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

[tink9975]

I almost never bring a 4 banger to the gig anymore.
I picked up my first 5 string in 92 and it quickly became my main player.
Im playing mostly classic rock covers with some RnB and more modern rock/pop thrown in.

 

[patrickj]

I used to use the low B all the time mainly for E and up at the 5th fret, but anymore when restringing I've been going EADGC. My sixes are still BEADGC. I just switched my 7 string from low F# to BEADGCF to match my 7 guitar (CF top, hate BE even tho that's traditional).

4s are still EADG and I've left 1 5 BEADG.

 

[Dan Knowlton]

A 4-banger just does not cut it for me any more. Not that I play below the low E all that often but the fretting positions on a 5-string are just more efficient for me.

Dan K

 

[EdwardofHuncote]

At first, I thought it was a lot of extra thinking just for five more notes... but they are very useful notes. Having that extra low Eb, D & C available, plus the relative 5ths to notes played further up the neck on the E string being the octave lower is also very useful.

And for those times when you're not riding it... well, it *is* a great thumbrest!

So far the only drawback for me has been that switching between 4-strings and 5-strings is a nuisance. I have even made plans to convert an upright to 5-string.

 

[SRFSterling5]

I started playing on a 4 in the early 80's in college which was when I started playing. Once I discovered the 5 & 6, I bought my 1st 5---an Ibanez RB885. Took some getting used to as the string spacing was tight. But I loved using the low B an got to using it tastefully and eventually using all 5 strings rather than the occasional B usage. I've had the 6 too, but never delved into the chordal stuff, so I finally settled on the 5. 30 years later, the 5 just feels natural and I've had no inkling to go to a 4, but that's just me.

 

[Dave Oliver]

Had a 5r for years but could never get used to it until I made a resolution to learn it on New Years . Stuck with it now I won't go back! I even restrung my 4 for bead tuning.

 

[MoeTown1986]

I think in order to love a 5 string with a low B, you need a cab that can do it justice. Once you hear and feel that low note (cleanly) it may help you enjoy a 5. Did for me. But I understand, that's just me.

 

[Wookieonbass]

Been for the most part playing exclusively a 5 string since my first one back in '87. I play a lot of classic rock so anything under the standard low E for me would be for dramatic effect anyway in my opinion. I like it because I can play in the middle of the neck most times where the fingering is easier and I don't need to invest in a shorter scale instrument. Other advantages are less jumping around the fretboard, easier to transpose without disturbing the muscle memory by simply switching position, I can go to a drop tuning on the fly, and the B string makes a useful thumb anchor when needed.

 

[BigBeatNut]

At first, I thought it was a lot of extra thinking just for five more notes... but they are very useful notes. Having that extra low Eb, D & C available, plus the relative 5ths to notes played further up the neck on the E string being the octave lower is also very useful.

And for those times when you're not riding it... well, it *is* a great thumbrest!

This is my experience pretty much summed up. I have one 4 these days, the '79 P which I bought new and still keep for old times sake. The rest are now 5's with the exception of my BSX (URB).

Those extra 5 notes aren't used all the time. Most likely use would a root for Eb or D, and very rarely the root of C (final note of a song only, too much otherwise), and the relative 5th for a run up to G or Ab. That's about it. I can't think when I'd actually use the B or the C#/Db.

The E on the B string (and notes further up) gets used an awful lot however. Makes for much less (horizontal) hand movement than using the open E.

 

[brownie_bass]

Like many respondents, I don't use the B string for low notes as much as alternate fingerings.

I am pretty much the opposite of the OP... I have played primarily 5s for years, but recently picked up a 4 string that I LOVE beyond all expectations (Dingwall Super J) and have been primarily playing the 4 for a couple months. The lesson: there are no right answers in bass land! 5>4, except for when 4>5.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Gotta love that B string. There's real power there. Very musical. And you get a wicked massage too into the bargain. A five string's the guitar world's equivalent of a Shiatsu Massage Chair. So hip! I'd say 'vibrator' but you may not get my intended meaning. I don't wanna to be rude.

They feel amazing, almost alive. It's a signature sound too - perfect for some of the more contemporary shizzle. A good five's gonna B real handy, make no mistake. And lots of fun too.

 

[rtav]

I use the low B of my 6's all the time (almost all of it below the 7th fret) as a heavy harmony for other notes, almost like Taurus-type bass pedals (which I use, too). It's a terrific way to place emphasis on a section (for instance, Dream Theater's Metropolis Part I ends on C before going to D, so I play a medium low C for one measure, [hit the melody notes F-E-D), then drop to the VERY low C for the next measure for contrast and end on the very low D - which naturally is the first note in DT's "Dance of Eternity" - and it works out perfectly).

Of course having a huge stack with both 4x10's and 2x15's helps when hittin the big B string.

 

[LowEndOperative]

I'm planning to order another bass before the year is out. I currently have a 4 string and have been playing 4's for many years. I do not own a 5. However, I'm thinking about making that next bass a 5.

For those of you that made the switch from a 4 to a 5, how much do you use that low B string? I assume you just worked it in to your normal playing. I'm thinking it opens up a fair bit of flexibility with voicing, inversions, and such.

Thanks in advance for your comments.

I suppose it depends on how demanding the set list is regarding the 5th string. I'm fairly conservative with it personally, because I'm in a mere country/rock trio and I don't want to get too far away from what the guitarist is doing. It also depends on how much ginger brandy is consumed.

 

[SteveC]

And you get a wicked massage too into the bargain. I'd say 'vibrator' but you may not get my intended meaning.

The room I play every Sunday resonates around Low D. I've had one of the girls turn around and give me an "Ooo" with a grin more than once. Gotta love the "good girls" at church.

 

[Tom Bomb]

Ha ha ha ha!

 

[bassmeknik]

I got my first 5er in 1987 and found the adjustment to playing 5 strings somewhat difficult then. Today I switch from 4 to 5 and back every performance with no trouble, time does help...

The B string is very useful in giving you more positions to play a song, riff etc... and this is very helpful imo. There is also the cool factor in rattling peoples insides with a nice ultra low note...

 

[bassmeknik]

The room I play every Sunday resonates around Low D. I've had one of the girls turn around and give me an "Ooo" with a grin more than once. Gotta love the "good girls" at church.

You need a 5er cause chicks love it!

 

[Errol]

I use dat LOW B all da time man...all da time...

 

[lpdeluxe]

I love the five for some material. I'm not fond of a low B note, there's just no place for it in what I play. But that said, it's great to have a low D or C when I absolutely need one. Lately I've been playing my '51 P RI (four strings, obviously) because we're doing standards from the '30s and '40s and the four string forces me to use more period-correct lines. My current combo is bass/electric guitar/percussion/harmony vocalists so we use relatively spare arrangements to showcase the vocals. In other lineups I've used my 5-string, complete with busy changes and keyboards and drum kit and so on.

My fivers are a '99 SR5 and a Godin A5 fretless, so I've got quite a range between aggressive and mellow, but for now they are in their cases.

 

[Larry V]

I haven't been playing long and I've been playing my 5 for even less but tonight I found out how my 5 can be easier to play.

I took the entire tab to the B string and love it down there! I like the fret spacing in the middle of the fretboard and this is why I dig my TBird V and will probably be selling my IV in the future.