Poll: 4s, 5s or 6s (or more?)

[TigerInATrance]

Only 6 strings... I do own a 5, but I don't play it.

 

[Chickenwheels]

I definitely alternate. Have 4's, 5's and 6's and I play them all, love them all!

Here are some of them ('11 GP custom Contrabass 6, '00 EBMM Stingray {4}, '99 MIJ Yamaha TRB5IIF):

View attachment 5423506
PS. I have to admit that I eat carrots every single day quite a lot. especially combined with roasted beef, potatoes and very hot red chilli peppers! Cheers!

Great photo!

 

[Chickenwheels]

I have 4 Fives and 3 Fours.

34

 

[LowActionHero]

Mostly 4s ( standard/drop D or BEAD),
but I'll play my 5 string if it's the better tool

 

[VeryTallBassist]

I've been playing almost exclusively 5 strings since 1998. Every time I go back to a 4 I feel stupid because I play horizontally across the fretboard and my low string isn't there when I need it. 6 strings feel like I'm playing a surfboard. I get all I need out of my 5ers.

 

[Sam Dingle]

Every 5 string I’ve played has left me wanting more so I’ve sold it. Only have 4 strings at the moment

 

[coy garcia]

Fretless 4's is all I do...with passives.

 

[tb-player]

I just sold my only 5er and I am down to two basses, both 4-string. It has been SO refreshing to get back to the basics. Freeing. I don’t have any plans to add a third bass anytime soon, but I’ll probably stick with 4s for the foreseeable future.

That's basically what I did, except with 5s. I have 2, a fretted and a fretless, and I can't see myself adding a 3rd anytime soon. There's a lot of freedom in simplicity.

 

[logdrum]

* i've messed around with 5 and 6-string axes, but i thought they'd take too much time and effort to get used to playing proficiently.

Heh, heh! -- unhid it for you. You need a good fretless 6.

 

[logdrum]

Taking the 5th

 

[FeltTipPen]

Mostly fretless, 5 string only. The low B string and its notes are very intuitive to me.

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

I own 4's and 5's, but I gig exclusively on 5's. I play 4's at home occasionally.

 

[MasterMonkeyMan]

Started/learned on a 5 and didn't use 4's for many years. Then I got a Wilkins P/J 4 and now rarely play the 5.

 

[BassChap]

ABG fretted EADG
2x fretless EADGC

 

[kbakerde]

I alternate, but gravitate to 4 string. I have a Fender P Bass 4 string, G&L M2000 4 string and a Warwick FNA Jazzman 5.

 

[bassballs27]

Had all 3 configurations at one time a few times. Owned 6 strings that many would call dream basses and all of them were sold. My grievances are the timbre of the C string, the neck width and thickness.
Even managed to own a 36” scale 6 string and nope, just can’t do it. Maybe a 32” scale 6?

5 strings have been my mainstay for ever however recently taken a greater liking to 4 strings.

Starting to gravitate back 5s again but don’t think I can completely give up 4s.

My favourite thing on 5s is not having to down tune.

 

[Deleted member 365158]

I prefer 4 BUT….,
I do like to noodle on my bass vi so I have no vote on the poll.

 

[MrLenny1]

All 5 strings but recently got a 4 and looking
for another 4 for a new project.

 

[mambo4]

As a young'un, I was once getting informal instruction form an older player.
I asked him If he played a 5 string, and he said:
"I'm not done learning these four"
I guess that kind of stuck with me

 

[BigBadBen67]

Just 4s. Don’t really like the feel or tone of the low B and 4s just feel right to me

Would be curious to try a 5 with a high C sometime