Rock N Roll that requires a 5 string.

[ZedLepp]

You could do some early King's X songs.
I'm pretty sure Dug from played a 4 string tuned BEAD.

 

[Nick Danger]

It depends, if you want to play Spanish Castle Magic by Hendrix then you're going to need an 8 string Hagstrom bass.
Seriously, it don't matter how many strings it has, it's the player who makes it work for them.

 

[hrodbert696]

In my classic rock cover band, the guitarist is often switching between guitars with different tunings. I just bring a 5er and use it on everything.

Probably for songs that need a 5er anyway, I would say "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age. I don't know what the original bassist plays but the way I play it, I use a 5.

 

[Lagado]

In my classic rock cover band, the guitarist is often switching between guitars with different tunings. I just bring a 5er and use it on everything.

Probably for songs that need a 5er anyway, I would say "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age. I don't know what the original bassist plays but the way I play it, I use a 5.

I too have wondered if he used a 5 for that low C, looking at a live version of the track seems to indicate he has a BEAD 4 string tuned up a semitone to get that C as an open string. Which is an advantage, because that line spends a long time at the wide end of the scale using a 5. I wouldn't want to have to carry a specifically tuned and strung 4 for one track though.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

A lot of later Metallica is 5 string.

 

[RoketRdr]

Brian Marshall didn't play a 5 string when he was with CREED. He just tuned down his 4 string on songs like "Torn". Fast forward to playing in Alter Bridge and I don't think there's a single song they write that he isn't dancing on the B tuned down a 1/2 step.

 

[RoketRdr]

You could do some early King's X songs.
I'm pretty sure Dug from played a 4 string tuned BEAD.

Yessir he did.

 

[David Jayne]

A 4 string in BEAD will work for a Modern Country band.

I can see why you'd say that but no, I don't agree. There are passages that need the G string too.

 

[Jhengsman]

I can see why you'd say that but no, I don't agree. There are passages that need the G string too.

When I saw the thread my thought isn't the B, C, Db, D which makes a 5 string necessary but rather some signature run that depends upon the G string being there in conjunction with that lower B, C or C#.

Then again I agree with an earlier post, that even though it is not my genre, when I hear "rock n roll" and not just "rock" nothing would require that combination of attributes unless some new roots player went beyond the strict playing our legacy as tribute songs.

 

[Thumper]

Haven't read it all, Interstate Love Song by Stone Temple Pilot caused me to go down the 5 string rabbit-hole. I just didn't want to deal with a drop tuner.

Back in a Hard Rock band, mainly playing 4s

 

[NullPorch]

In my classic rock cover band, the guitarist is often switching between guitars with different tunings. I just bring a 5er and use it on everything.

Probably for songs that need a 5er anyway, I would say "No One Knows" by Queens of the Stone Age. I don't know what the original bassist plays but the way I play it, I use a 5.

I too have wondered if he used a 5 for that low C, looking at a live version of the track seems to indicate he has a BEAD 4 string tuned up a semitone to get that C as an open string. Which is an advantage, because that line spends a long time at the wide end of the scale using a 5. I wouldn't want to have to carry a specifically tuned and strung 4 for one track though.

Pretty sure Nick Oliveri just played a 4-string in C-tuning most of the time. I'm not sure if there rest of the band also tuned to C; I think it's possible because Josh Homme was coming out of Kyuss who did generally time to C/C# I believe.

 

[Mike N]

I can see why you'd say that but no, I don't agree. There are passages that need the G string too.

I managed without the G in a female fronted country band. I had gone into it with a Fiver but never found myself on the G, so I ditched it for a four in BEAD.

Now, if they would have wanted to do a cover of Aerosmith's Sweet Emotion, I would have needed the G to play it correctly.

 

[Supadope]

The Killers - All the things I’ve Done.
Tainted Love sounds good when you octave down on the chorus.
A-ha - Take on Me is much more rockin when you start on the low B.
Stuff by Muse.
Purple Rain.
Sweet Dreams are Made of This.
Sevendust- Angel’s Son.
CeeLo Green- Forget You.
Dave Matthews stuff.
Limp Bizkit’s first 2 albums.
Anything from 12 Foot Ninja.

 

[Supadope]

And IMO, Peavey’s necks are the standard by which all 5 strings should be measured.

 

[5StringBlues]

I played blues on 5 string for years so what do I know?

 

[Lagado]

A slinky one on the thumb.