5 string vs BEAD

[robert43]

Hi all my son keeps on telling me to buy a 5 string bass.
As I have a SX P & a Squier P&J bass , I was wondering should I 1 buy a 5 string bass SX or Squier , Or 2 get a new nut for 1 of the basses file it to suit the bottom 5 of a 5 string set & tune to Bead.

[WarPig]

[quote name='robert43' post='484103' date='May 10 2009, 12:27 AM']Hi all my son keeps on telling me to buy a 5 string bass.
As I have a SX P & a Squier P&J bass , I was wondering should I 1 buy a 5 string bass SX or Squier , Or 2 get a new nut for 1 of the basses file it to suit the bottom 5 of a 5 string set & tune to Bead.[/quote]

depends on how much you'll miss the G and/or want to spend.

[robert43]

That was quick to be honest I dont use the G that much & what I am more worried is it will end up like my sons 12 string guitar used 30 mins every 12 months + my wife allways tell me I have toooo many guitars / basses

[WarPig]

[quote name='robert43' post='484110' date='May 10 2009, 12:32 AM']That was quick to be honest I dont use the G that much & what I am more worried is it will end up like my sons 12 string guitar used 30 mins every 12 months + my wife allways tell me I have toooo many guitars / basses[/quote]



Just file a nut down on one of the basses and see how it goes. It can be reversed.
The cost of a new nut and new set of strings is alot less than a new bass (best to keep the wife happy)

Edited May 9, 2009 by WarPig

[Archetype]

It really is a personal thing.
Since my band is down tuned or use's 7 strings the need to be at the basic BEAD tuning was required.
I started with the down tuned 4 string, however i found the B got a bit sloppy feeling, and the level diffrence from the B to E string was a bit too much. While I am sure it was solvable but i also felt more comfortable with the 5 string, i like the thicker neck on it.

try some 5 strings out and decide from there. i know many people dont like em.

[robert43]

Hi all thanks for that 1 of my worries about a 5 string is I tried a OLP 5 string & the neck was like a baseball neck

[risingson]

Shop around, not all 5 stringers will have the same neck profile and string spacing, and also it might be a case of getting used to the transition between the two as well. Personally I would go for the 5 string, I think (though some might disagree) that the G string is really worth keeping, and probably not worth sacrificing.

[pete.young]

I've tried both. We often find we need to move the key of a song up or down a few semitones and the lower tuning is helpful when the bassline is already at the bottom of the range of conventional tuning.

I had an OLP MM3 5-string for a while but couldn't really get on with it. It wasn't a bass I'd want to spend all night playing.

I then strung a bass up B-E-A-D and just used it for a small number of songs in the set, but swapping basses during the set was a load of unnecessary hassle and I couldn't bring myself to play it all night. Having a 2-octave neck helped with the higher octave stuff, you just end up playing everything in the top octave up a 4th. The only problem I had, which may have been specific to the bass, was that it didn't trigger the synth pedal very cleanly.

Then I found a 5-string that I was comfortable with playing, that I do want to spend all night playing, did trigger the synth properly and as an added bonus it has a huge range of different tones. So I'm using that as my main bass now and getting into it. There is still the occasional 'Where the hell am I' moment but they're becoming fewer.

As others have said, I'd recommend you give BEAD a go, unless you want the excuse to buy another bass. Who, me?

[Kongo]

I'd go 5-string over BEAD any day.
Not only because I use all 5-strings but it's still a standard bass...Say your son (not sure how longs he's played so apologies) wants to play RATM.
With a 5-string he can leave the Low-B alone and de-tune the E-string to D and play a RATM song and the same for their E-standard tuning...But no way with a BEAD tuning.

Having a 5-string with you will mean one bass can do more.
BEAD is very limited and chances are songs he will learn that a 5-string bassists used, he would have used the G-string too.

5-strings can be had for little money.
For sake of versatility I'm sure one more bass wouldn't hurt LOL!

[quote name='liamcapleton' post='484141' date='May 10 2009, 04:01 AM']Shop around, not all 5 stringers will have the same neck profile and string spacing, and also it might be a case of getting used to the transition between the two as well. Personally I would go for the 5 string, I think (though some might disagree) that the G string is really worth keeping, and probably not worth sacrificing. [/quote]

+1!
BEAD can't compare to 5-string.
I'd rather have a 7-string guitar than tune B-standard too!

Don't worry about techneque. After 3 years of playing I went from a Yamaha RBX170 4-string 34" scale to a Peavey Grind 6-string 35" scale...and that moves was fine once I got used to looking at 2 more strings.
The move to 5-string is easy.

Edited May 10, 2009 by Kongo

[WinterMute]

FWIW I've gone back to 4 strings after 20 odd years of a Warwick thumb 5, I found the extra extension for my small hands was causing tendon and carpal tunnel problems, (not massively, but after a couple of hours, it definitely hurt)

I'm back with Jazz's now, and the only pain is in the fingers from all the extra playing I'm doing.

However, I'd definitely recommend a 5 string and not a re-jigged 4, it's just easier, and a good 5 will end up replacing your 4 live if you need the extra extension.

[Kongo]

[quote name='WinterMute' post='484318' date='May 10 2009, 02:13 PM']FWIW I've gone back to 4 strings after 20 odd years of a Warwick thumb 5, I found the extra extension for my small hands was causing tendon and carpal tunnel problems, (not massively, but after a couple of hours, it definitely hurt)

I'm back with Jazz's now, and the only pain is in the fingers from all the extra playing I'm doing.

