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Is it "cooler" to play a 4 string bass?
- Thread starter phillipkregg
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Back to your roots! Back to old Detroit, Chicago, Nashville, Muscle Shoals. Music was guttural, soleful and basic. 4's were the foundation.
I recently picked up my first 5 string, and my bandmates gave me a hard time for being a nerd. Then I played with it a lot, and have been crushing it, and they shut right up.
Ultimately, it's music. If some goons wanna hold on to a dumb opinion based on zero reason other than they just think that way, let them. Then play, and crush their whole preconceived notion. Just use the tool that you think will best allow you to communicate in this glorious medium that we all love. Who gives a damn what it looks like? More than anything, we're in a world based on vibrations.
Ultimately, it's music. If some goons wanna hold on to a dumb opinion based on zero reason other than they just think that way, let them. Then play, and crush their whole preconceived notion. Just use the tool that you think will best allow you to communicate in this glorious medium that we all love. Who gives a damn what it looks like? More than anything, we're in a world based on vibrations.
I say play what fits the need of your music. I’ve seen Tony Levin with a 3 stringed Music Man, then a 10 string Stick. And he’s about as cool as they come.
It’s like pick versus fingers. I’m primarily finger, but some songs I cover need the pick attack, so I use that.
I play a 5 primarily, and it’s helpful in a 4 hour gig to slide up the neck and still cover low E at the 5th fret.
It’s like pick versus fingers. I’m primarily finger, but some songs I cover need the pick attack, so I use that.
I play a 5 primarily, and it’s helpful in a 4 hour gig to slide up the neck and still cover low E at the 5th fret.
Agree....in the past I even had a bandmate(guitarist)say...I don't like any bass that uses a battery. Mind you, he had a dozen pedals.
I play both and switch depending on the song. We play Red House in B I prefer to use a 5 string on this song so when I go to the 4 chord or E I like being in a lower register. Can I do this on a 4 string? Of course,but for me about tone. I also play in drop D so I have another 4 string (In my picture) for tuned down for that.
I am someone who started off playing 4strings, moved to 5strings and now play a combination of both. Both are tools and all tools have their benefits and shortcomings. I aim to try and utilize as many of the tools of the trade as I feel are appropriate to perform my role in the music.
4strings are typically more comfortable to play due to them being more lightweight and the narrower neck sizes. This makes them generally better for beginners and easier for some styles of playing (slap, etc.).
5strings have an extended range which facilitates easier transpositions so you can drop the key of that song in E to Eb more effortlessly. I find the extra strings make playing chords up high easier, as you have an extra string of options to root your chords off of.
What I bring to a gig depends on what ranges I need to cover. Some music styles are helped by the extended range of a 5string (metal, modern country, dance, pop for example). If I'm not sure what I'm going to run into, I'll generally bring a 5string to have the extra range if I find myself needing it. If I'm certain I'm not going to play anything needing the extra range, then I've found the 4string is generally more comfortable to play (on both my hands and my back).
If you personally prefer a 4string but find yourself needing or wanting a bit of extended range in a few spots, try using a drop-tuner like a Hipshot (excellent brand IMHO). Typically you put one on the E on your 4string and set it to drop to a D, however it can be set to drop to just about any note the string can handle. I got a low B out of one before but it was pretty floppy-sounding.
All said, it should come down to what you are comfortable with. I was a bit surprised to hear that in this interview Ethan Farmer mentions that he only plays 4strings:
4strings are typically more comfortable to play due to them being more lightweight and the narrower neck sizes. This makes them generally better for beginners and easier for some styles of playing (slap, etc.).
5strings have an extended range which facilitates easier transpositions so you can drop the key of that song in E to Eb more effortlessly. I find the extra strings make playing chords up high easier, as you have an extra string of options to root your chords off of.
What I bring to a gig depends on what ranges I need to cover. Some music styles are helped by the extended range of a 5string (metal, modern country, dance, pop for example). If I'm not sure what I'm going to run into, I'll generally bring a 5string to have the extra range if I find myself needing it. If I'm certain I'm not going to play anything needing the extra range, then I've found the 4string is generally more comfortable to play (on both my hands and my back).
