Is there any reason to have a 6+ string Bass if you don't play chords

Arpeggios.

 

You also have a few more high tones for melodies and solos.

 

Soloing, chords, added flexibility, because you like playing higher up the scale.

 

If you play covers and need to transpose for a singer it is so much easier on a 6 string.

And, why not play chords?

 

To learn how to play chords and integrate in your baggage... You might use it one day...

 

the sound

 

Reading charts. When I was in college and in the Army Band I used a six for reading. It made reading and sight reading in particular much easier. No shifting. Many more notes available in the lower positions.

 

If you play a 6 people will assume you're really good.

But seriously, they're just fun. I have one that I reach for fairly often.

 

Range.

 

Dropping a low F# string, bass bomb, is a thing of beauty

 

I've never seen a 6+ player with a band play more than three notes at the same time ever.

Jaco sometimes played four notes.

 

fewer shifts when reading.

 

The six, seven, etc. allow you to play chords with more notes in different voicings without it turning to mud. In the lower registers, you're limited to two-note intervals, and maybe a third note if it's a fifth of one note in the interval. On my six, I like chord voicings like 1-5-M6-M3 and 1-5-M3-M7.

That said, yes, you can also play it like a four-string. It's the versatility that makes it worthwhile for me.

 

Solo bassists tend to gravitate toward 6 strings. It just give you a few more options on the high end.

 

they're fun. I rarely ever play mine on gigs but I love to noodle on it.

 

Same as a fiver isn't just about a few extra notes below E, the main advantage in any bass with more strings is more notes available without position shifts, like many above have mentioned. Great for reading and visualizing scales and arpegios. Fewer shifts also means better economy of motion which means you can play faster.

Damn, I've almost talked myself into one.

Trade-offs: string spacing (hard to slap). Weight. Variety. Availability.

 

Yeah. The F# thing.

 

Easier to transpose on the fly, more positional options, need to shift less often while sight reading.