From 5 string back to 4

[shamus63]

Not really. All my basses have flatwound strings, which won't need changing at the earliest until my 4 month old son finishes college.

Which is exactly why BP doesn't push flats...

Sorry BP...couldn't resist!

 

[tkarter]

real men play 4 strings.....roundwound too.......

Hey BP I got kids.

tk

 

[Big Poppa]

yeah some of us like to hear the string vibrate...you have your bike for that!

 

[Urwordsbreakmed]

i dont think your crazy i wanta go back to a 4 but i like the look of the 5 more and i get confused alot when im missing a string hahahaha but my next will be a hs sr4 im pretty sure

 

[Moondog]

You DEFINATELY should own a 4 bro.

Take it ez on the amp exchange program
and focus on bass aquisition for a while

4's are definelty my fav but I miss my old SR5
on a few tunes. I'll have one again soon . . .
providing the Fedex staff doesn't have one on
the GAS list this time around.

4, 5, + a fretless and you're set

 

[kaaikop]

My first ever EBMM bass was a SR5, and I love it dearly, and use it a lot, but
only when I "need" 5 strings... I too, find myself more at ease with 4 strings,
for certain type of things. Since the last 3 basses I've bought were 4 strings,
I guess you could say I have fallen in love again with 4 strings, but I never,
never would get rid of my SR5! So everytime I gig or practice, I always bring
a 4 and a 5 string, and have to switch frequently (which looks kinda cool anyway).

 

[Dr. Nick]

I'm strictly a four-cylinder type of guy, so you can take this with a grain of salt, but I have heard very few 5-string players here in the real world who:

a. make effective use of the B-string (34-inch thumbrest indeed!)
b. have an amp that can accurately reproduce the B-string

Again, this is in my little backwards part of the world, where EBMM basses, 'Bergs, Aguilars, Edens, big Ampegs, Markbass and _______________(fill in the name of your favorite high-quality gear here) are mythical creatures...I have no doubt that you guys make very effective use of all your strings, and you've obviously got some awesome rigs!



Oh, yeah: ROUNDWOUND ALL THE WAY BABY!!!! Snappin', growlin', snarlin' zingy-bright roundwounds! I go through about 20 sets a year, but they sound killer!

 

[SharonG]

real men play 4 strings.....roundwound too.......

Add real women to that, too!

I've tried my son's 6 string - It's like trying to drive a conversion van in a compact car parking lot! I may be set in my ways, but I'm very happy w/ my four string basses. My hands are small, too - so that makes a difference, but it works for me.

 

[Big Poppa]

atta girl

 

[shamus63]

yeah some of us like to hear the string vibrate...you have your bike for that!

Guess I set that one up...

You'll be happy to know that I'm keeping Slinky's on my Ray and incoming Bongo!

 

[Moondog]

James, let's see a close-up of that bike please.

fyi - roundwounds preferred by most HD riders

 

[cybersnyder]

I agree that 4 strings seem more fluid when playing. I think it's all in what you started out with. I get around fine on a 5 string, but sometimes it feels similar to translating English to Spanish before speaking versus just saying what you want to say in English (the 4 string).

 

[shamus63]

James, let's see a close-up of that bike please.

fyi - roundwounds preferred by most HD riders

Ken ~ I'll have a close-up posted on this thread by Saturday a.m.

Nice ride you've got there!

 

[Figjam]

Nothing wrong with a good 4 banger. My sterling isnt going anywhere.

 

[Dr Stankface]

Your Sterling also barely sees the light of day.

 

[tkarter]

Can anyone here just plain see the number of strings or type of strings is up to what you are hearing when you think of playing the bass? Can you play what you want and sound like you want? If so then no need to ask any of us.


I am happy in all of my choices.

tk

 

[Mr Light]

Anyone gone from playing mainly 5 string to 4 string?

My StingRay 5 and I get along great, and man do I love that bass.

However, I seem to just flow more naturally on the 4 string. Not that Im any better on 4, just more efficient maybe. Ive played mainly 5 for the last 5 years. So Ive given some serious thought to my next bass being a 4 string.

How crazy am I?

You're not crazy at all. I was an upright bass player before I started playing electric and a four-string bass is just home to me. I play my fiver only if it is needed or for convenience, otherwise I'm a tried and true four-banger!

 

[maddog]

..., otherwise I'm a tried and true four-banger!

I think I read that in a bathroom stall somewhere.

 

[Dr Stankface]

Mr. Light! Good to see you around these parts!

Where the helluvya been?

 

[Freddy-G.]

I recently joined a classic rock band and took my Bongo 5 to one of the first practices we had, and realized I didn't touch the B string the entire time. Sure, you can stick some B string notes in these songs, but it always seemed forced. So yeah, I'm having to rethink my preference for 5ivers.