4, 5, 6 strings...

[thebassist]

I've been playing electric bass for 17 years now and only just bought my first non-4 string (a 6er) this past Friday. I've played around with 5 and 6 string basses before but, until now, I've never felt happy/confident enough to actually buy one.

I must say I feel I've been a bit stupid and have been missing out massively! While I've been practising a fair bit over the last couple of days, the crossover hasn't been nearly as difficult to overcome as I feared!

For anybody who has or is experiencing the same kinds of doubts as I was having, I'd suggest just going for it! I wish I'd switched years ago!

[J.Eriksen]

I have played 5 and 4 string basses to and from for several years .Over the last year or two I have gravitated back to the 4 string.
I have eventually found that the 4 str, for me is much easier to handle. The slimmer neck and string muting are main issues but I have also
found that anything below E, or perhaps D, belongs to the "Special Effects" department and not all that useful for what I do. With a drop D tuner on a 4 str I do
not miss much in bottom end. Ironically, I have a wonderful 5-string bass gathering dust, by far the best bass I have ever laid my hands on.
I will nevertheless put it up for sale. Sigh...

Edited December 5, 2014 by J.Eriksen

[thebassist]

To be honest I think I generally agree with you. Also I have found the high C to be more useful than the low B...

I guess I was just surprised at how straightforward it actually was switching from a 4 - I thought it'd take ages to get used to a non-4 and I let that put me off trying extended range basses in the past...

Edited December 6, 2014 by thebassist

[White Cloud]

I have played 4, 5 and 6 strings extensively over the years and agree with the OP that I never had much difficulty with any of the transitions.

I have settled predominantly on 5 strings because it really works for me in a band setting. transposing key etc. Although I enjoyed playing 6 strings I personally found the high C to be redundant all too often with the styles of music that I play live.

Its all good though, music is art...there are no rules.

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='White Cloud' timestamp='1417784781' post='2623983']
Although I enjoyed playing 6 strings I personally found the high C to be redundant all too often with the styles of music that I play live.
[/quote]

I've also found this... I play sixers as I like to use one bass for everything and I do a fair bit of solo looper stuff where I need the high C, as I'm often playing higher register stuff that would be covered by other instruments in a band setting. Like you for the stuff I play live in bands, where I am only responsible for the bass parts, I could easily get away with a fiver. Although I have no issues with muting etc of six string necks so I'm happy carrying a redundant string for live work.

Edited December 5, 2014 by CamdenRob

[thebassist]

Got a link to your solo loopy stuff?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='thebassist' timestamp='1417825791' post='2624475']
Got a link to your solo loopy stuff?
[/quote]

I took most of it down with the intention of rerecording everything, wiped all the stuff off my soundcloud. I've just picked up a Boss ME-50B I was intending to use for putting a new batch up, hopefully I'll get some time over xmas.

I did a lot of this sort of stuff when I first got back into bass after a long lay off but i've been cocentrating on band stuff for the last year or so and it's kinda slipped away...there are still a couple of old videos up on youtube.

[media]http://youtu.be/nIuF7lVnK2o[/media]

[Annoying Twit]

Why stop the options at six strings?

[CamdenRob]

[quote name='Annoying Twit' timestamp='1417859819' post='2624586']
Why stop the options at six strings?
[/quote]

Yes thats a fair point... If Wal did a seven or an eight I'd be interested in giving one a go... although I presume there is a point where a bass is no longer playabe in the tratidional manner due to the width of the neck and it essentially becomes a tapping instrument?

Edited December 6, 2014 by CamdenRob

[marcblum]

I play six only. Too much trouble when switching between string configurations.

[jazzyvee]

For me, I prefer 4 string basses but most of my gigs require a low B so 5 string is more appropriate and what I use most of the time.
As for 6 string bass.... I have tried them out in music shops but not found any musical reason for me to own one. That may change in the future.

[Sonic_Groove]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1417854632' post='2624529']
I took most of it down with the intention of rerecording everything, wiped all the stuff off my soundcloud. I've just picked up a Boss ME-50B I was intending to use for putting a new batch up, hopefully I'll get some time over xmas.

I did a lot of this sort of stuff when I first got back into bass after a long lay off but i've been cocentrating on band stuff for the last year or so and it's kinda slipped away...there are still a couple of old videos up on youtube.

[media]http://youtu.be/nIuF7lVnK2o[/media]
[/quote]

That's real nice Rob, would like to hear it on the Wal!!

I use 6 & 4 string basses I seem to have a symmetry obsession & could never get on with 5's. I love both but like the honesty & rawness of the 4's

B

[Matte_black]

I actually love the sound of big basses (from 7 to 11-12) but honestly I think they require skills, taste and of course practice. And I lack them all
7 is the new sixer. The sound of the high F is very nice and it really offers a useful high range while the 6er is good for chords but only offers a handful of extra notes over a 5er.

