Poll: How many strings?

[smogg]

Been playing fivers exclusively for well over 20 years and overall close to 30. Fits my needs. It really is that simple.

 

[Wyn6er]

Carrots for all!

 

[JW56789]

I've played fives almost exclusively since the 80's. They just fit me best.

 

[Geogio]

View attachment 4588866

I like the mando-horn

 

[Bassaga]

5 for me. 4 feels limiting and looks like a big ol' toothpick neck, 6 feels confounding and looks like a board neck. 5 feels and looks like a mighty and sufficient musical instrument.

 

[stringthrough]

Tony Levin says "3 strings are enough". I hear he's pretty good.

 

[thepoet62]

Especially with low A metalcore, 5 is the new 4. Tried detuning a 4 string once but it took away too much top end. With narrow string spacing you can get a neck not much wider than a 4 string and still have room to slap.

 

[wvbass]

For personal enjoyment, it is a four string all day long. If I had to own only one bass, though, I would own a five string FSO, because I know I could play any show with that. (I consider Music Man to be FSO.)

 

[shade_1313]

I’ve gotten very comfortable with 6 strings. I have fours and fives that I like, but if I had to choose one layout, it’d be a six.

 

[groovepump]

If price is not a factor. If set list is not a factor. If my decision is based solely on what I prefer to play at home when I'm playing for myself, and I can only have one bass to play?
It'd have to be a fretless 4-string.
3/4 DB (with German bow) preferred, or fretless EB. Either one.

 

[smtp4me]

4 strings. 43 years playing 4 strings.

 

[Iristone]

I feel like some my best 4-string basses (Thunderbird and Rickenbacker that is) deserves a 5th string, as I always feel they sound great tuned down.
Unfortunately their manufacturers don't really flirt with 5-string models. Fortunately, these basses work REALLY well, downtuned.

 

[GreyBeard]

I switched to 5 back in the 90's because a lot of the tunes I was playing at the time called for it. Now I have developed my technique around 5 and it is what I play. I never consider anything other than 5's when looking at basses. However, if I had never switched from 4, I wouldn't see any reason to switch to 5 given the music I'm playing these days.

 

[Matt R.]

Dunno, let me consult talkbass

 

[Cal03]

I have two 4's, a fiver, and a sixer. 4 strings is comfy but doesn't go low enough. The range of a 6 is nice to have, but too often the extra high string gets in the way. 5 is the goldilocks zone for me, enough low range to satisfy my needs without being too unwieldy.

-Cal.

 

[JRT64]

I used to have 2 5er's. Soon realized I didn't really need them, and went back to playing a 4 string. Now that's all I own.

 

[SleepyShark]

I love my 5 string.

My 4 strings feel like home though.

 

[Tim Schnautz]

I play 6 mostly But at church i play a 5 because i can leave one there and don't have to cart back n forth

 

[mikewalker]

... shalt thou count to four. No more. No less. Four shalt be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be four. Five shalt thou not count, nor either count thou three, excepting that thou then proceed to Four. Six is right out.

 

[2cooltoolz]

Leo only needed 4. Wait, what?