4 string or 5 string bass?

[Dave]

1 string whamola? (CARL GONNA LOEV THIS SHAT)

[youtube][/youtube]

[Nick]

I also have never felt that I needed a high C string in the case of the Fender bass V's.

Although I have never actually played or even seen a Fender Bass V, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one...the fact that the neck effectively has like 12 playable frets on it, I would imagine that extra string would come in handy to do the same high notes that you could play on a normal 4 string bass

[dezb1]

4 string, no one needs a B that low...

[brainfur]

if you just want to be a good bass player learn to play 4 string and then 5 will be easy enough to adapt to if you really think you need to

[cleo]

4 string, all the way. I don't like the feeling of five-string-bassnecks.
A friend of mine learned on a five string and switched to a four string bass later on. He really does not miss the fifth string.
AT ALL.

[Haze]

All that and hardly a solid answer, thanks guys.
Cons - I'll look like a fag, got it...

The comment on parts/repairs being harder to find/less universal was decent, the rest was ignorant shite.

[Gabriel]

It really depends on the style of music you intend to play. I'm good friends with a fair few bassists and only one of them plays a 5 string, all the others hold the 5 string bass in low regard and my friend that plays a 5 strings plays prog?

If I were in your position I'd definitely opt for a 4 string, partly because I prefer the feel of a 4 string bass, partly because you only gain 5 lower notes really and also unless you're playing over difficult chord extensions or in a weird key the low B often isn't too useful.

Also I haven't seen many Jazzers playing 5 strings, in fact I haven't seen many playing electric bass in quite awhile, but an upright bass has 4 strings so...

I'd try both and see what you find more comfortable though.

[George]

All that and hardly a solid answer, thanks guys.
Cons - I'll look like a fag, got it...

The comment on parts/repairs being harder to find/less universal was decent, the rest was ignorant shite.

*smug face*

[brainfur]

All that and hardly a solid answer, thanks guys.
Cons - I'll look like a fag, got it...

do you play a 7 string guitar?

do whatever you want, but learning to play on a 5 string wont make you a better bassist, and it might make learning harder.

[Billy3000]

I also have never felt that I needed a high C string in the case of the Fender bass V's.

Although I have never actually played or even seen a Fender Bass V, I'm going to have to disagree with you on this one...the fact that the neck effectively has like 12 playable frets on it, I would imagine that extra string would come in handy to do the same high notes that you could play on a normal 4 string bass

Most of the time that I'm playing on the G string on bass though it's only in bass runs or fills, and since it's always in key, I'm not having to jump up to notes that are uncomfortable to reach naturally on that string. So I can't imagine any instance where I would need a higher string. Nor do I think it would sound particularly good on a bass to have a string any higher than the G, which would explain why the bass V was never very popular. I think they look cool, and it would be fun to play around on one, but I just don't think they're that useable.

I just typed all that and realized you might only be talking about the high C string being useful in regards to the Fender Bass V because of it's lack of a normal amount of frets. In which case I would agree actually. On a normal bass with 20 frets, I can't imagine an extra high string being useful.

[Ankhanu]

5 strings aren't only useful in shitty metal and dave matthewsy shit. It's also very useful for jazz music. That being said, I can't say that any time during my years as a bassist, I've ever felt as though I needed to play any lower notes necessitating a low B string. I also have never felt that I needed a high C string in the case of the Fender bass V's.

Although since I've never really spent any real time playing a 5 string, I imagine it would be fun to have one to just play around on from time to time, but if I were to choose just one, I would go with a 4 string. If you are interested in a 5 string I would spring for the Ernie Ball, but I haven't played any of the Ibanezes. I hear they are pretty nice though, so they could be worth a shot.

I used to play 5-string almost exclusively until I got my Jazz Bass; I played mostly grunge style rock stuff in my band and any range of stuff at home... they're pretty nice, all in all.
The B allowed me to play in standard when my guitar guy was in drop D, and allowed me to play, say, some of the Bleach era Nirvana tunes without down tuning. More often than not, though, I didn't really use the B string, and when I did, it was to hit, say, a low D or C in a fill; I didn't tend to spend much time on it.

Since moving back to 4 string, I haven't missed the B at all... of course, I wouldn't be able to play most of our songs correctly if my old band ever got back together.