[tauzero]

I don't use the upper registers enough to make a 6 a better option than a 5 - as it means I'd have to stretch over an extra unused string, it's a liability. But I do have a 7 just in case I do do some upper-register stuff.

Again I see people saying that they don't use a 5 because they don't play below bottom E. Is the truth about the utility of 5-strings really that obscure when several of us on BC mention it periodically? It enables you to play more notes without shifting position so you can play across more than up and down, and it gives you more tonal possibilities, as well as meaning you can go below bottom E if you really want to.

[Annoying Twit]

A note played on the B string often has a fatter sound than the same note played on a higher string. Another advantage of having the extra string.

[zero9]

Until I've mastered 4 strings, I won't be taking up 5 or more strings.

[binky_bass]

I play mainly 6 string, I have a few fours and fives, I have a few 7's too, even a 10 and a 13 string bass. I personally find 6 the most useful, though I often find myself gravitating towards the 7 string for the additional highs, it's great to swap roles with the guitarist in a band while still playing a bass. $ strings is all well and good, but I need more, and 6s and 7s provide that. Useing various effect, reverbs and delays etc. you can produce some fantastic soundscapes. I deffinitely suggest people should at least try a 6 string, they reall open up the possibilites.

[Jazzjames]

Listening to what Jaco did with 4 strings and 20 frets (i realise he didn't have frets but you know what I mean) always reminds me that it's not how many strings or notes you have, but what's in your mind that is more important.

[FUNK REPORT]

I prefer 4 string basses, a bass player doesn't need more strings.

[jacko]

[quote name='Jazzjames' timestamp='1419163827' post='2637079']
Listening to what Jaco did with 4 strings and 20 frets (i realise he didn't have frets but you know what I mean) .
[/quote]

Jaco had far more fretted than fretless basses but I'm sure you knew that already..

[url="http://www.jacop.net/gear.html"]http://www.jacop.net/gear.html[/url]

in fact, from the article....

"
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]1974 acoustic bass guitar [/size][/font]
[font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif][size=2]Jaco and luthier Larry Breslin co-designed a fretless, 5-string acoustic bass guitar with a high [i]C [/i]string; upon completion, Jaco paid Breslin $500. It featured a 34"-scale neck with a Brazilian rosewood fingerboard with maple veneer fretmarkers, Brazilian rosewood back and sides and a spruce top. Jaco strung it with Rotosound roundwounds. In later years, the headstock broke off and Jaco brought the bass to Kaufman. He still has it. "[/size][/font]

[size=3][font=Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif]So there you are. if Jaco is the gold standard of bass playing (and he was) then 5 strings are OK.[/font][/size]

Edited December 22, 2014 by jacko

[Marc S]

I've played 4 strings, and whenever I tried a 5 or 6, I've really struggled

I recently bought a 5'er - just to have a play about on
I have to say, that I really struggle with hitting the right string with my right hand
Still can't get used to it,
but whenever I play the 5'er I don't really use those extra notes
I'm not keen on the open B anyway - doesn't sound quite right to me

I will continue to dabble, but it's 4 strings for me all the way.....

[Jazzjames]

Interesting! I didn't know that about Jaco.

I wasn't saying that someone shouldn't play a 5 or 6 string because Jaco didn't, my point is that it can be easy to think that if you add a string or more frets, whatever, then you will automatically sound better.

You should be able to make music on a 4 string bass. Playing the same licks up or down an octave doesn't make them sound any more hip!

[binky_bass]

Jaco seems to always be the bench mark for a good bassist... don't get me wrong, he's a fantastic musician, but there are many MANY players without the fame and notoriety that Jaco has that create unbelievable sound scapes from 6+ string basses that Jaco simply would not be able to replicate. I think in order to judge (not that judging is occurring here) the ERB community you must first listen to what can be accomplished with additional strings. We've evolved past 4 strings... deal with it!

[CamdenRob]

potayto potahto... tomayto tomahto...

We're all bass players, Four strings, Six strings, Ten strings, Fretted, Fretless, Electric, EUB, Double bass... Different instruments suit different people, we're all holding down the low end and getting people moving

Edited December 23, 2014 by CamdenRob

[fretmeister]

I played 4 strings for the first 20 odd years of bass playing, mainly because it took me that long to find a 5 string I actually liked!

These days I mainly play with an orchestra (and smaller ensembles) so having the low B allows me to read straight from the bass clef on the piano score. That low B is really important on many pieces.

Over the last 3 years or so I've played so much on a 5 that anything else feels very odd now!