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What made you go 6 string??

#21
Pointbass... that was a very thoughtful reply to the question.

I think it would be nice to have a six-string bass around for a few special momemts in some arrangements.

Of course, I'd also like to have a Coral Electric Sitar around for a few special moments in some arrangements.
 
#23
I went 6 because I won one and got it for free :smug:

...but then I really liked it and have bought and sold 3 or 4 over the last 10 years (except the one I won).

Aside from that it's nice for song writing, playing chords, tapping. I am contemplating going back to 5's.

Playing a 6 comes with a lot of expectations. If you get up on stage you should have a reason to play it. A lot of guys will go with the whole "don't worry what everyone else thinks" BS. Wrong! The musically knowledgeable in the crowd, hopefully several, will see that bass and expect something beyond what a 4 stringer would do. I think I would look like a wannabe if I got up there and did a Cliff Williams impression, and yes it matters. If I were no longer using the range of the 6 I would no longer be playing it. Best complements I get are along the lines of "you play really well and you used the whole bass".

There you go. Why I play 6 and what I think about it.
 
#26
I play metal said:
Thx....na it doesnt matter why anyone else plays a 6er, just curious with people with experience with the switchover and just kinda what it did with there own styles/sounds and playing...just outa curiousity.

Either way im pumped about grabbing a 6er.

Any suggestions btw??I was looking at a used yammy trb(?)6.
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Just trying to beat the "you only need 4 strings" haters to the punch :) Anyway. I got into the 6er because I wanted to expand my range and not need to run up and down the fretboard all the time. Same thing with the 7 I have now.
I have no exp with the yammy's but they get lots of props here on TB. If you want a good low price 6er to experiment with, i would recommend a Ibanez SR406. IMHO those basses are superb and perform on par with basses that cost twice as much. And the thing is, If you find that a 6er is not for you, you will not have invested very much money.
 
#27
I had gone from 4 to 5 for the lower range(I'm a BEADG guy)then figured a 6 would push the boundaries out a bit & challenge my abilities. I was playing in a large church setting and the 6 gave me lots of options as to what parts of the sonic landscape to fill.
My live gigs now do not call for the big dog so much but it's very handy for diddling w/loops & effects as a guitar-voiced thing for sketching out tunes & just jamming. I'll sometimes practice a tune that's more suited to a 4 or 5 on it, then when I go back to the 4 it's like I've taken off the ankle weights.
 
#28
pointbass said:
The approach to playing the instrument is different in many ways .... not just the number of strings .... including technique, positioning, muting (previously mentioned), expression and a bunch of other things.
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What appeals to me about a six string is approaching it like a different instrument. This Squarepusher video keeps haunting me and makes me want to take the leap from time to time:

 
#29
For me, it was the ol' Billy Sheehan 'If I'm going to confuse myself with extra strings ... it might as well be six.' :D

As of recently, I've sworn off 6'ers (not sure how long it'll last ... they are a bit addictive :) So much so that I even moved onto a GT-7, then realized I didn't like the ring of a high F#). The main reason for my recent reluctance to play 6 is; I've finally found a 5'ver that I'm just as comfortable with, as a 4-banger. Prior to my first 6'er purchase, I never found a 5'ver that I was "at home" with. I even tried different string spacings. The odd thing is ... I'm more comfortable playing a 6'er than a majority of 5'vers I've played ... even with a narrower string spacing than I perfer on a 5. Add to that, I don't do as much tapping and chording as I used to (... for a while, I as all about it).

As -pointbass- pointed out :D ... there is a different approach(s) to playing a 6'er. Personally, I find myself playing with my first three fingers most of the time ... using my pinky to mute (as I've always done, no matter the number of strings). I never really had a problem with slap'n in tight spaces ... however I find that <16.5mm is a bit too tight for my slap'n taste. Also, I wear my bass higher (up towards my chest); generally closer to my stomach with lesser strings. As well as other things that I don't even think about ... I just do.


IMO ... if you're wanting to explore the wonderful world of six strings ... get yourself an affordable sixer, with as close to your string spacing likes ... experiment with it ... and have fun. Frankly, I believe it'll make you a better player in the end. (I would suggest a Peavey TL-6 ... a fantastic workhorse of a 6'er for pretty cheap)
 
#31
Because a guitarist has six strings. Seriously, if he can handle six, than so can I, and I wont have to listen to obnoxious comments like 'bass iz eezee it olny have 4 strng lolzN00b bbqwtf"

Plus, I'm a firm believer that 4-string basses are out-dated, so I'm getting ahead of the curve.

Also, the added range is wonderful to have. It's like expanding from a dinky three-octave keyboard to a full grand piano.
 
#32
The_NoBody said:
Thanks BKBassDude.

Dr. Cheese: You hit the problem right on, the muting thing. If i have some difficulty to mute a string on my 5 (the A most of the time), how that going to be on a 6*?!
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get into the floating thumb techneque.

i used to only be able to play basses that had pickups i could use as thumb anchors. litterally, wouldent pick one up if i couldent use it like that.

about a week or so of an awkward feeling of "floating thumb" and now its second nature, and the strings are silent when they need to be.
 
#34
I got a 6 when I was listening to a lot of Yellowjackets (Jimmy Haslip) a while back. I don't have it any more. There are really only a few tunes where it is "necessary" to have that range, but I found it wasn't worth it for me to have a 6 for a couple tunes I hardly ever play. I get by just fine with my 5 so I went back.

Good luck. I've tried to talk myself into a 6 again, but I can't justify it.
 
#35
Well, I only got my 6 string today, so I don't have much experience with it yet. The reason I got one was because:
1: when I played it in the shop it felt awesome.
2: I like the idea of extended range, I'd already been playing a 5er for a couple years, I wanted more! lol.
3: I love dream theater!
4: I love the look of someone playing a 6string, i don't know why, it just looks cooler!
5: I'm eer...anti-traditionalist.
6: If a guitarist can have 6 or 7, then why can't I? But I guess that falls under not being an anti-traditionalist lol.

btw, I got an Ibanez SR506. Can't say much for it yet cos I'm still in the honeymoon period (obviously, not even had it 6 hours yet). I LOVE the neck though! It's so gloriously thin...
 
#36
I bought mine for the extra range on both sides. I've always tended to play chords to fill out the sound of our group and the six helps tremendously. Plus I'm enjoying the challenge of learning my instrument in a slighly different way.

In alot of ways, playing the six has done wonders for breaking me out of patterns on the four string. Never expected that - but when I hear a run in my head that I might have played on the six, I move my hands around on the four to find it. Weird!
 
#38
MAJOR METAL said:
I wanted to take my playing to the next level.
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This^^^^

.....and also, I play a lot of chords and experiment with stuff, especially in church where we only have 1 guitarist and a drummer so I'm filling in a lot of gaps. I used to own a fretless 6'er but decided that I didn't use it enough so I sold it. A few years later I go to a guitar show and they had a Fodera Emperor 6'er there so I played it and fell in love with 6'ers all over again. So now I have one in my arsenal.
 
#39
It seems that versatility is a popular reason, and that's the case with me.

I actually got mine cause I wanted to build a solo set and play background music at cafe's, art shows, etc. along with a loop pedal or pre-recorded stuff. I love being able to lay down a line, play some chords and then solo over it all.
 

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