Why a 5? Or, How Much Do You Use That Low B?

[Slevage]

That won't be possible. My fingers are too short to manage such a wide neck.

Technique? Keep your thumb behind the finger board, not wrapped around it. There are lots of small guys and gals playing big instruments.

I've seen a couple 5'2" ladies killing it on an upright.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

Never cared for 5s. I have a 6 that I do not play much. When I do, I play more on the C than the B. I personally do not care for the B string. I played 6 exclusively for the last few years and have been playing 4s again since early this year. I have been loving it. It is like coming home.

 

[J Posega]

I use it in many songs, a lot of the time to reach those low notes from B to E, and also use it from the 5th fret up to move across the neck instead of up and down.

Sometimes, I even drop it down to A, and this is in a funk/rock/R&B fusion band, not metal. It's all about context and taste.

 

[strictlybass_ic]

I actually did just as you are considering and got a 5'er around December of last year. Much like you said, I thought it might open up more possibilities since you have a greater range in the same position on the neck. Unfortunately I ended up basically mothballing the 5'er for special occasions and getting another 4 to use as my primary.

My reasons for doing so (this is all my personal OPINION so try not to get too fired up)...
-Amplifying a low B takes a lot, and it seemed too prone to getting muddy/lost/just not as nice sounding as I would have liked. EQ helps, but not enough.

-You now have another string to keep muted/dead/etc. It ended up becoming a new rest for me, and occasionally meant one string was ringing against my will.

-The actual B string is thick, and firm, and doesn't fret quite as nicely as it's neighbors. The B also wobbles like a spaghetti noodle compared to the others, string tension issues becomes all the more apparent when you get low tension strings/downtune/etc.

-My 4's are lighter, slimmer, and cover enough of the frequency range to get the job done (I play mostly rock, not much heavy stuff).

Some people love the 5'ers, but I found that I'm a sucker for a 4. It's still a great thing to try out, but maybe try to borrow one for a while before you commit to owning one. In the store it seemed novel and interesting, but after a couple months i was ready to get back to my 4.

 

[mimaz]

Technique? Keep your thumb behind the finger board, not wrapped around it. There are lots of small guys and gals playing big instruments.

I definitely agree with this! IMO your thumb belongs on the back of the neck, not hooked over the top...it truly frees things up technique wise. My hands really are not large at all, actually kinda short fingers, but no issues at all...my 5's are primarily 19mm bridge spacing, and relatively wide, flat fingerboards.

 

[thechillinvillain]

The low B is really useful. Honestly I have more trouble switching from 5 back to 4 than from 4 to 5 b/c a lot of the easier fingerings aren't available (although when I first got the 5 string years ago there was a slight adjustment phase.) The low B gives you two octaves anywhere on the neck, and the low C and D are really awesome for any number of reasons. Just imagine: Next time you're playing in C, you can really put the bottom down.

 

[SteveC]

-Amplifying a low B takes a lot, and it seemed too prone to getting muddy/lost/just not as nice sounding as I would have liked. EQ helps, but not enough.

-You now have another string to keep muted/dead/etc. It ended up becoming a new rest for me, and occasionally meant one string was ringing against my will.

-The actual B string is thick, and firm, and doesn't fret quite as nicely as it's neighbors. The B also wobbles like a spaghetti noodle compared to the others, string tension issues becomes all the more apparent when you get low tension strings/downtune/etc.

-My 4's are lighter, slimmer, and cover enough of the frequency range to get the job done (I play mostly rock, not much heavy stuff).

Some people love the 5'ers, but I found that I'm a sucker for a 4. It's still a great thing to try out, but maybe try to borrow one for a while before you commit to owning one. In the store it seemed novel and interesting, but after a couple months i was ready to get back to my 4.

Maybe. I have not found it to be a big problem.

I find the B is easier to dampen (thumb rest) than the C string on my 6.

No wobble in mine. Did you try a Roscoe.

My Roscoe 5 weighs 7.8 pounds.

I have played a 5 for years. I "made" myself play a 4 for a year. It was fine. I missed the B string but I lived. No one noticed but me. If I didn't have a 5 I'd be OK, but I have and like the options a 5 gives me. I may go an entire gig without using it, but I guess I've finally landed on the "rather have it and not use it" side of the discussion.

 

[Lownote38]

I use the B string as often as I use the 4 other strings. It's great for playing chords and for not having to shift your left hand as often. I also enjoy rattling chairs when I hit lower notes, so the B string definitely comes in handy for that!

