It's not only that. Frankly I agree with OP. But todays music, you must take into the account that you (and I) are a bit too biased about "Most songs arent there anyway". Today you have different metal genres, doom, djent, and, death which relies very heavily on detuning their instruments below low B. Some even tunes down to F sharp.
It has went over our heads, us old geezer that thinks most music or popular songs are not in need for low B.
It came around in the 80's when the synthesizers produced low bass without a sweat, and bassists found themselves in a competing range. Some resorted to use Moog taurus pedals, because those one surely got lower. The main thing which I've found is the places, PA's and amplifier system which doesn't track, or go down so low. Most FOH mixer guys loathes it, as the cut everything below 40 Hz anyway. Some players need the detuned and low D though, and they found all "horn songs" written in Bb or Eb, to unwieldy to play on a regularly tuned 4 string bass. Some players needs a fretted low E as well as a fretted low D in order to damp and pop properly with their fretting hand.
I am thinking of getting a Dingwall ABZ 4 string which has a low scale of 36.5 on the thickest string. BUT use BEAD tuning all across it. I think one of the nuisances for me is the unwieldy thicknes of the gauge, that causes a peculiar ramp up as you down on the first few frets. I e the height difference of the top of each strings which can't be remedied or mitigated at all with radius. Since all strings needs to have the same distance down to the first fret, the height and gauge different above it can throw me off quite a couple of times. Not to speak of that the saddles back at the bridge. Most of them haven't got enough space for moving up and down to set a decent action or string height, because the low b string is too thick, and even if you have the saddle nailed down as far as it can go, you're way too high still. And you have to resort to tapered low B-string or open core low b-string. Which induces other problems. This height difference in gauges on any 5 string is what annoys me the most.
It's hard to explain properly, but some bassists out there, Tony Levin, and the Stig guy of D.A.D. uses three strunged basses, and two string basses. Whatever rocks your boat. Sometimes you find out that you really don't need more than 4 strings. However, how those 4 strings are tuned, are another matter. So I personally don't think it's a matter of 4 strings or not, it's more of a matter how those 4ers are tuned.
Dingwall are the only ones I've heard (and owns) that makes a decent low B at 37" Scale. Luckily Ibanez have jumped on the bandwagon now, on fan frets. So people can try out and test and see. The other day, someone in the local store traded in his Lakland 5er for a Ibby 5er fan frets. The Ibby was in the shop for...like... one day.
I still play the 4ers most, but can't stay from tuning down to open D ever so often. The only thing I would've want lower is to play low Eb and D. The C and C sharp I am all game with in regular tuning. So, I could very well tune the 4er to D G C F if I was becoming prickly.
I think Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree does this. He has numerous basses, but always refrained from 5ers due to their unwieldiness. Rather has 4ers tuned low.
It has went over our heads, us old geezer that thinks most music or popular songs are not in need for low B.
It came around in the 80's when the synthesizers produced low bass without a sweat, and bassists found themselves in a competing range. Some resorted to use Moog taurus pedals, because those one surely got lower. The main thing which I've found is the places, PA's and amplifier system which doesn't track, or go down so low. Most FOH mixer guys loathes it, as the cut everything below 40 Hz anyway. Some players need the detuned and low D though, and they found all "horn songs" written in Bb or Eb, to unwieldy to play on a regularly tuned 4 string bass. Some players needs a fretted low E as well as a fretted low D in order to damp and pop properly with their fretting hand.
I am thinking of getting a Dingwall ABZ 4 string which has a low scale of 36.5 on the thickest string. BUT use BEAD tuning all across it. I think one of the nuisances for me is the unwieldy thicknes of the gauge, that causes a peculiar ramp up as you down on the first few frets. I e the height difference of the top of each strings which can't be remedied or mitigated at all with radius. Since all strings needs to have the same distance down to the first fret, the height and gauge different above it can throw me off quite a couple of times. Not to speak of that the saddles back at the bridge. Most of them haven't got enough space for moving up and down to set a decent action or string height, because the low b string is too thick, and even if you have the saddle nailed down as far as it can go, you're way too high still. And you have to resort to tapered low B-string or open core low b-string. Which induces other problems. This height difference in gauges on any 5 string is what annoys me the most.
It's hard to explain properly, but some bassists out there, Tony Levin, and the Stig guy of D.A.D. uses three strunged basses, and two string basses. Whatever rocks your boat. Sometimes you find out that you really don't need more than 4 strings. However, how those 4 strings are tuned, are another matter. So I personally don't think it's a matter of 4 strings or not, it's more of a matter how those 4ers are tuned.
Dingwall are the only ones I've heard (and owns) that makes a decent low B at 37" Scale. Luckily Ibanez have jumped on the bandwagon now, on fan frets. So people can try out and test and see. The other day, someone in the local store traded in his Lakland 5er for a Ibby 5er fan frets. The Ibby was in the shop for...like... one day.
I still play the 4ers most, but can't stay from tuning down to open D ever so often. The only thing I would've want lower is to play low Eb and D. The C and C sharp I am all game with in regular tuning. So, I could very well tune the 4er to D G C F if I was becoming prickly.
I think Colin Edwin of Porcupine Tree does this. He has numerous basses, but always refrained from 5ers due to their unwieldiness. Rather has 4ers tuned low.
