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Opinion on string spacing?

#62
I'm pretty early into by bass journey but I am starting to notice a preference on a 4 string.
I prefer 19mm spacing to 20mm as I don't feel I am reaching as much with my right hand.
On a 5 string 17.5mm spacing seems fine but I haven't tried other spacings.
I'm not sure if it's because I have played some guitar that I find smaller string spacing more comfortable, or if it's more related to the size of my hands. Time will tell I guess.
 
#63
Being a speciality-focused kind of board, it seems to me that maybe TB would be a great place to compile a reference list of string-spacings and nut widths for five string basses. Other sting-counts too.

I moved to 5 strings about five years ago for most electric bass playing, and I have two G&L USA L2500 (17.5mm IIRC) as my only fives, and I really like them. More pertinent to this thread, I believe I'd like my next 5-string to be slightly wider, as some of my "trick-licks" are still easier on the wider spacing of a four. And my hands are not very large: A men's-medium glove fits me best.
 
#64
Im a lot more picky about taper than string spacing. I can get used to as wide as 19mm and as narrow as 11mm, but i like my strings to be as close to parallel as can be. Playing a jazz always feels kind of "fumbly", for example. Think about the taper, not just the spacing of your favourite basses then that should tell you if your bigger thing of preference is taper (or lack of) or string spacing (wide/narrow overall). For most it's one, the other, or both, but rarely neither unless you have what i would argue is either an immense degree of adaptability (good thing) or perhaps underdeveloped technique (bad thing). Long story short, pick up something you like!
 
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#65
Beff Juckley said:
I'd like to add a five string to my arsenal, but I don't have many places to go and get a feel for what string spacing I'm most comfortable with.

Everyone has their comfort zone around this, but do you think you can just learn to live with a string spacing you don't initially like?
Do you think it just takes getting used to or would it always be a thorn in your side?
Click to expand...

I personally prefer wider string spacings with fingerstyle bass. I got a 6 with a pretty narrow string spacing and it was not fun to try to play. I have a Bass VI too, which is basically like playing a guitar, but I play it with a pick anyway so it's not as big of a deal.
 
#66
My first 5er was a Schecter Stiletto: 35” scale and 16.5mm string spacing. Thought it sounded great, looked good, and was a pleasure to play for my big left fretting hand. But even after months of use, my right hand never really got used to playing fingerstyle with the gap that small. Or more accurately, never got used to changing back and forth with the 19-18mm spacing of all my other basses. Could I have mastered it in another year or so of focused excercises? Probably. But it was more expedient to find a another 5er I liked, but with a wider spacing, and sell off the Stiletto.
 
#67
I previously preferred a 5-string to have 18mm bridge spacing. Last year, I got my Sadowsky 5-string that has 19mm spacing. It was definitely a noticeable difference and a challenge, since I was moving to the Sadowsky directly from a Stingray Special 5 with 17.5mm spacing. I got adjusted to it over time, and now I’m 100% comfortable with it.

If you can’t play on several basses to see what you like, then you’d probably be best served by staying within a 17mm-19mm spacing on a 5-string, or within 18-20mm on a 4-string. I feel like the majority of people can easily get adjusted to those spacings with time and practice.
 
#68
Beff Juckley said:
I'd like to add a five string to my arsenal, but I don't have many places to go and get a feel for what string spacing I'm most comfortable with.

Everyone has their comfort zone around this, but do you think you can just learn to live with a string spacing you don't initially like?
Do you think it just takes getting used to or would it always be a thorn in your side?
Click to expand...

It depends on your fingers. If you can’t get them between a narrow space, getting used to narrow spacing is less likely. Still possible though. Maybe?

I have thin-ish fingers so I prefer narrower spacing as it’s more comfortable, less work necessary to accomplish the plucking task. I can get used to it fast because it doesn’t pose a physical restriction for me when going from a 19mm 4 to a 17mm 5. Perhaps noteworthy is that I found 15mm to be a bit of a physical limitation that I might have been able to get used to, but didnt really want to.

In short, you could get used to anything, but if you have fat fingers, it will be more difficult.
 
#70
17.25 - 18mm are nice middle of the road lanes. 5-string nut width at 1 3/4" (1 7/8" ok but feels fatter). I play 16.5mm to 18 on 5 strings. 19mm on a five string means a big, fat honking neck--OK, if that's what you want. I have a Hamer Cruise 5er with '4 string neck' (1.5") and 16.5 spacing and that is a bit of a squeeze for the fat fingers but plays very fast. My Ibanez SRMS has 16.5mm with a 1.75" neck and that is playing very smooth for me now (I keep thinking 'its narrow' but then after a few minutes I'm playing it better than anything else)--the 5 string SRMS necks are faster than the EHBs (IMHO), but then the EHB is very comfortable to play at 18mm spacing (adjustable bridges!) and a flat 20" radius fretboard. That is very common common: 18mm with a 1.73 (45mm) - 1.8" nut width (the 20" radius is less common, unless you like Warwick). If you get these specs on an asymmetric slim neck you will be in a very good place to start. Note: I don't like very slim 4 string necks, but a slim 5 string neck is plenty solid with the extra width--the worst mistakes you could make in my opinion are the '4 string' 1.5" nut width on a 5-er or a 19mm bridge spacing with a correspondingly wide nut width. Just avoid the extremes and you'll be off to a good start. Radius is not as important to me, I have 12" - 20". 14" to 16" is a decent sweet spot range.
 
