Do the best pro-bass players mainly play 4 strings?

[lemmywinks]

[krispn]

19 hours ago, drTStingray said:

As has been said, people often use what they consider the best tool for the job. I bought a 5 string for the particular reason of learning Stevie Wonder songs, many of which are played on keyboard bass or in keys lower than E - note the Nate Watts plays a 5 string also (though this is not the reason I got into playing one). 

I basically alternate my basses for gigs dependent on what takes my fancy on the day but I go through periods of playing 5 or 4 strings - I never take two basses with me these days. 

5 strings seem to be used in some theatre orchestras also. 

"Nicely put."

My assertion that its about using the right tool for the job is pretty much a less eloquent version of this above response. It's why I felt it was a silly question. Pro's will have access to more than one bass and usually bring two, three or more to a session etc to nail whats needed for the part. An example from my own experience...I showed up to a recording with a 5 string active bass. Producer asked me to grab 'the old bass from room one'! It was a vintage Gibson EB something and it was the right bass for the track - it was a country tune and it needed that old mellow sound (plus it had flats). The active 5 would have worked but the producer knew what he wanted, he didn't want to be 'mixing' the bass any more than he needed to and knew that dusty old Gibson would work, it would mean less work for him and the bass was a pleasure to play. Everyone was happy and the active got traded for a '79 p bass shortly thereafter!

I play a 4 string or 5 string depending on the gig - specifically I play the 5er on one and the 4 string on the other. I can do either gig with either bass but I don't. I choose to use the 5er on the 'choir gig' as I feel it's the right tool for the job and i use the Low B frequently.  I use the 4 string on the other 'pub gig' becasue it's just as capable, fits the tunes we play, it's a fun bass to play and for me it's nice to switch over from time to time. I could use the low b (and done this gig for ages on the 5er) on that set but its fun to use a different bass. It's why I own two different basses. The 5er isn't hard to play, in fact it's a joy and its the nicest 5er Ive tried thus far, but the 4 string feels like its super skinny and easier to play I like to justify owning both basses by actively gigging them.

But in a sense it's not really a 'tool for the job' point though is it - 'cos if you are proficient and comfortable playing 5 why would you ever need to play a 4 string? Surely a 5 can do everything that a 4 can? 

Of course it good to generate debate and be devils advocate for fun but it's another silly point in my view because...

The right tool for the job does apply as many of us on BC own more than one bass possible both 4's and 5ers and more! Your logic suggests why bother owning more than one bass if you have a decent 5er which will do the job? What if one owns both a 4 and 5 string but.. you need a period correct bass for a period vibe band? Or the 5 string is a luxury item you don't want nicked or damaged? What if ones 4 string records really well but their 5 string is more flexible out live?

I saw a guy play a wedding with a 6 string Spector - don't think he touched the High C once and there wasn't too much harassment on the low B for that matter. He's probably an amazing musician with a degree in performance and I'm sure his original music would be staggering, technical and exploit his bass to its full potential. He may have wanted others to see this bass, he might have sold every other bass to own that single one. He could have done it on a four string but he took that bass and fair play to him. You pay your money you make your choice.

 

 

[lemmywinks]

There's a function band I know where the bassist uses a 6 string Ken Smith purely because it's his favourite bass. That's quite good logic IMO. I know quite a few players who just don't fixate on gear at all, they played a great bass, bought it and gig with it every time without wanting to change it, I think it's more common outside of forums where shiny new things don't catch the eye so much!

[Bluewine]

37 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

Very cool pic.

Blue

[Al Krow]

@krispn don't disagree with much of what you say. But the "right tool for the job" is the difference between a spanner and screwdriver.

You're basically saying you have two different spanners either of which would work and you'll use either to justify having both. Nothing to do with being the right tool for the job. 

Frankly it's none of my business how many spanners or basses you want to buy. How you spend your money is up to you and whatever gives you pleasure, go for it. 

