What do you in particularly like about playing 5 string basses?

[Ritter667]

I suspect the bigger heavier neck changes the overall tone somewhat. I've always felt that my 4 strings sound a bit snappier, maybe brighter, than the 5 strings I've owned.

That is my experience too.

My 5 string does have a somewhat rounder tone, whereas my 4 strings sound snappier, however my 5 string does have a growly quality that my 4 strings doesn't.

And I am quite sure it has to do with the overall more substantial neck.

 

[Geogio]

The fact that a past 5-stringer led me to the 6 string... I like the symmetry of a 6 better.

 

[cholyoke]

I played my P-bass downtuned to B for many years in a metal band. Anything originally in E was transposed to B. I didn't like fivers or see the point of them until I started to learn walking bass lines and the fifth string made it much easier to play one position. I also stumbled on the EBMM five string basses at the same time. A need + useful tool is a great combo.

 

[Artman]

That is my experience too.

My 5 string does have a somewhat rounder tone, whereas my 4 strings sound snappier, however my 5 string does have a growly quality that my 4 strings doesn't.

And I am quite sure it has to do with the overall more substantial neck.

More likely because the pickups have more wire and another magnet in them.

 

[JenderBazzFass]

A lot of the time I don't like the feel or the sound of the low B string, but paradoxically I still find the 5-string very useful.

I have extra large hands, so the 5-string neck actually feels pretty natural to me.

I rarely use open strings, I normally like the timbre of all my notes as fretted, so I like having the fretted low E at my disposal.

I use the 5 string sometimes depending on what key we're playing in. I like that when we are playing in D I can add the D on the bottom without tuning down. And I like that if we're in G I can add the D as the lower 5th easily, and likewise when we're in A, I have the E right there.

Also, using the rest stroke technique most of the time, I like that I can use the E string and use the B for a rest, and play anywhere on the string length, not just where the pickups are there for me to rest a thumb on.

 

[Ritter667]

Also, using the rest stroke technique most of the time, I like that I can use the E string and use the B for a rest, and play anywhere on the string length, not just where the pickups are there for me to rest a thumb on.

Well, would not be an issues regardless if you used floating thumb technique.

For me at least, also provides much more effective, natural and flexible muting of unwanted string ringing, especially effective when using 5 or 6 string basses.

I am sure though you got your reasons and that it's not an issue for you.

But for everyone starting on bass, and doing finger style plucking, I would recommend utilizing floating thumb technique.

 

[burgerdj]

I love being able to anchor around the fifth fret. Playing an F on the 6th fret of the B is much more comfy than the first fret on the E.

 

[Jugghaid]

The additional flexibility of neck positioning is great, and you also get to make people poop themselves occasionally with the big lows

 

[Jugghaid]

I love being able to anchor around the fifth fret. Playing an F on the 6th fret of the B is much more comfy than the first fret on the E.

The tone is also different. Nice to have options.

 

[badinage]

#1. The ability to play across the neck rather than up and down the neck comes in handy often.
#2. Far easier transposing on the singers' whim. "No problem."
#3. Mellower tone up the neck, snappy near(er) the nut: Very useful, and quite often on the same song.
#4. For me the available "five lower semitones" is not the "main attraction" of a five, but digging out of a deep/low note in a walk back up to the "one" can be occasionally musically exciting for the flow of a tune (for example), a nice low thud for an end-tag also sometimes seems appropriate, and an Eb comes in handy for jazz pretty routinely.

I still play a four occasionally because it makes me think differently and create lines differently (and that's fun), and also so I'll stay practiced for the occasions when someone invites me to sit-in and hands me a four.

 

[JenderBazzFass]

Well, would not be an issues regardless if you used floating thumb technique.

For me at least, also provides much more effective, natural and flexible muting of unwanted string ringing, especially effective when using 5 or 6 string basses.

I am sure though you got your reasons and that it's not an issue for you.

But for everyone starting on bass, and doing finger style plucking, I would recommend utilizing floating thumb technique.

Yeah, I get that each technique has its advantages and disadvantages and I vary between the two.

When I was taught it was by and old pro/studio guy who said this is the way most of them play when recording because it's very clean when practiced well. I stuck with it for the most part.

 

[lordradish]

The low B is simply non-negotiable for me at this point. Haven't played a 4 in over 20 years and likely never will, again.

 

[Jugghaid]

Yeah, I get that each technique has its advantages and disadvantages and I vary between the two.

When I was taught it was by and old pro/studio guy who said this is the way most of them play when recording because it's very clean when practiced well. I stuck with it for the most part.

The best technique is the one you are most comfortable with. I use several including floating thumb and also I will anchor in and almost under the B string when playing more aggressively. If it works, it's right.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

And this is more and more common it seems. I keep ending up doing gigs or recording with songwriters who are either guitarists who tune down to Eb, or are keyboard players who seem to love playing in Db(that's kind of a weird one to me...). You're gonna want the low octave of those notes available. With four bangers I'd have to have basses set up specifically for that--I'm very adamant how how my basses play--string tension, etc. What a pain that would be. And I have Hipshots on a couple 4 strings. It's not a compete solution (and the slacker tension bugs me when it's dropped). Also added bonus with the fiver is it keeps you on your toes, when the guitarist is calling out "G" and what he's really playing is an F#.