(I'm now primarily a VI player though, so take what I say with a grain of salt )

My advice is to go 4-string. There's really not much you can't do with it, and it will force you to learn its neck and where all the notes are better, IMO.
The general tendency for 5 and 6 string players to play douchey music is somewhat right, but, hey, breaking the mold is fun too Something else to consider is that, while a 5 will give you those extra low notes, very few bass cabinets can even handle an E fundamental, let alone anything lower. They are kinda fun, but, not normally necessary.

[ekwatts]

Basses have four strings. Baritones and guitars have six. There are no exceptions.

[Ankhanu]

Basses have four strings. Baritones and guitars have six. There are no exceptions.

Except Bass VI

[hotrodperlmutter]

All that and hardly a solid answer, thanks guys.
Cons - I'll look like a fag, got it...

The comment on parts/repairs being harder to find/less universal was decent, the rest was ignorant shite.

srsly, so you want to look like a fag?

GOT IT.

[Nick]

I just typed all that and realized you might only be talking about the high C string being useful in regards to the Fender Bass V because of it's lack of a normal amount of frets. In which case I would agree actually. On a normal bass with 20 frets, I can't imagine an extra high string being useful.

Yes that's exactly what I meant lol.

Haze, you are being a dick. Just equate a 5 string bass to a 7 string guitar. You'll need to adapt your playing style, it's not like you're only gaining more range out of it.

I don't think equating 5 string basses to shitty music is ignorant. There is nothing wrong with turning to artists you like the sound of for shortcuts for gear searching. When I think of bass, I think of all the bands I listen to and how most of them (if not all) use 4 string bass. They can sound like night and day, but they're all working with the same 4 strings and don't need anything more than that to make awesome music for a living. It's easy to spot guitar sounds sometimes when it's a tonal difference; jags/mustangs, telecasters, gretsch, rickenbacker, les pauls; but when you're adding elements that expand the possibilities, you're doing the equivalent of playing a 20 piece drum kit with double bass, or a 7 string floyd rose guitar. Does it make the music better? Does it REALLY make you any more versatile as an artist? Sometimes the answer to those questions are yes, but most of the time, having all that extra just makes you look and sound like you're trying to hard.

Call that opinion ignorant if you want, but here's your fucking answer:

Do you need low notes lower than an E for the music that you'll be playing/writing on it? Then buy a fucking 5 string and stop whining. It sounds like you really want a 5 string and are looking for a good reason not to get one. We're all musicians and do whatever the fuck we want when it comes to our gear at the end of the day. People do play them, so they can't be that bad.

[damienblair17]

I say play the bass you're interested in first. If there's a difference between the neck on an Ibanez and a neck on a Stingray, feel it for yourself. I personally don't like 5 strings (I have enough trouble playing 4) but my hands can't wrap around the wider neck either, so it works out.

If you like it, do it. If it sucks, don't.

And if you're looking for a decent opinion, certainly don't ask SS.org

[ekwatts]

Basses have four strings. Baritones and guitars have six. There are no exceptions.

Except Bass VI

Sort of a baritone, really. Danelectro and Fender called them six-string basses back in the day but they're almost always grouped under the baritone title nowadays.

I just don't understand guitars that add an extra string beyond a mild curiosity, something a guitar manufacturer can do as a gimmick. If you're a guitarist or bassist and you desperately need that low B, just... tune down to B? Do you really need to go all way from the low up to the highest note on the E string, a D on the 22nd fret for example? Are there any songs in which you'd need that exact range that you couldn't lose about five notes from one end or the other? Seriously?

I think of Alien Ant Farm whenever I think of basses with more than five strings.

[Nick]

[Ankhanu]

Sort of a baritone, really. Danelectro and Fender called them six-string basses back in the day but they're almost always grouped under the baritone title nowadays.

They're placed under baritone lately due to how they're often played, but, they're in the bass frequency range. It's just a 4 string bass with a high B and e added. The top four strings play the exact same frequencies as the strings of a standard bass... It's a bass instrument. It was also designed as a bass instrument, playing bass lines along with stand up basses, adding sharper attack... but, we players have used them differently through the years
To make a VI a standard baritone, you have to capo at the 5th or 7th fret.

[AaronGuitarDude]

4 strung