Hi!
I've been playing for about 15 years and have 5's and 4's as well.
Here are what you may need to consider:
1. EASE OF PLAYING
This is of top importance. If the bass is not comfortable, it kills all the joy of music. The neck of 5 strings is usually wider (not very surprisingly...). This may cause issues if your hand is not strong enough.
Also, there is one thing the others have not mentioned. The currently played notes make the other (open) strings vibrate. This can get loud enough to be a factor. Hence players tend to use various techniques to mute the open strings. With a 5-string, muting is more difficult; logically: more strings - more muting to do. This is something you get to learn after you've been playing for some time, but better to know it beforehand!
The 5'ers I played seemed to react to muting "slower" than the 4's (when I place my hands on the open strings to mute them, the vibration ceases slower). This is not something you'd hear while I play but I feel it - and it affects the ease of playing. Not to the extent that you'd notice, but whenever I pick up my 4's I thing "damn these babies are much easier to play"...
The feel of a 5-er is VERY different from the feel of a 4-string. And I am saying this even though I got my first 5-string right before a gig, after soundcheck - and I played that gig with the 5. I didn't make a lot of mistakes (not much more than usually, anyway) and I DID use the 5th string on that gig. OK, maybe overused it for that gig
2. STYLE
I don't think there are a lot of styles nowadays where the extra low notes don't fit (most of the current pop, hiphop, r'n'b, electric, metal etc. hits HAVE notes below E). But you've got to ask yourself if you really need that extra string. For a lot of metal music, you're better off buying a 4 and using a different tuning.
Do not think that a 5th string is just 5 (in standard tuning) extra notes. It has a totally different feel and sometimes sound than a 4-string (wider neck - different vibration etc). There is a reason that a lot of players (like Victor Wooten or Marcus Miller) prefer 4-strings even though they are masters on a 5-string, too. That does not mean that 4's will work for you - but don't just say "aww, in the worst case I won't use the extra string". Give both a try.
Personally, even though I've been playing my main gigs with a 5'er for about 6 years now, I am planning on returning to the joys of the 4-string...
I've been playing for about 15 years and have 5's and 4's as well.
Here are what you may need to consider:
1. EASE OF PLAYING
This is of top importance. If the bass is not comfortable, it kills all the joy of music. The neck of 5 strings is usually wider (not very surprisingly...). This may cause issues if your hand is not strong enough.
Also, there is one thing the others have not mentioned. The currently played notes make the other (open) strings vibrate. This can get loud enough to be a factor. Hence players tend to use various techniques to mute the open strings. With a 5-string, muting is more difficult; logically: more strings - more muting to do. This is something you get to learn after you've been playing for some time, but better to know it beforehand!
The 5'ers I played seemed to react to muting "slower" than the 4's (when I place my hands on the open strings to mute them, the vibration ceases slower). This is not something you'd hear while I play but I feel it - and it affects the ease of playing. Not to the extent that you'd notice, but whenever I pick up my 4's I thing "damn these babies are much easier to play"...
The feel of a 5-er is VERY different from the feel of a 4-string. And I am saying this even though I got my first 5-string right before a gig, after soundcheck - and I played that gig with the 5. I didn't make a lot of mistakes (not much more than usually, anyway) and I DID use the 5th string on that gig. OK, maybe overused it for that gig
2. STYLE
I don't think there are a lot of styles nowadays where the extra low notes don't fit (most of the current pop, hiphop, r'n'b, electric, metal etc. hits HAVE notes below E). But you've got to ask yourself if you really need that extra string. For a lot of metal music, you're better off buying a 4 and using a different tuning.
Do not think that a 5th string is just 5 (in standard tuning) extra notes. It has a totally different feel and sometimes sound than a 4-string (wider neck - different vibration etc). There is a reason that a lot of players (like Victor Wooten or Marcus Miller) prefer 4-strings even though they are masters on a 5-string, too. That does not mean that 4's will work for you - but don't just say "aww, in the worst case I won't use the extra string". Give both a try.
Personally, even though I've been playing my main gigs with a 5'er for about 6 years now, I am planning on returning to the joys of the 4-string...
