is it worth buying a 5 strings ?

[vindibona1]

My experience was the same... The guys I was working with were next level players and there was no way I was going to be tossed aside for not having a five string.

I understand when bassists in here say that they have never needed a five. They are telling the truth, and they haven't. But when they say that no bassist ever really NEEDS needs a five and it's all just a matter of choice, I don't get that. It hasn't been my experience. I would have lost a lot of gigs had I not expanded into a fiver.

I think there are lot of reasons folks stay with 4's. I think the biggest reason is familiarity. I can only speak for myself, but fully transitioning to a 5 took some time. At first it was fumbly because a lot of us tacitly orient from the low E to the G. and then the string spacing is neither here nor there. I think those who orient GDAE have an easier time with the transition because the B is only an extra string.

It took me months to get from a cerebral space playing a 5er to being "comfortable", then more months to become "adept" with it where I didn't have to think about it any longer. Right now I'm sort of in the "comfortable" stage with my 6, but as I close my eyes and try to envision the notes on the 6's fingerboard, particularly up toward the 12th and just think about playing notes, it is so easy to get mentally stuck/stumped.

Due to health reasons I'm on hiatus from everything for another month, but am considering using my Jazz4 more often... but I confess I have a mental block, just like I think a lot of habitual 4 string players might have a block with 5ers. None of this is hard, but just takes making a decision that's right for you and dedicating time to work it out. If you think this is hard, imagine an orchestral trumpet player that has to play C trumpet, and then switch to Bb (opposite in Europe) or trumpet in Eb or piccolo trumpet. Now THAT takes some doing. Been there/done that.

 

[HelpImaRock]

Several years ago I really wanted to go to Vegas for Blue Man Group band auditions. The gig requirements: must play 4 string, and must play with a pick.

I play whatever bass is needed for the gig, but I absolutely suck at playing with a pick.

Damn, I would have been a shoe-in.

Since the nature of this thread has turned a bit, and it's not really about the OP anymore, I would buy a 5 today if it met my needs. Currently, it doesn't. I only play original music and the lowest we go is dropped-D, which is easy enough.

The biggest complicating factor here is with the exception of the Ibanez Talman, which I don't like, there are no budget short scale 5's. There are also very few short and medium scale 5 string flatwound sets. If that changes, and the music I play changes, I might reconsider.

 

[MattFoes]

I was gonna mention it but it looks like a few cats beat me to it:

5 strings are standard for Theater work, most of the sheet music is written for a 5. I also see them all the time with gospel groups. But there’s other perks too:

mainly
- thinner neck
- low B (say goodbye to tuning to drop D)

 

[Low Key]

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.

Two of my 5-string basses are 8 pounds even, and 8 pounds, six ounces. I've played 4-bangers that are MUCH heavier.

Necks are all over the board in terms of scale, width and shape. Once again, I've played 4-stringers that have much chunkier necks than my 2 EBMM 5-string basses.

I will say I find 19mm string spacing on 5-strings too wide. I prefer 17.5mm or 18mm, which is somehow a huge difference for me. Lots of options ...

 

[Bassalien70]

Sounds like you have no experience with StingRay5 Special.
8.4 lbs of pure 5 sting bliss.
View attachment 4681708

Or a good Sandberg TM-5 or VM-5

View attachment 4681709

That stingray 5 is absolutely stunning.

 

[TheJoker88]

The main question is, does the music you play require lower tuning? I've played 4 string basses for over 45 years but dabbled with a Fender Jazz V for a bit when we started playing some drop D, drop C, stuff. The main thing that I hated the most, (besides the wider neck), was the floppy B string. After fighting with figuring out how to deal with this, I finally gave up and sold it.

Fast forward a couple of years and I was in my local music store when a new LTD 205SM came in. Thinner, narrower neck than the Fender, lighter, and a solid B string! I ended up buying it and being the only bass in my arsenal that's not a Fender, I've ended up playing it quite a bit. The advantage is a bigger range, (I abhor playing open strings as there is a difference in tone), and the ability to play drop tuning without a pedal, (not a pedal fan).

If you feel you must have the 5 string, be prepared to learn a new way of playing. I'd say stick with the 4 string and continue your journey. Personally, I think anything more than 4 is slowly getting to be unnecessary in most genres.

 

[dpbass66]

If you were learning guitar, would you ask if you should take 2 strings off because it's too hard with 6? This entire dialogue about number of strings on a bass is so tired. The bass is a very patternistic instrument. Adding strings means its just more of the same "pattern" up and down the fingerboard. 5 string basses are probably MORE prevalent than 4 string basses at this point. All more strings do is extend the range of the instrument (not a bad thing) and actually improve efficiency since you might shift less.

 

[Udhoops]

I picked up a 5-string in 1991 for fun. Within a few years I'd sold all of my four strings.. For me it isn't about four more notes as much as comfortable positioning. The reality is it isn't even four notes. It's a C and a D with attitude. All that said...do what you works for you.

 

[JimBobBass]

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!

In my experience, there are a lot of Motown and also gospel tunes which are in E flat. A 5 string makes this so much easier - you can get to the root without playing an octave higher

 

[Indiana Jones]

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!

My choice was simple. As a church musician just returning to bass after 40 years, I had to play in Ab and Eb now and then and didn't want to give up the low end. The low D also comes in handy. I didn't know much about de-tuning then and now I'm sure it wouldn't have been a viable option. And I like having E-string notes handy while playing up the neck a ways.

