Switch to 5 string

[Buzzman]

Long time 4 string player but lately I've been considering a StingRay 5.

Is it the convenience of position playing that attracts the user?
Is it the fretted E that sounds better than the open E?
The thunder of the low B?
Is there a general criteria that makes the 5-er a no brainer?

Please share the pros and cons of picking up a 5 string.

Did Big Poppa really say "Real Men play 4 strings". (?)

Thanks in advance.

Buzz

 

[bizmarckie]

I just picked up an SR5, and the 5th string can be helpful in certain situations where you might want that low b, c, d (or in between) without having to drop tune. That's my 2 cents, but I'm a 4 stringer myself

 

[adouglas]

Yes, absolutely. A lot of lines are much easier to play in closed position up the neck.

Yes, much of the time... fretted notes have a very different character.

No. I've never needed to use the low B itself. Too much of a good thing.

Yes. As singers age, they are not able to hit those high notes any longer. It is routine practice to transpose songs down to fit the singer's ability, and if you're already using the open E on a four string you've got nowhere left to go.

If you think of the bass as just a close-spaced (Sterling-like) four string with one extra string along the side, the transition is easy.

Once you get used to it you might not want to go back... I've been playing 5 string exclusively for so long that I suspect it'd be hard for me to switch back.

 

[five7]

The cool thing is tune the B down to A and play two octaves with your first and fourth fingers. A lot of songs are in A and on a musicman, "oh my GOD"!

 

[TheAntMan]

I am a 4 string myself and want to get a 5 string to have one, just in case one is required at some point. I am planning on getting a Ray35. I have tried the Ray34 and it ROCKED!!! So for the price, can't beat it as a way to check out a 5 string without a large investment.

My $0.02

Good Luck.

-- Ant

 

[five7]

I had a couple of sub 5s and they are damn nice. Plus they are 100% USA.

 

[RobertB]

Is it the convenience of position playing that attracts the user?
Is it the fretted E that sounds better than the open E?
The thunder of the low B?

All of the above, in my opinion. I've primarily played 4's, with some periods of playing 5'ers interleaved here and there. If I had to pick one of the things you mentioned as the thing I personally find the most practical about 5'ers, it would be position playing. I can definitely say that's how I utilized the B most often. Not by playing the 5 notes you can't get anywhere else (though of course those are nice, too), but more often by taking advantage of having 15 scale tones (2 octaves) under your fingertips in a single position anywhere on the neck, without shifting.

Is there a general criteria that makes the 5-er a no brainer?

In my opinion, no. Not for everyone, at least.

 

[r goldsmith]

Position playing more than anything, and then the lower D and Eb is where I found it useful (less so the B, C and C# but they too get the occasional airtime).

And while I'd hardly call myself a jazz player, I have found that having that low Eb comes in handy if you play tunes in flat keys, which many horn-based standards seem to be.

Having said all that, for various GAS-related reasons I am without a 5'er at the moment....although I intend to remedy that.

 

[bradfordws]

Convenience of position playing – yes

The fretted E has a bigger sound, but I still play plenty of open Es

Thunder of the low B – sometimes, but as stated before, it’s more about being able to hit that low D or C or Eb without detuning. A good example: I recently joined a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. That bass solo in The Chain is a drop D. At first, I thought it would be cool to play all the tunes with a P Bass like McVie used to play. I tuned down for that song, but didn’t like having to re-think all the notes. Long story short, I’m playing the gig with my Sterling 5HH. The other thing is that I’ve been a fiver since around 1986 and hardly ever play a 4 anymore. I’m involved with another project where the guitarist does a lot of open tunings like Joni Mitchell – I don’t have to retune to anything. Some guitarists I play with like tuning to Eb – no problem with the 5.

No brainer? For me it was just that. Plus, a lot of my favorite players were playing 5s – Jimmy Johnson, Nathan East, Mike Porcaro, Neil Stubenhaus, Jimmy Haslip just to name a few. It’s also easier to play keyboard or synth bass lines when you can go as low as a piano. Another example: I used to play Broken Wings by Mr. Mister in a band – a cool keyboard bass line totally playable with a 5.