 

[Kevan Campbell]

I've found that having the low B really opens up a lot of options for dynamically different lines than I could play on a standard 4. However, I learned from experience that it can be VERY tempting to overuse the B string when you're starting out on a 5. For me it took a year or so to learn how to add sub-E notes as accents and not as regular note choices when not appropriate to do so. For instance, while it is tonally correct to use the low B in a 12 bar 1,4,5 Blues song in E, it may not jive well with the general vibe of the song. However, using that same low B in an R&B or Gospel is almost necessary to add movement and dynamics, and is for the most part encouraged in those styles.

 

[RED J]

I don't play my 5 a lot, not to say I wouldn't. In my old band we had a few tunes that called for it. If I pick it up just to play for fun and giggles, I find myself naturally incorporating it into four string tunes . Sometimes for lower range, where that thunderous below E note just fits, or, playing across the neck for position. A five may have become my main player had I started on them earlier.

 

[MCS4]

I think it really depends on the music you're playing. For Latin styles, hip-hop, and heavy metal it's pretty much mandatory.

A five is far from mandatory in metal. I've gigged in metal bands for a dozen years and have never needed a five-string (I own one fiver but have never played it live). Probably less than 50% of bassists in bands I've shared the bill with use fives. Most metal bands I've played with detune their guitars below standard tuning, but not as low as a low B, which generally makes a fiver counter-productive.

 

[Dave W]

I use mine all the time. Any time I can play higher up the neck and still hit the same notes I'm happy. I also like to change up some stuff from time to time, rather than hitting a D at the 5th fret of the A string I'll grab a low D instead.

As for switching between 4s and 5ers, it's a non issue IMO. I frequently switch between them all the time. Most of my 4s have the same string spacing and scale length, but my 5ers are all over the place. It only takes a few seconds to get acclimated to them.

 

[deeptubes]

I almost never used my B. Ended up almost never using my 5er. Tried several different tunings, never clicked with me. Collected dust, so I sold it when I found something else I wanted.

 

[raventepes]

Back in my 5-string days, I used my B a lot. Granted, I didn't always play it open, but being able to fret a D (standard tuning, at any rate, C in drop D), it was useful for those times I needed to go a little under E.

I also preferred the narrower string spacing of most 5's. Even on the 4's that I have now, (I went from a nice 35" scale 5-string to a 34" 4-string), it just seems a little too roomy for my tastes.

The only reason I don't have it anymore is because I got desperate for money and had to sell it. Picked up a 4 on desperation to play when I could afford it. Now, I'm looking to go to a 6-string. I find myself wanting that low D again, and can't move up the neck enough on my G for solo work.

 

[BurningSkies]

Wouldn't go any other way. I love mine. I use the 5th string a good amount. It changed how I play and how I parse the fretboard. Slightly tighter spacing made me a better player because I had to build a finer touch and more right hand control. And if you really want to use it as a thumb rest, it works way better than a pickup cover because its the same distance from the E string as that is from the A string, etc. So your fingers have consistent spacing if you float your thumb. I much prefer the tone and timbre of the bass across the neck rather than down in the open position as well.

 

[banditcosmo]

What about you guys that play in cover bands ? Do you still try to incorporate the low B on songs that were originally played on a 4 string ?

 

[bobdabilder]

I moved to 5 about 6 months ago. I still play a 4 but much less than the 5. the transition is not bad for me. I like the spacing of the 5 better as I can traverse the strings quicker. my fingerstyle plucking is much improved. I bought a cheap ibanez gsr205 to try out to make sure I would like the five. after two weeks with it, I sold it and bought a musicman sterling 5. I use the b string when i feel it's appropriate and when i don't want to move up and down the neck as much.
good luck.

Interesting responses. Some use it more than others. I can see that low B string coming in handy all the way up the neck. Need to get my hands on a five to try it out.

How difficult is it going back and forth between the 5 and 4 regarding string spacing and such?

 

[dannoman]

For writing and practicing at home i mainly play a 4 string. For band rehearsals/shows its exclusively 5. I play the Low B in almost every song. going from 4 to 5 and back is not a problem for me.

 

[Ryan L.]

What about you guys that play in cover bands ? Do you still try to incorporate the low B on songs that were originally played on a 4 string ?

A fair amount of the songs we do were recorded with a 5 (newer country, etc). So for me, having a 5 is very useful.

On songs that don't need it, I don't go down that low. Simple.

 

[Dellers]

I use it every now and then at least, sometimes often. Depends on the music I play and the key. A friend of mine usually writes in keys outside of E, and those lower notes fit better than the higher octave a lot of the time when I record bass for him.