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

[Beej]

5s and 6s, but mostly 5s.

 

[Smooth_bass88]

Over the last few months, I've realized I am a 5-string player. I had a 6-string and sold it. I've had many 4s and sold them all. I feel most at home on 5 string basses, so that's all I have left.

I'm curious. As a fretted or fretless player, do you alternate between 4, 5 & 6 (or more)? Or do all your basses have the same number of strings? Wherever you land on this, why do you think this works best for you?

majority of the gigs I do, I play a four string bass. But there are a few that require a string, so for those, I use my Lakland 5. Some gigs I do, they would prefer a four string, which is fine. Sometimes though, I'll use my five string just for something different, but also because it's a very good sounding bass- Lakland 5501 with Nordstrand alnico magnet single coil pickups, and US Lakland preamp.

 

[Matt O]

4.

If the tune calls for reaching into brown note territory, I have a T-bird strung BEAD

 

[Lionel Albert]

Now, how many people here own a 5 string, but only ever play 4 of the strings?

I only play one or two strings !

 

[wysiwyg248]

Five strings 80%. The rest is divided four strings EADG and BEAD 50/50.
The 6 strings is used every now and then, not as frequent as it should.

 

[Hot Rats]

Exclusively 4 string.
I played a 5 in a fusion rock band for 6 or so years but when that ended, I put the 5 in the closet. I went through a 6 string phase also.

 

[Rip Van Dan]

Over the last few months, I've realized I am a 5-string player. I had a 6-string and sold it. I've had many 4s and sold them all. I feel most at home on 5 string basses, so that's all I have left.

I'm curious. As a fretted or fretless player, do you alternate between 4, 5 & 6 (or more)? Or do all your basses have the same number of strings? Wherever you land on this, why do you think this works best for you?

I am more at home with my a passive Jazz 4-string. I started with a 4-string in 1965 and have been playing one ever since. I did buy a 5-string in 2009 because the group I was playing with did a number of songs that either required a 5-string, or for me to drop my E string lower. Problem I ran into a few times was forgetting to tune my E string back up, which necessitated transposing my fretting positions on the E string on the fly. So now I have both and will use the 5-string as needed, but my primary by far and away is my '82 Jazz.

 

[Wasnex]

i'd have to take 'cheating the learning curve' to a whole new level with the time i've got left!

Once I started the transition, it was a matter of days before I started performing mostly on 6. So, if you have interest or possibly a good reason to play 6, jump in.

I view playing a instrument as integrating a bunch of processes that are mostly automated. The idea is you can control these processes consciously, but most of the time you don't have to and wouldn't want to.

A macro process that is automated to some degree is the system of fingering and shifts you default to. I would say early on, I played sort of like a 4-stringer dealing with the extra strings. But over time, I learned and prioritized a new system of fingering and shifts that was more optimized for the 6.

So I am not saying it took me 10-years to play well, I was doing that within weeks. I am saying it took 10-years for the 6 to feel like home. Now when I pick up one of my 5s or 4s, it's sort of like playing a 6 with one or two strings missing.

 

[JRA]

So I am not saying it took me 10-years to play well, I was doing that within weeks. I am saying it took 10-years for the 6 to feel like home.

sure, i get it --- but at my age: "within weeks" is the new "10-years!"

however, i can't thank you and @logdrum enough for looking out for me on this!

 

[Sam Evans]

Only ever 4s.

Ask me again in (hopefully) a few weeks when I get my first 5er from Kiesel ...

 

[Lionel Albert]

Only ever 4s.

Ask me again in (hopefully) a few weeks when I get my first 5er from Kiesel ...

A 5 string is not difficult, the most difficult is to go back to a 4 string bass.
Quite challenging.
It's good to practice both.
Keep your 4 string bass even if you certainly will love your 5 string bass.

 

[jdjk7]

I don't currently own any more-than-4 strings, but I would play 6 strings or 8 strings (the kind with the doubled courses) if I owned them.

 

[Moving Pictures]

I’m equally comfortable on 5s and 4s. Right now I only own 1 5-string, the rest are 4-strings. Which bass I play depends on the material we are covering. If there is a lot of transposing expected it will always be the 5-string.

These are the main players. I have a couple more but these get the majority of the play time.

 

[Sam Evans]

Keep your 4 string bass even if you certainly will love your 5 string bass.

Indeed! I'm going to make sure I have a good use for it, even if it's just setting it up with very different strings for a different sound.

 

[Lance Bunyon]

Nine 5ers. One 4. One fretless 6.

If the 6 had been a 5 I'd have been ecstatic.
Or as Jimmi said,
"If 6 turned out to be 9...I don't mind...I don't mind..."

 

[logdrum]

i'm fascinated by the 6s, or at least curious, but then i relate to stuff like this:


i dunno, logdrum --- wasnex is pretty conscientious: i'd have to take 'cheating the learning curve' to a whole new level with the time i've got left!

He is a perfectionist rhat is why. He probably was good at it in 6 months

 

[Snert]

Keep your 4 string bass even if you certainly will love your 5 string bass.

I see no reason at all to keep them beyond sentiment.

 

[IanA]

I have been playing 5’s almost exclusively for a couple of years now but I love the feeling of a 4 string Precision bass.

 

[Lionel Albert]

I see no reason at all to keep them beyond sentiment.

Reason : teaching, sometimes someone wants you to play and brings you a bass that's obviously not yours.
Another big reason : people listen with their eyes.

 

[Snert]

Reason : teaching, sometimes someone wants you to play and brings you a bass that's obviously not yours.

I don't teach and I only play my own instruments.

Another big reason : people listen with their eyes.

If they have an issue with what instrument I play and not how/how well I play, then that's their issue to deal with.