Why don’t you play a six-string bass?

[Michedelic]

I bought my first six-string bass this summer after playing four-string basses exclusively for over 15 years. Honestly, I can't imagine going back to four (Ok, I could probably do with a five). Having the extended range of the B and, although to a lower degree, the C strings without losing what makes a four a four seems like a no brainer.

Why haven't you made the change to a six or even five string bass already?

I have low-B 5's, fretted and fretless, because they're necessary. If a guitarist doesn't like it, they can just go back to the 20th Century where they belong. I don't have a 6 because there's no reason to go up. Having said that, I do have one of these just for the shear ludicrousness of it…

…essentially a long scale old school 6-string bass with the added B.

 

[jemerpi]

Because I don't want to hear "ugghhh why don't you just get over yourself and play a guitar", as I would likely damage my bass's finish when I crash it over their head.

Wouldn't that be like a saxophone player telling a bass saxophone player that they should play sax?

I mean, they are already saxophone players. Just like bass guitarists are already guitar players. We just have slightly larger versions of our instruments that cause them to focus on lower registers.

The very same thing is true for oboe, clarinet, trombone, and violin players and their bass counterparts.

And like all of them, guitarists and bass guitarists, even when the latter only have four strings, have the natural capacity to cross frequency ranges at the ends of the spectrum.

Some pro tuba players cultivate a six octave range. Do you think they or baritone or trombone players are troubled by that? No one in an orchestra cares if general sonic territories are crossed over. As long as it sounds good, it's all good.

 

[jimmydean]

I bought an SX 6 string years ago to see if it was me and it wasn't . Three days was enough for me to see it didn't really fit my style of playing .......BYE, BYE !