More then 4 strings, not a bass!

Slugs

I just don't understand this point, why do people play 5 and even 6 string basses? it just defeats the purpose to be honest. If you want to expand your range of notes, then down tune. if you want 6 strings play a guitar!

Thoughts?

Sandvich

Because you get a larger range of notes you can play AT ONCE. Also you can easily switch between standard and down tuned without doing anything.

Malice

Slugs wrote: »

I just don't understand this point, why do people play 5 and even 6 string basses? it just defeats the purpose to be honest. If you want to expand your range of notes, then down tune. if you want 6 strings play a guitar!

Thoughts?

Downtuning an E string to B won't work. Try it sometime and see what happens. Could you clarify why you think it "defeats the purpose" of a bass to have more strings on it? While downtuning to dropped D will expand the range of available notes, you'll have to remember that the note positions have now shifted by however many frets you've detuned by.

Playing a six string bass allows you to have easy access to three octaves. By easy I mean you can go across the strings rather than up the neck. Also, do you realise that a six string bass is tuned (CGDAEB) whereas a six string guitar is tuned (EBGDAE) so you can't just grab a six string bass and start jamming guitar chords on it as the shapes are very different.

If you think 5 or 6 strings on a bass is too many, what about a seven string bass?


Or a seven string fretless?


Or an eleven string monster?

juanchoja

Eh... Because there are bass players (specially in Jazz music) than don't do the usual E E E E E E E E E...A A A A A A A A A. If you play a guitar, you want to do solos and riffs, well, many bass players want to do that as well and complex arrangements.

If you are thinking about some metal bassist, then I might agree with you, there are baritone basses specially made 4 strings to be tuned in B, but even a metal bassist will want to do the odd high note once in a while.

Better have to much than to little

Rigsby

Like in the pick thread, it all depends on the type of music you want to play, though you'll be fine playing any music on a four string. As others have said, 5 and 6 strings gives you a better range. I have never tried a 5 or 6 string bass. At present I'm quite happy with 4.

thegrove54

the most id go with a bass is a five string just to add that extra range of notes but anything after six strings should probally just be a guitar.. or renamed as a new instrument

DerKaiser

Nonsense, it's a bass by virtue of it's frequency range, not the amount of strings on it, this thread is total braindeath

kfoltman

Anybody thought of buying Slugs a bass version of Pikasso? (-:

ham_n_mustard

Slugs wrote: »

If you want to expand your range of notes, then down tune. if you want 6 strings play a guitar!

Tell that to Les Claypool!!!

eoin5

I think its a bit of a notion that if people are playing something bigger than a 4-stringer then theyre just being a fancy pants. If you want to see how the extra string is useful in good auld down-to-earth country music see what Mike Chapman does.

Rigsby

I've read on some bass forums that a lot of bassists seldom use the low B on a fiver, unless as a thumb rest. I'd say the high C might get more use though.

Malice

Rigsby wrote: »

I have never tried a 5 or 6 string bass. At present I'm quite happy with 4.

You should try one. Once you get an open B note reverberating through your chest cavity, the open E will seem a bit lacking .

Rigsby wrote: »

I've read on some bass forums that a lot of bassists seldom use the low B on a fiver, unless as a thumb rest. I'd say the high C might get more use though.

Why would you bother with a 5 string if you're not going to use the low B though? As for which of the extra strings gets more use, personally it's hard to say. If I'm doing some soloing then the high C will probably get more use but otherwise I'd be rumbling away on the low B.

big stripey lie

Yep, a bass is a bass because of it's frequency range, i.e. lower than that of a guitar. Adding low strings not only gives you extra notes, but existing notes played on that lower string, say a low B, sound a lot deeper, with more bass frequencies than on the E string.

To be honest i'm not too convinced by adding higher strings but that's just me and the styles i play. Also i think there's something in having to move up the neck that seperates the way a bass is played from the way a guitar is played.

As for the detuning arguement, yep, it doesn't work, but there's nothing stopping you using much heavier strings instead, say tuning to B-E-A-D. The tension on the instrument is quite similar, although sometimes the spacings on the nut can be a bit restrictive.

Joey the lips

The base is a sh1t easy instrament to play so the extra strings just make it look cool.....











# Who cares....6, 8 , 10 12 :rolleyes:

Are you here to just get a rise?

Rigsby

Joey the lips wrote: »

The base is a sh1t easy instrament to play so the extra strings just make it look cool.....











# Who cares....6, 8 , 10 12 :rolleyes:

Dont feed the troll.

Joey the lips

Sorry folks was only looking in, Love the bass. Play 6 string (Not bass) Much respect. I was not looking for a rise

but in a genuine sense. I think a 6 string looks differennt than the norm and after all in the music scene we all like to stand out.

DerKaiser

Malice_ wrote: »

You should try one. Once you get an open B note reverberating through your chest cavity, the open E will seem a bit lacking .

You've gotten me all excited now!

Playing 'My name is Mud' on a 4 string seems a little quaint after doing it proper with that deep F@*k off fat B string flopping in huge arcs

eoin5

DerKaiser wrote: »

You've gotten me all excited now!

Playing 'My name is Mud' on a 4 string seems a little quaint after doing it proper with that deep F@*k off fat B string flopping in huge arcs

The stick player in my band can get some impossibly low notes, its funny that he can underplay me, the bass player

D__Black__

I'd Say yeah it's quite fine to use a 4 sting about 90% of the time but A 5 or 6 six Makes things easier, for the most part, For some songs it is nessesary

I have a six string and i love it to bits but i don't play it half as much as i play My Gorgeous 4 string. Believe me when i say, Don't dismiss the advantages of a 5/6 string!

