• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Why more than four strings?

#63
I wanted it for the extra "horizontal" range. It allows you to "play in the box" and avoid open strings. That makes it much easier to transpose to a different key and you can choose the area of the neck that is most comfortable to you.

Similar debates have been held in years past:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------------
Nigel Tufnel: The numbers all go to eleven. Look, right across the board, eleven, eleven, eleven and...
Marty DiBergi: Oh, I see. And most amps go up to ten?
Nigel Tufnel: Exactly.
Marty DiBergi: Does that mean it's louder? Is it any louder?
Nigel Tufnel: Well, it's one louder, isn't it? It's not ten. You see, most blokes, you know, will be playing at ten. You're on ten here, all the way up, all the way up, all the way up, you're on ten on your guitar. Where can you go from there? Where?
Marty DiBergi: I don't know.
Nigel Tufnel: Nowhere. Exactly. What we do is, if we need that extra push over the cliff, you know what we do?
Marty DiBergi: Put it up to eleven.
Nigel Tufnel: Eleven. Exactly. One louder.
Marty DiBergi: Why don't you just make ten louder and make ten be the top number and make that a little louder?
Nigel Tufnel: [pause] These go to eleven.
 
#66
john turner said:
rehearsing. on my unnecessary erb's. :hyper:
Click to expand...

That was un-unnecessary. :smug:

For the most part, I think every major reason has been covered, although I'm curious how someone hasn't heard much in the low B department. I realize that most older music doesn't feature it, but it's not too hard to wait and listen for a 5er with a lot of late 80's and on top 40 music.

My last band was an instrumental jam band trio. Granted, I spent about 60% of my time on a 4 string, my 5 and 6 were great about allowing me to cover a wider sonic range that became necessary to help fill out the sound.
 
#67
20 years ago I started playing bass. In the late 80's I got my first 5-string and it was a novelty at the time. People thought it was a joke and soundmen HATED the low B string.

I've only played 5-strings since. In fact, I'm completely lost on a 4-string. I can play them, but it never feels comfortable to me. Everything feels unorthodox position wise on a 4-string to me.

Definitely helps curtail your spending if you force yourself to only buy 5-strings with different configurations than you already have. Finding an inexpensive, yet quality built 5-string P-bass that isn't a Yamaha BB is quite challenging. I've been very close to just buying a BB several times in the past couple years... not sure why I just can't do it.

I'll probably just end up buying an SX 5-string Jazz or one of their new P-shaped Jazz basses and adding a 5-string P-bass pickup to it.

.
 
#72
Well, I've stopped to read through this thread a few times today but I have been playing bass and sax and recording and doing other things. I figured this wouldn't be the first time this has been discussed, but I haven't seen any threads about it since I joined. My question was if there were any "good reasons" for more strings. The only "good" one I see is about the need to compete with the keyboard synth bass capabilities in the 80s. Sure there's more range and you can stay in one position and there's the resonance of the big lows, but that's just bells and whistles or fun stuff or personal preference. That's cool, whatever floats your boat. I'm certain now that 4 is enough for me, thanks.
 
#77
senorblues said:
Well, I've stopped to read through this thread a few times today but I have been playing bass and sax and recording and doing other things. I figured this wouldn't be the first time this has been discussed, but I haven't seen any threads about it since I joined. My question was if there were any "good reasons" for more strings. The only "good" one I see is about the need to compete with the keyboard synth bass capabilities in the 80s. Sure there's more range and you can stay in one position and there's the resonance of the big lows, but that's just bells and whistles or fun stuff or personal preference. That's cool, whatever floats your boat. I'm certain now that 4 is enough for me, thanks.
Click to expand...

:hyper: As mr. Eastwood would say "A man's got to know his limitations":D
 
#79
senorblues said:
More strings makes you a better player? Good for you.
Click to expand...

Adding a wider range can open up a lot of possibilities for your playing that you wouldn't have known otherwise.

It's actually much more difficult to find "good" reasons to start out playing basses with less than five strings these days other than if the somewhat wider neck is physically uncomfortable for you (hand pain or too wide to effectively mute would fall into this category). There's nothing you can play on a four that you can't on a 5+, and a lot that you can't. It's like asking for a good reason for a guitar player to use more than four strings- bass guitar is an instrument, not a musical role.
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back