The struggle is real..4 strings or 5?

[faulknersj]

i am truly struggling with this right now. My musical mind loves playing 5’ers, but my hands always ask for an old school 4 banger. Anyone else struggle with this?

 

[biguglyman]

No struggle... own both.

 

[ajkula66]

i am truly struggling with this right now. My musical mind loves playing 5’ers, but my hands always ask for an old school 4 banger. Anyone else struggle with this?

Yes.

I've been attempting to comfortably play fivers since the late 80s - on and off - and have yet to find a neck that will be a good fit for my left hand.

Wishing you the best of luck in your quest.

 

[BassmanM]

i am truly struggling with this right now. My musical mind loves playing 5’ers, but my hands always ask for an old school 4 banger. Anyone else struggle with this?

Constantly! I get along with both, but have come to prefer 4-strings. All music I like and play can be played on a 4-string. Then again, it can be good to drop in one of those 5 low extra notes.

I can't decide either and will thus always keep at least one 5-string. For the time being....

 

[soulman969]

I wouldn't call mine a struggle but I prefer playing a 4 string whenever I have a lot of vocals to do. It's just less distracting if I play a four string. Otherwise I'll usually play a 5 string.

 

[LadyLoveStingRay5]

Took me a while but I discovered that I get along well with asymmetrical necks on 5 strings. My Fender Elite Jazz V fits me like a glove.
Same goes for my MusicMan Caprice.
The 5 string is an absolute must for me when playing P&W/Gospel music and some R&B/HipHop.
But when I want that old school funk I’m bringing out the 4 for sure .
I need both. Once I accepted this, the struggle was over.

 

[biguglyman]

Getting comfortable switching back and forth... now THAT was a struggle. Gotta have the 5 for some tunes and I use those extra five notes a lot. Especially the low D.

 

[JRA]

my hands always ask for an old school 4 banger

i'd go with my hands, but:

own both

good luck with your "struggle!"

 

[Solude]

I swing back and forth but while the 5 extra low notes would be great, would losing the top 5 really matter? I.e. a 4 strung BEAD is probably the better compromise... maybe.

 

[Geri O]

I do not understand this struggle.

I play fives exclusively. I have Jazz-style and Precision-style basses. There's gigs I may not use the B string, if it' not appropriate for the music I'm playing at the time.

I've adjusted my slap playing for five-strings (some muting technique needed).

And as always, what I understand or don't doesn't matter. If folks get comfortable with their playing, technique, and basses, that's what matter.

 

[krovx]

Same here.

BEAD and DGCF seem to bridge the gap for me. Transposing on a 5 is great. Will always prefer the feel of a 4.

Can someone make me a 4 that changes tuning and gauge from EADG to BEAD when I whisper Jaco?

 

[MNAirHead]

BEAD - compromise...

I've never been hired to play more, flashier or higher notes

 

[dab12ax7ef]

I understand the struggle. Most 5 players don’t remember the struggle, but when I pick up my 6er, I get the struggle. Stick with the 5, you’ll get there in time.

 

[two fingers]

I play 5s almost exclusively.

I keep a 4 string P with Chromes and have another 4 banger P I'm about to string BEAD. But my 5s go to the gig every time.

 

[baileyboy]

No struggle... only use/need 4...

 

[Solude]

Adding to the BEAD debate, if you use a 'modern' 24 fret bass you're only missing 1 high note compared to an EADG 'classic' bass

 

[micguy]

I keep one bass tuned in D standard. So far, that works very well for me.

 

[mapleglo]

While I own a number of four string basses, I'm pretty much playing 5 strings exclusively. I can't seem to bring myself to sell any of my 4 string basses though.

 

[javi_bassist]

My main basses are two 4-string and one 5-string. I prefer 4 with no doubt. However, I love the sound, feeling and possibilities of my 5. Not only having lower notes, but being able to play more and differnet positions in an area of the neck to get (like "expanding" scales comfortably).

 

[awakefie]

I love a 4, but play a 5 out of necessity. I do struggle if I switch back and forth so I've been playing a 5 exclusively for 3 years. I've found the lower B comes in handy with newer music. I also play alot of closed position stuff so it is easy to change keys. The lower notes also fill in the rhythm as we only have one guitar player. I can fill in the sound better in the lower register.

I tried stringing BEAD on a 4 but found I missed the upper notes, particularly on octave jumps (80s stuff, etc.). Also, the B never seemed right on the few I tried it on (perhaps I got the nut wrong).

Anyway, I sold my last 4 last year because it was collecting dust. Just 5s for me now.