I'm just interested in how many top bass players are favouring 4 strings over other (5 or 6) string basses. It's a bit like me being interested in what type of tennis racquet head the best tennis players use if I was an aspiring tennis player. Hope that is not too "silly" a question for you

[stingrayPete1977]

[krispn]

So a Phillips head and a flat head are the precision and jazz of the tool box? 

I stands by my explanation 😀

[Al Krow]

I think a Phillips is a 5 string (Yammy BBNE2) and a flat head a 4 string P bass. Just saying...

[drTStingray]

It depends what music style you're talking but clearly 5 stringers haven't played a great part in indie or punk styles (though Alex from Blur and also Beck have been known to use Stingray 5s - probably studio only).

There have been comments in this thread about industry standard 5 string basses, or the lack of. This is actually not true but there have been a range of them over the years - these would include:-

MM Stingray 5 (great at a modern sound but also great at an authoritative vintage sound) - subsequently US Sub, Bongo, Classic 5 and Sterling 5. 

Lakland 55/94 or 55/01 - subsequently lots variants 

Various Warwick but particularly Thumb, Jazzman or Stage 1/2

Yamaha - various models

Sadowski

MTD - various

Ibanez - various

G and L various

Somewhat late to the party - Fender (various Jazz and Precision variants)

Many of these basses have been active type basses as the extended range arguably works better in this format. 

 

 

[krispn]

12 hours ago, Al Krow said:

You're basically saying you have two different spanners either of which would work and you'll use either to justify having both. Nothing to do with being the right tool for the job

 

I’m not! I’m actually saying I have two main gigs and the 5’er is the right bass for one while the 4 string is the right bass for the other. Choir gig needs the extended range, the pub gig doesn’t. 

[Al Krow]

1 hour ago, krispn said:

I’m not! I’m actually saying I have two main gigs and the 5’er is the right bass for one while the 4 string is the right bass for the other. Choir gig needs the extended range, the pub gig doesn’t. 

You're dancing on a tool head here. Why is the 4 string more suitable for your pub gig than your 5er - is there anything you can do on your 4 string that you can't just as well do on your 5? Ok they are two different basses, with different pups and tones but we're discussing the narrow point of 5 vs 4 as a "tool for the job."  

Put it another way why would you ever use a flat head screwdriver if you had a Phillips?

[pete.young]

12 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

 

Put it another way why would you ever use a flat head screwdriver if you had a Phillips?

Because you can't undo a flat head screw with a Phillips.

[krispn]

i don’t feel I need the additional range of the 5er on the pub gig. Most of the originals we cover were recorded and played on a 4. It’s a bit lighter than the 5 for the three sets, the neck is thinner/smaller and it’s a really fun bass to play. It’s dirty hamburger to the fine steak comparison.  In the choir the songs are often not in the original key so it’s often easier to transpose songs and keep the bass holding the low end rather than recreating riff and runs higher up the neck and in my view losing some of the low end.. We’ve chatted about this before and it’s not new information .

I’m not sure if you own a Phillips and a flat head but they are two different tools with specific purposes. You can shoehorn a flat head to do the job of a Phillips but ultimately your gonna want the correct tool for the job. Most people own both ‘type’ of screw driver and multiples of each for the very reasons that they are specific to a task with perhaps a little bit of crossover and wiggle room but ultimately you want the right tool for the task.. Have you ever tried to remove a slotted 6x100mm with a Phillips 2x100mm? 

[Al Krow]

21 minutes ago, pete.young said:

Because you can't undo a flat head screw with a Phillips.

Aha - my Philipps has interchangeable heads (I thought this was pretty standard - but there you go just shows what I know!)

Actually "Phillips and the Flatheads" would make a great name for a band...😁

 

Edited July 15, 2018 by Al Krow

[arthurhenry]

On 12/07/2018 at 11:05, pete.young said:

It's part of the lyrics for the song Angel Delight. Played by Dave Pegg, as with virtually every Fairport recording, on his trusty Fender Precision. The Ibanez is a recent acquisition.

He was playing a five string (possibly Ibanez or something similar) with Tull in the 90s.

