4 or 5 string mostly?

[oli@bass]

and... string spacing!

 

[Basswave]

That was my point exactly, but it seems that most of you are not getting it. If you need a 5 string part of the time, why not just play it ALL of the time?

For a few different reasons...Some more prevalent then others.

- For a different feel...When a bass feels different you can easily play different on it, at least I do.

-A do a couple of different funkier gigs where there is some aggressive slapping, some of those parts are easier on a 4 string.
(Its not that I cannot do it on a 5 but its easier on a 4)

-Overall tone of the instrument (Let me just keep this example to just MusicMan style of instruments, however I think this is even more prevalent in other manufactures and or styles) A classic style ray with with a 2 band pre does not sound like SR5 with a 3 band. Granted you can get close...but its not the same. I personally want both sounds available to me.

-Probably the least important is just the pure nostalgia of it. I have a Ray34CA that I love. It has a SLO styled neck on it (so I fell like I'm playing J) and just look and sounds like an old Ray. I do a lot of gigs with the same drummer and right now that is his favorite bass out over dozen in my current stable.

I hope this makes sense

Cheers

 

[projectapollo]

I'd love to know what Craig thinks.

 

[Basswave]

OK right now I my Roasted SR5 H Black Sugar just came in and its mint with very little sparkle (which is what I wanted) and just plays killer.

So today its a 5

 

[dave64o]

Fives exclusively. I only owned a four string for a few weeks and that was about 10 years ago. I occasionally think about getting a four just to force myself to think differently and just to work on it so I'm able to actually play one (I'd be lost on a four right now! ). But for me personally, there's nothing I need to play that can be played on a four but can't be played on a five, so that thought eventually goes away.

I have nothing at all against fours. It's just that, for a variety of reasons, fives work best for my needs. So I stick with them.

 

[Bassconbeatz]

Five's are all I have plus a sixer.

 

[projectapollo]

With 60 votes cast, the 5-ers are surging, 60/40.

 

[projectapollo]

On my way home from spring break on the beach on Florida.
Anyhow, when I get home there are 2 roasted bongos waiting. The special order 4HH I ordered back in Aug. And rizzo's roasted bongo 5 that I bought on impulse. So, this thread is to help me decide between these two delicious black sugar bongia (plural for bongo). Oh, and I'm stopping in Atlanta on the way home to pick up a 12" mesa walkabout scout cab to use with my walkabout amp. With 12 hours in the car each way.... Too easy to buy gear! my family is very understanding. I love them.

 

[0DDJ0B]

Being a skinny string guy my brain works faster with the 4 but I do like that low B on my 5. Like someone said on here already, if I have to get down I go for the 4 if I'm just laying down some groove the 5 is nice to have.

 

[markbass99]

Easy decision- Bongo 5 all the way, it's already got a Bongo 4 built into it!

 

[mmbassplayer]

How about hand comfort between a 4 and a 5? For a guy with small hands and stubby fingers like myself i am much more comfortable on a 4. While i can get away with playing a 5 fine it always feels like a stuggle to play the B past about the 5th fret. That is on an EBMM 5 which is a lot easier to play than most. I briefly owned a 6 which was fretless which was the worst of all worlds. JOSH

 

[jlepre]

That's why I only play EBMM 5 stringers. I tried others, but the string spacing was too far of a stretch for MY stubby fingers.

 

[Codasound.net]

No 6 button? lol