Yes! Even learning and playing along with songs that are based around guitars that are in E flat versus E- So much easier to get your head around the songs and build some muscle/fretboard memory by just sticking on a 5 string and playing whatever and stop constantly tuning and detuning the bass. Time is often of the essence- I have an hour or two to run songs and warm-up a bit before a show (either the day of, or the night before) and if I'm able to run some songs, spot-hit a couple sections in songs that take a bit more focus, all of it takes time. Just sticking on 5 string expedites finite window of time for private practice.

Ultimately the band in question plays everything in E flat tuning, and it's not a problem for me to detune 4s and 5s on the day of the gig (to be prompted retuned to E tuning after the gig).

 

[pbass2]

The tone is also different. Nice to have options.

Yep. Think of something like a reggae part that's based on a triad or whatever off of the low F. How it sounds playing off the low F on the B string vs the low F on the E string---very different, very effective tonally. As I say before, this is one of the biggest features to me of a fiver.

Ultimately the band in question plays everything in E flat tuning, and it's not a problem for me to detune 4s and 5s on the day of the gig (to be prompted retuned to E tuning after the gig).

Now that I'm so much more at home on it, I'll stick with the fiver in standard tuning for every scenario - just makes it all so much simpler, less hassle and it makes me a better bassist, better at adapting quickly to whatever is thrown at me. The exceptions would be if there's a specific need for the sound of a detuned bass, like a rock thing or whatever where someone really wants to hear the Eb as an open string. Then I'll detune a four string or whatever it takes to get there.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Yep. Think of something like a reggae part that's based on a triad or whatever off of the low F. How it sounds playing off the low F on the B string vs the low F on the E string---very different, very effective tonally. As I say before, this is one of the biggest features to me of a fiver.

Now that I'm so much more at home on it, I'll stick with the fiver in standard tuning for every scenario - just makes it all so much simpler, less hassle and it makes me a better bassist, better at adapting quickly to whatever is thrown at me. The exceptions would be if there's a specific need for the sound of a detuned bass, like a rock thing or whatever where someone really wants to hear the Eb as an open string. Then I'll detune a four string or whatever it takes to get there.

It is simpler and less hassle in most cases for sure. There are some cases/shows where I simply can't conveniently change basses at anything other than set breaks, and/or there's simply so space on stage for a second bass to be conveniently available. I do like to occasionally play the four strings I have long-owned when all the details of the sets, songs, space and pace allow a change of bass. I would say this about the Eb as an open string "thing". You and I may notice, but nobody has ever said "hey can you detune and play that as an open string- it just sounds better that way". It just NEVER happens.

 

[pbass2]

It is simpler and less hassle in most cases for sure. There are some cases/shows where I simply can't conveniently change basses at anything other than set breaks, and/or there's simply so space on stage for a second bass to be conveniently available. I do like to occasionally play the four strings I have long-owned when all the details of the sets, songs, space and pace allow a change of bass. I would say this about the Eb as an open string "thing". You and I may notice, but nobody has ever said "hey can you detune and play that as an open string- it just sounds better that way". It just NEVER happens.

Well, actually I have had that occur. Was doing a rock session and the client/guitarist tuned down to Eb and several tunes had me chugging along on 8th notes on the low Eb doubling the guitar. A detuned bass with that low note on an open string to him sounded better, so I just detuned a four string and he was happy. It does sound different for sure, how much so depends on several factors (the bass part and technique, the mix, etc). At the end of the day in this case the final mix had everything and the kitchen sink thrown in, so you'd never have been able to tell a fretted Eb from an open one, but he was the one paying the bill!
I don't know much about metal, but I think that's fairly common in that genre, to detune the guitars and bass the same way so all those unison riffs are played in the same position for a more "unified" sound.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Well, actually I have had that occur. Was doing a rock session and the client/guitarist tuned down to Eb and several tunes had me chugging along on 8th notes on the low Eb doubling the guitar. A detuned bass with that low note on an open string to him sounded better, so I just detuned a four string and he was happy. It does sound different for sure, how much so depends on several factors (the bass part and technique, the mix, etc). At the end of the day in this case the final mix had everything and the kitchen sink thrown in, so you'd never have been able to tell a fretted Eb from an open one, but he was the one paying the bill!
I don't know much about metal, but I think that's fairly common in that genre, to detune the guitars and bass the same way so all those unison riffs are played in the same position for a more "unified" sound.

I play in a band where I've played stuff with open E flat, and also fretted E flat. Whatever works.

 

[bigdaddybass12]

like in particular how 3 octaves exactly mirrors 3 frets apart, 3 strings down, across the fretboard, and how triad harmonies mirrors in octaves 3 frets apart, 3 strings down, across,,, 5 string guitars, concerning the logical mathematical symmetry of having exactly 5 strings, and in particular when utilizing triads a lot.

Me? A little more simple. The guys I play for are capo junkies, when the song is in “F” after capo, you are not playing against the nut. Also you can avoid playing open notes when the song is in “E”

 

[BargeOn]

I like it because it p#sses some people off.