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Why play a four string?

#461
I bought and played a five string (Yamaha BB735A DCS) for a year or so. It now sits and gathers dust as I've discontinued its use.
Just not a requirement in normal music. I may sell it, or I may hang on to it just in case I feel the need again.

Its disadvantages far out weigh its advantages. Heavy, overly wide neck, and unless I buy a five string upright, it's not a smooth transition between the upright and bass guitar during a set.
 
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#463
joel406 said:
I wrestled with the title of this post.

I have been a four string player for a long time (longer than I’m going to tell anyone).

But as music has progressed, last year I found myself in need of the “even” lower register. A lot of music diving down to low D, C and even B.

So after a torrid affair with a cheapo fake Fender fiver I pulled the trigger on a quality fiver.

After a little acclimation I seem to have it well in hand now.

And besides the lower notes I have found the greater freedom of horizontal playing.

I still move up and down the board. You know some old habits will never die.

But I now see no reason to have a four string anymore. I can play everything on the five. Even if I never drop below the E it gives me many choices I didn’t have before. And I find that liberating.

My last four string I had for 7 years. And we had a bond. But when the fiver came into the picture it went into the case and sat for three months.

I don’t think anybody wants to sit a $1600 bass in its case for months let alone years.

I released it about a month ago. While I miss it I have new friends now. And have lost interest in four string entirely.

I understand fivers aren’t for everyone.

Some people have small hands. Same here. I tried them all. Well those I could afford. I’m sure Alembic make a very lovable fiver. But I love my house too.

No one was more surprised as I was that Fender made the five string bass I would love so much.

And after a great while playing only fives I wonder why anyone wouldn’t just play those and let the four just go extinct.

I’m sure the flamers are writhing their hands as they read this.

I think I just heard a MMBWAAAAHAHAHAHA in the distance.

My point is I moved away from fours and I don’t see any reason to ever go back.

So I doubled down.

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Ive always played a four string. 90% of the music I play was played originally on a four string, and obviously the original material Ive written doesn't call for five. Whenever I have tried a five string I have found the spacings weird, like playing a guitar ( which I do ) and the strings ( regular four ) do not have the same feel or resonance . I can't see myself ever buying one.
 
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#464
I just find a 5 string to be more comfortable for my left hand. I had horrible cramping issues for years and just assumed that a thinner neck = comfort, but it never did for me. I avoided a 5 string for years because of that. One day , one caught my eye and I bought it on impulse. Sort of expected buyers remorse but the wider neck alleviated all the cramping issues I had for literally decades. I can't go back now.
 
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#466
The equivalent to the upright extension is the hipshot detuner. The difference being the scale is increased with the extension from 42” to 48/49” ( don’t hold me to that) while keeping string tension correct. The mass of the string stays the the same. (See my earlier post in this thread). The hipshot detuner does exactly that it retunes the string dropping string tension in the proses.. kubiki basses went the extension rout with there 32” scale bass going from an E to a low D this proses is correct. The information is out there on why the low B and lower does not work properly on an electric bass.
 
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#467
joel406 said:
And besides the lower notes I have found the greater freedom of horizontal playing.

I still move up and down the board. You know some old habits will never die.

But I now see no reason to have a four string anymore. I can play everything on the five. Even if I never drop below the E it gives me many choices I didn’t have before. And I find that liberating.
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Exactly why I play my fiver almost exclusively now.
 
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#468
Super25Smasher said:
Exactly why I play my fiver almost exclusively now.
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Yep. Ditto.
Sorry guys but playing a descending pattern and having to go an octave _up_ to make the last note or 2 just sounds like ass to me. 4 string just seems to be unnecessarily limiting yourself, I truly don't see a down side to a 5, especially after I try and play a 4, but then I pretty much have always played a 5. Although I also agree that an open B is probably too low for anything useful, at least that I currently play.
As to then why not 6/7/8...etc? I've never wanted to go up into that space. It's already too crowded with guitarists, vocalists, keys etc. fighting for it. I *like* having my very own frequency space to play in.
 
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#471
Interestingly, I was playing in my jazzy group last night and found that I was rarely using the lower register of my E string on by 4 string bass. It sounded too thunderous for the music were were playing. I think I will rarely play below low A.
In my rock band, I hammer that low E a lot and sometimes tune down to D for certain songs. Thunderous is great for an aggressive rock group.
I guess it totally depends. For me, I have never felt the need for a 5 string. Personally, I feel like the very low tones loose their musicality and become more of a rumble effect.
 
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#473
Elusive1 said:
Well dude, as a fellow lefty, lemme just say we gotta suck it up sometimes and take what the world gives us.

Also, if you're paying too much attention to the colour of your bass... you're not paying enough attention to the music.
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If i may rephrase my first point in previous post: To me colour choice IS important when they are multiple colour choices. If i would ever consider a 5 string, it would probably have a colour i do not like.

Yes, music is far more important then the colour of my bass. It never restricted me from playing my bass OR not paying attention to the music. I played a black ibanez for a few years.. The precision got my attention because of the sound and the simplicity, which i find really cool. I did not buy the precision bass because of the colour, i bought because it played well and i had the choice to order a tidepool blue one. (they only had the sunburst in the shop) If i have the choice, then i rather buy the one with the color i like :-)
 
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#474
Heck, even “superstition” makes use of low c#. There’s tons of tunes that benefit from the B string in so many ways. Then there are some that absolutely need one.
If you don’t need it, then you don’t need it. But you should at least be able to hear it in the multitude of songs that you choose not to play.
 
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#475
McTred said:
You're never going to find the brown note with that kind of quitting spirit.
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I’m not quitting it’s just a fact. One only goes below low E less than 3% of the time. ( If you look at the bass literature and mostly cello witch play down to a low C. ) Also the harmonics down in those registers can cause what is known as a resultant. It just isn’t worth it.
 
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#477
Tenorguy said:
I’m not quitting it’s just a fact. One only goes below low E les than 3% of the time. ( If you look at the bass literature and mostly cello witch play down to a low C. ) Also the harmonics down in those registers can course what is known as a resultant. It just isn’t worth it.
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i don’t care about the literature or the cello when deciding what I need for bass. I care about the songs and what I’m playing. And sometimes I need the low notes. If you don’t, that’s fine. Some of us do.
 
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