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When switching to 5 string do you have to say goodbye to 4's?

#21
I have three 5-strings, one 6-string and one 4-string. I paid more for my 4-string than any of my other basses. See it here if you like. This is my actual bass.

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I play my 5-strings most of the time due to our band's music/tuning, but as someone else said in this thread, I love the 4-string for slapping. You can become profecient on all of them. All it takes is lots of practice. I started playing 28 years ago at 15, and played nothing but four's all through high school and college before I ever got a five. I will always keep my unbelieveable 4-string, even if I never use it live.

deichman

www.endofstory.com
 
#22
Short answer? You don't have to give up any one bass in order to play another.

Be it string difference, scale difference (or fanned vs. standard frets), width difference, fretted/fretless or whatever.

Muscle memory is an amazing thing.. your body will remember.

I must admit I'm honestly shocked by a lot of the responses here though. When I went from 4 to 5, that was *it* for me... I never had much of a desire to play 4 again. Since then I've bought a pair of 6's, and I can go between any of them with relative ease. I've still got one of my old 4's, but I haven't spent any meaningful time with it in probably 8 or 10 years.

Derek
 
#24
When I first switched from 4 to 5 I had to "dive in" and put my 4 down so I fully adjust..I never went back!! IMO, a 5 is the same as a 4 with extra range...is there anything you can play on a 4 that you can't play on a 5? Before I got a decent 5 I tried a crappy one and was convinced that 5's sucked, who needs an extra string you can't hear anyway??unfortunately this mistake cost me months....Get a good one and it will make you happy..
 
#25
Dincrest said:
Keep the 4 for slapping. An open E slap is just so much more satisfying on a 4 (or a 5 tuned EADGC) than on a 5 tuned BEADG or a 6..
Click to expand...

I agree about the open E slap on the 4 string. You're also forgetting STRING SPACING, which is sacrified on most 5s.

Actually I started bass playing on a 5, so picking up a 4 is no problem for me. A lot of bassists think playing a 5 means learning to walk with a new set of legs. Just think of it as a drummer playing a 5-piece kit instead of a 4-piece.
 
#27
I find I like slapping on 6 as a 4 or 5. I enjoy the rumbling of good low B. About a year into playing all I played was 6's Then went back to 4 until recently Ive been into tapping alot and relizaing about adjusting my technique to makes 6s allot easier to play. It all comes down to imo adjustment of technique and your attitude. Being postive goes along way I learend that from nearly all the extened range guys.
 
#28
I think once you get good on your 5, as long as it meets your sonic requirements and plays like butta, you'll never go back to a four string. You can play all the same notes etc from your four, transposed to fatter strings on a 5, and get bigger fatter fundamentals. Plus the added booty of just plain lower register. I have a pretty nice collection of pre-70 fender fours...I never play them anymore as my two Reverened 5's feel and sound so freakin' nice.
 
#30
I play a 6 nearly exclusively ... it does everything I need it to do and it's the most comfortable to me. That said, I will always have my Fender MIJ 4 ... it's been the most dependable bass I've ever owned, and I give it a little workout here and there. The 5's? I don't find much use for them any more .......
 
#31
Nope.

I learnt on a 4. I switch to a 5 (J-Bass) and that was my only bass. I loved it. At some point I couldn't see myself going back to a 4 at all.

That was until I had a very good deal on a 4 P-Bass. Now I play them 50/50.

There are very few things you can do on a 5 you can't do on a 4, but you have to move your left had around more. The way I play (fingerstyle) there is nothing can be done on a 4 and can't be done on a 5.

My next bass? a 4 string Jazz.
 
#33
DBlakley said:
Short answer? You don't have to give up any one bass in order to play another.

Be it string difference, scale difference (or fanned vs. standard frets), width difference, fretted/fretless or whatever.

Muscle memory is an amazing thing.. your body will remember.
:cool:
Well said.
To me there is no difference, in playing a 4, 5, or 6-string bass.
It's all in your head.
I play a 4-string, a 6-string, and a upright 5.
It's all bass.
Click to expand...
 
#35
When I switched from 4 to five, the fours collected dust and were subsequently sold. The neck just felt too small. Then I got a 6'er and the same thing happened. The other day I was at the music store and tried some 4's for chuckles, arghh it felt like I was playing on a toothpick. I've been thinking of a seven but I'm afraid the cycle will start all over again. :)
Luckily my 8 string is for tapping so it stays like its own entity.
Oh yeah no problem between fretted and fretless for me.
Dirk
 
#36
Dirk Diggler said:
When I switched from 4 to five, the fours collected dust and were subsequently sold. The neck just felt too small. Then I got a 6'er and the same thing happened. The other day I was at the music store and tried some 4's for chuckles, arghh it felt like I was playing on a toothpick. I've been thinking of a seven but I'm afraid the cycle will start all over again.
Click to expand...

OK Dirk, I think your uncle knows what to get you for your birthday now. Anybody got a Frenz 7 stringer for sale? :cool:
 
#38
Well, I started on a 5, but every subsequent bass has been a 4. I'd like a 6, but I'm still looking for the "right one"--which may turn out to be the Corvette 6 that's going for a great price near me.

I started on a 5 because I moved over from guitar, and the extra width on the neck made it feel much more natural. Of course, I also developed a bad habit of using the B-string as a thumbrest, so when I play 4's, it makes me nervous when I have to play the E!

Seriously, though, to answer the question--don't worry about it. You'll have little trouble moving around among different basses, I suspect.

On my 5, I really only use the B for dramatic accents, anyway. Most of my playing ends up on the middle three strings.
 
#39
I have two 5's and two 4's. I mainly use the 5-strings for my worship band but I like having the fours and I have them set up to offer something different than the five strings other than just less notes.

For instance I have a MIA Fender Precision that I strung with flatwounds, so that I could have a different feel and sound.

Which bass I choose depends on which songs I'm going to play. For anything where I use a pick (not very often) I would always want to use a four string so that I wouldn't have to palm mute the B. When I know which bass I'm playing I'll practice my songs for the week on that. After about 10-15 minutes, you're right back into the feel of the instrument no matter how many strings it has.

What I have done often, is to bring a four string to practice and then end up with a 5-string on Sunday, as I realized I wanted the B-string for a few songs.

At the end of the day, you don't use the B-string all that much. I'd say I only use mine 10 - 15% of the time max.

I would echo the previous comments on string spacing. My Godin BG-5 takes a bit more getting used after playing my fours with .75" string spacing because the Godin is tighter. My Lakland 55-01 has the wider spacing, and it takes a few minutes less to get my finger memory storted out than the Godin.
 

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