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What is the benefit if a 5-string bass? 6-string?
- Thread starter SteamPanda
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- fivestrings
madbass6
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- Jan 13, 2009
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- I do not give consent to use any of my photos ! please respect that. thank you.
5th string If a low B =lower deeper notes!
Hey its a Bass why not!
the deeper the better! (Well sometimes, Carefull not to over do it!)
if 5th string is high C (yes there is such a thing! ) =
higher notes ! if you're into soloing/tapping/chords etc. Its a Huge benefit! again just be careful not to over do it!
6 strings ?= lower deeper notes & higher notes ! Best of both worlds! once again just be careful not to over do it! 6 string Bass is not a guitar & should never be played as such!
Hey its a Bass why not!
the deeper the better! (Well sometimes, Carefull not to over do it!)if 5th string is high C (yes there is such a thing! ) =
higher notes ! if you're into soloing/tapping/chords etc. Its a Huge benefit! again just be careful not to over do it!
6 strings ?= lower deeper notes & higher notes ! Best of both worlds! once again just be careful not to over do it! 6 string Bass is not a guitar & should never be played as such!
My first bass was a 5, never even bothered with a 4. I also play in Drop A so at the time i thought I had to get a 5, and now it's just second nature. 4 string necks are too tiny.
I play a 5er so that I can explain to others why I play a fiver.
It's a nice distraction for those waiting to talk to the guitarist or singer...
It's a nice distraction for those waiting to talk to the guitarist or singer...
I never go lower than the D on the low string.I use a 6 so I don't have to move my hand around too much.
I DON'T DARE bring it to my blues gigs,they would roast me right there!
I DON'T DARE bring it to my blues gigs,they would roast me right there!
Been there done that. I convinced myself that I really wasn't playing the G string at all so why not go BEAD for advantages of the lower notes?
Well, YMMV, but in my case taking the bass to the gig I immediately discovered that I was using that G string a LOT more than I thought I was!
I went to a 5er to have both B and G. Now except for my 8 string (doubled) all I play is 5s and 6s.
And I really am having GAS attack for a 15 string (tripled) that I won't have to sell the house to buy!
There are players that tune 6ers guitar tuning with the B top string. The advantage is that if you have a lot of experience with guitar playing you can apply all that knowledge for chords and lead, to the bass. The disadvantage is that then like a guitar you cannot move patterns sideways string to string.
Reasons for playing your 5 string instead of your 6 string.
1. The music you are playing doesn't need/use the extended upper range.
2. Neck is narrower and may or may not be easier to play.
3. 5 string basses are often lighter than the equivalent 6 string bass.
4. Certain great 5 string basses (say my G&L L2500 or Carvin AC50) aren't made in 6 string versions.
5. The look of a 6 string is "wrong" for the genre. (Oddly in my experience nobody seems to notice if you are playing a 5 string rather than a 4 string and they fly right under the radar, but once you have a 6 string everyone is on your case unless it's genre where 6 strings are commonplace)
6. 6 string string sets are more expensive and worse, much harder to find in stock locally than 5 string sets.
7. Slapping is easier on a 5 where the top string for popping is a G just as it is on a 4 rather than the C of a 6er.
I'm sure there must be other reasons.
1. The music you are playing doesn't need/use the extended upper range.
2. Neck is narrower and may or may not be easier to play.
3. 5 string basses are often lighter than the equivalent 6 string bass.
4. Certain great 5 string basses (say my G&L L2500 or Carvin AC50) aren't made in 6 string versions.
5. The look of a 6 string is "wrong" for the genre. (Oddly in my experience nobody seems to notice if you are playing a 5 string rather than a 4 string and they fly right under the radar, but once you have a 6 string everyone is on your case unless it's genre where 6 strings are commonplace)
6. 6 string string sets are more expensive and worse, much harder to find in stock locally than 5 string sets.
7. Slapping is easier on a 5 where the top string for popping is a G just as it is on a 4 rather than the C of a 6er.
I'm sure there must be other reasons.
I had no use for a high C, so I put a low F# on my 6-string. It's interesting having a fretted low B, a low C on the 6th fret, not having to retune for the occasional song that calls for Bb/A/Ab. Also interesting having a string to rest your thumb on while playing the B string.
In 35 years of owning 4, 5, 6 and 7 string basses I can finally report my findings regarding the benefits of a five string bass over that of a four:
1) Sets of strings are much more expensive (by at least 20%).
2) You now get the option / choice of playing a low E up to an A in a new 'wobbly' / 'wolftone' / 'weird overtone' register (anywhere above the 5th fret).
3) You get a wider neck to help bring on the onslaught of tendonitis that much faster (and generally 'slow you down' when playing).
