is it worth buying a 5 strings ?

[10emmanuel]

Hello mates! One does really need a 5 ? I am interested about it but since I am intermediate player I dont want to slow down my learning or even complicate my already gained progress, but maybe the 5th also teaches me new things , like expand the scales and stuff...

Its easy to say " go get one" , just keep in mind that I dont have a big budget to own 2 basses so I would have to sell mine 4 string to get a 5.


What do you guys say?

Thanks!

 

[bass12]

To me there are two main things to consider. The first is whether or not the music requires an extended range. If it does then you basically have two legitimate options (I'm discounting the use of octave pedals here): detuning or getting an extended range bass. The second consideration is whether you want the fingering and/or tonal options which will be open to you with a five string but not with a four.

 

[cholyoke]

To me there are two main things to consider. The first is whether or not the music requires an extended range. If it does then you basically have two legitimate options (I'm discounting the use of octave pedals here): detuning or getting an extended range bass. The second consideration is whether you want the fingering and/or tonal options which will be open to you with a five string but not with a four.

This post is spot on. I dabbled with five string basses until I saw how much easier it would make walking bass lines to have a fifth string and not shift positions as much.

 

[defdog99]

I'm an outsider on TB, but I'll tell you everyone on here loves 5-strings.
I find them way too heavy. The necks are massive to counter that extra tension.

 

[bass12]

I'm an outsider on TB, but I'll tell you everyone one here loves 5-strings.
I find them way too heavy. The necks are massive to counter that extra tension.

Not necessarily. It really depends on the bass. The lightest basses I've owned have been five stringers.

 

[bubinga5]

I'm an outsider on TB, but I'll tell you everyone on here loves 5-strings.
I find them way too heavy. The necks are massive to counter that extra tension.

all of this is wrong.

 

[P. Aaron]

I'm an outsider on TB, but I'll tell you everyone one here loves 5-strings.
I find them way too heavy. The necks are massive.

My USA Made Precision V weighs just under 9lbs. It's easier to play than a standard JB neck which is to me, way too thin at the nut.

Other than that, to the OP, as you play music through the years, you may find yourself moving in and out of all sorts of styles. If you're going to be gigging, whether it's a bar band or a group that does numerous kinds of events, it really depend upon the music you play.

Most songs I play professionally, I'd never have bothered to learn if it wasn't a gig requirement. Then again, I'm much better for learning songs not in my wheelhouse than I ever would be left to my own tastes in music.

 

[defdog99]

Welp to each their own. My Squier Precision Bass Special was a dog. I spose spending 10x gets a better lighter bass for the extra 4 notes.

 

[Gravedigger Dav]

You don't need a 5, but they have both advantages and disadvantages.
Advantages:

• Lower range
• Added flexibility in fingering positions

Disadvantages:

• Heavier
• Wider fingerboard
• Different Orientation

Different Orientation is key to me. I am a long time 4 player and resisted 5s because I have short fingers and because I always have oriented on the E string. Now I am playing more 5 because the band I'm in tunes down 1/2 step and I refuse to loosen my string tension (that's another long discussion) and I've struggled with hitting the right string. I've been at it now for about 5 months, so it is getting easier and I hit the wrong seldomly now.
I do like the availability of alternate fingerings.
The only issue now is I have to readjust my brain when I use a 4.

That is my experience; however, it may be different for you. Since you are a relative beginner, you will have less to unlearn. It is like a small child growing up in a multilingual environment. It will learn both languages and not get them confuse. But, for an adult, learning a new language is a struggle.
HTH

 

[maddogsauce]

I use both. If you're playing covers, most songs can be covered on a 4 string, and in many cases, are easier to play on a 4 string, and you don't have to worry about muting the low b. In one group, I play primarily a 4 string for these reasons. In my other group, we play a lot of electronic/jam band style music, and I love having the low B for that. Also makes playing through 2 octaves a lot more convenient. Ultimately, it's all about the right bass for the job.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

I'm an outsider on TB, but I'll tell you everyone on here loves 5-strings.
I find them way too heavy. The necks are massive to counter that extra tension.

Sounds like you have no experience with StingRay5 Special.
8.4 lbs of pure 5 sting bliss.

Or a good Sandberg TM-5 or VM-5

 

[Sam Dingle]

I hate 5 strings I’ve owned 2 Sadowskys 2 moollons a Lakland a music man 2 fenders and a Spector. Now i have all 4s and one is tuned B-D. I would get another Lakland at some point but I doubt at least in the next 5 years I’ll play a 5 string live

that being said if you only have 2 basses and you think you are going to use notes below a D I’d say get one. If not then there’s no point. It won’t make you a better bassist and won’t stint your playing unless you are trying to play music that 100% requires it (which is really just metal and gospel)

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

If you play music that requires those low notes , flat keys , and key changes , or you just want those thunderous low notes , get one.

 

[Killing Floor]

Definitely the first time you try a 5 you'll fret one string and pluck another because shorting out your brain is how you learn. But within a few steady practices you'll be back to normal. Go try a few and think about it. There's no right bass, just what's right for you.

