I thought he only needed eight, 'cause he was seeing double.
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Why play a four string?
- Thread starter joel406
- Start date
I only own one five-string, a 2001 Ernie Ball Music Man StingRay 5H, and it's the bass I like to play most often because the neck is incredibly comfortable and the responsiveness and sound of that instrument is extraordinary. The extra notes are super-useful.
Why do I continue to play four-string basses? Mainly because they tend to be lighter in weight and have narrower necks. A four-string feels easier when you are also singing, I think. In my particular case, my four-strings have different pickups, tonewoods, bridges, string types, etc. from the five-string, so they sound different.
Having several different basses is a lot like owning more than one golf club—different tools for different situations.
Why do I continue to play four-string basses? Mainly because they tend to be lighter in weight and have narrower necks. A four-string feels easier when you are also singing, I think. In my particular case, my four-strings have different pickups, tonewoods, bridges, string types, etc. from the five-string, so they sound different.
Having several different basses is a lot like owning more than one golf club—different tools for different situations.
I got a 5 string bass about 10 years ago. Last year I realised I've never played my 4 string since. Why? Partly because it was HEAVY. Mostly though, I bought the 5 because I needed a low D and Eb in about a third of the material I play. I stopped playing the 4 because I couldn't play what I needed to. So I sold it and got another 5er.
Why play 4 string basses? First off... ugh SMH! Who cares what you play, or what he plays, or what I play? People who think that 4 string basses should go away completely are as bad as the ones who say Jaco only needed 4! The truth is, I could get by with just 3 strings for 90% of what I play in my cover band. And, someday I will finally build (or have built) a nice 3 string just to piss off all the people who think string numbers matter, LOL!
I played 6 string basses only for about 15 years before switching to 5 strings, for my original band compositions. I used all 5 strings and all the frets for what I wrote with that band. So, a 4 string would not have worked. After a while, I got tired of not being able to play more vintage basses. And, 4s are so much easier and more fun for live performances. The extra strings of a 5 or 6 was like driving a big truck with a trailer behind it.... not as much fun as a 4, which is like a sport bike.
Play what you want, and let others play what they want.
I played 6 string basses only for about 15 years before switching to 5 strings, for my original band compositions. I used all 5 strings and all the frets for what I wrote with that band. So, a 4 string would not have worked. After a while, I got tired of not being able to play more vintage basses. And, 4s are so much easier and more fun for live performances. The extra strings of a 5 or 6 was like driving a big truck with a trailer behind it.... not as much fun as a 4, which is like a sport bike.
Play what you want, and let others play what they want.
Play what you want, play what you like. That's about it. It's all cool.
I see where you're coming from. Some people will have the ability to switch over completely. We all have different relationships with our instruments. I was feeling "five'ey" after a decade on 4, so I picked up a rotating cast of very different styles, seeing what would fit.
It first taught me my '75 P is the most special bass in the world in terms of feel, tone and overall playability.
It taught me, I'm looking for a PJ with as wide of a nut as possible. My P has a 1&5/8 so I like a nice and wide string spacing.
It taught me that I have a learning curve to account for with that low B (though nice options higher up the board for new voicings)
So until I find something special like my main instrument, This active PJ Spector is just fine with me. I threw it over to Mike' Lull's shop for a setup so It's playing pretty killer!
It first taught me my '75 P is the most special bass in the world in terms of feel, tone and overall playability.
It taught me, I'm looking for a PJ with as wide of a nut as possible. My P has a 1&5/8 so I like a nice and wide string spacing.
It taught me that I have a learning curve to account for with that low B (though nice options higher up the board for new voicings)
So until I find something special like my main instrument, This active PJ Spector is just fine with me. I threw it over to Mike' Lull's shop for a setup so It's playing pretty killer!
Please, let me summarize, with a little bit of humor:
OP thinks about getting a 5 stringer
OP buys a 5 stringer
OP likes a 5 stringer
OP start to think that 5 stringers are the real s**t
OP sells his 4 stringer
OP comes here to ask why in the hell other people should play a 4 stringer
OP also asks how's possible that 4 stringers aren't extinct
@joel406 I'm joking of course, and I genuinely appreciate your enthusiasm. I really do. But, the same way of thinking can be applied to many other things, like other people said here.
Enjoy your basses, play and be happy.
OP thinks about getting a 5 stringer
OP buys a 5 stringer
OP likes a 5 stringer
OP start to think that 5 stringers are the real s**t
OP sells his 4 stringer
OP comes here to ask why in the hell other people should play a 4 stringer
OP also asks how's possible that 4 stringers aren't extinct
@joel406 I'm joking of course, and I genuinely appreciate your enthusiasm. I really do. But, the same way of thinking can be applied to many other things, like other people said here.
Enjoy your basses, play and be happy.
I reluctantly play a 5 in a live context because it's what was on the artist's record. I hate it at least half the time. The B turns into a glorified thumb rest and, no matter how good the B string, it doesn't feel like part of the bass and just announces itself as THE B STRING IS BEING PLAYED NOW. Sometimes that's cool but a lot of times it's obnoxious IMO. What I actually find the B most useful for is soloing. Makes playing scale and arpeggio runs from low to high and vice versa much easier without shifting.
Some people might think it's clever, but I think the point of quoting it is that when someone says (basically) "I have a 5 and it can do things a 4 can't do so everyone should have a 5" the Jaco quote is shorthand for "SOme of the best music ever composed and performed on bass guitar was done using four strings, so no, I don't need 5 as Jaco proved that 4 is enough to do amazing things."