[chris_b]

Where is this going?

After 4 pages the answer to the question do the "best" pro players mainly playing 4 string basses is still yes/no/maybe. The answer after 444 pages will be exactly the same. Like the rest of us, they'll use the bass that they want to use. Some wouldn't touch a 5 string bass with a barge pole. Their choice, but I wouldn't see that as any endorsement for 4 string basses over any other, just their preference.

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow that’s a Draper not a Phillips.

Phillips head always was and always be very specific shape

[Cuzzie]

@chris_b exactly the point as to why the question is a bit meh

[Al Krow]

Just now, Cuzzie said:

@Al Krow that’s a Draper not a Phillips.

Phillips head always was and always be very specific shape

Ok well my bad then (and Krsipn and I have been talking at cross purposes for a little while. However I have learned something - lol!). I'll be the first to admit I'm not the world's expert on DIY, or playing 5 strings, or using compressors (in fact any pedals really) or ... 😂

[Al Krow]

3 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Where is this going?

After 4 pages the answer to the question do the "best" pro players mainly playing 4 string basses is still yes/no/maybe. The answer after 444 pages will be exactly the same. Like the rest of us, they'll use the bass that they want to use. Some wouldn't touch a 5 string bass with a barge pole. Their choice, but I wouldn't see that as any endorsement for 4 string basses over any other, just their preference.

Well...tennis players all used to use wooden rackets, before carbon fibre became the norm.

We all used to lug about fridges for amplification before D class came along.

Sometimes innovation adds something, sometimes it doesn't: very few upright bass players play a 5 string acoustic bass. The best violins are still made of wood...

[lemmywinks]

11 minutes ago, chris_b said:

Where is this going?

After 4 pages the answer to the question do the "best" pro players mainly playing 4 string basses is still yes/no/maybe. The answer after 444 pages will be exactly the same. Like the rest of us, they'll use the bass that they want to use. Some wouldn't touch a 5 string bass with a barge pole. Their choice, but I wouldn't see that as any endorsement for 4 string basses over any other, just their preference.

It's about screwdrivers now bud, pay attention!

[drTStingray]

30 minutes ago, lemmywinks said:

It's about screwdrivers now bud, pay attention!

Hey come on - only for those who think the evolution of bass guitar was concluded in 1962, so a version invented in the mid 80s clearly has no relevance!! 😂

If you want a screwdriver thread it will surely be in off topic or maybe accessories, or even repairs - then people can argue that using cheap tools based on 60s technology is perfectly adequate and all you need for a 21.18 century application 👍😏

Edited July 15, 2018 by drTStingray

[Cuzzie]

@Al Krow analogies all over the place with no relevance to the OP

Racket materials are tech advancement for stiffer lighter materials, would be more analogous to two way truss Rod’s, graphite  truss Rod’s, chambered vs slab solid bodies, lightweight tuners etc. Closest you’ll get to tennis may be racket head size.

I would say you get the picture but......

[Krysbass]

Perhaps one aspect to consider here is that when gigging; pro players will generally be supported by a guitar tech, so if some songs need down-tuning to D or lower, it's feasible for them to be handed a re-tuned 4-string when required (luxury) instead of using a 5-string.

But for mere mortals like many of us; playing cramped pubs at weekends, where there's a limit to the number of basses we can bring, a 5-string gives the instant ability to access those lower tunings and potentially cover a gig with just one bass if necessary. I've had to do this a few times, though if I'm honest I prefer playing 4-strings.

[EliasMooseblaster]

23 hours ago, chris_b said:

Where is this going?

After 4 pages the answer to the question do the "best" pro players mainly playing 4 string basses is still yes/no/maybe. The answer after 444 pages will be exactly the same. Like the rest of us, they'll use the bass that they want to use. Some wouldn't touch a 5 string bass with a barge pole. Their choice, but I wouldn't see that as any endorsement for 4 string basses over any other, just their preference.

Careful now, this might add an extra dimension to another old argument: "fingers, plectrum, or barge-pole?"