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I'm kinda thinking about going back to a 4 string.

#61
john turner said:
heh. must've struck a nerve. lol. jealousy is very unbecoming.

oh, and thanks for the disrespect, i appreciate it. :rolleyes: i also appreciate how you've turned this into your own private little crusade - nobody on this thread had any mention of scraping for gigs from ignorant bandleaders until you came along. that argument has been preached long and hard in the past, and it always comes down to the same thing - nobody ever forced you to do it. i have money because i earned it - studio, programming contracts and playing on some indie recordings. i was hired for my instruments and the way i play them - sought out in fact, by name. on those dates i played the instruments i wished to, that i felt fit the client's needs the best, and i was paid for my services. granted i probably don't do them as often as you do, but that's not for their lack of availability.

as far as being a professional musician, i can wager that more people are listening to my music right now - that i wrote and that they paid for - than are listening to yours. care to compare? prove me wrong? i have the cd orders and the reorders from cdman to show for it. oh, wait, you don't play your own music, you are "professional".

lastly, disrespect aside, what makes you qualified to speak for 99% of anyone? heh.

god, fish in a barrel.
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You're off base. Basicallybass makes good points.
 
#62
dun go to a five just because it makes u look good. where i come from, anyone who plays a five is considered a pro. bs, i would say. those guys couldn't even do a thump. pro, my ass. lots of professional players play fours :victor wooten, jaco and more.

four is just nice. i was told by a professional bassist who learnt under john patitucci that from a four, jump straight to six. but, learn the four well first.
 
#65
embellisher said:
Yep. I agree 100%.
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As do I.

Equating how many strings a person does (or does not) have on their bass to their level of accomplishment and professionalism is asinine, I think.

I started this thread partly out of frustration with myself as a player, and thinking that maybe I didn't need the added distraction of the fifth string when I feel like I'm just barely able to use a four string in any pleasant manner. But since I've posted I've been taking in the replies and just letting the thread run it's course... and I've been playing an awful lot. I'm really comfortable playing my 5, but I'm beginning to recognize and appreciate the value of a good 4 string more than I did before.

Thanks for the replies, all. This was most informative.
 
#66
Music is an art for some, a business for others, and for a select few, both. If it's a matter of art, play what you wanna play, and however you want to play it. If you need to grab a 12 string bass, string it with shoe strings, and play it with drumsticks, in order to get your artistic expression out, do it. If it's a matter of business, do whatever it takes to make the job and get the money. If it's both, you're already a pro and you're already doing what you please. :p Just my .02 cents. :bassist:
 
#67
iualum said:
You're off base. Basicallybass makes good points.
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i'm not off base at all. he attacked me for no reason and i don't appreciate it. he also made assumptions that aren't true. i can name a hundred working session/studio/touring guys that i know personally who play something more than a 4 string. for him to insult me because he doesn't like what i do is pretty lame - he doesn't even know me, or what i do every day, yet he feels qualified to make a critical judgement on me.
 
#68
you know, i'm going to bow out of this conversation. i just tried to offer my own experiences and opinion, along with the fact that you don't necessarily have to suck it down and do what you don't want to do to make something positive and musical (and profitable) happen in your life, it's still very possible to make your own choices and follow your own desires and still have some level of success at it.
 
#70
john turner said:
heh, i hope that's in a good way.



he is a professional. he is paid for his work and he is satisfying his clients' needs. what other qualifications does he need?



there's room for whatever someone wants in their arsenal, and i would think of all people this basicallybass individual should know that, considering the dozens of instruments he's claimed to own in the past. if you're going to be hired by folks to play what they want you to play how they want you to play it, then be sure you have the instrument they expect - that's just plain common sense.

thank god that's not the only way to make a living in music. :rolleyes:
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Good way,,, hell yea... You're right, but Axel still sucks... I completely agree with you're stance, & DO think its a bit closed minded of anyone who might not hire someone based upon the premise that, "Hey, your bass has too many strings! GET LOST, WEIRDO!"
 
