5/6 string bass tone

[badboy1984]

Was wondering what makes a 5 or 6 string bass sound different then a normal 4 string when you play on the EADG strings on the five and six? Apart from the low B and high C. I own a few 5 and 6 in the past and currently playing a spector 6 string and the common thing I found is the tone and vibe on the 5/6 string is totally different then a normal 4 string. The 5/6 string always have tons of growl and mid heavy type of tone. Just wondering whats the science behind it.

[CamdenRob]

Can't say I've noticed a huge difference with basses I've owned... Perhaps the extra wood in the neck (especially with a sixer) affects the tone?

[Beer of the Bass]

I don't think my passive, bolt-on five string with Jazz pickups sounds significantly different from a four string Jazz.

[Machines]

A 5/6 string bass is the same as a 4 string, with 1 or 2 extra strings. The 4 in the middle will sound the same.

[Bassman68]

Does anyone else think that the string length (behind the nut) alters the tone slightly?
i.e an E string (played open) sounds different on a five compared to a four?

I think there is a difference, Maybe only slight, but 'going to town' on an open E sounds different to me when I change between my Stingray 4 & 5's, Same with my Warwicks.

Slightly different with tensions on the higher strings much the same as the difference between 4 aside to 2 over 2/ 3 over 2 etc..

[Mykesbass]

Agree with Machines on this - had the chance to compare a couple of same model 4 & 5 string basses and could find no discernible difference in the tone.

[BigRedX]

IME every bass - even two of the same design made from the same species of wood - sounds different. However they all sound like bass guitars.

[badboy1984]

Open string on 5/6 always sound different to me compare to 4 string. Specially the resonance. Maybe the scale length and the extra wood on the fretboard plays a huge difference.

[Lw.]

If you believe in wood types affecting tone, the logical next step would be to believe the extra mass in a 5/6 strings' neck making some kind of difference. I can't say I've ever noticed a tonal difference between 4 & 5 string basses of the same model though.

[CamdenRob]

I know little about how pickups work so this is probably a ridiculous suggestion, but would the E string being nearer the center of the pickup make any difference?

I know Wal pickups have a pair of pole pieces per string and that contributes substantially to their unique tone, but would it make any difference on an ordinary pickup?

Edited November 6, 2015 by CamdenRob

[RhysP]

[quote name='CamdenRob' timestamp='1446810423' post='2902502']
I know little about how pickups work so this is probably a ridiculous suggestion, but would the E string being nearer the center of the pickup make any difference?
[/quote]

I remember reading somewhere once that the position of the E string with regard to the magnetic field generated by the pickup on a 4 string bass is different to on a 5 string & this somehow effected the tone of the E string.
I'm not saying this is right or wrong mind, just relaying something I once read.

[MoonBassAlpha]

I think 5 and 6 string necks are stiffer, to cope with the additional load. This could be due to simply more wood in the neck, or dual truss rods on 6ers.
If the fours you are comparing them with have reinforcement rods or are quarter sawn, the difference may be less.
Anyone who has played a metal-necked bass will agree it has a significant effect on the sound.

[JTUK]

If the sound isn't what I'm looking for then I don't buy it.
If it is, I will.
I don't get hung up on what they are 'supposed' to sound like
or worry if anything is 'missing'...,,

Edited November 8, 2015 by JTUK

[Graham]

I suspect with some bassses, the pickups of five string models will be voiced differently to the four string model in order to account for the challenges a low B presents.

My current G&L L2500 sounds slightly different to my old L2000 - a little less brash and a little more controlled, though that could just be down to manufacturing tolerances.

[PlungerModerno]

I find the major difference is with fingerstyle - your plucking finger can hit the B string whereas on a 4 it tends not to. It can be audible, especially if you play aggressively or hit the string with a fingernail.

Aside from that each bass tends to feel and sound a bit different (slight variation in setup, electronics, dead spots, and the wonderful variety from the playing of course!).