Why play a four string?

[fcleff]

"Flim"only needed five.
Anthony only needed six.

Stewart a Thweatd only needed 15.

 

[Doctor Intrepid]

I like four, therefore I play four.

 

[somebrains]

I'm with the OP, J5 covers everything I've got going.

 

[jellymax]

i am halfway through this thread. i can't wait to figure out what number of strings
the hive mind tells me to use

 

[red_rhino]

The greatest challenge for 5-string players is the limited number of basses in the marketplace.

Seriously?

Yes, there are things you can do on a 5 that you can't do on a 4. Just as there are things you can do on a 6 that you can't do on a 5. Just as there are things you can do on a 7.... you get the point, right?

Playing a 5 carries additional overhead in the technique required; things you don't have to worry about on a 4. That doesn't necessarily make a 4 better, or a 5 superior. It just makes them different and more suited to the things that they each do best. That's all.

I play 4's at the moment, but I've played 5's & 6's as well, and will likely do so again. Taking an absolutist position on any gear just limits one's choices. I like options.

 

[ajkula66]

Once I find a fiver that actually feels comfortable *for me* to play, I'll be happy to keep it as a part of the family.

Having said that, it's been 33 years and likely as many - if not more - fivers that I've bought and sold with zero regret including some great sounding and often not inexpensive instruments. But playing comfort has always been my # 1 requirement and I have yet to play a 5-string that fits *my* hands.

 

[Garret Graves]

Jaco only needed four.

He recorded, in a studio, on a 5 in 1975, tuned E-C. He is actually a “more than 4” pioneer, having shown up to a studio gig with a 5 string bass many years before anyone did it regularly, and many years before you could buy one in a store. So what’s my point? My point is Jaco is a bad ‘only 4’ example, considering he did more than 4 earlier than almost anyone!
You can hear the high C string in his initial harmonic sweep in the opening of that track here.

 

[Kukulkan61]

You answered your own question..

 

[Stringly]

TL;DR, might read later...

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.
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.
I understand fivers aren’t for everyone.
I’m sure the flamers are writhing their hands as they read this.

For many of the same reasons I started on a 5. More options!

 

[darwin-bass]

Arthritis in my L thumb means 4 = fun and 5 = pain.

I either play 4 or I can’t play.

 

[Rilence]

Play whatever makes you happy. Who cares what other people play or think ?

 

[fcleff]

He recorded, in a studio, on a 5 in 1975, tuned E-C. He is actually a “more than 4” pioneer, having shown up to a studio gig with a 5 string bass many years before anyone did it regularly, and many years before you could buy one in a store. So what’s my point? My point is Jaco is a bad ‘only 4’ example, considering he did more than 4 earlier than almost anyone!
You can hear the high C string in his initial harmonic sweep in the opening of that track here.

Like I said, you guys really suck at the Jaco game.

 

[Frans688]

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.

View attachment 3714769

How long take you to tame the low B?

 

[SteveCS]

This is the best 4 vs 5 thread ever...this week.

There will be a better one coming along next week! I'm saving my opinions for that. One 4/5 (see what I did there) to rule them all...

 

[Selios]

For me, it is more about the bond with a particular instrument, and so far I bond best with one of my 4’s that feels and sounds great to me. I really like the low notes though, so BEAD works best for me. I have a 5 string that I enjoy as well, but not quite on the same level. I approach the 4/5 debate as seeing them as completely different instruments; I can do all my gigs on either one!

 

[Tazziedevil]

I've never once played a bassline and thought "Hmmm. This line would groove so much more if I could only play a low Db".

I rented a 5-er for a month about a year ago and didn't like it. Didn't like the timbre of the notes on the B-string and besides using low Eb and D a few times, never found much use for the B-string, plus the neck was weirdly wide and the strings narrow. I couldn't justify have a 5 string when the B string was just a thumb rest.

Cool that you find a 5-er to be useful, though.

 

[2F/2F]

Simply put about fivers and sixers: I don't like them and I don't need them. I think five strings are ugly, and have either too wide a neck or too close a string spacing. I want nothing in the way below my 4th string, as it doesn't work well with my preferred plucking and thumb resting techniques. For anything I play that needs lower notes (extremely rare in almost 32 years of playing bass), I pull out my custom built extra long scale B-E-A-D bass (slab-bodied early P style). I have an A-D-G-C bass in the works as well.

 

[Tazziedevil]

Seriously?

Yes, there are things you can do on a 5 that you can't do on a 4. Just as there are things you can do on a 6 that you can't do on a 5. Just as there are things you can do on a 7.... you get the point, right?

Playing a 5 carries additional overhead in the technique required; things you don't have to worry about on a 4. That doesn't necessarily make a 4 better, or a 5 superior. It just makes them different and more suited to the things that they each do best. That's all.

I play 4's at the moment, but I've played 5's & 6's as well, and will likely do so again. Taking an absolutist position on any gear just limits one's choices. I like options.

Mate, if there's things on a 7 you can't do on a 6, just think all the things you could do with an 8 String!

 

[Kerem Koseoglu]

I know the 4 string fretboard very well (in my own standards); and didn't encounter a requirement to invest time in an extended range to know & play as well.

 

[_One//Man//Mutiny_]

Playing in standard tuning or drop D, I have all that I need on a 4. I played with a band that used strange tunings for about a year and I played with everything from BEAD to EADGC to BEADC and really, EADG worked 100% of the time without fussing with a 5 string or dedicating a bass to the band in a specific tuning.