#71
McHack said:
DO think its a bit closed minded of anyone who might not hire someone based upon the premise that, "Hey, your bass has too many strings! GET LOST, WEIRDO!"
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it's unfortunate, but many band leaders do just that, which is what basically bass was saying. then again, many band leaders are very open minded too - and more are becoming that way every day. the awesome al caldwell recorded an killer album with vanessa williams in december on his midi-equipped 9 string hollowbody. he's also touring in chuck rainey's own band, playing his 9's. just one of many many examples i can think of off the top of my head.

the moral of the story is that you can have the gig _you_ want, you just have to be willing to make it happen and possibly sacrifice to get it, or at least pay dues.
 
#72
john turner said:
it's unfortunate, but many band leaders do just that. then again, many band leaders are very open minded too - and more are becoming that way every day. the awesome al caldwell recorded an killer album with vanessa williams in december on his midi-equipped 9 string hollowbody. he's also touring in chuck rainey's own band, playing his 9's. just one of many many examples i can think of off the top of my head.
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But...but... that pokes holes in the fragile little world I've set up for myself!

That makes you, a, uh, wanker! A spoiled wanker, and nothing close to a REAL musician!
 
#75
This past weekend I brought 3 of my basses to our performance on Saturday night; Fender P, the J and my Spector Q5. The Q5 was my most recent purchase, January, '04, and I have been quite taken by it until recently when I had this compulsion to play the 4-stringers. Just simply missed using them. Well, I had the best performance I've had in a long time, not necessarily from a technical standpoint, but on an emotional level. The performance was much more animated, more lively, just more fun. I mean I just plain enjoyed myself so much that I stood back and started to evaluate my need for a 5-string. I guess, even though I've been playing the 5'er for almost 8 months, my playing has been a little more mechanical than I'd like. With the 4's, it seems more automatic, more about the total package of feel/technique/theory, etc.....was just able to get to the groove much more easily without thinking about it too much. I just plain had a great time. I don't know where this will take me, but for the immediate future, I'm going to keep the 5 but use it only where a song calls for it. The rest of the show will be with the 4's. Just relating a sort of revelation I experienced over the weekend relative to the thread subject.
 
#77
Apologies for bringing up an old thread, but this is an issue I'm going through as well. Love the ERB, but seriously want to go back to the 4.

I remember when I was taking lessons as a teenager and talked to my teacher about switching from a 4 to a 5 since some of the transposing from treble clef he had me do was a tad beyond the range of the low E. I traded up my 4 for a 5.

Recently, I've acquired a 6-string and it does give me a wide variety of tonal options in various positions. I wouldn't think of getting rid of it. It's the most comfortable 6 I've ever played and is fun to experiment on.

But I too have been not using the low B and high C much lately and too have a yen to go back to the ol' 4-string. Most of the magic happens on the EADG (though the B and C are kinda nice to have.) I have my ol' fiver at home (my 6 is with me here at school) and the 5 is tuned EADGC, and when I play it, I never use the C and don't really miss the low B. Stringing the fiver EADGC was the test for me to gauge how much I'd miss the low B if I were to go back to the 4.

I'll keep the sixer. 'Tis a great tool and loads of fun to experiment on. And my fiver has major sentimental value to me. But once I save up my pennies for a good 4-banger, I do plan to mostly be a 4-string guy.
 
#79
First and foremose, i think that each player should play whatever he wants. I think that exploring is part of the game. Take the time and explore things for yourself. Not to disrespect anyone's advice or opinion here, but i just think that until you dont try something for yourself, you wont know how it feels.

That being said, i learned bass on a 4 string, and i bought a 5 string because my band wanted to explore lower tunings. We tune down to A, so the E string cant really handle that. I find that i love my 5 string. I still have my 4 stirng, and use it on occasion, but have to admit that i just love the way a 5 feels in my hands, and the way it plays. I just enjoy playing it over the 4.

Again, this is a personal opinion, i think that everyone should try it for themselves, and figure out what they like best.

Kind Regards,
H
 
#80
Brendan said:
Now for the off bit: I'd get a 6+ in a heard beat. I guess to me, a 5er is sorta like doing the extended range thing half-assed.

...
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I'm going to treat myself to a new bass for my bday, and first I was thinking 5, but I've been playing with a bunch of different 6ers and I love it. I may just go that route. I'll never stop playing a 4 stringas my main bass, but those 6ers have my interest.
 

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