A very very late new bass day...and first foray into fives

[LukeFRC]

7 minutes ago, Richard R said:

If the string spacing is the same, does that must make the neck 25% wider than the 4 string, and did you find playing a much wider neck a problem?

I'm particularly interested as the opportunity to buy a 5 string version of my Brawley has come up. Fabulous instrument, great condition, I know it will sound marvellous, but it's 50mm at the nut. It looks like the decision was to keep identical string spacing, but I am concerned I won't be able to play it. Thoughts welcome.

(The 5th string and muting doesn't worry me, I use sliding thumb anyway and I don't have a repertoire of songs already learned in muscle memory)

My J bass is 36mm nut, the 5 string has a 46mm nut. Previously I’ve played 44mm P basses so the top of the neck doesn’t feel offensively wide.

my uneducated view is that  I have found that if you focus on using a Good left hand technique, thumb in the centre of the back of the neck and not having anything strained you should be ok. 
 

I also use a variation of sliding thumb, there is a muting learning curve still 

[mcnach]

10 hours ago, LukeFRC said:

I think I'm lucky in that my 5 string has about the same string spacing at the nut and bridge as a 4 string, so feel wise it's ok, so the only times I get really messed up is when I over think not thinking about it.
I think I've probably started thinking about the lines I know how to play loads based on the G string down, rather than the E string up. 

 

Yeah, mine is very narrow spacing, which in the past has been a no-no, but for some reason I liked this bass enough to make me push through and now I don't really mind.

One thing that brings a smile to my face is when I'm playing something I used to do on a 4-string and realise that I can sometimes go one octave lower, and I sometimes go there, others I don't, and on the whole it makes even simple basslines sound a lot more dynamic. 

[mcnach]

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

If the string spacing is the same, does that must make the neck 25% wider than the 4 string, and did you find playing a much wider neck a problem?

I'm particularly interested as the opportunity to buy a 5 string version of my Brawley has come up. Fabulous instrument, great condition, I know it will sound marvellous, but it's 50mm at the nut. It looks like the decision was to keep identical string spacing, but I am concerned I won't be able to play it. Thoughts welcome.

(The 5th string and muting doesn't worry me, I use sliding thumb anyway and I don't have a repertoire of songs already learned in muscle memory)

 

I don't find the extra width much of a hindrance, it's the combination of that plus the neck depth/profile. The G&L L2500 I used to have was narrower at the nut than the Lakland 5502, but the Lakland felt really easy probably because it was shallower in profile. I think looking at any one parameter on its own is not going to give you an accurate picture, it can help, but you may miss on the right one for you. Of course these days it's reall hard to get out and try many different basses.

[chris_b]

I have a 35" 5 string P bass with 18mm spacing at the bridge and a neck at the nut which is 50mm/2". It is very easy to play and no stretching is involved, even to reach C on the B string. My 34" J bass is the same at the nut and 19mm at the bridge. I can't even feel these small differences. I'd suggest if you buy a 5 string with the same string spacing as your 4 string, you'll be fine. It's a bass not a maths course. If it sounds good enough, learn to live with the rest of the bass. It will be worth it.

[Richard R]

On 18/02/2021 at 12:57, chris_b said:

I'd suggest if you buy a 5 string with the same string spacing as your 4 string, you'll be fine. 

I did. And it's fantastic: NBD - Brawley 5 string at last :-) - Bass Guitars - Basschat

😁

[LukeFRC]

Update from me. 

First time playing in a year or so coming up tomorrow at church.
Was practicing at home on the four string. 
I'm still ambivalent about the five string, in that I don't feel the need to own a 5, or identify as a "5 string player", my 5 is good enough to keep regardless of the fact it's a 5. BUT I just found out that playing the five string has majorly improved my ability to play the 4, learning the fretboard far better, and bizarrely creating more melodic lines.... so that's good!

[krispn]

I think owning and playing a 5 string is a good thing and it won’t have a negative effect. It makes going back to a4 string that bit more enjoyable or at least that’s what I found. I very quickly went from 5 to a JMJ so you can imagine how easy playing the short scale felt! 
Your Lakland is a cracking bass though. 

Edited June 12, 2021 by krispn

[Richard R]

So @LukeFRC - are you playing 4 or 5 tomorrow?

 

[LukeFRC]

1 hour ago, Richard R said:

So @LukeFRC - are you playing 4 or 5 tomorrow?

