low B at all. Not one 5 I tried had a clear-sounding low B. It's too muffled for me.
Click to expand...

All basses are not created equal. I don't equate spending money to a better low B, but a strong low B is the backbone of most luthiers. Sometimes the comparison of something like a Dingwall, Curbow, Conklin, Rob Allen, etc. to a ~$1k production bass just isn't a fair fight. Most 5-6 string basses are simply a wider 4 string. When it's done right, it's a godly thunder. When it's not done right, floppy mess.
 
#92
After playing 6 string guitars off and on for 40 years and then picking up the bass and learning it for the last year, it would seem, to me, very difficult to go from 4 to 5. Once a person did learn the new scale of a 5 string, is the advantage strictly the obvious lower bottom notes, or is it, in fact, easier to play than a 4 once you've learned the 5 string scale?
Jack
 
#93
I don't think it's much of a mental stretch: You can use the B for strictly sub-E notes or you can just apply the same patterns to the lower strings or as a guitarist you already know the notes of a B string. For those of us who came from a four string it's not that much more to learn the notes on the B string.

Physically it's a bit more of a hurdle, but not too bad. It's really a question of whether the B string is an integral part of your playing or not. It's not for me, but for others in this thread it obviously is.

KO
 
#95
jackajesusfreak said:
After playing 6 string guitars off and on for 40 years and then picking up the bass and learning it for the last year, it would seem, to me, very difficult to go from 4 to 5. Once a person did learn the new scale of a 5 string, is the advantage strictly the obvious lower bottom notes, or is it, in fact, easier to play than a 4 once you've learned the 5 string scale?
Jack
Click to expand...

I very rarely go below low D, so the primary advantage of the fifth string is having more notes available in each position. If I'm playing around the 7th fret in B, it's a lot easier to grab F# at fret 7 on the B string than at fret 2 on the E string. This makes it easier to walk up to notes on the E string, and makes certain other types of lines come more naturally. This facet of five strings is why I understand players switching over completely, but I can almost always accomplish my goals on a four.
 
#96
I started playing 4 strings in about 1968. Made a living for many years with them, then switched to 5 when those came out. On stage I have played 5s for 15 years & my whole act is built around them. Recently I acquired a Kay Pro 4 string in a trade. It sounded so cool & so huge I just had to play it on stage. I had to relearn some songs on the 4, which is made harder by the fact that I'm also the lead singer much of the time. It's almost as difficult as learning to play fretless while singing was. Still, it makes you think & learn & improvise again. I don't believe it's good to get too comfortable with the music. Doing different & strange stuff keeps your edge sharp. The audience can smell it like sharks smell blood.
 
#97
I used to play 5 and 6'ers years ago. But I eventually converted back to 4. I can do what I want and need with the 4, and I've got 2 "main" basses for alternated tunings so I don't have to constantly retune depending on the song.

But hey, if you like the 5 (or more strings) that's fine too. Whatever works for you. I don't feel the need for a 5 myself but that doesn't mean other people don't.
 
#98
Many years ago when 5 bangers first started coming out I got one (a Peavy as I recall) and played 5 bangers for years but never really felt totally compfortable,,,, then I got the bright idea to throw my G string in the garbage and re-string my 4 bangers with the B-E-A-D strings (back then I had never heard of that being done before) anyhow, I been doing that ever since.

For me its the best of both worlds, I get the string spacing of a 4 banger and the bottom B sound I love so much (I have never missed not having a G string).

I own around 10 or so bass's, 2 of them acoustic, all are 4 bangers strung with the BEAD strings.

Cheers
Davyo
 
#99
scatman said:
I have two P basses, a J, a MusicMan and a Yamaha, all 4. I do want to trade my Yamaha 4 for some 5 string, at least for a backup. Here, however, is my issue with 5 strings:

1. The Low B. I do not like the sound of the low B at all. Not one 5 I tried had a clear-sounding low B. It's too muffled for me.

2. The string-spacing on all of the 5's I've tried is just too small, and just doesn't feel right to me. Even the 5-String P Bass doesn't feel right. The closest to my satisfaction is the Musicman 5, but even that's not making me say, "I want this!"

I am trying to be open to change. Songwriters, directors and producers these days want that low B, but I find it very hard to buy into.
Click to expand...

I feel the same way...Ive had two SR5's (I own a 4 string ray and 4 string sterling - love them), but i always end up selling my sr5 cuz I just dont have a use for it and am not a fan of the low B..

Someone recommended Lakland 5501 for me.. Said the B sounds better, I need to check that out.
 
#100
Davyo said:
Many years ago when 5 bangers first started coming out I got one (a Peavy as I recall) and played 5 bangers for years but never really felt totally compfortable,,,, then I got the bright idea to throw my G string in the garbage and re-string my 4 bangers with the B-E-A-D strings (back then I had never heard of that being done before) anyhow, I been doing that ever since.

For me its the best of both worlds, I get the string spacing of a 4 banger and the bottom B sound I love so much (I have never missed not having a G string).

I own around 10 or so bass's, 2 of them acoustic, all are 4 bangers strung with the BEAD strings.

Cheers
Davyo
Click to expand...

I like this idea... Im going to try it on one of my basses...
 

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