I haven't owned a four string EBG in years. I haven't played one live in almost 20. Maybe one person in a hundred even notices.
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Why play a four string?
- Thread starter joel406
- Start date
5 string basses are not bliss. Many feel a 35" or 36" scale is needed for the B string to do it's "thing".
String spacing on a 5er. Many feel 19mm string spacing is needed for decent string plucking space and less than 19mm the strings are too close together. A 19mm spaced neck is really wide!
Many feel a tapered end B string is essential. String issues. Not everybody makes tapers.
Some bass makers like Dingwall make a fanned fret 5er so the B string can be long enough to do it's "thing". Different 5 string bass designs.
Many bass cabs don't do justice for the B string's low frequency.
If we want to play short scale, try finding a short scale 5er. And if we do find one, the B will sound not so good.
There are issues with a 5er. It's not as simple as it seems.
"Whatever floats our boat." I like 4s.
String spacing on a 5er. Many feel 19mm string spacing is needed for decent string plucking space and less than 19mm the strings are too close together. A 19mm spaced neck is really wide!
Many feel a tapered end B string is essential. String issues. Not everybody makes tapers.
Some bass makers like Dingwall make a fanned fret 5er so the B string can be long enough to do it's "thing". Different 5 string bass designs.
Many bass cabs don't do justice for the B string's low frequency.
If we want to play short scale, try finding a short scale 5er. And if we do find one, the B will sound not so good.
There are issues with a 5er. It's not as simple as it seems.
"Whatever floats our boat." I like 4s.
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At the end of thirteen pages of posts, I'll be #261.**
I don't visit this forum very often anymore, because when I do, there are posts like this at the top.
Edit: 263; apparently, two others beat me to it.
I don't visit this forum very often anymore, because when I do, there are posts like this at the top.
Edit: 263; apparently, two others beat me to it.
The name "double bass" came about because the initial use for the instrument was to double the cello parts one octave lower.
Cellos are tuned in fifths, CGDA. The extenders on a DB provide an open C. They have small capo-like "fingers" that can tune the open string to be Db, D, Eb or E in case the low C is not actually required in a given piece.
I've started to see bassists in bluegrass bands using extenders
but that usually just signifies they have classical training and played in orchestras at some point. Some classical players (and a few jazz players) have switched to cello tuning and worked out new fingerings rather than using an extension.
I would love to see something like a Starfire available in a five string! Unfortunately there just aren't a lot of hollowbodies or semi-hollows out there and five-string models are even rarer.Because they never made a 5-string Guild Starfire bass
If they did, I would be intrigued... of course, we'd have to see how good that B-string would be on the short scale
FWIW, I've always been somewhat intrigued by a semihollow but never had one and then I got even more interested in them when I joined a regular basement jam that did a lot of British Invasion songs. About a year ago I found a great deal on an Ibanez AGB-205 and couldn't resist it at that price.
It's really well put together and sounds pretty good, too. However, it is a short scale so the B was kind of floppy and tubby-sounding when I got it. But I talked to Jason at FretNation.com (formerly BassStringsOnline.com) and he helped me assemble a set of custom gauge Chromes that worked out pretty well. To be honest, the B string doesn't sounds as good as the B on my Stingray or L-2500, however, I didn't expect it to. But the higher gauge B string definitely helped and now it's fine for my purposes (primarily for having more notes in one position rather than for the low notes, but I play fives exclusively so I'm also just more comfortable with a five than a four).
Lord help me if Guild or Gretsch ever come out with a five string hollowbody or semihollow!
Not true for me. I started playing a 4 in 1989. I was all over a 5er by ‘91. Went to 6ers exclusively in ‘92. My hands are huge. I’m 6’4” and my floating thumb means I can mute as many strings as I want to play.
Does he see dead people? Because I do. They don't know they're dead, because they are dead.
OK, to get serious for a minute. I have two four strings and two five strings. I started playing the fivers fairly recently when I was hired by an artist whose originals were recorded with all those lovely low notes that a fiver will give you. I practiced, learned those songs, played them pretty well at our live shows, and when I came back to my four string for my other band I found it ridiculously easy to play.
I'm not great on the fiver. I still struggle with it to a degree, and when that band folded I really had no reason to keep playing it. I think if I'd played it solidly for a year or so, I might have been tempted to use it all the time. But I'm a more solid player on the fours, so I stick with what works better for me until I have a reason to pull the fiver off the wall again.
I'm not great on the fiver. I still struggle with it to a degree, and when that band folded I really had no reason to keep playing it. I think if I'd played it solidly for a year or so, I might have been tempted to use it all the time. But I'm a more solid player on the fours, so I stick with what works better for me until I have a reason to pull the fiver off the wall again.
Ah Man!!!
That’s messed up.
We didn’t realize you were so sensitive.
What if we promise to do better?
057912
I agree with the OP. one bass with as many features as you need and as many strings as you need is all you need, unless there is some special reason to use another instrument.
one thing is slappers sometimes prefer 4 strings; I don't, but I don't slap enough or at a super advanced enough level for it to matter, maybe. I owned a 19mm 5 string... hated the spacing.
So from my point of view, 5, or 6, is great - no need for 4 again.
I only own 4 strings because I already own them, and some of them are really cool instruments.
one thing is slappers sometimes prefer 4 strings; I don't, but I don't slap enough or at a super advanced enough level for it to matter, maybe. I owned a 19mm 5 string... hated the spacing.
So from my point of view, 5, or 6, is great - no need for 4 again.
I only own 4 strings because I already own them, and some of them are really cool instruments.
I could benefit from a 5 but I don't really like them. At least so far I haven't found one I want to use so I survive with my 4s. For now. 
I hated 5 strings,never got along with one until I got a G&L L2500.
Its a 1/75 nut,the spacing is very tight,the B sounds consistent with the rest(IMO it has to do with the nature or the bass and not scale).
I been playing this 5er only recently to get used to it and it opens a lot of possibilities.
Its not only about the range,its about the notes that are close by instead of half a fretbord away.
Makes me a better player.
Its a 1/75 nut,the spacing is very tight,the B sounds consistent with the rest(IMO it has to do with the nature or the bass and not scale).
I been playing this 5er only recently to get used to it and it opens a lot of possibilities.
Its not only about the range,its about the notes that are close by instead of half a fretbord away.
Makes me a better player.
Almost ten years ago I modified a four string Ibanez to accommodate B, E, A and D strings. If I have to go low, then in style, 4 string.
I see your point, and that's probably true for basses in Fender's price range. But when I look at the higher-end builders (e.g. MTD, Sadowsky, Fodera, AC), it seems like there are far fewer 4's available than there are 5's & 6's. (Sadowsky seems to offer more 4's than, say, MTD or Fodera, but that's probably true of many builders that have based their product on the Fender designs. There's always a market for straight up Jazz and P basses.)
I like 4s for their simplicity and the lighter weight. Plus they look cooler for certain styles like punk. They have their own aesthetic and visual appeal.
Unfortunately I've only played a 4 a few times over the decades when I knew the songs were not going to need those lower range notes or the band wasn't going to be switching between standard and down tuning. (I have no interest in switching basses for different tunings and I don't want to compromise the upper range by tuning BEAD.)
Sad.
Unfortunately I've only played a 4 a few times over the decades when I knew the songs were not going to need those lower range notes or the band wasn't going to be switching between standard and down tuning. (I have no interest in switching basses for different tunings and I don't want to compromise the upper range by tuning BEAD.)
Sad.