 

The 4 - it’s being live-streamed to YouTube and I’m fairly sure the 4 will sit in a mix with no bottom better

[NickA]

On 12/06/2021 at 10:17, LukeFRC said:

playing the five string has majorly improved my ability to play the 4,

Spot on.  I've found the same .... but when playing the 4, sometimes try to find note on the missing B string

[LukeFRC]

On 12/06/2021 at 12:23, krispn said:

Your Lakland is a cracking bass though. 

Yep 😚😌

[LukeFRC]

9 hours ago, NickA said:

Spot on.  I've found the same .... but when playing the 4, sometimes try to find note on the missing B string

Not done that yet! For me on the 4 I can tend to default to the low roots on the E and A. On the 5 that wouldn’t sound amazing so it forces me to play higher up the neck and across the strings ... turns out that works better on the 4 string too!!

 

sunday was ok. Looking back at the live stream the bottom of the acoustic was swamping my freq a bit  

[LukeFRC]

Findings to date

1. I really didn’t know the fingerboard as well As I thought. 5 def helps with this
2. Lakland make a lovely instrument 
3. I really love the bartolini pickups with the John East preamp, it just works as a set up.
4. I think I will always be a bass player who owns a 5 string, rather than a 5 string bass player. The 5 string version of something I’ve wanted to try for years came up recently... but another 5 string? No thanks. (Probably if the 4 string equivalent of my Lakland came up I wouldn’t mind switching, not that I’m looking for that)
5. my realisation of how limited I am musically led me to start learning piano. so overall positive! 

 

 

[Lozz196]

I’m similar on Point 4 - recently bought a fiver and although I have no problems with it, I know I’m a 4-stringer at heart, much like I’m a steel-rounds/Precision player. 

[funkle]

17 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

I’m similar on Point 4 - recently bought a fiver and although I have no problems with it, I know I’m a 4-stringer at heart, much like I’m a steel-rounds/Precision player. 

Also a native 4 string player even though I have a 5 and have played/gigged on a 5 off/on for 9-10 years.

 

It is what it is. 

[NickA]

Spot on with point 1.  Owning a 5 has improved my 4 string playing.

[paul_5]

Chuck Norris plays 5 string bass - on a 4 string bass.

[Richard R]

I'm playing on the 18th, and will play the 5 string I bought in February. It will probably look pretentious given the likely simplicity of my lines, but the key message of this thread has been to stick with it until it's entirely natural so that's my plan.

 

And I also find that I now want to learn piano. Who knew that the progression of strings would be 4-5-88?

Edited August 3, 2021 by Richard R
Typo

[DiMarco]

It never looks pretentious Rich. Fivers are very common no worries. But if you bring a six people will expect you to solo 😀

 

[Owen]

41 minutes ago, Richard R said:

I'm playing on the 18th, and will play the 5 string I bought in February. It will probably look pretentious 

No one will notice. No one. 

[Richard R]

18 minutes ago, owen said:

No one will notice. No one. 

Dave will. So will the other bass player called Dave. But you're right - nobody else will.

[paul_5]

2 hours ago, Richard R said:

I'm playing on the 18th, and will play the 5 string I bought in February. It will probably look pretentious given the likely simplicity of my lines, but the key message of this thread has been to stick with it until it's entirely natural so that's my plan.

 

And I also find that I now want to learn piano. Who knew that the progression of strings would be 4-5-88?

That’s only 88 keys, a piano has 3 strings per key… 🤯

[Richard R]

2 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

That’s only 88 keys, a piano has 3 strings per key… 🤯

552, a factor of 100 too many.   I've got a practice  chanter in the office- I'll take up the bagpipes instead. 

[LukeFRC]

39 minutes ago, paul_5 said:

That’s only 88 keys, a piano has 3 strings per key… 🤯

If it helps put you all at rest I bought a 73 key electric stage piano - so no real strings in it!

it is lots of fun even at my very very early stage (plus it’s obviously teaching me to read music which I couldn’t before)

[chris_b]

6 hours ago, Richard R said:

I'm playing on the 18th, and will play the 5 string I bought in February. It will probably look pretentious given the likely simplicity of my lines, but the key message of this thread has been to stick with it until it's entirely natural so that's my plan.

 

If you are giving it your best, no instrument is pretentious. Simple bass lines are usually the best and most effective bass lines. Good luck with the gig.

 

All basses are a collection of notes. A 5 string has more notes and they are arranged differently, apart from that it's just a bass like any other.