 

[Wfrance3]

Maybe....
If the pursuit of a 5 string is purely academic, as-in, you want a 5 sot that you can continue your bass learning, then I'm leaning toward advising you away from a 5.
Usually a 5 is for a particular need; some examples:
You play P&W or or gospel, jazz, etc. and have a need to access lower notes in order to complete your pallet of notes. Sometimes aesthetically the low notes on the B string are the deal and nothing else works. Take "Breathe" by The Brilliance. There just in NO substitute for that low D.
Breathe | The Brilliance - YouTube

Another reason to get a 5 is that you may be in a cover situation where you have a song like "Blood and Roses" Smithereens, or "Black Velvet" Alannah Myles and just don't want to have to have a second bass on standby tuned down half a step, or having to tune/re-tune real quick. Both are pretty do-able, but still a PITA.

So, convenience would be an argument for...
This next part is not an argument against, but rather, stuff that typically goes with the territory that you need to be aware of. Keep in mind, I like 5's and am right now between 5's right now. Am working on working with Warmoth on a 5 J Bass build, but very preliminary because:

Weight - I've had heavy basses before and am just over it. 9lbs. max is my rule, and the closer to 8 the better.
getting that in a budget-friendly 5 is challenging! I'm corresponding on the best strategy for a light-weight 5 and right now I think the plan is to do roasted wood all around; both body and neck. I hear-tell they have access to some lightweight swamp ash that could be further lightened by roasting...

The dreaded "floppy" B-String - I have been lucky as far as owing so far on the dreaded floppy/flabby B string thing. It happens when the geometry of the bass doesn't come together in such a way that the B can remain taught enough to sound solid and substantial. Strategies to combat it are string-thru the body bass. if you are talking about a full-size 34" bass, that can lead to buying special extra-long strings. 35" scale length is also a strategy to help the B string behave. I've owned both, and for me anyway, it's been fine.

Neck Width - If you have 5 strings you need a wider neck that you do if you have 4 strings. If you play with a technique that many players use where your thumb is in the middle of the back of the neck, a wider neck is going to be less of an adjustment. Some basses have tight string spacing, look at Ibanez and Schecter. If you have aspirations of "slapping", tight string spacing increases the difficulty. Personally I don't, so nothing lost there to me.

Tone Challenge - This isn't a real big one, but it's hard not to notice that most commercially produced 5 string basses have preamps. I think that part of this is because that's a consumer preference and if I was a bass mfg, I would produce what people want to buy. I also think that having a preamp built into the bass is something that people may consider to be a necessity so that they can easily dial in a usable tone that works in a variety of situations, making managing the B string, in deference the remaining 4 strings much easier. Either way, you could need to embrace the notion making sure you have full battery (or batteries, some take 2 9Vs) or spare batteries, and also make sure that you unplug your instrument lead to keep from unnecessarily running down your battery. Not a huge deal because batteries tend to last a long time, especially with more modern preamp designs. Still, more of a deal than a passive, no- battery bass. Do manufacturer's make passive 5's? of course. Am I going to build my Warmoth passive? definitely...

Switching from 5 to 4 and back - This could be a thing until you get used to it. I had trouble for a while. It's a thing, but it's a thing that doesn't last. At some point it will just mentally sink in that the fattest string on the bass neck isn't automatically going to be a B (or E for that matter).

Just some random thoughts from someone who's owned a few 5 string basses...

Hope it helps!!

Best,
WF

 

[Aloe]

it's totally okay to play a four. some bands even might not hire you if they see you with a 5-string.

if you don't absolutely need that low B, C, D and Eb, it's totally okay not to get a 5-string at this point. if you needed them, I believe, you wouldn't ask if you really need a 5-string.

so keep your trusted bass for now and leave that low B for the time when you'll need it and will be able to have both five and four stringed basses, if you want to master them both eventually.

p.s. also please note that these low notes raise your requirements to amplification (i.e. you may need a new amp as well) and strings will cost more.

 

[MrLenny1]

A 5 is a 4 when you don’t need the low B.
5strings since 1991.

 

[micguy]

I'm an outsider on TB, but I'll tell you everyone on here loves 5-strings.
I find them way too heavy. The necks are massive to counter that extra tension.

I don’t have a lot of basses, but all of them are full scale 5’s, and the heaviest is 7.75 pounds. Is that too heavy for you? If so, one of mine is 7.17 pounds.

 

[burgerdj]

I bought a five string about 10 years ago for a heavy rock band that I joined thinking that it would see limited use outside of that band. However five strings have become my go-to for pretty much every musical situation that I find myself in. I find that I really enjoy being able to navigate two octaves around the fifth fret rather than reaching down into first position.

 

[Afc70]

5 strings offer some advantages over 4’s, including more available notes in any given position, obviously the lower notes which sonically a 4 just can’t deliver. I played 4’s for 25 yrs, and made the transition to 5’s in 2014..it took a week of heavy woodshedding and I was totally comfortable..
I’m all for 5’s but I know they aren’t for everyone, and speaking from experience, I wouldn’t waste any money on a poorly made cheap 5, if you are gonna get a 5, get a nice quality one- a cheap one with a weak or floppy low B will really discourage you… (my first 5 was a Modulus Quantum 5), I realize that’s prob out of your budget, but if you decide to purchase a 5, I’d strongly recommend being patient and saving your money up and getting a nice quality used 5, one with a robust low B, like a EB stingray 5, or a peavey cirrus 5, and Ibanez makes great 5’s that aren’t overly expensive.