5 string Double Bass?

[Musashimonkey]

Interested in getting hold of a 5 string double bass. The only ones I can find around four different ones from Thoman. Am I missing something? Help appreciated. Thank you. 😊

[jacko]

Been doing the same search cos I want to be able to do acoustic sets and not take the NS. Looks like either £1200 Thomann or over £12000 elsewhere. TBH I suspect the Thomann would be more than adequate for my needs.

Edited August 25, 2017 by jacko

[JPJ]

My KK Baby Bass is a five string, and I believe cost less than the Thoman when new? Granted its really an EUB but it does a very passible DB tone.

[Gareth Hughes]

Thomann 22 series basses are excellent value. Not just 'for the money', but plain just excellent value. I loaned mine to Jon Thorne of Lamb for an Irish tour with Yorkston, Thorne and Khan and he was very impressed with it.

[neilp]

I've never met a five string DB that I liked, regardless of price, and I've played £30,000 five strings. Too fat, bulky and just plain hard work. Put an extension on a suitable four and enjoy.

Try one first, you might like it, but I hate them with a passion and I'd hate to think of anyone lumbered with that....

[TPJ]

I have a 5 string BSX EUB and althought the body is obviously smaller the neck is still quite a handful.

I think Bilbo plays a 5 string, maybe he'll chime in.

+1 on trying one first.

[jacko]

My NS EUB is a 5 string and I really like the neck profile. Would be interested to know how the Thomann compares.

[Musashimonkey]

Thanks for all the advice everyone.

I'm in the same boat as jacko; I've got a 5 string NS which I get on really well with and was hoping a 5 string Double would feel the same...

[stingrayPete1977]

Where is Owen?

Gedo make a five string I think.....

[stingrayPete1977]

http://www.gedo-musik.de/shop/en/36-double-bass-5-strings

Out of stock

I play 5 string elec bass exclusively but 4 on DB and EUB, my approach is totally different to playing the DB and I think in many ways it needs to be to avoid injury!

[jonzbass]

I own an Akos Balazs 5 -string Forster/English model. Great great bass.
Although the B string requires some work, it's a joy to play this bass. Get in touch with him, it may be interesting

Edited August 26, 2017 by jonzbass

[pete.young]

[quote name='TPJ' timestamp='1503672281' post='3360215']


I think Bilbo plays a 5 string, maybe he'll chime in.


[/quote]

I think Bilbo's bass has a high 'C' rather than a low 'B'.

[Bilbo]

That's correct, Pete, but I recall having a choice when I bought the instrument so anyone purchasing a five string from Gedo Musik can specify a low B rather than a high C at no extra cost.

My thread on the process is here http://basschat.co.uk/topic/93958-i-did-it-now-with-photos/page__fromsearch__1

[Owen]

[quote name='stingrayPete1977' timestamp='1503734316' post='3360568']
Where is Owen?
[/quote]

Sorry, I was on holiday. I had a 5 string neck put on my 4 string bass. I do realise that this does not provide an easy route into 5 string world. I totally get that neilp does not like them. I would not be without mine. I was playing 5 string bass guitars long before I hit 5 string DBs but was becoming increasingly fed up with missing the bottom 4th when moving from one instrument to the other. The world would be tedious if we were all the same

[TheGreek]

This fella is local to me and builds some amazing instruments:



[url="https://en-gb.facebook.com/fortevio/"]https://en-gb.facebook.com/fortevio/[/url]

Check from 2.00
[media]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=s3dYrrka8Nc[/media]

Edited September 6, 2017 by TheGreek

[neilp]

I only play orchestral and chamber music on double bass, and I have a low C extension. This, for me, is a far better solution on the occasions when I need something below the E. I totally get that for other types of music you might want the extra string, and I suspect if you play almost all pizz, most of my objections vanish. It would be very dull if we all liked the same things, but I'd urge you to try a good 4 with an extension.

For what it's worth, I'm not a huge fan of 5 string bass guitars either....

Neil

[Owen]

I certainly do much less orchestral than I used to. I depped for the St Matthew Passion at Easter. I had forgotten how much work it was. I was shattered by the end but my arco chops began to re-appear. Is it as easy to bow a 5 string as a 4? No. For me it is worth the effort, but as I said I completely get the other side of the coin.

[NickA]

I've only once seen a 5-string actually performed upon; a lady from Lancaster turned up to sub in my local orchestra with a conversion in which a fifth string had been put down the middle of the finger board, re-spacing the strings, refiling the bridge and fitting a new nut. Sounded OK.

5-strings were getting popular in the 1990s, there were several East European ones (Stentor etc) in Footes back then; I considered commissioning one from a couple of builders who were not at all fazed by the idea, but presumed that for Jazz I'd want a high C rather than a low B - the low B just doesn't pluck well and when it does, the audience can't hear it!

I played a few in shops and had to concur that the low B was OK for bowing but didn't work well for Pizz (though presumably if you got heavy enough gauge strings it might).

Meanwhile a lot of people have those extensions (which come in different kinds) and most of us just tune down as required (Low D for Peter Maxwell Davies Orkney Wedding, low C for Elgar's sea pictures and anything written for Violone). Most Jazz and Rock doesn't go below E (to suit guitarists) or F (to suit sax players) .. so mostly it's OK. A bottom Bflat might be nice!

[Owen]

I am not carrying a torch for the 5 string DB here, but in my experience pizz on the B string works just fine. Because I could not resist it I bought a 2nd hand DB D tuner on here so can go down to bottom A at the flick of a lever. I love LF!

[neilp]

A four string with an extension is a much more generally wieldy weapon than a five, and my Barnaby mechanical extension is a thing of beauty. I'd definitely recommend it, even though it is pricey. Horses for courses I guess.

[bassace]

I'm happy with four string but there are times when I'd like to get down to Eb. Any suggestions? Or perhaps D to avoid the open string.

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Hipshot make a detuner for double bass, have a dig around on the american forum, there was a thread a while back started by someone who needed low C for a musical type gig but didn't have an extension and couldn't afford one.

[Owen]

[quote name='SubsonicSimpleton' timestamp='1505402649' post='3371671']
Hipshot make a detuner for double bass, have a dig around on the american forum, there was a thread a while back started by someone who needed low C for a musical type gig but didn't have an extension and couldn't afford one.
[/quote]

I have one of those. It works just fine. It is on the tailpiece so it is not a quick flick like on the headstock of a plank.

[SubsonicSimpleton]

Suppose it depends on how Roger wants to approach it (keep the notes in the same place or adjust for drop tuning) - the detuner is just a slightly quicker alternative to the tuning pegs, there are also at least a couple of luthiers who make short gated extensions that extend the range to D, and don't require the same string routing as a full length extension (might work fine with a larger range of regular 3/4 and 4/4 E strings on some basses). Certainly the hipshot/drop tune the E is the cheapest and least invasive and easy enough to test in the practice room whether you can wrap your head around it before reaching for your wallet.

[bassace]

Thanks guys. I'd like to keep the tuning standard but just on certain numbers detune to D or Eb. I suppose I could just do down a tone on the winder for the particular tune, taking care to remember where I am.