Baloney Balderdash

"3 strings are enough" is somewhat of a bit less credible quote from a man who is known for playing a 12 string Chapman Stick.

I rest my lower part if my arm on the contoured part of the upper body of the bass above the bridge, and then of course when I am palm muting the edge of my hand on the bridge saddles.

It is an important aspect for understanding how and why Fender and their instruments came to be, are what they are, why they are what they they are, and why they gained such popularity over other similar offerings on the market. Hellzero pointed out I was wrong in this observation, which I don't believe I am, hence my reply to that. And this is relevant because it originally was a reply to someone asking a, I think relevant, question in this thread, related to the topic of it.

When I say businessman I am talking about a mindset, not a profession. Yes, Leo Fender very much had the mindset of businessman, which as far as I am concerned made him a businessman, as I am pretty sure the businessman is not an academic tittle. You might as well has claimed that Bill Gates was not a businessman but a computer programmer. While it is true that his profession is computer programmer, and Leo Fender's profession was a radio repairman, they is/were undeniably first and foremost businessmen. One does not rule out the other in any possible way. Just like someone haven a small goaty does not rule out them having a giant swirly mustache.

Imagine someone asking a violinist that same question... That said Billy Sheehan knows perfectly well how to play 5 and 6 string bass, and does in fact also do so on some recordings. But I guess his point is that it is not like playing a 4 strings bass exclusively will ever make you run out of musical possibilities or that it will ever prevent you from developing your playing further or yourself further as a musician, that it is in fact not really musically limiting in any way or makes you any less of a musician (hence my initial reference in this reply to a violin player).

Why it went extinct.

So you play 9 string bass?

Hey Fat Boy (A**hole) - Ween

4 plus times one half is 6 I know as little, I know just this Now to the matter at hand When it comes to a band It's a matter of simple supply and demand So when it's all hands down to the beat Who cares about the number of strings? As long as your fingers move to the rhythm of the feet

Great! Not sure I approve on having fun with a gun though. Also his name was John, not Jacob, though known as Jaco.

Just like I very much doubt all no name Chinese pickups are the same, I know for certain that all pickups that you call "hi-fi" are not the same. Neither is the tone they respectively reproduces the same.

Jaco only needed 2 strings, yet he played a 4 string bass: And here's the same guy playing a 12 string fretless bass:

Also fun fact, Jaco Pastorius's son, Felix Pastorius, who is also an absolute monster bass player, plays 6 string bass. And if following that tendency statistically Felix's son will play a 9 string bass...

I did mention 2 string basses though.

EMG Geezer Butler P pickup. Edit!: Just had a read through the thread and see that the Geezer P has already been suggested, and that OP already bought a Nordstrand P. On that note: I assume because Bobby Vega already was endorsing EMG pickups, and they thought that his original 1960 P pickup sounded awesome and would be a good match for Geezer Butler? Also not alone is the Geezer P emulating Bobby Vegas 60 P pickup, it is as far as I gathered in fact a pretty exact replica, as they had Bobby's pickup in and analyzed meticulously, in all aspects except for the fact of the Geezer P being solderless, internally shielded, and sealed. In any case a truly amazing sounding pickup. Vintage voiced, but extremely well defined and articulate, exceptionally clear sounding, and really dynamically responsive, with a nice amount of punch, snap and bite.

You know very well that was not what I intended to do, and you would have to be unusually confrontational to interpret my post as such. Your posts however can only be interpreted, beside of course really just being argumentative for the sake of it, as not wanting anyone to play 4 string bass, but 5 string instead.

Not really, a 5 string neck will feel different than a 4 string neck regardless. Also I think it is quite ok for me to prefer playing 4 string basses, just as it is ok for you to prefer 5 string basses, without having to feel obliged to try to convince everyone else to respectively do so too. I think it was pretty clear that I was talking about my personal preferences without really trying to make an argument why everyone should feel the same, I honestly don't know why you apparently made it your mission to question my personal preferences, seems a bit odd and out of place to me.

Yes, but in this case in the context it was kind of pointless.

Shots & Ladders - LOW

Punch In The Nose - Sebadoh

He most certainly did! Leo Fender first an foremost was a businessman, if that had not been the case the first Fender bass would have been a greater instrument, albeit not as popular. As is with most things in this world.

Take These Hands And Throw Them In The River - Thee Silver Mt. Zion Memorial Orchestra

As others already said, this is not a Gibson, the model name though is actually Gibson, though this one slightly modded. Got to admit this particular one looks pretty amazing, but I am pretty sure plays and sounds horrible.

All new from Chelsea Wolfe:

No it's not. Music is the most advanced form of communication we humans are capable off. Football is a game at best, at worst it is just a way to show off your physical and acrobatic capabilities, in other words a circus act. Of course music can be a circus act too, but not primarily the music I listen to. To OP, sounds like you need a serious talk in the band about this, but honestly unfortunately it sounds like your band mates are not as dedicated to the idea of playing in a band as you, and if that indeed is the case nothing good will come out of it but frustrations. Have a serious talk with them about it first though, and be completely honest and frank with how you feel about the current situation, be firm but not angry though, you got nothing to loose really, before making any rash discissions.