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What professional bassists only used 4 strings?

#42
Brad Johnson said:
Get a good one and it responds fine. Very well in fact. Some ridiculously so.

The five Jamerson tried probably did suck... most did back then ( I remember my first retail five, an Aria that looked pretty good). But now he could get one with the same string spacing as his Fender, jack the strings up and wail.
;)
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+1
My first experience was a Guild Pilot way back when(mid 80's maybe?). It's hard to say whether it was the bass, the amps back then, or my ears that turned me off. Probably a combination of all three.
There are many exceptions, but a lot of pro bassists that work in Country(new), Gospel and R&B/Pop are using 5's. Directly relating to the OP, I would guess that the majority of Fusion/Smooth Jazz players are playing something other than 4.
Like it has been said many times before: There are no rules, only preferences. The kind(s) of music you play may sway your preferences one way or the other.
 
#43
i dont see any need to draw lines, its all about the sound, the music, not anything else.
5 (or more) strings can be used to play longer lines with less shifts than fours, or they can just be an option for those special lower notes.

I agree that alot of notes below E or D sound odd, but alot of that is because of the tonal relationships between smaller groups, or even more common, it sounds strange because so many guitar-bass-drum (and company) groups never have enough experience to get used to these lower tonalities; orchestral piano music for example often uses notes more than an octave below the low E on a four string.

i DO love the reliable, simple, stringbass friendly setup and sounds or a 4 string, and many artists do their best work, but i think to say that a 5+ string is pointless/aesthetic based is a little too traditionalistic for an instrument that has such a short tradition that there are not even 3, let alone 1, "correct" ways to play the instrument.


dont forget, afterall, youre trying to make music for musics sake, and as people like Michael manring, and people who play many instruments know, its not about the means, its about the MUSIC
 
#44
nostatic said:
Now sure how you can say they are "happy with 4's." Have you interviewed them? Done a longitudinal study on bass player equipment migrations?
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No to all of the above - however, I can just as easily ask "How can you say they are NOT happy with 4's?" Do you have any evidence to present in support of that position?

Argument:

I assert they are happy because in today's world (and for years preceding today) there are plenty of 5's and 6's around if you want them. My hypothesis is that if bass players wanted to play them, they would do so.

And remember the question had to do with professionals - I assert there is little doubt that a professional will buy and use the bass he/she prefers. If they want to play 5 or 6, they are playing one.
 
#45
Pilgrim said:
No to all of the above - however, I can just as easily ask "How can you say they are NOT happy with 4's?" Do you have any evidence to present in support of that position?

Argument:

I assert they are happy because in today's world (and for years preceding today) there are plenty of 5's and 6's around if you want them. My hypothesis is that if bass players wanted to play them, they would do so.

And remember the question had to do with professionals - I assert there is little doubt that a professional will buy and use the bass he/she prefers. If they want to play 5 or 6, they are playing one.
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I didn't make that statement. I merely pointed out anecdotal comments from a variety of local bass players. Also, what is your definition of "professional"? Someone who makes their living from playing bass? Someone who has a day job but also does paying gigs? Someone who has expensive gear?

As I indicated in my random sampling of players (who fall into the first two definitions of "professional"), there are a variety of reasons that people don't have something other than a 4.

Never ceases to amaze me how these topics turn into pissing matches. People should play what they like - it frankly doesn't matter unless there is some specific tune/style that requires some specific approach. For 99%+ of the music out there, a good player can use any decent bass and make it work. I only own 5s right now because I fell in love with a Zon fretless 5 ten years ago and switched over. Now I'm used to playing 5 so that's what I'm comfortable with. I *rarely* play notes below low E - but the B string can be played above the 5th fret (SHOCK!) so it just provides other options. It isn't better or worse than a 4, and I've got a 4-string short scale on order because I want to mess around with that for certain bands, and also want a really light bass for long gigs.

Horses for courses, and in the end the gear frankly doesn't matter much except for on the internets...
 
#47
malthumb said:
Almost all professional bassists use 4 strings at some point or another. I think the OP's question was about professionals who ONLY use 4 strings. Fact is, even Jaco was experimenting with 5ers before he died.

Victor Wooten PRIMARILY uses 4 but he does do some 5 string work. Same with Marcus Miller.

Of the bassists I follow, here are 10 that I've known to ONLY use 4 strings:

  • Stanley Clarke
  • Verdine White
  • John Entwistle
  • Bootsy Collins
  • Bernard Edwards
  • James Jamerson (although he tried a 5 and hated it)
  • John McVie
  • Louis Johnson
  • Prince
  • Larry Graham

I'm sure there are others and wouldn't be too surprised if some of the guys I've mentioned above have thumped a B string or two.
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:cool:
Add to this list.
Sting.
Paul MacCartny.
Pino Palladino
Geddy Lee
Flea
Jack Bruce
Timmy C.
Willie Weeks
Duck Dunn
Bob Glaub
Just to name a few.
 
