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

#481
bleedingfingers said:
I don't think I said the soundman always does this .
And isn't it funny how some people on here always have to turn things into a debate.
Would also like to know how you know how your bass sounds out in a crowd of people when you are standing on stage with inears on .
Actually strike that I don't care .
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Just to answer the question that you asked yet you don't care :rolleyes: ... because I take the in-ears out and walk out there. I really dislike in-ears because I have no idea how I really sound. So I always take a little stroll sometime in the first set, or in worse case scenario, just before the show starts.
 
#482
Basshappi said:
Oh we're not beating the mule anymore, we're swatting the flies.
Thought you knew. :D
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Well, there are five things we should all know better than to discuss... love, religion, money, 4 vs 5/6 strings, flats vs rounds. Yet, I'll be the first to admit... it's hard not to become involved in said "discussion." Yet, I know full well what we are all doing ---> :banghead: (too subjective to have an objective conversation! :dead: )
 
#486
Bassheart365 said:
You completely missed my point! What is hip ("cool") today, WILL become passe with the passing of time. That is the very nature of fashion.
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No, I got your point (and what's with the accusatory exclamation point - a bit uncivil). And of course, being cool or hip with regard to bass configuration choice should be secondary to what one wants to accomplish with the instrument.
However, the irony of your using a Tower of Power quote to reinforce your position was not lost on me, either, since Rocco himself was die-hard old school, regarding his axe preference.
 
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#487
I've experienced the anti 5 string prejudice first hand, and to make matters worse I play Ibanez SR885s a bass associated with KORN for goodness sake, the only thing less cool would be what ever bass the guys from Nickleback plays haha.
 
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#488
Think this is my second post so it's up to my 4 cents worth. I want a passive bass that works perfectly without a battery cause I like a pure passive tone. It's cool. I like an active feature to mess the tone for some stuff though. I like a low D because that's cool but I mess up when my e string is down a fifth on the d. I like four strings cause they look cool especially some of the classic shapes! I really like the tight string spacing of 16.5 mm of a 5. It's cool, comfortable, close and neat and suits my less than optimal coordination. It's cool. I like the look of five strings to BTW.
 
#489
Christcr said:
Just to answer the question that you asked yet you don't care :rolleyes: ... because I take the in-ears out and walk out there. I really dislike in-ears because I have no idea how I really sound. So I always take a little stroll sometime in the first set, or in worse case scenario, just before the show starts.
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Here's a recent gig I played try walking around out there to listen to yourself
And before there were people in the venue you got about four echoes off the back wall .
Anything but inears would have been a nightmare .

If only I had something to shield my eyes from that guy in the front row but the view got much better later on .

Should also add the sound tech is a buddy of mine and a damn fine bass player as well and maybe a bit of a magician for getting us to sound good here .

One more note the band that played the night before's bass player played
a pre with flats .
The band that played before us on this night played a Dingwall 5
tone wise in this venue I wouldn't have been able to tell the difference out front .
Image 1.jpg
 
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#490
bleedingfingers said:
Here's a recent gig I played try walking around out there to listen to yourself
And before there were people in the venue you got about four echoes off the back wall .
Anything but inears would have been a nightmare .
If only I had something to shield my eyes from that guy in the front row but the view got much better later on .
Should also add the sound tech is a buddy of mine and a damn fine bass player as well and maybe a bit of a magician for getting us to sound good here .
View attachment 3051418
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Yipes. Yeah, a certain part of that view of the front row had to have been, ummm... a bit "challenging." Sometimes, certain individuals in audiences can cause a bad case of PTSD after the gig. Ha.
 
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#491
Funny, about a week ago there was a discussion running on a post asking if the 4 string bass was obsolete, once you'd played a 5... If memory serves, someone referred to a 4 string bass as a restricted range instrument and just as here, everyone gave their reasons for holding one view or the other. Most of which where interesting and valid.
When it comes to cool, or uncool, I've always thought the being either depended on your social set. Cowboy hats and boots might be cool in one environment, skinny jeans a product styled beard in another.
When it comes to instruments, I tend to what you need is what you need, regardless of how many strings, controls, or whatever. No right or wrong, better or worse. For me, I'm old, my joints have been broken up a bit over the years (a bit stiff sometimes now) and I prefer a 4 string these days.
The joy of making music is more important than what you make it on.
 
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#493
I think that the four strings are getting more attention these days because of the bassists you have shown in you original post, any way it does for me. But what I'm saying is just whatever because I also bought a Fodera Imperial 5 strings, strung E-C because I like how it is used by Matt Garrison and Janek Gwizdala, so I'm not a reference. :eyebrow:
 
#494
I was going to comment that the nice thing about upright bassists and forums is that there are no arguments about number of strings, or flatwound vs roundwound, etc... but then I remembered that they have other things to squabble about--having a 10,000 dollar bass as opposed to a 2,000 dollar bass stands out as a great arguing point, as I recall (I nearly just gave up learning the UB because of that, but I'm glad I ignored all that and kept practicing on my junkie upright--when I got a new quality UR bass, it made me appreciate it all that much more). Technique is another hot topic. Then I suppose there is the gut string vs steel string thing, but very few URBists use gut strings and they tend not to argue about that since gut strings are pretty specific in their application.

But ultimately, nothing beats the electric bass 4 vs 5 and flats vs rounds thing for a good knock down drag out brawl...
 

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