LukeFRC Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 I've been thinking about 5 strings today. They are nice. I could live without I think. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LeftyP Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 18 hours ago, hiram.k.hackenbacker said: Light and short scale is one thing. Cheap with a good B, plus light and short scale. Not so simple. Then you have to find a lefty. Good luck. Although I am a lefty, I play as a right hander. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) 26 minutes ago, LeftyP said: Although I am a lefty, I play as a right hander. Big fan of Ibanez - but my (very positive) experience is limited to their SR premium range, so I have no idea how good a bass this is: Ibanez Talman TMB35 Short Scale Bass Mint Green (guitarguitar.co.uk) But going on the fact of being an Ibby fanboi... Short scale √ Good price √ 5 string √ Light - likely to be if the rest of the Ibby range are a guide. Good B string...no idea! There have been a couple of busy short scale threads recently so worth visiting those. One take away for me was several comments about the sound being a little muddier on short scales due to less harmonic complexity vs standard 34" scales. Obviously there will be exceptions to that rule! Edited December 22, 2020 by Al Krow Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Is 34” or 35” “standard” for 5 strings? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Just now, LukeFRC said: Is 34” or 35” “standard” for 5 strings? Depends on brand. You'll find more 34" though, I suspect. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Just now, Al Krow said: Depends on brand. You'll find more 34" though, I suspect. Btw that was a genuine question- I wasn’t picking at something you said! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 I’ve just started playing five string bass thanks to Yamaha TRBX505 I picked up on here earlier this month. I’m still finding my way around it. All the muscle memory from 30-odd years has gone to pot cos everything is in a different place. I’m constantly fretting or plucking the wrong string. But it’s the longest I’ve stuck with five string bass after a few brief past dalliances and I’m gradually getting the hang of incorporating the whole thing into my playing, not just obsessing over the low notes. A whole new series of positions using the B string has opened up. Im a diehard four string player but I can see how this would fit in nicely. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
TheGreek Posted December 22, 2020 Author Share Posted December 22, 2020 Thanks @bassbiscuits... I could have written the same post...glad I'm not alone in struggling. Persistence and perseverance... 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 1 minute ago, LukeFRC said: Btw that was a genuine question- I wasn’t picking at something you said! Haha - I know. And that was a genuine answer! 😁 5 strings I've played: Yamaha, Ibanez, Warwick, Fender, Ken Smith - have all been 34" Spector - 35" And then you've got the additional fan frets with up to 37" for the low B. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 (edited) 16 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said: I’m still finding my way around it. All the muscle memory from 30-odd years has gone to pot cos everything is in a different place. I’m constantly fretting or plucking the wrong string. Yeah completely relate - and the worst for me was when I played my first couple of gigs with a 5er and found myself on the wrong string. Sudden loss of confidence / playing 'air bass' till the end of that particular song - lol! Started playing 5's pretty much exclusively after that to get my muscle memory in shape but soon realised I was enjoying the added positional 'freedom' and didn't want to go back to a 4... Edited December 22, 2020 by Al Krow 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Reggaebass Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 4 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said: I’m constantly fretting or plucking the wrong string. That’s exactly what I was doing a little over a year ago ,but I persevered and resisted the temptation to pick up any of my fours (as much as I wanted to) and it slowly came together, I found that having a 5 string fretboard chart always in front of me helped, especially with scales and modes, I can now pick up either and be comfortable 🙂 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozkerr Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 11 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said: I’m still finding my way around it. All the muscle memory from 30-odd years has gone to pot cos everything is in a different place. I’m constantly fretting or plucking the wrong string. I had the same problem when I started on the five. I got round it by repositioning the root of each scale on the B string and once I'd got that into my head, I started learning a couple of completely new songs in that scale, so there would be no clash of muscle memory. It worked. I don't suppose this is an original idea, but my discovering it certainly was 😉 3 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Woodinblack Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 25 minutes ago, LukeFRC said: Is 34” or 35” “standard” for 5 strings? I have been playing 5 strings since the 90s, and never had a 35" (unless the spector legend was? I didn't keep it long). Almost all have been 34", apart from a 37" Dingwall, a 33" shuker, and a 30" messinger. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
