Why play a 6 string?

[castleshade13]

I'm trying to convince my band mates to let me by get a six string but every point i make they seem to counter with 10 come backs!

the bass is an Ibanez SR5006E

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]



i've said so far: for solos
more versatility
more notes under one hand posotion
easier to hit higher notes
chords

and they've said: the intonation suffers alot
heavier
wider neck makes handling harder
string spacing is narrower ( i do do alot of slap)
they say bass doesn't need to go that high
bass solos sound bad

they want me to name 5 bassists form BIG bands and no solo artists which i couldn't do so

can anyone load me up with parts for my arguement!

i play light metal/metal, rock, solo slap stuff (on my own solo type not during band songs) Jazz that kinda stuff mainly rock and slap though and i'm not an amazing bassist but i'm not too shabby!

Thanks!
Adam

 

[Pacman]

Wait - you need permission to buy a 6 string? From your band??!

 

[Chriss62]

Get a six string. You abviosly want one. Bass solos sound bad?? Whatevs...

It really shouldn't matter. You band is working too hard on an image.

Dream theater, Primus, I know slash played six string bass on appetite for destruction...

 

[squieryeasquier]

f the band. bass players dont always have to take a back seat. get it. then use it as much as u can. theyre fun. i have the peavey grind 6 string and i love it. of course it lacks in slap-a-bility but dude...its 2 extra strings...WELL WORTH IT!

 

[James Hart]

How about you buy and play the instrument that you want to play. I value the opinion of bandmates in general... but none will ever dictate what I play or don't play.

 

[Chriss62]

Alien ant farm? Not sure if they were ever big. or even still around.

 

[Chriss62]

Gawd that Ibanez is awesome!!! GET!!!

 

[DerHoggz]

Why would the intonation suffer, you can adjust the saddles just the same as a 4 or 5 banger?

Once you get used to it the neck feels natural, plus ibanez 6'ers have extremely thin (still stable) necks.

You can definetley slap, I do it all the timne on my Ibanez 406.

Tell them to stop playing anything lower then a C on their A string. (Those are all notes that can be played on a 4-banger in 1st position.) AND no more drop-D. Guitars don't need to play that low.

Heck why dont they lose two strings if your not allowed to have 6 they shouldn't be either.

Have they heard ANY music bass solos are amazing. (Of course I'm biased being a bassist myself.)

It's your decision who cares what they say. Get it and blow them away with you extreme skillz.


You only need one player to convince them:
Les Claypool of Primus

Some more:

Steve Bailey from many artists

John Myung of Dreamtheater

Tye Zamora fomerly of Alien Ant Farm

 

[RickenBoogie]

Wait - you need permission to buy a 6 string? From your band??!

+1 who are they to tell you how you spend your money.

 

[David Jayne]

Some more:

Steve Bailey from many artists

John Myung of Dreamtheater

Tye Zamora fomerly of Alien Ant Farm

There's this guy, Phil Lesh, who had this band called The Grateful Dead or something or other--I hear they were pretty popular.

 

[franzkafka]

Intonation doesn't really suffer at all if it's properly set up. They aren't going to be the ones holding it so weight doesn't matter. Likewise, you'll be playing it, not them, so who gives a **** about width or string spacing.

**** those guys, they clearly don't know anything. And they're playing light metal.

 

[Ziltoid]

Do what you want with your money, unless they are paying you for a new bass get a sixer...
Are you the band' bitch? Why did you asked them in the first place...
And at worst if they don't want you to get a 6...get a 7

 

[Phalanx]

i've said so far:
for solos

Eventually you'll realise bass solos are never apt in band context.

more versatility
more notes under one hand posotion
easier to hit higher notes
chords

This is however extremely true. However, the most important factor for 6 string I feel is simply the range you get.

The fact you have more strings at your disposal means you can use more wild tunings which is extremely useful.

the intonation suffers alot

I don't really get this

heavier
wider neck makes handling harder

You can easily adjust to this

string spacing is narrower ( i do do alot of slap)

Stop doing a lot of slap, it doesn't sound good in 99% of band situations.

they say bass doesn't need to go that high

Your roll as a bassist means you shouldn't be going high for a lot of the time anyways. You want to play low notes (that's why the B string is so juicy) however, adding high notes into your playing sparingly makes your lines get a lot of antithesis, which is a good thing.

bass solos sound bad

This is true.

i play light metal/metal, rock,

This is exactly why you shouldn't be slapping, playing bass solos and whoring the high end.

I might sound anti 6 string but I play the 6 string bass exclusively. If you want a 6 string bass then by all means get one regardless of what your band members think (since they're clearly douchebags).

However, it's important to remember that you're not a solo bassist like Alain Caron or Bill Dickens and you're still filling the void encompassed for a low end player. A band sounds **** if the bassist is trying to hard and it's important for you to get more accustomed to rounding the band's sound with low end playing. Concentrate on creating a subtle groove instead of an obnoxious wannabe guitarist.

 

[The modifier]

You need a new band.

 

[john turner]

I'm trying to convince my band mates to let me by get a six string but every point i make they seem to counter with 10 come backs!

the bass is an Ibanez SR5006E

[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]



i've said so far: for solos
more versatility
more notes under one hand posotion
easier to hit higher notes
chords

and they've said: the intonation suffers alot
heavier
wider neck makes handling harder
string spacing is narrower ( i do do alot of slap)
they say bass doesn't need to go that high
bass solos sound bad

they want me to name 5 bassists form BIG bands and no solo artists which i couldn't do so

can anyone load me up with parts for my arguement!

i play light metal/metal, rock, solo slap stuff (on my own solo type not during band songs) Jazz that kinda stuff mainly rock and slap though and i'm not an amazing bassist but i'm not too shabby!

Thanks!
Adam

lol @ your band. do they make you carry their gear too? and do their homework?

 

[spade2you]

You need a new band.

+1. Sounds like they're bass experts.

 

[john turner]

Eventually you'll realise bass solos are never apt in band context.

lol.

 

[Phalanx]

lol.

You keep telling yourself that

 

[spade2you]

You keep telling yourself that

Is this where you tell us how great you are and how popular your band is?

 

[kevinmoore73]

I would quit that band in a heartbeat for two reasons: They play light metal (*** is that anyway?) and it's up to you to buy and play what you want to play.