With that kind of logic we'd still be using stage coaches, wouldn't be flying and why have TV and film when you have books?
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Who made the permanent switch to 5 Strings?
- Thread starter tonymcbony
- Start date
With that kind of logic we'd still be using stage coaches, wouldn't be flying and why have TV and film when you have books?
Some would say all the really great songs were written and played on an unamplified double bass. Like, for example, that Bill guy who played for this Elvis dude who sang your username song, but then the Elvis dude played the Fender thing and everything went sideways.
Ya, we could have stopped at the four-string double bass, but then again they were originally three strings, so it’s back to there-string uprights. No innovation for you!
When I sold my SR4 in 2012, that’s when I made the permanent switch to 5’s. I currently have four 5’s, and love them all.
I do want to get a 4-string Jazz though...one day maybe.
I do want to get a 4-string Jazz though...one day maybe.
So were all the crappy ones...
Not quite the same logically. I don't see the 5-string as "evolution" or "improvement." It's simply another option. Going with your analogy of the stagecoach, we should be using at least 27-string basses by now.
Looking at our guitar-playing brethren, are 7, 8, or 9-string guitars "better" that 6-string guitars? Perhaps for some genres, but generally speaking, no. Most all guitarists still use the antiquated 6-string.
The fact that there are even 4-string basses being manufactured right now at all is proof that 5-string or 6-string basses are not generally perceived as "better" or "keeping up with the times." They are simply options for those who choose them. I would assume, statistically, most bassists still use 4-string basses. In fact, I'd venture a guess that the percentage of bassists using 5 or 6 string basses was higher twenty years ago.
Oh... and about the books. I'll take books over movies every time.
I leaped frog-ed right over 5 and went to six strings. Big jump but I am digging the heck out of it.
It all depends on what you’re playing. No right answer. I play my 5 a lot, but I still love the 4. For some tunes, I prefer a 4 with drop D. It’s nicer to hammer an open low D on a 4 than hit the same D on a 5.
Me. 35 years ago. No regrets. I can still play a 4. Easier to go from 5 to 4 than the other way. You’re talking about switching and not starting on a 5.
I switched to five string exclusively quite a while back. A five string bass (the common low-B version) offers both extended low range, and extended upper range because you can play up the neck and not be too far from a low note. Having said all of this, it's not really necessary, and if I saw a 4-string bass I had to have, I'd get it. Occasionally, I'll see a bass I like that's not offered in a five string version. It does seem like they're a bit out of vogue, much like drum sets with more than one rack tom, but I'll go with what I like.
I was in the same boat as you. I ended up selling my 4 string electric and got myself a 4 string ukulele bass just to have a very portable option with that upright sound. I love both basses now because I use the uke bass in situations where I want that mellow acoustic upright tone and then the 5 string for everything else. I don't know how I did without the 5 string all this time. Love hitting a low D or C for emphasis at times that need it and also being able to play a low Eb when playing in that key.
Ive been paying a 5 for long time. I like the options it gives me. I don't have to play the B string if I don't want to. That said, most of tunes I play (except maybe 2-3) that would work fine on a 4 string. Also, there is a certain sound that a passive 4 string P gives you that I can get close to on my Roscoe 5 but...
I also think that you play differently when playing different basses. Sometimes I think I'd like to have that option to challenge myself and just give me some variety in my playing and sound.
This is tempting me to at least put a nice passive 4 string in my house as an option.
Rocket Music - RoscoeClassic4PFiestaRedONSALE
I'm also going to see 4 concerts in the next few months that have a bass player using a P - in a couple cases a Pino P bass and Pino himself with John Mayer. It's getting hard to deny myself the experiment. I'd never get rid of my Roscoe 5, but maybe a Roscoe P is in order as well.
I also think that you play differently when playing different basses. Sometimes I think I'd like to have that option to challenge myself and just give me some variety in my playing and sound.
This is tempting me to at least put a nice passive 4 string in my house as an option.
Rocket Music - RoscoeClassic4PFiestaRedONSALE
I'm also going to see 4 concerts in the next few months that have a bass player using a P - in a couple cases a Pino P bass and Pino himself with John Mayer. It's getting hard to deny myself the experiment. I'd never get rid of my Roscoe 5, but maybe a Roscoe P is in order as well.
A 4 string P bass is probably still the most popular bass in the world. They rarely fall out of favor and always seem to make a come back when they do. Classic like a Hammond B3, a grand piano or sneakers and jeans.
When I was younger I purposely played anything but a Fender P or J bass. I wanted to be different. Not that I want to be the same now, but I think I have matured a bit and understand what sound "fits" in different situations. At this point in my career, I appreciate the simplicity a passive 20 fret 4 string has and how it challenges me to play in a different way compared to my 24 fret active 5 string.
I used to play a 6. Can't handle the weight anymore. So now I play a 5 and my backup is an identical 5. HOWEVER, I've considered getting a "beatle bass" 4.
I played a 4 for 31 years (with the exception of that one time I experimented with a crappy 5 in high school and hated it). Just bought my first good 5 about 6 months ago (Fender Elite Jazz V). I'm acclimated and I love it. For what I do, it works very well. I like being able to play in Eb when we're using horns and have the low register available without a hipshot goofing everything up. I like the economy it provides with the left hand. So many more options of how to play things. I think it gives more tonal options, too. To my ear, playing in E in 6th position sounds different than playing in 1st. I still like a 4 for slap. I don't do it very often and I'm not very good at it, so it seems easier on a 4 to me. Maybe I'll practice enough to acclimate myself to that, too. There's definitely a reason to have both. I wouldn't give up all of your 4s yet.
Of course I began learning bass with a 4 string, as most others have done.
My Ibanez SR885 has been with me since 1992 and received the majority of my performance and recording time. It always served me extremely well and I still own it.
In 2010, I bought my first 6-string, a Warwick Thumb BO 6 and shortly after a Conklin GTBD-7. For the last few years, I've mainly been focusing on the 6-strings.
That said, I keep myself familiarized with 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-strings equally. In the sense of always being prepared, you never know if you might be somewhere and they need a bassist, but the only instrument available is 4 or 6 string for an example.
My Ibanez SR885 has been with me since 1992 and received the majority of my performance and recording time. It always served me extremely well and I still own it.
In 2010, I bought my first 6-string, a Warwick Thumb BO 6 and shortly after a Conklin GTBD-7. For the last few years, I've mainly been focusing on the 6-strings.
That said, I keep myself familiarized with 4-, 5-, 6-, and 7-strings equally. In the sense of always being prepared, you never know if you might be somewhere and they need a bassist, but the only instrument available is 4 or 6 string for an example.
