is it worth buying a 5 strings ?

[The_Bass_Troll]

I have five 5-string basses and the rest are 4-stringers. I prefer 4-string basses because, for me, 5-string bass necks are too wide for my comfort. I now tune most of my 4-string basses B-E-A-D because I find I use the low B, C, C#, D, and Eb, more than the highest B, C, C#, D, and Eb on the G string with 20 frets.
However, I have played around with a neck tuned in fifths instead of fourths. If you tune your bass Bb, F, C, G, you will have every note you get on a 5-string plus a bonus low Bb.

 

[Wibble666]

I have five 5-string basses and the rest are 4-stringers. I prefer 4-string basses because, for me, 5-string bass necks are too wide for my comfort. I now tune most of my 4-string basses B-E-A-D because I find I use the low B, C, C#, D, and Eb, more than the highest B, C, C#, D, and Eb on the G string with 20 frets.
However, I have played around with a neck tuned in fifths instead of fourths. If you tune your bass Bb, F, C, G, you will have every note you get on a 5-string plus a bonus low Bb.

..yeah i did the bead thing for a while but then went up to standard d because i missed the higher notes and anything below a low d wasn't being used much... I'm really sold on this tuning now as the sweet spot compromise.

 

[Tom Eddie]

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!

I'll put it this way! In the early days when Mozart was alive the piano in use in the 18th century was simply 5 octaves. Just look at his piano compositions, all within 5 octaves! Time has moved on, the standard piano is now 7 1/4 octaves. No one in their right mind would stick a 5 octave acoustic on stage nowadays. My first bass was a 1968 precision, sold it in 1986. Would I ever go back to a four string, definately NO, although I have a four string upright and if I had the funds for something really decent, yes without any hesitation I would swap it for a 5 string. Now until my end I will remain a 6 string bassist, love it, especially working on on Dotzaurer cello studies.

 

[vindibona1]

I have five 5-string basses and the rest are 4-stringers. I prefer 4-string basses because, for me, 5-string bass necks are too wide for my comfort. I now tune most of my 4-string basses B-E-A-D because I find I use the low B, C, C#, D, and Eb, more than the highest B, C, C#, D, and Eb on the G string with 20 frets.
However, I have played around with a neck tuned in fifths instead of fourths. If you tune your bass Bb, F, C, G, you will have every note you get on a 5-string plus a bonus low Bb.

Get a 6er and you don't have to worry about any of it. My (semi-souped-up)Gio 6 string is surprisingly narrow and comfortable. The pickups aren't half bad. And when I put a new ($10 Chinese 3-band) preamp in it it came to life. I scratch my head in wonderment every time I plug it in.... though I'm kind of a 5er guy now.

 

[chadds]

absolutely condescending?

People say, “no one needs a.” Not seeing us as different people with different needs and touches and visions is condescending.

A long time ago it was common to say IMHO in my humble opinion & YMMV your mileage may vary. Those show self respect and respect for others.

 

[GreyBeard]

I've been playing 5 since back in the 90's. At the time, I needed the extended range for several songs I was playing. I've been playing 5 for so long now that I just don't feel comfortable on a 4. These days I'm playing in a classic top 40 band and none of the songs we are doing now really call for that extended range. I'd say stick with the 4 string unless you have a specific need for the extended range.

 

[Wibble666]

I'll put it this way! In the early days when Mozart was alive the piano in use in the 18th century was simply 5 octaves. Just look at his piano compositions, all within 5 octaves! Time has moved on, the standard piano is now 7 1/4 octaves. No one in their right mind would stick a 5 octave acoustic on stage nowadays.

well they might have stuck to the shorter piano if they couldn't easily reach the extended octaves but luckily our arms have a lot of untapped potential to reach further ..however that isn't the case with grip width, some of us are at our comfortable limit with only 4 strings ....and some of us have hands built like shovels.

 

[chris_b]

I've been playing 5 since back in the 90's. At the time, I needed the extended range for several songs I was playing. I've been playing 5 for so long now that I just don't feel comfortable on a 4. These days I'm playing in a classic top 40 band and none of the songs we are doing now really call for that extended range. I'd say stick with the 4 string unless you have a specific need for the extended range.

I have a similar history, but a different outcome.

I didn't just add a 5 string bass in 1996, I switched. After 26 years I can say that was one of my better decisions.

I don't get the "none of these songs call for extended range" comments. IMO there are no 4 string or 5 string songs. They are all songs and if I can use one bass to play everything, I'm happy. I don't like swapping basses around.

Which instrument was played on a song 20 or 50 years ago has no interest for me. Very few of us would use a double bass for the old Rock n Roll songs, even though they were on the records. I play everything from Top 40, through R&B, Soul, Reggae, Blues, Rock and Disco on the one bass.

I agree with Lee Sklar when he said, if I need to play just 1 low note, I'll take a 5 string bass and play everything on that.

