So I've played 5 strings for years and have about 6 of those basses sitting in my living room right now. But I just bought a nice Fender P bass with flats from the classifieds last night because of what I'm starting to notice.
Over the past few years I've seen a lot of "cool" young bands seem to only have bassists with 4 stringers. I know that "cool" is totally subjective, but they're usually bands that stir up a good bit of publicity in the pop and indie rock worlds.
Bands like...
Vulfpeck with Joe Dart. He always has a variety of basses, but they are only 4 strings:
Michael League of Snarky Puppy is almost always seen with one of his classic P basses:
The band Pomplamoose:
The 1975:
Greta Van Fleet:
Even the brilliant music educator Adam Neely has switched over to a 4 string P bass with flats:
Of course, these are just a handful of modern bands and players. We could make a list miles long of all the bands that have 4 string bassists.
I primarily play 5 strings and my jazz ensembles band leader constantly rags on me for having a 5 string bass. There are of course, lots of cats in Nashville who play 5 and 6 string basses, but the trend seems to be toward playing a 4 string P bass with flats.
A few months ago I even went out and got a Fender American Pro 5 string and put Chromes on it. I love the bass, but I still get strange looks from people. It's hard to believe that in the year 2018 there seems to be a bias against bassists with multiple strings. You saw them everywhere in the 80s and 90s, but nowadays you seem to only see extended range basses in the Jazz/Fusion world, Gospel, and in Metal bands. Hardly ever do you see them on a stage with a band that's considered "modern" and "cool".
So is it just me, or is anyone else noticing a trending bias against extended range basses in favor of the 4 string? Even more interestingly, do you feel that bringing more than 4 strings to an audition might cost you the gig?
Over the past few years I've seen a lot of "cool" young bands seem to only have bassists with 4 stringers. I know that "cool" is totally subjective, but they're usually bands that stir up a good bit of publicity in the pop and indie rock worlds.
Bands like...
Vulfpeck with Joe Dart. He always has a variety of basses, but they are only 4 strings:
Michael League of Snarky Puppy is almost always seen with one of his classic P basses:
The band Pomplamoose:
The 1975:
Greta Van Fleet:
Even the brilliant music educator Adam Neely has switched over to a 4 string P bass with flats:
Of course, these are just a handful of modern bands and players. We could make a list miles long of all the bands that have 4 string bassists.
I primarily play 5 strings and my jazz ensembles band leader constantly rags on me for having a 5 string bass. There are of course, lots of cats in Nashville who play 5 and 6 string basses, but the trend seems to be toward playing a 4 string P bass with flats.
A few months ago I even went out and got a Fender American Pro 5 string and put Chromes on it. I love the bass, but I still get strange looks from people. It's hard to believe that in the year 2018 there seems to be a bias against bassists with multiple strings. You saw them everywhere in the 80s and 90s, but nowadays you seem to only see extended range basses in the Jazz/Fusion world, Gospel, and in Metal bands. Hardly ever do you see them on a stage with a band that's considered "modern" and "cool".
So is it just me, or is anyone else noticing a trending bias against extended range basses in favor of the 4 string? Even more interestingly, do you feel that bringing more than 4 strings to an audition might cost you the gig?
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