However, I'd definitely recommend a 5 string and not a re-jigged 4, it's just easier, and a good 5 will end up replacing your 4 live if you need the extra extension.[/quote]

+1
Then you have the option of two basses.

How did you injur yourself playing one? Was it your hands or techneque?
I play a very broad 6-string and my hands cramp up on 4-string with thin necks.

[WinterMute]

[quote name='Kongo' post='484321' date='May 10 2009, 02:18 PM']+1
Then you have the option of two basses.

How did you injur yourself playing one? Was it your hands or techneque?
I play a very broad 6-string and my hands cramp up on 4-string with thin necks.[/quote]

I have small hands, and the span on a 5 or 6 string was making me stretch my left hand on the lower end of the neck, couple with the scale length of the Warwick and the angle of my wrist when playing the bottom of the neck was causing problems during gigs, long session and rehearsals, it never became a real problem as I moved into studio production before i did any real damage, but it bloody hurt at the time.

I find the Squire jazz to be much easier to play for extended periods.

[rslaing]

[url="http://www.warrguitars.com/phalanx_series/"]Just get one of these [/url]

[rslaing]

Physical problems with your hands when playing bass, whether it be a narrow 4 string or an expansive 8,10 or more, is normally down to poor technique.

Spend some money on a good tutor..................

[WinterMute]

[quote name='rslaing' post='484607' date='May 10 2009, 09:05 PM']Physical problems with your hands when playing bass, whether it be a narrow 4 string or an expansive 8,10 or more, is normally down to poor technique.

Spend some money on a good tutor..................[/quote]

In my case it's down to physiology, my wrist joints have been over developed and strengthened by years of martial arts, they don't have the radial angle movement needed for comfort on a long necked 5 string, the extension to the B string on the lower 5 frets or so just stretches the tendons and causes pressure on the nerves.

It's just the way I'm built. I have no such issues on a 4 string bass.

[Paul Cooke]

I use a standard 4 string bass and my Zoom b2.1u.

I make extensive use of the pitch shifting function and set patches up so I can quickly go from standard tuning to BEAD with a simple patch change.

We also change keys on the fly to suit the singers and/or congregation and so I just set a patch up for the song with the pitch shifted up or down however many semitones are needed and carry on playing normally using the sheet music given letting the Zoom do the transposing.

I find there's an ever so slight delay in the transposed notes, but no-one else notices as I adjust my playing to pluck ever so slightly ahead of the beat to compensate.

[LeftyJ]

The low B may also sound tighter on a proper 5-string because of the thicker and wider neck. More wood = tighter. I do find the high strings to sound a bit too tight on some 5-strings. I have tried both, I've owned several 5-strings and have tuned one of my Ibanez ATK300's to BEAD, and for the music I play on the ATK's I preferred the 4-string tuned down to BEAD because it sounded much fatter whereas the ATK305 5-string I also own sounded very tight and the highs were somewhat thin.

Give both options a try, it really is a matter of taste. If you prefer the feel of a 4-string over the wider neck of a 5-string and don't really need the G-string, a 4-string tuned BEAD may be the better option. If you like the greater range of a 5-string and the added tightness, get a 5-string. It will save you the hassle of filing the nut and intonating the bridge, and possibly back again when you find you prefer a real 5 after all.

[alexclaber]

[quote name='WinterMute' post='484598' date='May 10 2009, 08:56 PM']I have small hands, and the span on a 5 or 6 string was making me stretch my left hand on the lower end of the neck, couple with the scale length of the Warwick and the angle of my wrist when playing the bottom of the neck was causing problems during gigs, long session and rehearsals, it never became a real problem as I moved into studio production before i did any real damage, but it bloody hurt at the time.

I find the Squire jazz to be much easier to play for extended periods.[/quote]

It's probably not the 5-string thing, it's the Warwick Thumb. My Streamer has the same problem but the Thumbs are even worse - it's all to do with the position of the strap pins and thus how the basses sit against your body which causes the nut to end up miles out to the left. My RIM Custom 5 has a 36" scale yet fretting down near the nut is easier than on my Streamer 4 34" scale.

Alex

[Jus Lukin]

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Edited February 15, 2022 by Jus Lukin

[Kongo]

[quote name='WinterMute' post='484693' date='May 10 2009, 10:58 PM']In my case it's down to physiology, my wrist joints have been over developed and strengthened by years of martial arts, they don't have the radial angle movement needed for comfort on a long necked 5 string, the extension to the B string on the lower 5 frets or so just stretches the tendons and causes pressure on the nerves.

It's just the way I'm built. I have no such issues on a 4 string bass.[/quote]

Interesting.......I wonder how our playing is actually affected by everyday life?

[Monz]

[quote name='alexclaber' post='484801' date='May 11 2009, 08:51 AM']It's probably not the 5-string thing, it's the Warwick Thumb. My Streamer has the same problem but the Thumbs are even worse - it's all to do with the position of the strap pins and thus how the basses sit against your body which causes the nut to end up miles out to the left. My RIM Custom 5 has a 36" scale yet fretting down near the nut is easier than on my Streamer 4 34" scale.

Alex[/quote]

+1

Since selling the warwick corvette 5 and getting the stingray 5 my left hand and forearm hasn't suffered nearly as much at the end of 35 songs. The Stingray is a heavy beast though