Do you stick to 4/5/6 strings, are you a hot swapper or in between!?!

[funkypenguin]

[quote name='Ashwood1985' timestamp='1347587385' post='1802857']
I fully agree my man and it's great to see you're using the instrument(s) that're best for you.

Although the main aim of that question was to ask opinions on the pressure that many players may feel about what basses and how many strings they should be playin. Whether from a snooty jazz player or old rocker they look up to, the latest teen 'bands' who are all seen with Vintage Fender Jazzes or a popular player who is always seen slappin the life out of an active 6'r... whatever... - how much do we make our instrument decisions based on what is good in our hands and our ears and how much because we've been told its fantastic?
[/quote]

Ahhh ok i see what you mean. I think there is alot of pressure for bands that are beginning to make a name for themselves, have management etc. to play instruments that are 'hip' and uncontroversial. For me its about playability, feel and sound, so for me its my warwick that wins out over my fender 95 times out of 100. How it looks and what people think of my instrument choice doesnt interest me in the slightest.

[Bilbo]

It's one of the issues with a five-string double bass; a massive percentage of your playing is in first/second position (you have alomst two octaves under your fingers without moving). This is not a problem intonation/execution wise but your arm is above your head almost all of the time which can wear you down a little on longer tunes!

[Doddy]

[quote name='Ashwood1985' timestamp='1347587385' post='1802857']
Although the main aim of that question was to ask opinions on the pressure that many players may feel about what basses and how many strings they should be playin. Whether from a snooty jazz player or old rocker they look up to, the latest teen 'bands' who are all seen with Vintage Fender Jazzes or a popular player who is always seen slappin the life out of an active 6'r... whatever... - how much do we make our instrument decisions based on what is good in our hands and our ears and how much because we've been told its fantastic?
[/quote]
I don't feel any pressure to play particular instruments,but of course the image is important. I've been using mostly my
Warwick 5 string lately,but I did a recording and filming a couple of weeks ago on a Precision because it both sounded and
looked right. I once used a horrible borrowed Rickenbacker because the band leader wanted it for the band image.
The reason I got my first Jazz was because of Jaco and Marcus.
You know,I could use my Shuker Singlecut 5 for everything but sometimes it doesn't work because of both it's looks
and it's hi fi sound. Sometimes only a Fender will do.

[Bilbo]

I never speak to any other bass players about gear so never feel any pressure to 'conform' to any stereotypes. Jazz musicians are also completely unaffected by gear-anoraks; its a known fact that the best players make bad gear sound better than great gear owned by the worst players. It is rarely discussed. I have heard Yamaha drums kits sounding awful and kits stuck together with sellotape sound marvellous. The best/most expensive guitars I have ever seen have been owned by amateurs not professionals.

We all talk about the music rather than the gear so the gear becomes a peripheral issue.

[bassist_lewis]

I can't afford more strings but I've owned 4/5/6s and felt pretty comfortable on most of them (some had serious balance issues).

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1347629411' post='1803287']
We all talk about the music rather than the gear so the gear becomes a peripheral issue.
[/quote]

Very much coming round to this, I've recently had a lot of free time (not in a good way) and I've got sick of gawping at gear and not playing/gigging. Down with GAS!!

[Huge Hands]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1347629411' post='1803287']
...Jazz musicians are also completely unaffected by gear-anoraks...
[/quote]

Whilst I totally agree with what you were saying (i.e. it's all about the music) - I've met a few jazz heads that had spent some silly money on gear. I don't think they're all "holier than thou".

Interesting topic though - my old bass teacher (some semi-pro bloke in a smoky flat) once told me (I was only a wee teenager then) that I'd have to have a "serious think" if I decided to buy a cheap 5 string I'd seen as he wouldn't be able to teach me on one of those - "you can't chop and change".

I spent the next 10 or so years believing him until I met some pro guys who told me that was a load of old b*****ks and that it was dead easy.

I was just angry at myself for being so gullible and missing out on 10 possible years of low B fun. I swap around all the time now - it's great!

[Jellyfish]

I stick to 5 strings, although I'm a fairly novice player.

But if I was to switch up or down, it'd be to a 6 string!

[Doddy]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1347629411' post='1803287']
I never speak to any other bass players about gear so never feel any pressure to 'conform' to any stereotypes. Jazz musicians are also completely unaffected by gear-anoraks; its a known fact that the best players make bad gear sound better than great gear owned by the worst players. It is rarely discussed. I have heard Yamaha drums kits sounding awful and kits stuck together with sellotape sound marvellous. The best/most expensive guitars I have ever seen have been owned by amateurs not professionals.

We all talk about the music rather than the gear so the gear becomes a peripheral issue.
[/quote]

Very true.
As I've said before,I once split a gig with Paul Westwood-who is without a doubt one of the busiest players in the country,with a
list of credits as long as your arm-and his main gigging bass is a Hohner Steinberger copy 5 string.Not an expensive bass at all
but he sounded great(his amp was a beat up old Ampeg). He was also very complimentary about my sound and all I was using was
my Fender Jazz (Japanese) through a Roland Cube 100. Neither of us were using fancy/expensive gear,but it didn't matter,and
nobody cared because it all sounded good.