4) You get an extra string to mute each time you play any note.
5) As 5 string basses generally benefit from active electronics, you get the added task of checking batteries before gigs and carrying spares.
6) You get to become neurotic over the string spacing. Will 16.5mm be too tight? Would 17mm be bearable?, or maybe 18, 19 or even a full 20mm is better?
7) All things being equal, 5 strings are usually heavier than 4 strings.
....oh, and you also get 5 lower notes (that may or may not be usable in any particular song -depending on its key signature) to terrorise your speakers and overuse at every opportunity.
IMHO - of course!
1) Sets of strings are much more expensive (by at least 20%).
2) You now get the option / choice of playing a low E up to an A in a new 'wobbly' / 'wolftone' / 'weird overtone' register (anywhere above the 5th fret).
3) You get a wider neck to help bring on the onslaught of tendonitis that much faster (and generally 'slow you down' when playing).
4) You get an extra string to mute each time you play any note.
5) As 5 string basses generally benefit from active electronics, you get the added task of checking batteries before gigs and carrying spares.
6) You get to become neurotic over the string spacing. Will 16.5mm be too tight? Would 17mm be bearable?, or maybe 18, 19 or even a full 20mm is better?
7) All things being equal, 5 strings are usually heavier than 4 strings.
....oh, and you also get 5 lower notes (that may or may not be usable in any particular song -depending on its key signature) to terrorise your speakers and overuse at every opportunity.
IMHO - of course!
Playing a 5 string gives me the opportunity to play near the middle of the neck where the warmer tones are. I don't very often need to go below low D on the B string but it's nice to have that option. I'm less inclined to go down the 6 string route as although it gives me the opportunity to get to some of the higher notes easier I find the tone of those notes thin, less appealing and more guitar like in tone rather than bass like. In the bass that I do, the high C string is non necessary.
More strings the better. All you need is one good 6 or 7 string. Playing chords and soloing is the future of bass guitar!
Obviously it's a 4 string but just imagine the look of the guitarists face if you could do this on a 6 string and play chords. We'd have no use for a guitarist and all the chicks would flock to us! Now just imagine that!!! A bassist surrounded by women!!! Our time has finally come!!!!! (technically not yet, since we have guys like the OP asking this question, but we're getting there!!!)
All you peeps reading this, go get yourself a 6 string and put the guitarists out of business!!!!
PS. In case the OP didn't know, it's the bassist's dream to get rid of the guitarist and take over the show.
Obviously it's a 4 string but just imagine the look of the guitarists face if you could do this on a 6 string and play chords. We'd have no use for a guitarist and all the chicks would flock to us! Now just imagine that!!! A bassist surrounded by women!!! Our time has finally come!!!!! (technically not yet, since we have guys like the OP asking this question, but we're getting there!!!)
All you peeps reading this, go get yourself a 6 string and put the guitarists out of business!!!!
PS. In case the OP didn't know, it's the bassist's dream to get rid of the guitarist and take over the show.
I use 5 string bass mostly for reading jobs now where I have to shift position less because of the low string. never having heard a good sounding C string on an electric bass-6ers re not for me. I might still get one for the same reason-less shifting when reading.
The lower notes do however come in handy at times as well.
So true man. I'm completely with you on this one. The High C has always sounded like a "guitar" string......not a "bass guitar" string to my ears.
I've had a 5 string strung E to C too and still got the same response.
The high C string (and F strings and beyond) just sound like a 'bad guitar' to me.
I guess that's where the multi-scale instruments really shine, but I'd still rather play an actual guitar or mandolin at that point, as they would always sound better in those upper registers.
I guess that's where the multi-scale instruments really shine, but I'd still rather play an actual guitar or mandolin at that point, as they would always sound better in those upper registers.
5 strings are out of vogue right now. They aren't popular.
They became popular at one point because low E doesn't make sense a lot of the time if the guy writing the music is a horn player or keyboardist.
Eventually trends will settle down, and 5 string will just be an option, rather than a thing people feel so strongly about.
6 strings, strictly speaking, are not necessary for the 99.999999% of us who are not world-famous jazz bass player soloists. I own one and love it but understand that it is an indulgence; maybe a conversation starter in some situations. But, truthfully, not musically necessary.
They became popular at one point because low E doesn't make sense a lot of the time if the guy writing the music is a horn player or keyboardist.
Eventually trends will settle down, and 5 string will just be an option, rather than a thing people feel so strongly about.
6 strings, strictly speaking, are not necessary for the 99.999999% of us who are not world-famous jazz bass player soloists. I own one and love it but understand that it is an indulgence; maybe a conversation starter in some situations. But, truthfully, not musically necessary.
