I play both 4's and 5's but in my current band, I'm playing my 4 due to the music being old school r&b, funk and soul music. We do some other stuff and I use my MXR octave pedal. I also slap much better on my 4 string bass.
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Why do you play fours?
- Thread starter twinjet
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- four string
I play mostly 4's.... I have a 5 string, but only use it occasionally..... and when I do, I tend to use it like a 4 string, only using the 5th string for the occassional note below E. Much lower than D, and I find I'm down in the kick's territory, and things can get muddy fast. Switching between the two is not a big deal now, but took some work at first.
I enjoy both. Ultimately I've found B strings to be a hassle and grew tired of messing with them. They always seem to sound and feel slightly different from all the other strings and I feel they disproportionately dictate the overall setup. 4 strings are simpler and easier to rock out on. There's a different energy about them. 5 strings are more considered. The bass itself seems to matter more as a piece of gear. 4 strings are cooler looking and don't give off the vibe of having been thought about too much. There's an inherent sort of punk vibe to 4 strings that 5's can't access.
I do enjoy 5 strings though, mainly for the way you can start on the 5th fret of the B string as your E and use the tubbier sounding middle of the fretboard notes instead of the ones closer to the nut. That's a cool position to play in.
I do enjoy 5 strings though, mainly for the way you can start on the 5th fret of the B string as your E and use the tubbier sounding middle of the fretboard notes instead of the ones closer to the nut. That's a cool position to play in.
Only need 4 to play classic big band jazz, and that's all I'm playing these days.
maybe i'm weird, been playing since 1988 and have never even held a 5 string bass, just ain't happening at this point, would suck at it anyway 
Been playing since '72, on and off, and I never picked one up either.maybe i'm weird, been playing since 1988 and have never even held a 5 string bass, just ain't happening at this point, would suck at it anyway
Got great deal on my '90 Fender Jazz Plus back in '91. It sat on the shelf in shop for over 6 months, owner said "everyone wants fivers now." My good fortune!
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I went to music school my teacher said "90% of music on the radio is 4 string and as a working bassist thats all you need". If I need to go to drop D or B I just tune down and I know how to play in those keys, a 4 string will get the job done.
