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looking to buy a stingray- 4 or 5 string?

A

Alex Albu

Jun 13, 2020
17
9
24
Bucharest
#1
hi mates, i know this might be kinda trivial but please bear with me. i am looking tk buy a stingray style bass and am confused wether to choose a 4 or 5 string.
basically i started on a 5 string, really got used to playing 5 string amd then switched to a 4 string (mike dirnt signature pbass)
i still have the 5 string but dont play it that much, converted it into a fretless so i would have a reason to play it. the biggest issue i had with it wasnt the low b but just the overall sound of it
now im looking to buy a mm style bass and dont know wether to get a 4 or 5...i feel like i could do with either, im used to both 4 stringers as well as 5ers, prefer 4 stringers as a general rule but feel like the extra string could be useful
is there any reason i should treat a stingray differently from a pbass? i feel like my pbass has plenty of range with 4 strings and isn't limiting at all, i would never want a 5 string p bass, is there something different about the stingray that would make me want a 5 string over a 4 string? maybe the tone of a stingray would make me want the extra low register? what is your experience with 5 string stingrays in this sense?
 
#3
Carl Hillman said:
It's impossible to say what would make you prefer a 5 over a 4, because only you could answer that.

I got a Stingray 5 because I like the sound and feel of Stingrays, and the gig called for those 5 extra notes.
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thats great man, but other than that gig, do you feel like 5 string stingrays are more desirable than 4 stringers in any other way? say, more so than in the case of another type of bass?
 
#6
I prefer 5-string basses, so I’ll tell you to get a StingRay 5.

But what you should do is get the bass that suits you best rather than listen to some knucklehead like me. :thumbsup:

One word about StingRay 5's is they have 17.5mm string spacing. This works great for me, but it’s too tight for some and may not work for you. If you need wider string spacing on a 5-string, then a StingRay 5 might not be the best choice for you.

Edit: Fixed typo. Originally mistyped 15.5mm string spacing. That’s wrong; it’s 17.5mm.
 
Last edited:
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#7
Stevorebob said:
I prefer 5-string basses, so I’ll tell you to get a StingRay 5.

But what you should do is get the bass that suits you best rather than listen to some knucklehead like me. :thumbsup:

One word about StingRay 5's is they have 15.5mm string spacing. This works great for me, but it’s too tight for some and may not work for you. If you need wider string spacing on a 5-string, then a StingRay 5 might not be the best choice for you.
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thanks man! what are some situations in which you would find the low b useful? the kinds of situations that make you go "oh yeah, this is why i have a 5 string"?
 
#8
Alex Albu said:
thanks man! what are some situations in which you would find the low b useful? the kinds of situations that make you go "oh yeah, this is why i have a 5 string"?
Click to expand...
I seldom need to play below E. Mostly, it's songs in drop D that don’t need the D drone/pedal — I don’t drop tune unless I have to; Slither being a have-to example. Aside from that, there are some times where that low C or B just works.

Where I find the most utility with a 5-string is having two full octaves within six frets. Nice to have that low E, F or G within easy reach. And in a sense, a 5-string provides a short-scale bass built in to your 34” scale.

But here’s the real reason I prefer 5-string basses: For me, switching to a five was transformative. I began to think of scales from the inside out rather than top down or bottom up. That is, the A-string, all pretty riding atop those fret markers in the center, became my reference rather than the E on top or the G on the bottom. That thinking around the A-string just works for me.

I also think the 4+1 Music Man head stock is nicer looking than the 3+1. Shallow me.

Oh, and welcome to TalkBass. And if you search, you’ll find oodles of threads on “why a 5-string."

And hey, YMMV. Of course it does. ;)
 
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#12
Alex Albu said:
hi mates, i know this might be kinda trivial but please bear with me. i am looking tk buy a stingray style bass and am confused wether to choose a 4 or 5 string.
basically i started on a 5 string, really got used to playing 5 string amd then switched to a 4 string (mike dirnt signature pbass)
i still have the 5 string but dont play it that much, converted it into a fretless so i would have a reason to play it. the biggest issue i had with it wasnt the low b but just the overall sound of it
now im looking to buy a mm style bass and dont know wether to get a 4 or 5...i feel like i could do with either, im used to both 4 stringers as well as 5ers, prefer 4 stringers as a general rule but feel like the extra string could be useful
is there any reason i should treat a stingray differently from a pbass? i feel like my pbass has plenty of range with 4 strings and isn't limiting at all, i would never want a 5 string p bass, is there something different about the stingray that would make me want a 5 string over a 4 string? maybe the tone of a stingray would make me want the extra low register? what is your experience with 5 string stingrays in this sense?
Click to expand...
One thing about stingrays is there is more than one body shape. Personally I’m not a big fan of the slab/classic style stingray bodies. They look cool, but it’s more of a comfort thing. The SR5 body is a lot more comfortable for me. But others are the opposite. I recommend trying them out if possible.
 
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#18
Alex Albu said:
hi mates, i know this might be kinda trivial but please bear with me. i am looking tk buy a stingray style bass and am confused wether to choose a 4 or 5 string.
basically i started on a 5 string, really got used to playing 5 string amd then switched to a 4 string (mike dirnt signature pbass)
i still have the 5 string but dont play it that much, converted it into a fretless so i would have a reason to play it. the biggest issue i had with it wasnt the low b but just the overall sound of it
now im looking to buy a mm style bass and dont know wether to get a 4 or 5...i feel like i could do with either, im used to both 4 stringers as well as 5ers, prefer 4 stringers as a general rule but feel like the extra string could be useful
is there any reason i should treat a stingray differently from a pbass? i feel like my pbass has plenty of range with 4 strings and isn't limiting at all, i would never want a 5 string p bass, is there something different about the stingray that would make me want a 5 string over a 4 string? maybe the tone of a stingray would make me want the extra low register? what is your experience with 5 string stingrays in this sense?
Click to expand...
The 5 has more tonal variation with the 3 way pickup switch. I'm not a big fan of the classic sting ray sound, which is the 4 string, but the single coil middle position is different on the 5 and got me hooked. You can get the parellel pickup sound of the 4 in the 5 as well but now you have a new instrument to finger for a long time. Plus I've played 5's mostly since I was 15 and it's just more fun :)..but it is not nearly as fun to slap
 
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