Anyone recently ditched their 5er to go back to 4?

[chubrocker]

I've LOVED my 5er for a while now. I just dig hitting the low D or low Eb. But, it's not really fitting in with the band context I'm in right now--plus, house sound systems that are not bass friendly. The low end is there, but not clean and clear. The lower notes just muddies the sound. I rarely play the 5er except on songs in D. Even then, I'm tuning the E down to D just for the song so I don't have to mess with changing basses.

 

Anyone else ditching/ditched their 5er lately?

[fastlikeninja]

never went to a 5er and it will most likely stay that way 4 strings for life!

[L-1329]

Never. Besides, you can always not play the low B notes on a fiver, but you can never add them all to a four. At least witout going all BEAD on it and giving up the G notes. Fivers are great tools, and I'll likely never be regularly playing a four again.

[guitargod0dmw]

 

Never. Besides, you can always not play the low B notes on a fiver, but you can never add them all to a four. At least witout going all BEAD on it and giving up the G notes. Fivers are great tools, and I'll likely never be regularly playing a four again.

 

 

+1

[gspointer]

I need a 5er for alot of the songs we do. I very much prefer playing a 4. I plan on buying a 4-string that is the same as my 5er so I can quickly swap out basses for the songs that don't require a 5.

[SunofNothing]

 

Never. Besides, you can always not play the low B notes on a fiver, but you can never add them all to a four. At least witout going all BEAD on it and giving up the G notes. Fivers are great tools, and I'll likely never be regularly playing a four again.

 

 

Agreeed i want both the real low of the B and the high G. Im the opposite of you, in my band its working out that i rock the low sound all the time now. Not to mention the spacing has spoiled me and i can't play a 4 anywhere as fast or smooth as my 5.

[REMUS]

I don't see the problem, I can go between a 5 and 4 no problemo?

[jackcheez]

But, it's not really fitting in with the band context I'm in right now...

That's what I've run into so I'm using the 4 string basses now.

 

It's just my taste, but I like 5ers for punk and hard rock stuff. I'm playing old school soul and Motown stuff now so I don't feel the need for the 5er.

[SunofNothing]

 

I don't see the problem, I can go between a 5 and 4 no problemo?

 

 

Well i use a five all the time with closer spacing, so when i do switch to a 4 its a bit ackward. I dont own a 4 right now, in fact i've been playing 5 twice as long as a four.

[wades_keys]

Certain lines come easier from a four - I find it's easier to get aggressive on fingerstyle with the extra spacing on a 4 string.

 

Slap/pop is also much easier for me on a four string.

 

I'm still working out how to integrate both basses into the band, without too much hassle.

[ModmanQ6]

I've been a six string player for many years, and then 5 and now that I bought my Jaguar, I'm back to 4 for most of the material, with the fretless 5 for anything requiring mwaaa or lower than E... The Jag just has a huge sound and feels soooo nice...

[Mytola]

I'm going to get my first fiver soon, which will be a nice experience. I think I will find it nice to have more notes available to me. Going any lower than D is useless for me, which is why I'm going to tune the fiver EADGC, and in some time add a hipshot detuner on the E.

[willsellout]

I haven't really been playing my 5'er since I got the Lakland and the TF and started using the drop tuner. You only gain a couple notes with the B string beyond that and I don't do that all that often.

 

 

 

Dan

[chubrocker]

I'm picking up a cheap MTD bass today. I'm debating on making it a BEAD bass---for the "just when I need to go that low."

[Kindness]

For years I felt like L-1329 and all I owned were 5-strings. Since then I've changed my views and have only added 4s to my collection. The 4s now get nearly all the playing time. I've also converted one of my 5s to EADGC. My next ERB will be a 6 strung E-f (or E-e) or a 7 strung B-f (or B-e).

[T. Alan Smith]

I switch from 4 to 5 and back on a daily basis.

[tylytle]

I sold my 5er and never looked back.

[Jugghaid]

 

For years I felt like L-1329 and all I owned were 5-strings. Since then I've changed my views and have only added 4s to my collection. The 4s now get nearly all the playing time. I've also converted one of my 5s to EADGC. My next ERB will be a 6 strung E-f (or E-e) or a 7 strung B-f (or B-e).

 

 

Same here. I just drop tune my 4 bangers. And honestly, I don't really need that much extended range on the top end.

[walkerci]

Heretic!

[Jugghaid]

Heretic!

 

Hey, I still love my 5ers, but for what I'm playing right now I don't need the top end. i still have my fretted and fretless 5ers though for other stuff.

[JBassJohn]

After 30 years of playing a four string I found the neck on the five string to be too uncomfortable. I just bought another 4 string and strung it BEAD for the very few tunes we play that I like to go below E on.

[Hopi]

The two guitarists I've more recently played with love tuning down, so I always bring the '5er, as I don't like changing the fingering for more familiar tunes. I have to look away from them when learning new material though, because I'll end up fretting the same as them and getting a wholly different result. lol!

 

Playing alone though, I'm usually on one of my j-basses. Vibrato and bending is easier because of the lower string tension, plus I have my grandpa's sausage fingers, so for slap, I'm definitely grabbing my mexican j-bass.