Should I get a five string?

[mobass]

I just joined an originals band that plays a bit of everything. The have songs that are rock,country, funk,blues and everything in between. I've been thinking about getting a sterling 5 hs to use as my main bass. I'm a little nervous because I've only played 4 strings before, and this will be my only bass I'll be able to buy for a few years. I love my stingray H, but I'd like to have a single coil added for versatility, and the sterling appeals to me because I have small hands. So should I get a 4 or 5 string?

 

[Assumer]

I recently purchased a cheap 5 to see if we get along. Right now I don't know. At times I still hit the B thinking it is the E. Time will tell.

 

[bovinehost]

Should I get a five string?

Well YEAH.

What else did you expect me to say?

 

[maddog]

yes.

 

[MadMatt]

I just joined an originals band that plays a bit of everything. The have songs that are rock,country, funk,blues and everything in between. I've been thinking about getting a sterling 5 hs to use as my main bass. I'm a little nervous because I've only played 4 strings before, and this will be my only bass I'll be able to buy for a few years. I love my stingray H, but I'd like to have a single coil added for versatility, and the sterling appeals to me because I have small hands. So should I get a 4 or 5 string?

By all means yes! I did exactly this for the same reasons several weeks ago and I do not regret it. My advise, if your gig schedule allows it, commit yourself to the 5 string by locking all your 4 bangers up and play only the 5 string at every opportunity. Learn to play your songs from the 5th fret using the B string. After a few days it actually starts making sense. Just last night at band practice we drop a song from D to C "on the fly" because our singer has a cold. For the first time is was no problem at all. I simply moved the pattern down 2 frets and played like I normally do. The drummer and I where the only ones who did not have a problem with dropping down 2 half steps

-M@

 

[TNT]

Hey, if it's strings you want, play guitar - you automatically start out with 6!!

 

[five7]

Bass starts with B.

 

[gafman]

If you can afford it then a big YES. I was suprised how quick I adapted to the extra string.

 

[r goldsmith]

If you are asking the question, I think you already have the answer. And of course, EBMM make the best 5 string basses, in my humble view.

(PS - no five strings in my arsenal at the moment, but I've had them before and will do so again, soon).

 

[Chuck B]

If you have the money then get your fiver Sterling! Leave your 4string Sterling in the case and play the 5er only. Maybe you'll find out after a while that you don't need a fiver, but you will have the experience...

 

[adouglas]

Don't worry about having small hands. I do too and the 5 is no problem at all. I can't deal with a 6, though.

Here's my hand against a dollar bill for reference. If yours is this big, I absolutely guarantee you can play a 5 easily.

 

[strummer]

Yes.

 

[MadMatt]

Don't worry about having small hands. I do too and the 5 is no problem at all. I can't deal with a 6, though.

Here's my hand against a dollar bill for reference. If yours is this big, I absolutely guarantee you can play a 5 easily.

Thats interesting, I've got long skinny "Piano fingers" and I still cant spread them any farther then you can. Not trying to hijack, I just found that interesting.

-M@

 

[DTG]

Yes, but look at the HH too great tones from that neck H.
Also it will take ages to get used to it and you will go through " my 4 string just feels better" more than once but the more time ou spend on it the quicker it will become second nature. I picked a 4 string up the other night and it just diddnt fit my hands anymore. A year ago it was the other way around because I was still playing both.

I don't even use the b string too much but it makes a massive difference when I do.

 

[godsey]

I bought an sr5 hs after playing a four for 20 yrs. i paid for the bass by selling my one and only four string , which in turn made me learn a five real quick because i had a show that next week. the hs is my favorite configuration...good luck

 

[danny-79]

I keep getting GAS for a 5 banger, an the only cure for GAS is to ...............

 

[drTStingray]

Definitely yes.

I also have short fingers (about 80 mm middle finger length) and have no problem playing a Stingray 5. You should have no problem with a Sterling 5.

 

[Yerf Dog]

That's why I picked up my Bongo 5HH last June. No problem switching back and forth.

 

[BassMent]

I started using 5-strings as soon as they became widely available commercially (early 80's maybe?). My first was an Ibanez Soundgear. Wasn't long before I had six-strings and seven-strings, but I've settled on 5 as optimum, and now confine myself to my Sterling and my 'Ray fivers.

Here's how you learn to play it:

Start out using the B string as your thumb rest for your plucking hand (don't fall in love with this... because you are playing a floating thumb style, right? RIGHT?!?!?). Then just play the other four strings as you normally would... they'll feel pretty much the same (possibly a bit closer together than you're used to), and you definitely won't confuse the B with the E based on the FEEL (the B will feel huge).

Then one day you'll be playing a tune in G where you have to do a I-V move and a little synapse in your brain will fire and you'll instinctively move to the B string for the V interval rather than the A string... and you'll hear that low D on the B string in context. And your life as a bassist will change. After that it will all just start to fall into place. Because the intervals are even 4ths across all strings, you'll quickly figure out how to move stuff around on the neck, and play low passing tones that will liven up your fills and turnarounds. Major bonus is that you'll never have to hate songs in F again.

The neck on my Sterling 5 HH is the easiest playing 5-string neck I've ever experienced... which is why it's my go-to fretted bass. If EBMM ever decides to make a Sterling 5 fretless HP, I'll probably replace my Stingray with that. As much as I love Stingrays, I'm pretty much convinced after 30+ years of playing bass that the Sterling is the absolute, definitive shizzle.

Of course, I haven't tried a Reflex 5 HSS yet, so I insist on the option to change my mind at a future date....

 

[five7]

I started using 5-strings as soon as they became widely available commercially (early 80's maybe?). My first was an Ibanez Soundgear. Wasn't long before I had six-strings and seven-strings, but I've settled on 5 as optimum, and now confine myself to my Sterling and my 'Ray fivers.

Here's how you learn to play it:

Start out using the B string as your thumb rest for your plucking hand (don't fall in love with this... because you are playing a floating thumb style, right? RIGHT?!?!?). Then just play the other four strings as you normally would... they'll feel pretty much the same (possibly a bit closer together than you're used to), and you definitely won't confuse the B with the E based on the FEEL (the B will feel huge).

Then one day you'll be playing a tune in G where you have to do a I-V move and a little synapse in your brain will fire and you'll instinctively move to the B string for the V interval rather than the A string... and you'll hear that low D on the B string in context. And your life as a bassist will change. After that it will all just start to fall into place. Because the intervals are even 4ths across all strings, you'll quickly figure out how to move stuff around on the neck, and play low passing tones that will liven up your fills and turnarounds. Major bonus is that you'll never have to hate songs in F again.

The neck on my Sterling 5 HH is the easiest playing 5-string neck I've ever experienced... which is why it's my go-to fretted bass. If EBMM ever decides to make a Sterling 5 fretless HP, I'll probably replace my Stingray with that. As much as I love Stingrays, I'm pretty much convinced after 30+ years of playing bass that the Sterling is the absolute, definitive shizzle.

Of course, I haven't tried a Reflex 5 HSS yet, so I insist on the option to change my mind at a future date....

Have you played a bongo?