If you personally prefer a 4string but find yourself needing or wanting a bit of extended range in a few spots, try using a drop-tuner like a Hipshot (excellent brand IMHO). Typically you put one on the E on your 4string and set it to drop to a D, however it can be set to drop to just about any note the string can handle. I got a low B out of one before but it was pretty floppy-sounding.
All said, it should come down to what you are comfortable with. I was a bit surprised to hear that in this interview Ethan Farmer mentions that he only plays 4strings:
There's no question that classic looking 4 strings are hipper than basses with more strings or non-conventional styling (and I'm sorry but 6 string and beyond basses have never been "cool." ). It's a fashion trend and you can either accept the trend or dismiss it. It's not going to change the facts. For example, if you are still wearing feathered hair, polyester shirts and bellbottoms you probably look like a dork. That's just how it is. Saying fashion isn't a thing doesn't mean you are going to look any less like an out of touch weirdo. LOL.
I think the current resurgence of classic 4 strings is a reaction to the years of experimentation with new bass technology. People are realizing that 99% of all the classic music recorded with electric bass didn't need any of that extended range or EQ. And when all of the legends of popular music like Jamerson, Jaco, John Paul Jones, and McCartney all play classic 4 strings it's hard to deny wanting to emulate them. Same reason guitar player still play Strats and Les Pauls.
Also, in my humble opinion, there simply isn't anything cooler looking then a classic Fender Precision or Jazz bass.
For the record I also think that it's often a matter of the right tool for the job. I'm in an indie band where I play a Fender Precision and I'm in a cover band where I play a 5 string Nordstrand. Different gigs different basses.
I think the current resurgence of classic 4 strings is a reaction to the years of experimentation with new bass technology. People are realizing that 99% of all the classic music recorded with electric bass didn't need any of that extended range or EQ. And when all of the legends of popular music like Jamerson, Jaco, John Paul Jones, and McCartney all play classic 4 strings it's hard to deny wanting to emulate them. Same reason guitar player still play Strats and Les Pauls.
Also, in my humble opinion, there simply isn't anything cooler looking then a classic Fender Precision or Jazz bass.
For the record I also think that it's often a matter of the right tool for the job. I'm in an indie band where I play a Fender Precision and I'm in a cover band where I play a 5 string Nordstrand. Different gigs different basses.
I like a 4 string P bass mainly for the simplicity. Only four string to mess with, only two knobs (volume & tone). I always thought it was “cooler” to get the most out of my instrument with less. Why I picked up the 3 string CBG for life kicks.
Out of curiosity, what makes you think that? As long as the individual can play it everything is all good.
I only have 4’s but that’s bc I am a beginning player. There is no such thing as a Swiss army bass, so you need the right tool for the right job. Maybe a six string with a hipshot detuner would almost be the “one bass fits all” player. I dunno, like I said.....FNG player.
IMO it would be uncool to play a 4 string if you need low B through a fretted low E. Agreed "COOL" is 100% subjective. Some guys wear their bass very low because they think it looks cool. After experiencing low to high and every hole in the strap in between I found it easier to play bass wearing my instrument higher. To each their own.
Funny you should mention ToP.
I was at a Dave Garibaldi/Rocco Prestia funk groove clinic a few years ago, and someone asked Rocco if he ever played a 5 string. He didn't make an audible reply, but everyone got his answer: he pretended to puke.
To me, that kind of closed-mindedness is something that detracts from my opinion on someone who I'd otherwise look up to. Not that it would matter to him, I'm sure.
There was a time that it wasn't cool to play electric bass, regardless of whether it had 4 strings or not. An upright bassist believed anything with frets on it wasn't a bass. Over the years, music changes, technology changes, times change. Now it's, is it 4, 5, 6, etc....passive/active electronics, etc.? Leo's Precision bass took a while to catch on and gain acceptance. It was launched in 1951 but it wasn't until well into the 60s that it became commonplace, and even then some bands used both(tic tac bass). A bass purist would argue none of the above is cool unless you play upright. It's all perception. I think music is cool and if you can make music...that's cool. So, if you think just because you play a vintage P bass that you are cool...just remember that any electric bass at one time wasn't.
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