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#71
Beff Juckley said:
I'd like to add a five string to my arsenal, but I don't have many places to go and get a feel for what string spacing I'm most comfortable with.

Everyone has their comfort zone around this, but do you think you can just learn to live with a string spacing you don't initially like?
Do you think it just takes getting used to or would it always be a thorn in your side?
Click to expand...
For me, string spacing hasn’t been much of a factor. I suppose if I did lots of slap-pop funk playing it would matter more.
 
#72
B-Mac said:
I never understood the I can’t play because of this or that. Certainly everyone has a preference, but it’s not impossible to play something that is a tad outside your preference.
Click to expand...
Jefenator said:
People's capacities to adapt seem to vary as widely as people's prefs!
Click to expand...
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FWIW: i mostly use the schaller and hipshot bridges with adjustable string spacing --- i like the string paths to have a certain relationship to the fingerboard taper and the edges of the board...it's a preference! consequently: each ax has different string spacings, none of which i have ever measured --- i'm in the group with 'adaptable preferences'.
 
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#73
On a 4, I'm perfectly comfortable with standard (3/4", 19mm) spacing.

When I first got a 5'er, it was an EBMM SR5, which I believe has 17.5mm spacing.

I didn't notice string spacing, but did notice neck width.
Because it was a somewhat narrower spacing, it made the transition easier for me.

I bought a few other 5'ers with narrow (16.5mm) spacing, and was comfortable on those.

A few years back, I got a Roscoe 5 with 18mm spacing, and the neck ended up being too wide for me. As beautiful as it was, it just wasn't going to work out.

I rarely ever pick up a 5 anymore, but if I do, it'll be one with narrow spacing.

I think the fact that I started on guitar before switching to bass, makes it easier to deal with the tighter spacing, rather than the extra neck width of wider spacing.
 
#74
Beff Juckley said:
I'd like to add a five string to my arsenal, but I don't have many places to go and get a feel for what string spacing I'm most comfortable with.

Everyone has their comfort zone around this, but do you think you can just learn to live with a string spacing you don't initially like?
Do you think it just takes getting used to or would it always be a thorn in your side?
Click to expand...
There are quite definitely two schools of thought on this question.

Some players quite definitely prefer to replicate the spacing of their 4 string basses on their 5 string instruments. Roger Sadowsky, for example, adamantly insists on 19mm bridge spacing on his 5’s; and there is a loyal following who will ONLY use that configuration.

The issue with that design specification for my prefs is that the neck near the body joint has noticeable girth to it. Though I have gigged those basses for significant gig runs, I personally never liked that feel. Not the reach or anything; but, it just feels unwieldy, for lack of a better descriptor. Especially relative to a Jazz Bass neck.

There are 5’s with 17mm spacing and 18mm spacing, which keep the neck taper to reasonable widths; but, to use those one has to be comfortable with adjusting their right hand techniques.

I personally find 18mm to be an excellent compromise; and that’s what my 5’s have.

Hate to say it; but, you will probably need to do a bunch of gigs with a couple of different geometries before you will come to an understanding of your preferences. Anyhow, enjoy the journey.
 
#78
Beff Juckley said:
do you think you can just learn to live with a string spacing you don't initially like?
Do you think it just takes getting used to or would it always be a thorn in your side?
Click to expand...

I own nine basses, with string spacings ranging from just under 14mm (13.97 to be precise) to 20mm. None of them are too wide or too narrow to make me think "this will always be a thorn in my side" ...but some of them do give me pause when I think about whether the spacing will be a help or a hinderance to executing the material that I'll have to play on any given session.
 
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#80
Beff Juckley said:
I'd like to add a five string to my arsenal, but I don't have many places to go and get a feel for what string spacing I'm most comfortable with.

Everyone has their comfort zone around this, but do you think you can just learn to live with a string spacing you don't initially like?
Do you think it just takes getting used to or would it always be a thorn in your side?
Click to expand...

Beware: My experience, I played 4 string for years and have many hanging on the wall that I love. But I can't play them. Don't let that deter you, I wish I had went to 5 along time ago. I went to 5, it took me a couple of weeks to get use to it, without messing up to much. I have played many 5 strings since, not knowing any of there spacings, they all feel great to me.
 
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