#48
Pilgrim said:
I'd say that 90% of all electric bass guitar players in history (meaning since about 1950) have played 4 strings. that's actually a conservative estimate - 95% or more would be more like it.

A low B is not required in that much music. I've played since 1964 (with a layoff of some years in the middle) and never needed it.
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This is funny and i agree with his percentages....ONLY for the fact there was zilch or barely any 5'ers back then to even play. Plus the style of genres in the 50's 60's etc etc, didnt heed the call for a 5'er anyways. With todays music and bands tuning way down there is more need/want for them

:bassist:
 
#49
well first anyone who gets paid to play bass is a professional. with that said I think you will find most bass players around in the last 8 years have tried a 5 string bass, now that doesn't mean they use it in recording or playing live. I own a 5 string and ive never used it to record or to play a gig. I bought it to tool around with sounds but found my tried and true 4 best fits my band, and I bet that is common with alot of paid professionals.
 
#50
In order to get comfortable with a five, six, whatever you actually have to put in some quality time. Imagine picking up a four string for the first time and not doing the same... many people would likely quit playing all together.
:D
 
#51
nostatic said:
I didn't make that statement. I merely pointed out anecdotal comments from a variety of local bass players. Also, what is your definition of "professional"? Someone who makes their living from playing bass? Someone who has a day job but also does paying gigs? Someone who has expensive gear?

As I indicated in my random sampling of players (who fall into the first two definitions of "professional"), there are a variety of reasons that people don't have something other than a 4.

Never ceases to amaze me how these topics turn into pissing matches. People should play what they like - it frankly doesn't matter unless there is some specific tune/style that requires some specific approach. For 99%+ of the music out there, a good player can use any decent bass and make it work. I only own 5s right now because I fell in love with a Zon fretless 5 ten years ago and switched over. Now I'm used to playing 5 so that's what I'm comfortable with. I *rarely* play notes below low E - but the B string can be played above the 5th fret (SHOCK!) so it just provides other options. It isn't better or worse than a 4, and I've got a 4-string short scale on order because I want to mess around with that for certain bands, and also want a really light bass for long gigs.

Horses for courses, and in the end the gear frankly doesn't matter much except for on the internets...
Click to expand...

So far you have a simple conversation with a couple of points of view. It doesn't have to be a pissing contest. Just saying.
:cool:
 
#53
You really have to consider history too. 5 strings barely existed until the 70s and 80s, and the first were 15 fret fenders with a high C. It was only in the 90s that the whole "low B" thing really started catching on, and even that, they are most common in heavier rock music.

Really, there are very few big name artists that were 5 string exclusive.
 
#54
No one mentioned Billy Sheehan yet? 4-string exclusively, His his solo stuff is played in B (his love for the baritone guitar...), but on still on a four string.

Plus, he never fails to mention (when asked about playing the 4-string only) that he can get a B out from his bass... with the D-tuner + bending the neck. :p
 
#57
I'm not sure what you mean by professionals. If you mean the Billy Sheehan kinda dudes who are known for what they play and doing NAMM and playing as a solo artist with other solo artists collaborating, then I dunno, I don't keep track of those kinda guys (the shredders/endorsement whores of the bass world).

If you're talking about touring musicians with albums out that they support year-round... I'd say 90-95% of the musicians I've listened to since being interested in music, which is a lot of indie, punk, hardcore, and such. I'd say, if I named 10 random acts I like, or my favorite bands in no particular order, most would play 4 strings. Even a lot of the bands I know that tune very low have a bassist with a low-tuned 4 rather than a standard 5. Except maybe Unearth.
 
#58
Fathand said:
No one mentioned Billy Sheehan yet? 4-string exclusively, His his solo stuff is played in B (his love for the baritone guitar...), but on still on a four string.

Plus, he never fails to mention (when asked about playing the 4-string only) that he can get a B out from his bass... with the D-tuner + bending the neck. :p
Click to expand...

You may want to rethink that statement.

Yamaha TRB 6 String Bass
SN: 0029024

Notes: This is the bass I used on the original recording of "Just Take My Heart" on Mr. Big's "Lean Into It" CD. I also used it in the video, which was #1 on MTV. It's a beautiful instrument and a joy to play. It is one of the only basses I have with "Active" electronics.

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