I usually reply, “yeah but imagine how awesome he could have been on a 5”Many people will tell you Jaco only need 4 strings
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is it worth buying a 5 strings ?
- Thread starter 10emmanuel
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@defdog99, This is NOT all wrong if you compare apples to apples.
Same, wood, same design, same builder, etc.
However, there are exceptions to any rule, this one included,
but in general, your statement is true, especially about the wider neck....057912
You'll love one when the singer wants to sing a half step down when you usually do the song in E.
If you want a 5-string in a smaller package, check out the Ibanez Mezzo SRMD205.
Its scale length is 32" and it weighs about 7 lbs.
The nut width is 1.772 in., which is bigger than a 4-string Precision (1.625 in.), but less than a Fender Jazz V (1.875 in).
The string spacing is 18mm.
I usually reply, “yeah but imagine how awesome he could have been on a 5”
Yeah and his kid Felix rocks a 6 string - so go figure!
I played 4 string exclusively for over 2 decades. All of my fours had the Hipshot D-Tuner/Xtender on them so I could reach low notes. In Y2K I finally decided that I should give 5 string a go. The very short answer: I now play 5 string exclusively.
Longer answer: once I got 5 string, I realized the biggest advantage was NOT the low notes. Certainly, it was extremely valuable to get those low notes without constant detuning/retuning, but I realized that the low B string was just as valuable from the 5th fret and above, where it was in 4-string territory. So, the biggest advantage for me was having more range in each fingering position all the way across the neck. Also, once I got the hang of 5 string, I remapped a bunch of songs I'd been playing for years on four -- including those where I never went below low E -- to make them easier to play. One example was to reduce position shifting (though of course I still had the option to do so when I wanted). Another example was to play five frets up the neck, but using lower strings... the frets are closer together up there... but I could also avoid being trapped down near the nut: F minor, 'nuff said.
Logic says that 6 string provides even more range in each fingering position than 5. I tried a number of six-stringers including high-end boutiques, but realized that I was not comfortable on a wider neck and/or narrower string spacing. Naturally, this is a perfectly valid reason why some decide to stick to 4 string, but even though my hands are not large I am comfortable on five.
It's unfortunate that you have to choose between one 4 and one 5, but that might be an advantage. I learned that the easiest way for me to get accustomed to 5 string after 25 years on 4 string was to immerse myself on 5. I put my 4 string away to woodshed on 5. It also helped my brain to learn brand new songs on 5. This is because it was hard to adjust the "muscle memory" (habits) that had come from playing songs for so long on 4. Once I became comfortable on 5 string by learning new songs, it was easier to bring those old chestnuts over. We all have different mindsets so what worked for me might not work for others, but it's well worth mentioning.
Obviously I'm not saying "5 is better than 4", but it definitely is for me. There are some advantages to 5, but the bottom line is that there is no wrong answer. Best of luck!
Need? Unlikely.
But if I were to start over, I'd just go straight to 5 strings because... I actually find them easier to play. Yes, they are a bit bulkier, and they can be heavier (but not all, I have 3 5-string basses weighing 9.8, 9.1 and 8.5 lbs, and I didn't buy any of them concerned about the weight, I'm positive I can get lighter if I looked for them), and you may need to adjust your technique a bit in order to mute all unused strings... but what is great on a 5-string bass is that in the span of 5 frets you've got a full 2-octave range. Because of that, I find it much easier to play without looking at the neck and I can get any note I want pretty easily close to where I am.
Yes, it is a bit confusing when you're used to 4 strings, but stick with it and one day it'll just 'click' without you noticing, and it'll happen much sooner than you'd imagine. I owned 5 string basses on and off since around 2008, cheap and expensive, but never really gelled with any of them. In January 2021 I got a Stingray style 5-string bass that I really liked. It was cheap, but it felt and sounded great, and live music was not really a thing yet (thanks covid!) so I decided to play the 5 string exclusively at home. I don't know how long it took, but it wasn't very long. Now I play whichever without issues... it's just that my best basses are 4-strings, but I prefer to play a 5-string now.
If I could go back in time to meet my younger self, I'll tell me to save my money and just find a good 5-string. And I mean good, not necessarily expensive. These days with a tiny bit of TLC you can get a lot of mileage out of a cheap bass.
I don't care about the few extra lower notes. They're nice to have sometimes, but I very very rarely go below low D. However, the navigation across the fretboard is much better, covering a nice range, and that's what I really like about 5 strings.
I said the same earlier in the thread. However, it seems many still give it's only 5 more notes, or all the classic songs were written on a 4, never seeing this aspect of a 5. Or at least never appreciating it.
This strikes me especially odd with some of the people who move to SS because of mechanical issues in their bodies. 30 from 34 is 2 frets where a 5 string is 5 so it's an easier reach, there's far more variety of strings, necks need not be much different dimensionally etc. Now, play what you want, but most of the arguments against 5s don't seem to hold water to me beyond the honest ones who just say I prefer 4s or I'm so used to it I'll never change.
This!!
Others have said it also, but this often gets overlooked as being in fact more "important" than the added lower range!
The only caveat when, e.g., playing the F on the 6th fret of the B string instead of the 1st fret of the E string is that you get different timbres of that F - but, they are just different, not better or worse.
A 5 string has a 4 string built in. You won't be missing anything. Less shifting required and you won't need to tune down if you need to go below low e. I say go for it all day long. That said, i've never owned a 5 in all the years i've been playing - i've always just tuned down when required. I can see myself owning one at some point, though. Look for one you like and take it home.
Yes, Felix is a monster bass player, I really enjoy listening to him.
Cave Puppy
"Humph Bo, he's wond!" - John Lennon
The reason for me to build a Carvin 5 string lo those many years ago was to get that low D and Eb without having to D tune and, playing closed position F and E and D, etc. scales are much easier to do on a fiver.
This is why all my (gigging) basses including DB and EUB sport a high C string.
It has little to do with extended range, though it does open up chordal capabilities.
Funny, my 5 string fretless weighs 6.5 pounds, is well balanced and has a very thin comfortable neck. My 6 string fretted weighs in at 10 pounds and is extremely well balanced and a joy to play. The neck on it is also very thin. I prefer 6 strings due to how much more you can do with them compared to a 5 or 4, but that is just me. I'd never own a 4 string again due to no low B.
drumvsbass
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Having played every type of music there is as a bassist for the last 35 years on a 4 string... nope.
To the OP, only one way to find out. Personally, I love 4s, 5s, and 6s...for all the reasons mentioned by others so far.