Pros – many
Cons - none

I’m not sure if BP made that statement.

Check out the Sterling 5 while you’re at it. I prefer the Sterling 5 because of the smaller body, but of course the SR5 is a great bass too.

 

[Tyrone]

I played in a hard rock band and tuned down (B down a half step, E-G up a half step). Now I'm playing acoustic singer/songwriter stuff in regular tuning (singer also uses a dropped half step guitar but I just transpose), and it was an easy transition since I viewed it as a 4 string with an extra string tagged on. On his album, there's a part where I drop it down the low C...that instance alone is worth having the extra string. It's good to have the option of being able to go low or high depending on your style/feel/mood.

 

[ekb16b]

You'll be right. Even though i don't really utilize the b string i prefer the tighter string spacing over my sr4

 

[Buzzman]

Wow. All excellent comments.
I will say that I do not drop tune and do play the open E. (Does that make me even lazier?)

Again, I appreciate everyone's input.

Buzz

 

[Smallmouth_Bass]

All the benefits you mention are reasons why I primarily play 5-string.
- Additional low notes (without tuning down)
- Consistent tension of all strings over tuning down
- Additional playing possibilities in higher positions
- Different character to a fretted E over an open E
- The B-string makes a great thumb rest (and you need to use it as a thumb rest to keep the sympathetic string ring from happening)

 

[HeavyDuty]

I'm a mediocre player that originally started the switch to fivers because of hand pain - I was able to play with less hand span. Since then, I've learned to love the other benefits like the fretted E, additional notes and thumbrest.

 

[keko]

You can't miss with 5 stringer, I play bass over 20 years and 4 stringers are become really boring after so many songs!

It's very funny to play and very useful low C and D, and fretted E really sounds better than flat E string!

And when using flat B string in some blues staff from E major, it really rocks!

Anyway, even construction of 5 string bass is better for the sound, the wood is more massive and solid, and pickups have longer coils and magnets, so it must sounds better however, in theory and practice!

 

[stretch80]

You also can get a really different character playing up the neck on the thicker B and E strings. Think "McCartney" like round bass, whenever you want it.

 

[Mayers]

Convenience of position playing – yes

The fretted E has a bigger sound, but I still play plenty of open Es

Thunder of the low B – sometimes, but as stated before, it’s more about being able to hit that low D or C or Eb without detuning. A good example: I recently joined a Fleetwood Mac tribute band. That bass solo in The Chain is a drop D. At first, I thought it would be cool to play all the tunes with a P Bass like McVie used to play. I tuned down for that song, but didn’t like having to re-think all the notes. Long story short, I’m playing the gig with my Sterling 5HH. The other thing is that I’ve been a fiver since around 1986 and hardly ever play a 4 anymore. I’m involved with another project where the guitarist does a lot of open tunings like Joni Mitchell – I don’t have to retune to anything. Some guitarists I play with like tuning to Eb – no problem with the 5.

No brainer? For me it was just that. Plus, a lot of my favorite players were playing 5s – Jimmy Johnson, Nathan East, Mike Porcaro, Neil Stubenhaus, Jimmy Haslip just to name a few. It’s also easier to play keyboard or synth bass lines when you can go as low as a piano. Another example: I used to play Broken Wings by Mr. Mister in a band – a cool keyboard bass line totally playable with a 5.

Pros – many
Cons - none

I’m not sure if BP made that statement.

Check out the Sterling 5 while you’re at it. I prefer the Sterling 5 because of the smaller body, but of course the SR5 is a great bass too.

Jimmy Haslip and Nathan East play 6 strings basses now.

For the question I learn to play bass with a 5 strings bass and to me, a 4 strings bass is wierd especialy on a music sheet. Many instrument can go lower than the last line while the 4 strings bass only have 2 notes below the last line... so the 5 and 6 strings are somewhat more natural.