When to move to a five?

[lozkerr]

2 hours ago, lownote12 said:

The best advice I've had and would give is commit 100%.  Don't try and play both the 4 and a the 5, you'll never get there.  Decide to play a five, find a nice five you like and then never touch the 4 again.

Sound advice! I spent part of this evening trying to switch between the four and the five and eventually gave up. I put the Ibanez back in its case, grabbed the Fender and only stopped when my fretting hand and shoulder wouldn't stop complaining. The Fender weighs a ton! But it's such a gorgeous instrument. 

I made my mind up, put a big hole in my bank balance and now I'm sticking with the five.

[lozkerr]

3 hours ago, vindibona1 said:

 If that's what you like I say go for one just like it. But if you can't find or afford what you know, then as suggested play a lot of different instruments.  

Well, I've gone for it! I've bought the Jazz I borrowed, and I'm rapidly falling in love with it, even though it's giving my fretting hand a different type of gyp. But the ability to just whizz across the fretboard rather than race up and down it is fantastic. And that lovely sustained tone... oh, it's gorgeous. The only downside is having to relearn all the starting points for the scales, but that's a small price to pay. Aye, it took a big chunk out of my bank balance but I thought that as I would graduate to a pro axe anyway it seemed sensible to go for broke rather than buy another cheap instrument.

So, what two fives did you buy? And have you got a favourite?

[mcnach]

On 3/29/2018 at 22:26, lozkerr said:

Hello, all you lovely Basschatters!

I'm in a bit of a quandry (no, not the new Toyota) and would appreciate people's views.

I've been playing the bass for a couple of years, and thanks to a superb teacher (hi Jamie) I've successfully progressed from awful to not-as-awful-as-I-was. I'm still using my first bass - a four-string Ibanez - but I've borrowed a five-string Fender Jazz, just to see what a five-string axe is like.

Apologies if this next bit sounds conceited - I'm not wanting to sound big-headed - but I've been playing it regularly for the last few days and it's lovely. No problems with positioning or not being able to find notes. I'm still hitting the odd wrong string but I'm sure more practice will sort that out. What's been really encouraging is to find that some phrases I struggle with on the Ibanez are easy on the Fender, as it's quicker to drop down to the B string than move up and down the fretboard. Being a girlie, I've got quite small hands so they have to move about a bit.

So I guess the exam question is this - should I get a five now and carry on learning on that, or carry on with the four for a bit longer? I'd like to switch to a five now, but I can be more impatient than is good for me and I'd like to know what more experienced folks think.

Many thanks,

Laura

 

If you think you would like to play a 5 string in the future, then I'd say do it now, before you find a bass that you fall in love with and it has four strings and you feel you can't abandon it ever again.

I have tried various 5 string basses. By that I mean owned. Two of them stood out. One of them... I still miss. But 1) I don't *need* a 5 string bass, and 2) I can't imagine ditching my Stingray (4-string) which is like an extension of me. I would like to get as comfortable with a 5 string bass as I do with my Stingray, and when I have to I can play a 5-string without major issues... but I feel awkward without the Stingray. 

If I had found that lovely 5-string bass (it was a Lakland 5502) before I had the Stingray, today I'd be playing a 5-string bass.

So... you like 5 string basses and you're not yet pathologically attached to another instrument? then switch NOW.

There's nothing that means you need to learn on a 4 before you move to a 5 or 6... learn on what you really want to play.

 

[mcnach]

53 minutes ago, lozkerr said:

Well, I've gone for it! I've bought the Jazz I borrowed, and I'm rapidly falling in love with it, even though it's giving my fretting hand a different type of gyp. But the ability to just whizz across the fretboard rather than race up and down it is fantastic. And that lovely sustained tone... oh, it's gorgeous. The only downside is having to relearn all the starting points for the scales, but that's a small price to pay. Aye, it took a big chunk out of my bank balance but I thought that as I would graduate to a pro axe anyway it seemed sensible to go for broke rather than buy another cheap instrument.

So, what two fives did you buy? And have you got a favourite?

 

aha! Brilliant!

well done

[mcnach]

13 hours ago, xgsjx said:

IIRC, Billy Sheehan said something along the lines of "I'm still learning the 4 string & once I've mastered it, then I'll add another string".

The benefit of a 5 string is having those 5 lower semitones (though you could buy an octaver & have 12 lower semitones  ).

If the songs you play call for the lower (or of you string it E-C, higher) notes, then defo go for it.
If your playing style means the extra string will make things easier, then again, go for it.
If you want a 5 string just for the sake of having a 5 string, stop.  Have a think & work out why you're going for a 5 string & not a 4 or 6.

I've played a 4 string for 30+ years & never needed more.  That doesn't stop me wanting a 5 string fretless though.  

 

I think the main benefit of a 5 string bass is not the extra lower notes, but the ability to move across the fretboard as opposed to up/down... A lot of things become a lot more comfortable to play on a 5 string, without changing positions so much. The lower notes are nice sometimes too

[xgsjx]

34 minutes ago, mcnach said:

I think the main benefit of a 5 string bass is not the extra lower notes, but the ability to move across the fretboard as opposed to up/down... A lot of things become a lot more comfortable to play on a 5 string, without changing positions so much. The lower notes are nice sometimes too

+1

That’s partly what I was inferring to when I said “to make things easier”. 

I was trying to learn Superfresh by Jamiroquai, but without the low B, my only option is to use the octaver & it’s probably trickier to play on a 4 like that. 

