Adjusting to a narrower string spacing

[Guest MoJo]

I've dabbled with five and six string basses in the past but have gigged predominately with four string basses. I have recently acquired a Peavey Fury V. It is nice and light, balances well, looks lovely and despite me not being a fan of onboard active EQ's, it sounds great. The only issue I have is with the tighter string spacing. The Fury is 45mm at the nut, my BB424X is 43mm. I gigged it for the entire set last night and only once played the wrong string (I passed it off as improvisation, a passing note) but what I did notice was, on occasion, particularly below the fifth fret (where most of my work is done), my finger would land to the side of the string. Obviously muscle memory is telling my fingers how far the strings are apart. Playing my BB is like taking off a pair of tight, new shoes and slipping on a pair of worn in slippers.

What do I do? I want to gig the Peavey so, do I abandon the BB and re-educate my muscle memory? Has anyone else experienced this and could advise me please?

Edited March 1, 2015 by MoJo

[discreet]

A fiver with four-string spacing? That's the only way I can play a five, unfortunately. Not much help, I know.

[chris_b]

+1

Wider the better for me.

To the OP, you just need to play this bass. Play both of them until the string spacing doesn't matter.

[HowieBass]

Playing one bum note in an entire set doesn't sound too bad to me! Enjoy playing the Fury but don't ignore the BB either

[CamdenRob]

I've had basses with various spacings and the only one I found too tight to play was a corvette fiver... I struggle with the spacing at the bridge end more than my fretting hand, my Wal is 18mm and that's about as tight as I can manage.

[discreet]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1425209526' post='2705006']
I struggle with the spacing at the bridge end more than my fretting hand, my Wal is 18mm and that's about as tight as I can manage.
[/quote]

Same here, the problem is at the bridge end. And at the bell end - but that's another thread.

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1425209526' post='2705006']
I've had basses with various spacings and the only one I found too tight to play was a corvette fiver... I struggle with the spacing at the bridge end more than my fretting hand, my Wal is 18mm and that's about as tight as I can manage.
[/quote]
[quote name='discreet' timestamp='1425209741' post='2705012']
Same here, the problem is at the bridge end. And at the bell end - but that's another thread.
[/quote]

Peavey is 17mm at the bridge, BB424X is 19mm

[BassBus]

If your hands have become used to 19mm they will become used to 17mm. Rome wasn't built in a day, can't run before you walk and any other cliches you can think of. Mind you you sound as if you are doing OK so far. In time you won't notice the difference.

[ambient]

Just keep playing it, and don't think too much about it.

Can I ask a question though ? Why are you playing below the 5th fret, I know tonally sometimes it works better for songs, and you've got low D#, D and C etc, but part of the beauty of an eub to me is that I can stay in one position, usually I do all my playing from the 5 fret upwards.

[Guest MoJo]

[quote name='ambient' timestamp='1425216243' post='2705105']
Just keep playing it, and don't think too much about it.

Can I ask a question though ? Why are you playing below the 5th fret, I know tonally sometimes it works better for songs, and you've got low D#, D and C etc, but part of the beauty of an eub to me is that I can stay in one position, usually I do all my playing from the 5 fret upwards.
[/quote]

True. When I was struggling with the finger stretch playing root-third-fifth in G on the third fret of the E string, it was nice to be able to drop it down a string and move up the board. It's getting out of old (4 string) habits I suppose

[Roger2611]

I struggled the same when I first aquired a 5 string, over time muscle memory has changed and both 4 and 5 strings are easily manageable, not sure I would want to switch between a 4 and a 5 mid gig though so currently I don't gig the 5 string

[ambient]

That's the common thing that people struggle with moving from a 4 to a 5. I know I did, but I'm teaching someone who's recently moved to 5 or 6. I stop them playing anything below the 5th fret, apart from the low B notes , they're banned from playing below the 5th, at least in my presence .

They're playing a 5 or a 6 string, but still 'thinking' 4 string, the thought is all about the new low notes, but there's a whole lot more to it than that.

I find it just helps to forget the 4 string thing, and to move on and adapt to the extra string(s).

Edited March 1, 2015 by ambient

[stingrayPete1977]

It's a bit of a shock switching between my US Jazz V and any of my Ray5s, as I was used to the more cramped Rays first the wide Jazz can feel a bit of a stretch for trickier stuff, the Jazz is a bit of a plank though!

[Horizontalste]

I have trouble going the other way, I play fours & a five & the fours always feel strange after playing the five but going to the five from a four feels natural (if that makes sense).
My advice would be to get a custom to both unless your planning on just using the peavey, in that case put the BB away.

[sykilz]

I had to do the reverse transition, for about 15 years I exclusively played my Washburn 5 string with 17mm string spacing, then took a break from playing, then went back into a covers band a few years back, and a regular 19mm fender type bass felt all spaced out and wrong, but it does get better...in time.