99%?of All the great songs from the 50's thru 80's were written for and played on a four.
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Why do you play fours?
- Thread starter twinjet
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99%?of All the great songs from the 50's thru 80's were written for and played on a four.
I like having two extra strings. We play lots of KISS and AC/DC covers so I really only need two strings - an open E and A string.
As a sax player I am mentally challenged by playing even one string. As a four string guy I have found a handful of situations where I needed a low B. I used my ehx pitchfork for the occasion.
Because they’re so groovy. And they remind me of an electric version of an acoustic bass. Fives, sixes are certainly valid and although I’ve never tried them, they lack that very simple , classic appeal of a four.
I love the 6ers. They're fun at home and on that jazz fusion gig or gospel gig where it ventures high and does high chords and fills and all that. I fantasize about that at home but when playing MY gigs, it feels silly having a 6 string.
I use a 6 or 5 when the gig has specific tunes that call for those lower notes and there s no other way around it.
But if it was up to me, I like the slim feel and limitation of having it all compact and right there. It's more organic. Uprights have had 4 strings for centuries, and Leo did it right with the P-bass, which is 4 strings. If I don't NEED the extra low range (below D; I have a Hipshot on my go-to axe), I prefer the 4.
Plus, in my case, my 4 string bass has the tone and feel I like... AND.... all my favorite players do just fine with a 4 string.
Here is my baby:
I use a 6 or 5 when the gig has specific tunes that call for those lower notes and there s no other way around it.
But if it was up to me, I like the slim feel and limitation of having it all compact and right there. It's more organic. Uprights have had 4 strings for centuries, and Leo did it right with the P-bass, which is 4 strings. If I don't NEED the extra low range (below D; I have a Hipshot on my go-to axe), I prefer the 4.
Plus, in my case, my 4 string bass has the tone and feel I like... AND.... all my favorite players do just fine with a 4 string.
Here is my baby:
For the same reason that even though I am left handed, I play bass right handed - because that's how I was taught.
- Sep 4, 2010
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I had a six string i liked for the extra voicing options. But I dont play function gigs currently so I dont need it.
I always play 4 - low end, for me is not about pitch, it is about tone and timbre. Some low Bs sound tinnier than the low E on a good Precision, for example. I do miss a high C string sometimes (it often sings better in the higher registers than a g string played up high) but with a very good bass with 2 octave neck it still can work well enough. And I like the sleekness of the 4 string neck.
I always play 4 - low end, for me is not about pitch, it is about tone and timbre. Some low Bs sound tinnier than the low E on a good Precision, for example. I do miss a high C string sometimes (it often sings better in the higher registers than a g string played up high) but with a very good bass with 2 octave neck it still can work well enough. And I like the sleekness of the 4 string neck.
For me most home systems can't play notes lower than open E but I do like the 5 and 6 string for being able to play a lot of songs in one position.
I’ve been playing bass since before there was any wide spread usages of a 5 or more stringed basses, even if they existed back then. I finally broke down last year and bought a 5 banger after 7 years of playing with the E string tuned to a D, which took a lot of mental adjusting. I’m at a point right now where I can switch back in forth in conventional tuning, although I may get another 4 string tuned to bead, just for giggles. For most music today, there is not much call for the upper register of a standard tuned 4 string.
Never needed more than 4 strings, more comfortable necks, symmetrical.
For the record, I don't exclusively play 4-string basses.
But when I do play 4-string bass it's for one of the following reasons:
- the music requires the sound of one of my 4-string basses
- the music doesn't require the sound or extended range of one of my >4-string basses
I will say, when I do a gig on 4-string it always feels like home. Even though I've been playing 6-string bass since 1989 (and 5-string since 1996) I'm still intuitively more comfortable on a 4-string.
But when I do play 4-string bass it's for one of the following reasons:
- the music requires the sound of one of my 4-string basses
- the music doesn't require the sound or extended range of one of my >4-string basses
I will say, when I do a gig on 4-string it always feels like home. Even though I've been playing 6-string bass since 1989 (and 5-string since 1996) I'm still intuitively more comfortable on a 4-string.
Like many, I learned on fours, lot of the music I like was done on fours, etc.
But there’s also the comfort and necessity. Fives are funny in that there are so many string spacing options. Fours are a little more consistent. I’ve had three fives and a six, all in the 16.5-18mm spacing range. I can get around fine, but I feel like I have to play more reserved to be accurate, and concentrate on the right hand more. And I only play my five when I need it, which is rare. Even when I do “need” it, the songs are Eb or D, which could be done pretty easily on a four. I don’t like going much lower than that.
Plus, there just seem to be more old cool fours than fives out in the world...
But there’s also the comfort and necessity. Fives are funny in that there are so many string spacing options. Fours are a little more consistent. I’ve had three fives and a six, all in the 16.5-18mm spacing range. I can get around fine, but I feel like I have to play more reserved to be accurate, and concentrate on the right hand more. And I only play my five when I need it, which is rare. Even when I do “need” it, the songs are Eb or D, which could be done pretty easily on a four. I don’t like going much lower than that.
Plus, there just seem to be more old cool fours than fives out in the world...
Hi twinjet
because I have one!
('73 Fender Jazz bought in 1985)why should I ever stop playing that bass?
okay!
this is not that thread but...
(can' t stop playing this one either ) both are different beasts for different stuff.greetings
Wise(b)ass
I've had 5 and 6 string basses and just couldn't gel with them. Could be that starting out on a 4 string learning modes I found the transition difficult on the 6, and I just found the B string useless for my style and type of music I like to play on the 5. About a month ago I tuned my Jazz bass DGCF and that worked for about a month now it's back to standard tuning. I just prefer a standard tuned 4 string bass.
Because I'm a bass player. ...not a frustrated guitar player!