[mcnach]

3 minutes ago, xgsjx said:

+1

That’s partly what I was inferring to when I said “to make things easier”. 

I was trying to learn Superfresh by Jamiroquai, but without the low B, my only option is to use the octaver & it’s probably trickier to play on a 4 like that. 

 

oh I see!

[alyctes]

Completely agree that fivers are mainly for having more notes under your hand.  The extra notes are handy occasionally but it's the simplicity and ease of fingering that does it for me.

[josie]

3 hours ago, lozkerr said:

Well, I've gone for it!

Well done! The answer to "when?" is "now!" if it feels right :-)

My first and still favourite bass is a 5. I do have three 4s which are just too special not to love (a Jazz Aerodyne, a GMR fretless, and a Gibson EB2) but I miss the easy playing options from the bottom B. My lead singer favours E, and it's a lot easier to root on the 5th of the B than on the open E. Constance Redgrave (Spikedrivers) strings her 4 with B E A D. 

Mind you I'm now working on single-string scales to break out of how easy it is to play across the neck... :-)

[Lozz196]

4 hours ago, lozkerr said:

Well, I've gone for it! I've bought the Jazz I borrowed, and I'm rapidly falling in love with it, even though it's giving my fretting hand a different type of gyp. But the ability to just whizz across the fretboard rather than race up and down it is fantastic. And that lovely sustained tone... oh, it's gorgeous. The only downside is having to relearn all the starting points for the scales, but that's a small price to pay. Aye, it took a big chunk out of my bank balance but I thought that as I would graduate to a pro axe anyway it seemed sensible to go for broke rather than buy another cheap instrument.

So, what two fives did you buy? And have you got a favourite?

Nice one, think that`s a real good move, if you gel with an instrument that much then snapping it up when available just ticks all the right boxes.

[vindibona1]

16 hours ago, lozkerr said:

Well, I've gone for it! I've bought the Jazz I borrowed, and I'm rapidly falling in love with it, even though it's giving my fretting hand a different type of gyp. But the ability to just whizz across the fretboard rather than race up and down it is fantastic. And that lovely sustained tone... oh, it's gorgeous. The only downside is having to relearn all the starting points for the scales, but that's a small price to pay. Aye, it took a big chunk out of my bank balance but I thought that as I would graduate to a pro axe anyway it seemed sensible to go for broke rather than buy another cheap instrument.

So, what two fives did you buy? And have you got a favourite?

Ok... I gotta see what you have.

The abridged story is, that I found myself at a GC and they had not yet put an Ibanez BTB675M up on their website. I fell in love with it before I even played it. The manager made me a killer offer and I knew that if I didn't take it it would be sold within 20 minutes.  Only when I got it home did I realize how big the fingerboard is. 35" scale length. 19mm string spacing. 47mm nut. 9.5 pounds. I began thinking "Am I going to be able to play this beast?".   It was challenging at first.  45 days to return it if I didn't like it.  So after chatting with my sales buddy where I often buy gear (not local) he convinces me to try a Yamaha TBRX605FM.  He shoots me a price that I can't turn down either. I have 30 days to decide on that one. It was gorgeous, but smaller with 34" scale length, 18mm spacing, 43mm nut.   Only 8 pounds 1 ounce.  A little easier to play out of the box. Different sounding than the Ibanez.  I'd just sold a bunch of guitar gear so the two basses and an incoming bass amp were fully funded. 

So, I'm cycling back and forth between these two bases and in less than a month's time the Ibanez ceased to be daunting and huge feeling and is even easier to play for some things.  It's got a meaty sound while the Yamaha has a brighter sound. The Yamaha was the "logical" choice, but I know that I'll never ever own a finer bass than the Ibanez and didn't have to go out-of-pocket for either. So why not? 

Without further adieu... here are some pics... [Let's see yours now]

[HazBeen]

Move whenever, move back, move to six string..... all perfectly fine at any moment. You will find what best suits you.

[Grahambythesea]

If you have adjusted to the extra string, then I think there is no going back. You are absolutely right about it being easier to go down to the B string, this will help you if you have smaller hands as the stretch between frets is much less above the 5th than below it. Good luck, go for it!

[Mastodon2]

I think it's also worth noting that you don't have to "move" to anything. You can settle on any number if strings you feel comfortable with, but there's nothing stopping you from picking up a bass of any other configuration and playing it. You'll get used to switching between them. 

[vindibona1]

On 4/1/2018 at 05:55, Mastodon2 said:

I think it's also worth noting that you don't have to "move" to anything. You can settle on any number if strings you feel comfortable with, but there's nothing stopping you from picking up a bass of any other configuration and playing it. You'll get used to switching between them. 

 It may be important to add that if you have multiple configurations, once you get used to the new one IMO it is important to cycle through all of them regularly.  We all get used to what we get used to (psycho-sensory adaptation) and but even the previously familiar can become temporarily unfamiliar. However, if you do practice routinely with your entire stable you won't even notice when switching. 

[TheGreek]

On 3/30/2018 at 18:58, lownote12 said:

The best advice I've had and would give is commit 100%.  Don't try and play both the 4 and a the 5, you'll never get there.  Decide to play a five, find a nice five you like and then never touch the 4 again.

Sound advice...whenever I've owned a 5er I've put it in the rack with my 4s...anytime I wanted to play, I'd pick up a 4....the 5s never stood a chance really.

Listen to this man...