[Roland Rock]

[quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1347629411' post='1803287']

We all talk about the music rather than the gear so the gear becomes a peripheral issue.
[/quote]

Nice. Sometimes I find myself getting sucked into instrument details rather than concentrating on the music. Glad to say I spend more time playing now than I do on BC! Marlowe and Shakespeare didn't spend all their time on Quillchat. :-)

[JTUK]

My basses are 5's.... I play 5's

[Si600]

My 5 has been my go-to since I bought it, but my 4 is currently in bits so it's not like I have a choice I keep the 4 as a flat drop-tune for the occasions when I need it as I can't be bothered to fully retune the 5 for one song.

[LiamPodmore]

I mainly play my 4 because: It sounds better, it's lighter, i can throw it around easier, it balances better, it's nicer to play, my drive/preamp is set up for my P which has a higher output than my 5, and it fits better with the image of the band. I still have no problems with playing my 5, i just don't feel the need to put up with its drawbacks compared to my Fender in a live situation, when it's not necessary.

Liam

[Higgie]

I currently only have one 5 string, and the other 6 I own are all 4's. I used to just swap whenever I felt like it, and take whatever bass I thought appropriate for the gig, but after being on a cruise ship for 2 and a half months, reading and playing nothing but my SR5, I'm finding playing a 4 again a little weird! When I first picked up the five there was literally no transition period, it was just a 4 string with some extra notes to me rather than a different kind of bass, and I could pick up one or the other without thinking. Now I feel like I've got so intimately acquainted with the 5, that I'm picking that up over any of my 4's, and it used to be the other way round!

[Ashwood1985]

[quote name='Higgie' timestamp='1349112214' post='1822002']
I currently only have one 5 string, and the other 6 I own are all 4's. I used to just swap whenever I felt like it, and take whatever bass I thought appropriate for the gig, but after being on a cruise ship for 2 and a half months, reading and playing nothing but my SR5, I'm finding playing a 4 again a little weird! When I first picked up the five there was literally no transition period, it was just a 4 string with some extra notes to me rather than a different kind of bass, and I could pick up one or the other without thinking. Now I feel like I've got so intimately acquainted with the 5, that I'm picking that up over any of my 4's, and it used to be the other way round!
[/quote]

Yeah I've had a smilar set of experiences to this. Although my thumb BO 4 that I picked up a couple of months ago has got me inspired! I actually find the lack of extra width in the neck to be refreshing when playing it. Although it does make me really want to try a BO 5 BN version to see if I still feel the same magic with it plus I get the thumb's legendary B

[jjojjas]

I play 4...badly. Although I play 6 string guitar to your average "guy in the kitchen at a party" standard I just stare in terror at any bass that doesn't have 4 strings and frets.
Maybe someday I'll try 5, but I think I should get my head around some music theory before I start looking for more strings on my bass.

[Westie9]

I got rid of all my 4's in favour of 5's when I made the transition a while back...... Cost a bit, but saves on those embarrassing mistakes!

[paul_5]

I never hot swap anything; ALWAYS turn phantom power off before changing microphones! ;-)

[Kongo]

Mine has been a revolving door for a long time. 2nd bass I bought was a 6-string (Peavey Grind) because I was hugely inspired by Primus. I took to it like a fish to water realising it gave more notes for tapping and chords were easier. I still played 4 but I found 5 to be an oddball; neither here nor there.
Many years were spent in progressive metal bands meaning the 6-string was fine, and I still play one as a main bass in my main band now. But outside of it my tastes changed.

I always went for 6-string basses with wide spacing, but outside of progressive music I found it to be extra baggage. The high-C was hardly used and I was playing music / learning songs where most could be played on a 4, but having sold all but my P-bass, which much as I love it isn't exactly what I needed, I decided to take the plunge into getting a solid 5-string. There I could switch from Eb standard and Bb standard without changing bass.
Decided to keep to 35" but as it's all finger style play, narrow spacing was welcomed...And...I love it!

So, yeah I chop and change depending on band but it doesn't matter too much. Been playing almost a decade now, my hands and brain just adjust.
But my preference has changed. I do now prefer narrow spacing and AFAIK you can't get that on a 4-string, nor would you want to.
It means moving from string to string takes less movement, for one.
I still love my 6-string basses but the music I play outside my main band means I rarely use anything under 5-string. Some songs may not use the low-B (whatever it's tuned to), but it's there if I need it.
I prefer to stick to more similar models however, that way I know when something goes wrong I can trace down what it was in my technique.

I think these days my dilemma is more "fretted or fretless" instead of string number. X-D

Edited October 14, 2012 by Kongo