I’ve been testing that for the better part of 15 years and science says that’s a false hypothesis.
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switching to 5 string
- Thread starter ics1974
- Start date
I’ve been testing that for the better part of 15 years and science says that’s a false hypothesis.
Welcome to the five string club! Great choice of bass, too. I have a pair of Stingray 5HH’s, including a Stingray Special, and absolutely love them. They share the #1 spot in my small collection.
Won’t be long before you want another.
I’m thinking this may be where I end up. 2 stingray special 5’s. I love my HH… it’s my go to/main player for years. should the other be an H?
After playing 4 strings exclusively for a couple of decades, I bought an Ibanez SR 5 string, and that was the only bass I owned for almost 20 years. Although I played it a lot, I don't think I ever really bonded with it. It took me months to get to the point where playing the extra string felt normal, but after I bought another 4 string a few years ago, within about 30 minutes of playing it I knew I was playing better than I had ever played on the Ibanez.
But a couple of months ago I picked up a cheap Squier 5 string Jazz bass. The strings had rust spots and flat spots, and it was in desperate need of a set up. But after I finished cleaning it up, restringing it, and setting it up (including a re-intonation), I am loving it. It took only a few minutes before playing it felt totally natural. And the B has great tension and tone and I'm using it a lot.
So it's not just about 4 vs. 5. It's about the right bass with the right ergonomics, neck profile, etc. If anyone else is thinking about making the switch, I encourage you to just play a bunch of different brands and models to find the one that works for you.
But a couple of months ago I picked up a cheap Squier 5 string Jazz bass. The strings had rust spots and flat spots, and it was in desperate need of a set up. But after I finished cleaning it up, restringing it, and setting it up (including a re-intonation), I am loving it. It took only a few minutes before playing it felt totally natural. And the B has great tension and tone and I'm using it a lot.
So it's not just about 4 vs. 5. It's about the right bass with the right ergonomics, neck profile, etc. If anyone else is thinking about making the switch, I encourage you to just play a bunch of different brands and models to find the one that works for you.
Its healthy (imo) as a bass player to be able to switch between 4, 5 and even 6 strings.
The next step available to you would be to get a six-string bass tuned B-D#-G-B-D#-G — you would have the same range as the B-E-A-D-G five-string.
On the old traditional tuning in 4ths, our four fingers have five frets to cover. In the new tuning, that obstacle to fluency is removed: four fingers, four frets, then onto the next string.
iirc this system was devised by a Jazz guitarist 90-100 years ago who had an 8-string guitar tuned something like E-G#-C-E-G#-C-E-G#, so that fully chromatic writing always lay under the hand. Wish I could remember his name so I could look up the details.
My 5s make my 4s jealous. I haven’t gigged a 4 string in about 10 years. Part of me wants to go back, but my brain has completely rewired to the range of the 5, the solidity of a fretted E, and covering two octaves with barely any shift in hand position.
My wife bought me my first fiver for Christmas last year. I took to it immediately. I play jazz, so the ability to play especially Eb (horn key) and it's relative minor down the neck is one of the many things I love about it. I sold my fours and bought another fiver. I'm completely a five string player now. The way I look at it is, I can do everything on a five that I can do on a four, and then some more. Here are my basses. The solid body on the left was my first. I play them both equally.
I’m a five guy. Although I have a four, it lives in its bag. I’ve got nothing against the four, just love the fivers!
VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV THIS VVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVVV
I bought a fiver about 7 months ago, coinciding with three weeks spent indoors overseeing work on my house gave me the opportunity to get used to it, which I did. I used it with one of my covers bands whose lead singer had us drop the tuning on many songs.
Now I'm used to the fiver and its string spacing. I notice I spend more time down past the fifth fret with it and my fretting hand doesn't move up and down the neck as much as it does with my 4 string basses.
Going back to my 4 string basses for another project, they felt so comfortable and easy. They won't be sold, I'm using both 4 and 5 string, depending on the band.
Now I'm used to the fiver and its string spacing. I notice I spend more time down past the fifth fret with it and my fretting hand doesn't move up and down the neck as much as it does with my 4 string basses.
Going back to my 4 string basses for another project, they felt so comfortable and easy. They won't be sold, I'm using both 4 and 5 string, depending on the band.
My first 5 string didn't work out due to chunky neck, then got a Stingray 4 and soon after (in 1990) got a Stingray 5. I have been 5 stringer since then and primarily a Rayman.
Landing one of those extra low notes at the right moment and folks react is intoxicating! Just avoid the temptation to think that every D or C needs to be “down there”. It’s a mistake that we all make. For me there are times when that low note is just wrong and out of context. Don’t be playing 60s covers down there unless you want me to pull an “ugh” face (you get a pass if the singer really has to have Brown Eyed Girl in D).
At the end of the day it is only 4 extra notes but the big win is being able to play a low F on the 6th fret and having 2 octaves under your hand without shifting positions.
Try stuff like playing a G major scale using only frets 5-8, starting with tour little finger on that new low G you just bought. THAT is the game changer for me.
You do have different tonal options with the H that you can’t get on the HH (and vice versa
) and some do prefer the H for those options. If you like having the series/parallel option, then an H makes sense.However I prefer the tonal options of the HH so I have two (and in fact used to own a third, but sold that one) that are from different eras and have different pickups and preamps. My other is a 2007, which came with the preamp and the ceramic magnet pickups from the Sterling 5. So it has an even more aggressive overall character than my Stingray Special, though it’s easy to tame it to whatever extent I need to, especially with a set of flats on it. If I were to get a third, I’d likely go for a 2008-2017 HH model, which has warmer alnico pickups and a preamp tuned to those pickups.
I’d love a Classic, but I thought they only came in an H model.
That all being said, if you like Stingrays, it’s hard to go wrong no matter which direction you go.
I have a 5 and a 4. I almost approach them as two different instruments for two different purposes.
My post-hardcore band is tuned in standard. I play with a pick and a heavy, tubey sound with this band: my 4 string G&L LB-100 is perfect for that. It’s a Pbass after all and it does the job perfectly in this band.
My indie/pop-rock band plays in Drop D. I switch between fingers and pick, and the sound I aim to achieve is mellower than with the other band. All of that taken into consideration, I choose to play my Fender Jazz V with this band.
Two different approaches in the way I play with both bands calls for two different basses. That being said, I also use the LB-100 with the pop-rock band (downtuned) however I can’t see myself using the Jazz V with the post-hardcore band. I tried and it felt, looked and sounded out of place.
My post-hardcore band is tuned in standard. I play with a pick and a heavy, tubey sound with this band: my 4 string G&L LB-100 is perfect for that. It’s a Pbass after all and it does the job perfectly in this band.
My indie/pop-rock band plays in Drop D. I switch between fingers and pick, and the sound I aim to achieve is mellower than with the other band. All of that taken into consideration, I choose to play my Fender Jazz V with this band.
Two different approaches in the way I play with both bands calls for two different basses. That being said, I also use the LB-100 with the pop-rock band (downtuned) however I can’t see myself using the Jazz V with the post-hardcore band. I tried and it felt, looked and sounded out of place.
songwriter21
I have an obsession for wood. The musical kind.
I started on a 5 over 20 years ago, and only took a few days to adjust to it. Especially with gigging for a modern country band, and writing with a prog-fusion band, a 4-string would be very limiting for me. I did fall back into a Fender Jazz 24 4-string, briefly, but went back to a 5 and/or 6 not long after.
I couldn't imagine not having that growly big B from my Ibanez SR4605.