lozkerr Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 11 hours ago, Nail Soup said: I don't really need one.... I play either originals or covers which were on four string. I've just had a crack at playing along with your song You're Gonna Play Bass starting on fret 8 of the B string and the difference in tone is amazing - the fatter notes cut through really well. Plus, I have quite small hands, and the 8-bar chorus riff is easier up there. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
StickyDBRmf Posted December 22, 2020 Share Posted December 22, 2020 Wider neck? I play a 12-string Chapman Stick! HAHA. Seriously, when I bought my first 5-string it was a custom Pedulla fretless & I ordered it no markers, no finish on fretboard, and high C because I always de-tuned (to D) when I played my P Bass. I wanted to go HIGHER. I had a Yamaha 6-string Patitucci model and had no problems. I have small hands. I think anyone who thinks they need more strings to get their point across needs more strings. Anyone who doesn't, doesn't. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kiwi Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 8 hours ago, LeftyP said: Although I am a lefty, I play as a right hander. Me too, I used to cite that as an excuse for not being able to play as well as Mark King many years ago. Then I discovered he was one too...and that was the day the excuses ran out. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LukeFRC Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 3 hours ago, Kiwi said: Me too, I used to cite that as an excuse for not being able to play as well as Mark King many years ago. Then I discovered he was one too...and that was the day the excuses ran out. Me three. Though I’ve never tried to do play like Mark king 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
BigRedX Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 13 hours ago, LukeFRC said: Is 34” or 35” “standard” for 5 strings? There is no standard, and if the bass has been well made and you have the right strings for it, then it doesn't matter from the PoV of sound. I've owned 5 string basses with 34", 35" and 36" scale length. The 35" scale length ones were definitely the least good in terms of sound. The best one I owned was 34". IME it's all down to the construction, rather than the length, and you need to go to 36"+ before length alone starts to make a difference. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bassbiscuits Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 I briefly had a 35” scale Yamaha TRB1005 this time last year. Played nicely and sounded good but it just felt massive on me. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OliverBlackman Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 19 hours ago, LukeFRC said: Is 34” or 35” “standard” for 5 strings? I’ve found that a lot of the “boutique” basses tend to be predominantly 35”. I had a 35” 5 string Overwater and looked like one of the seven dwarves on stage. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 27 minutes ago, bassbiscuits said: I briefly had a 35” scale Yamaha TRB1005 this time last year. Played nicely and sounded good but it just felt massive on me. Know what you mean. 1" can make a surprising amount of difference in terms of getting used to the hand-stretch and I don't have particularly small hands. My Spector has narrower string spacing (17mm / 35" scale) which helps in terms of overall stretch, but still took a little getting used to even compared to my Yammys (18mm / 34"). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Al Krow Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 16 minutes ago, OliverBlackman said: I’ve found that a lot of the “boutique” basses tend to be predominantly 35”. I had a 35” 5 string Overwater and looked like one of the seven dwarves on stage. Always been tempted by Overwaters - how did you rate it? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
DaytonaRik Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 Whilst I could quite happily live without one, I do quite fancy either a 5 string XT Spirit or get another 4 string but strung as BEAD and see where it goes. As for learning new things...currently learning the Bulgarian Cyrillic alphabet with a view to studying Bulgarian for snowboard trips...I suspect that learning to play a 5er might be a bit easier! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ordep Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 mainly a four string player, but I have one five string when the need for it arises. Never felt uncomfortable switching between 4 & 5 strings, I am actually more uncomfortable doing the drop D thing for lower notes (for non drop D songs) hehe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Paul S Posted December 23, 2020 Share Posted December 23, 2020 23 minutes ago, Al Krow said: Know what you mean. 1" can make a surprising amount of difference 🤨 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Join the conversation
You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.