YMMV

 

[vindibona1]

I've been playing 5 since back in the 90's. At the time, I needed the extended range for several songs I was playing. I've been playing 5 for so long now that I just don't feel comfortable on a 4. These days I'm playing in a classic top 40 band and none of the songs we are doing now really call for that extended range. I'd say stick with the 4 string unless you have a specific need for the extended range.

I appreciate everything you've said until the last sentence. I've found the adage "Better to have it and not need it than need it and not have it" to be the key to saving my bacon in so many situations.

The human is extremely adaptable. And there are so many variations on basses that I believe it would be impossible for someone to find a 5 string that they can bond with. I have a personal example.

I needed a 5 string for a show I was doing. Without going into the story of how I ended up with it, my first 5 string was a used Ibanez BTB 675. I was coming off of a Squier VM70's Jazz4 with a slim neck. The BTB had(has) a 35" scale a wide flat neck with 48mm nut and 19mm string spacing. I got it home and thought "gosh, this is so big". But it had a 45 day return policy so I hung onto it. In the meantime I ordered a Yamaha TRBX605 (in current avatar). It had a 43mm nut, 34" scale and 18mm string spacing (I think). The Yamaha came and I loved it (after changing strings). But I held onto the BTB and continued to practice with it and the Yamaha. At 30 days I couldn't part with either.

Yes, it took me some time to get comfortable with a 5er, but once I did my Jazz4 became an orphan, more or less while I still love it. Unless I'm doing a show most gigs only have an optional low D because the singer likes the key of D and the Jazz4 has a drop D tuner. One day I'll bring it to a gig, just for nostalgia. Adaptation is a funny thing.

 

[GreyBeard]

I will say it again, if you need the extra range then by all means get a 5. Every once in a while I'll temp for someone that plays in a band that tunes everything down a 1/2 step or so. The 5 string really comes in handy in this case. Again, if you feel you need it go for it.

 

[Snert]

I will say it again, if you need the extra range then by all means get a 5.

Why not get it so you can play in 5th position, have 2 octaves without moving, and be able to play in lower keys if necessary?

 

[RobertAuCoin]

Q: Is it worth it to buy a 5-string bass?
A: Yes, unless you cannot afford it, in which case, no.
Nuff said.

 

[Glazenn]

Q: Would you buy a rare vintage bass knowing current market prices are insane?
A: Not interested, I only play 5-strings

 

[metron]

I don’t think anyone truly needs one unless there is a demand for the low version of the notes that makes a 5 unique from a 4. Im not a pro but it’s reasonable to assume for some folks this is essential.

Beyond that, they are fun. I mean we are bassists so more bassy bass notes are great.

The downsides in my opinion are they are necessarily heavier with bigger necks than an equivalent 4. Weight can be mitigated. I prefer the tighter string spacing of my 5s over the common 19mm spacing of 4s and dont find the wider neck to be a burden.

Nothing I have said is new. A 5 might be essential for some, but a 4 should be sufficient for most applications.

 

[fourstringbliss]

I will say it again, if you need the extra range then by all means get a 5. Every once in a while I'll temp for someone that plays in a band that tunes everything down a 1/2 step or so. The 5 string really comes in handy in this case. Again, if you feel you need it go for it.

And this is the reason to own one. If you're only going to have one bass and there's even a hint that you'll play below low E at some point then get the best 5-string you can. Otherwise stick with a 4.

 

[Ralf1e]

And this is the reason to own one. If you're only going to have one bass and there's even a hint that you'll play below low E at some point then get the best 5-string you can. Otherwise stick with a 4.

Agreed! I play in church like a lot of players on here. Most of the modern writers of praise and wordship songs are writing for 5 strings and this has been a trend now for many years. I almost don't use my 4 strings anymore lovely as they are as this trend has outdated them. Such is the way of things.

 

[fourstringbliss]

Agreed! I play in church like a lot of players on here. Most of the modern writers of praise and wordship songs are writing for 5 strings and this has been a trend now for many years. I almost don't use my 4 strings anymore lovely as they are as this trend has outdated them. Such is the way of things.

Funny, but we play Elevation, Belonging Co and all that and I still mainly use my 4's unless we're in the key of B or something like that.

 

[scooper]

Went back and forth between 4's and 5's and ended up sticking only with 5's. Once you get used to the wider neck (on some models), the flexibility of having the lower notes can be useful. As for tone, get a Stomp and you can sound like anything. Not for those who have short fingers and as others have noted, weight is not necessarily a factor. I have three fives - a passive custom from Cindy Guitars, an active/passive G&L2500 as a back up and a Traveler 5 for practicing when on the road but not gigging. The only 4 I kept is a '64 EBOF cause it was my first bass and pick it up occasionally.

 

[Ralf1e]

Funny, but we play Elevation, Belonging Co and all that and I still mainly use my 4's unless we're in the key of B or something like that.

I find mostly B or Bb and F

 

[fourstringbliss]

I find mostly B or Bb and F

With the singers we've got we're usually in C or D, and now often in Db. We're occasionally in F or E, but all of these I can do no problem with either 4-string. B's a tricky one on a 4-string unless it's a song like Rattle or Graves Into Gardens which both walk down.