Is it "cooler" to play a 4 string bass?

[Wulfensteiner]

Whenever I take my '51 P-Bass Relic out on a gig, a lot of folks much younger than myself go "ooh and aah" over it. Just sayin'.

They 'ooh' and 'ahh' over my DR Neons too. Point?

 

[Wulfensteiner]

There really isn't. The chances of needing the top few notes on the G in the same song that you need the lowest on the B are slim.

Hence why I own EADG and BEAD tuned 4s.

In that case, it's all down to taste. Where I prefer a fretted E, you don't mind giving up the G.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

"Indie" originally just meant "on an independent label." It's today's "alternative." It doesn't really mean anything anymore.

I see more bearded man-bunners in the 'indie' realm than anything else. Perhaps with all that and their insistence on 'vintage', I'm assuming stuff..

 

[Korladis]

In that case, it's all down to taste. Where I prefer a fretted E, you don't mind giving up the G.

Yeah. Just realized that I pretty much don't need those top G string notes in any musical context that I need a low B. Hence one of my Rickenbackers is tuned EADG, and the other is tuned BEAD.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Yeah. Just realized that I pretty much don't need those top G string notes in any musical context that I need a low B. Hence one of my Rickenbackers is tuned EADG, and the other is tuned BEAD.

B tuning question. Do I have to do anything to my bass (nut and bridge I'm assuming?) to ensure that my B is not just a floppy mess? I've experimented and went back to my 5 in a hurry haha

 

[Afc70]

4’s are fun, but i prefer my 5’s, from my experience, 5’s sound fuller & thicker than 4’s.(not even counting the low B) I attribute this to the increased body & neck mass on 5’s.
Nice to have choices tho!

 

[Korladis]

B tuning question. Do I have to do anything to my bass (nut and bridge I'm assuming?) to ensure that my B is not just a floppy mess? I've experimented and went back to my 5 in a hurry haha

You have to use heavier strings, file the nut, and do a setup (the intonation will need to be changed, and you might have to adjust string height as well).

My BEAD tuned basses use the string gauges 130 for the B, 100 for the E, 80 for the A, and 60 for the D.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

You have to use heavier strings, file the nut, and do a setup (the intonation will need to be changed, and you might have to adjust string height as well).

My BEAD tuned basses use the string gauges 130 for the B, 100 for the E, 80 for the A, and 60 for the D.

I'm a lazy stoner. I'm sticking with the 5 plus I kind of like G strings (grow up people..)
But hey, kudos man. I do enjoy when someone does something unusual and makes it work!

 

[JRA]

if you are already "cool" and you play more than 4 strings = no big deal...you're "cool" thing is unaffected by 5-6 (or more) strings. however: if you aren't cool = play 4 strings until the "cool" thing starts to develop. you'll know when you have "cool" going for you because chicks will wink at you during a slow dance, over the shoulder of their boyfriends/husbands/dates. then, and only then: consider anything else.

i promised myself i'd go to 5 strings if/when i got 100 of those winks. i'm at 17. only 83 more to go. then: my first fiver! yay! wish me luck. thanks.

 

[Sparkl]

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?

Yes it's cooler. Now you can close this thread.

(no it's not)

 

[Korladis]

I'm a lazy stoner. I'm sticking with the 5 plus I kind of like G strings (grow up people..)
But hey, kudos man. I do enjoy when someone does something unusual and makes it work!

Eh, I had my tech do it for like $20. No big deal compared to the changes he made to my T-bird.

 

[Tony In Philly]

They 'ooh' and 'ahh' over my DR Neons too. Point?

It's very early on a Monday morning in Australia. Cooked?

 

[Wulfensteiner]

It's very early on a Monday morning in Australia. Cooked?

Nah, not yet. But I was thinking bacon and eggs. By the way, 7 am isn't all that early when you work.

 

[Tony In Philly]

Nah, not yet. But I was thinking bacon and eggs. By the way, 7 am isn't all that early when you work.

Err - so do I, so don't make assumptions that I'm retired.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Eh, I had my tech do it for like $20. No big deal compared to the changes he made to my T-bird.

I want a T-bird. I really do. So many people tell me they're more trouble than they're worth. What are they talking about? The neck dive thing is not a deal breaker for me.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Err - so do I, so don't make assumptions that I'm retired.

Much like you're making the assumption that I use amphetamines?

 

[Tony In Philly]

Much like you're making the assumption that I use amphetamines?

Not really - just that you're a young smart @zz. ...and you obviously play a five string.

 

[Wulfensteiner]

Not really - just that you're a young smart @zz. ...and you obviously play a five string.

Why, thank you. Yes I do enjoy the freedom of choice and the array of different tones available to me.
As for the Neons comment, I was merely showing you that people ooh and ahh when they see something cool, unusual, flashy or with history. Nothing more.

 

[Tony In Philly]

Why, thank you. Yes I do enjoy the freedom of choice and the array of different tones available to me.
As for the Neons comment, I was merely showing you that people ooh and ahh when they see something cool, unusual, flashy or with history. Nothing more.

Ok - sorry if I responded too snottily in return. It was presumptuous on my part and I apologize.

I guess I do get a bit "political" about vintage appearances, being an old fart myself.

 

[bass12]

No. What's cool these days is to have a laptop on stage running a sequenced bass line consisting mostly of root notes played in the same rhythm as half the other instruments on the sequence.