Switching basses and getting used to different basses

[Peter Hess]

I have a jazz bass and an alembic epic. They’re pretty similar except the j is a bit more narrow at the first couple of frets. NBD. I tried a 5 some years back and it was a disaster. Every time I went to play on the E string it was the B. That experiment lasted a week.

 

[ad9000]

This is a really good topic. I unfortunately get bored with playing the same instrument all the time, or at least that has been the case since the late 90's, so I tend to rotate my 4 or 5 main basses, although on some gigs there is clearly a specific bass that works best. The down side of switching up a lot is that it's harder to have a consistent voice as a player. Only in the last couple of years (pre pandemic) do I feel like I've been able to overcome that to a degree.

 

[Zagnuts]

I recently got my first 5 string and was intimidated by the thicker neck, but the smaller string spacing really helps my smaller hands so that's really helpful. Howver, I do find that it's harder to play the 5 string, because I'm still getting used to the string spacing vs. a 4 string.

I've really been playing the 5 string a lot to get used to the difference in spacing, and I find that when I go back and play one of my 4 strings there really isn't any trouble, muscle memory I guess? In fact I find playing the 5 now is helping with muting/anchoring and maybe even making my hands a bit faster, I think this is because of the strings being closer, therefore my fingers can move faster which is translating over to the 4 string

 

[el murdoque]

Once I'm used to the bass, switching is not a problem.
The only issue I'm experiencing is when I go from a 6 string to a four, that I sometimes get tangled up in a bassline, when my gut mapped it out a few notes in advance and my fingers realize there is an empty space where the string I want to play next is supposed to be and I need to come up with an alternative quickly, before ....aaaah too late.

 

[hdscout]

Bass to bass is no problem.
Now, when I switch to mandolin...

 

[Felix Lopez]

 

[Watchootognbout]

Playing one bass for years does not set one's playing ability
"in stone"

There are many that have multiple basses (and guitars)of different types and adapt to each just fine.

What it comes down to is how badly you want to play other basses.