 

[lukaspearse]

I have been very happy using Hipshot detuners on my Tony Franklin P-Bass, set to low-C to echo my upright orchestral extension. I have recently ordered an attachment that will let me have 2 settings, so I could set one to low B if I ever need it, which I haven’t yet. But I use the low Eb to C quite often, and it’s a quick shift to hit them. Mind you, something written idiomatically for 5 string might not work, but in my experience that is very rare.

I’ve played a lot of different genres with this.

These can be added to most instruments, and are not particularly expensive.

Among other things, I find the logic of 4 strings / 4 fingers appealing for both hands, in terms of both muting and stopping notes.

 

[Brass Bass]

I've heard from more experienced bassists than myself that if you ever get good enough to do pit work in a theatre production or maybe that cruise ship thing that having that 5th string will make playing those parts a lot easier. So if you want to do the cruise ship thing or especially the pit orchestra thing than I'd think you'd want to have that 5 string bass handy.

 

[mngbass]

First thing- What are your long term playing goals?
Second- If you are serious about your playing and interested in various types of music absolutely consider a “5.”
Third- If and when you’re ready please get a quality instrument. There are lightweight options ( mine is 7lbs) that are reasonably priced.
Personally I’ve been playing many decades so I somewhat of a dinosaur but since I transitioned to a 5 string I rarely pick up my 4 string.

 

[FollowMeDown]

I switched to 5 string pretty early in my bass playing, and have never looked back. It melts my brain how 4 string players are quite happy with all the compromises you have to make compared to having the options a 5 gives you. For example playing a descending pattern and having to jump up an octave to make the last note just sounds bad to me. Also going up/down strings is a whole lot faster/easier than jumping up/down a bunch of frets, which directly translates into helping you to play harder stuff better.

 

[vindibona1]

I've heard from more experienced bassists than myself that if you ever get good enough to do pit work in a theatre production or maybe that cruise ship thing that having that 5th string will make playing those parts a lot easier. So if you want to do the cruise ship thing or especially the pit orchestra thing than I'd think you'd want to have that 5 string bass handy.

I don't know about cruise ships. I'm far too old for one of those gigs. But for musical theater IMO a 5er is essential. Unlike jazz or rock bands, where you sort of do your thing, in theater you play what's written. Sometimes things have to be dropped to to lower key because of the vocalists' range. As they say... "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it".

 

[Dwsmit]

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!

The only song I have played out that I wished I had a 5 string is Another Brick in the Wall. That low D first single note just doesn’t sound as good on a 4.

 

[Crosscheck67]

Like other posters, I've tried a mix. I've played 4 string, 4 string with a Hipshot Bass Extender on the E, Octave pedals (EBS Octabass back in the day, and now the Source Audio C4), and now I play a custom 5 string (Warmoth woods). It took me over a year to get used to it, but I love it. The only thing I would have done differently is to pick a headstock that has the physical room for a Hipshot on the E, cause sometimes I just want to do lead notes over a D drone. I have one on the B for dropping to A, but I never use it.

 

[BrassedOn]

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

Right on the money here. (Here’s a little extrapolation for my context)

Advantages:

• Lower range (I play electric in a jazz group with two guitar and keys and it sure is nice to drop below it all, especially when a tune ends in a key like Eb or D. In another group the guitarist has a second guitar tuned down to Eb [others might tune down their one guitar on the fly for this purpose] so nice to not have to carry another bass or down tune a bass for a couple songs) Also some string UP adding a higher string smaller gauge than G, and tune the 5-string EADGC, for a higher solo range and fingering options)
• Added flexibility in fingering positions (a tune like Green Onions in Fm, totally doable on 4 strings, but nice option to play the riff starting on the 5th string, for those long guitar solos. Also styles with a lot of root-5th movement like bossa nova, nice to have some options in when to shift)

Disadvantages:

• Heavier (there are lighter 5-string bass option out there if that’s important)
• Wider fingerboard (there are narrower string spacing options on 5-string basses out there if that’s important)
• Different Orientation (you can get used to that B string being there, having to mute etc. I generally ride the side of my right thumb across/on top of all the strings to mute, and that just shifts as needed as I play. If you tend to anchor the thumb, them muting is something to work on. If you do have a wider bass neck or body, the bass of course sits differently on your body, so when Searching, look for basses that have good balance, no matter how many strings.
• 
  but all of it is totally fine on 4 strings.

 

[Dbassmon]

5 String basses are worth it if you get use out the 5th string. If you play contemporary Urban Gospel, Pop, or Jazz, it will be used extensively.

The 5 string bass is a must for many sessions if you are doing studio work.

Depending on what you do, it could be a low B or high C string that you string your bass with.

Like anything, using the extended range is most effective when applied sparingly and musically.

As stated, the additional string gives many more fingering options that you may come to appreciate very much. Another thing is that fretted low E on the B String is ridiculous more solid than the open E string.

I recently became an owner of a Dingwall Combustion 5string bass. If you want to talk about solid low notes, this bass takes things to a new level. I digress and that is a discussion for another thread.

Short question- worth it? Short answer: to whom? To me, I love 5 string basses! I play any and all, but I love my 5ers.

The notion that 5ers are too heavy is silly. You just picked the wrong axe. Stingray Special5 7.8 lbs.

 

[fr8ghtrain]

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!

That, my friend, is a tough question. It comes down to personal preference. I have a 5-string and play 4-string more often. For me, it's a tone and style thing.