Rigsby

While I'm sure 5 and 6 stringers are great to play, some iconic bassists have chose to stay with four (think Carol Kaye, James Jamerson, Marcus Miller, Paul McCarthney for starters). They obviously dont seem to find any restriction in tone or creativity using just four strings. Again, it's just a personal choice IMO.

General Zod

Rigsby wrote: »

While I'm sure 5 and 6 stringers are great to play, some iconic bassists have chose to stay with four (think Carol Kaye, James Jamerson, Marcus Miller, Paul McCarthney for starters). They obviously dont seem to find any restriction in tone or creativity using just four strings. Again, it's just a personal choice IMO.

In fairness, Carol Kaye and James Jameson would have moved onto the Electric bass from the double bass when the session industry went that way, and there wasn't any call for more than 4 strings in the style of music played by the artists they were recording for.

Personally don't use more than 4 myself, but some artists make great music with 5 and 6 strings.

CormacBass

In my opinion bass guitars are a combination of percussion, rhythm and melody. Sometimes if your playing an important melody you might want to bring it up an octave or two to help it break though the mix. Another advantage of more strings is having more notes available to you without having to move position up or down the neck.
The addition of a lower string is more to do with technology than anything else, modern speakers can reproduce lower frequencies better.
I play a 4 string myself. But I have been asked to play 6 strings for RnB sessions in the past.
To be honest you sound like another guitarist who's ego is so big he doesn't want the other band members to shine...

thelastpartizan

Depressing reading, It's a pity this thread wasn't posted a few years ago and we wouldn't have wasted so much time looking for a bassist here. Do all of you just want to play bass solo's over everything? Is there no bassist out there that would prefer to be in a band as a collective and not some jam band where everyone has to have an equal amount of soloing time, no one really wants to listen to that ****e anyway. Too many wanky make it up as you go jam musicians around Dublin these days and I include guitarists and drummers in that too. :mad:

thelastpartizan

thelastpartizan wrote: »

Depressing reading, It's a pity this thread wasn't posted a few years ago and we wouldn't have wasted so much time looking for a bassist here. Do all of you just want to play bass solo's over everything? Is there no bassist out there that would prefer to be in a band as a collective and not some jam band where everyone has to have an equal amount of soloing time, no one really wants to listen to that ****e anyway. Too many wanky make it up as you go jam musicians around Dublin these days and I include guitarists and drummers in that too. :mad:

Srsly?

You have musicians that want to stretch themselves and you think that's bad?

Where have people said they want to "play bass solo's over everything?" if anything, this has been a fun debate. I remember reading Bruce Foxton talk about 5 string basses and him saying, something along the lines of, "Half the time I can't find the right note on my 4 string, what would I be like with a 5 string?!"

Oh, and check out some post rock before you dismiss everything "wanky" it's good stuff.

I personally dislike people that just seem to be negative and condescending for no good reason at all.

eoin5

The stretching/sliding you have to do on a 4 stringer compared to a 5 string is like two different instruments. For instance I cant see a way of playing a two octave major 7th arpeggio on a 4 stringer without a 4 fret jump at some point, on the 5 string its a doddle.

One fun thing about the 4 string in that regard is depending on how you approach your sliding and position changing it can make for a different flow to the music, the 5 string could be viewed as a bit more homogeneous.

Feckit, lets all get 1 stringers and slide like mad

DerKaiser

thelastpartizan wrote: »

Depressing reading, It's a pity this thread wasn't posted a few years ago and we wouldn't have wasted so much time looking for a bassist here. Do all of you just want to play bass solo's over everything? Is there no bassist out there that would prefer to be in a band as a collective and not some jam band where everyone has to have an equal amount of soloing time, no one really wants to listen to that ****e anyway. Too many wanky make it up as you go jam musicians around Dublin these days and I include guitarists and drummers in that too. :mad:

Am I right in saying your main influnces are U2 and Oasis?

thelastpartizan

DerKaiser wrote: »

Am I right in saying your main influnces are U2 and Oasis?

No you'd be wrong in saying that, but I can see why you're getting involved in this, I think someone from my band had "dealings" with you before.

Srsly?

You have musicians that want to stretch themselves and you think that's bad? (Yes, If it's at the expense of the rest of the band and the song. I'm not talking about bassists just playing A A A A G G G G C C C C, I'm talking about completely ruining a song with over complicated un-neccessary basslines)

Where have people said they want to "play bass solo's over everything?" if anything, this has been a fun debate. I remember reading Bruce Foxton talk about 5 string basses and him saying, something along the lines of, "Half the time I can't find the right note on my 4 string, what would I be like with a 5 string?!" (They never say they want to play bass solos over everything, they just show up for a jam and its off we go jerry seinfeld)

Oh, and check out some post rock before you dismiss everything "wanky" it's good stuff. (I have checked out a lot of it in various places around dublin and it is wanky which is why most dublin bands struggle to draw a crowd mainly because they've given up on melody and good songwriting for "good" musicianship.)

I personally dislike people that just seem to be negative and condescending for no good reason at all.

There's plenty of good reasons to be condecending and negative. I know of a few bands that have have the same problem with bassists as us so don't think we're the only band who has a problem with people apparently "streching themselves". Let me ask you this. If you or your band write a song and spend hours/days/weeks writing and recording it and you give a copy of it to someone to learn, Now if the drummer starts playing something completely different to whats recorded or if the singer decides to change the melody and the words how can you expect to play anything as a band when you are playing 1 thing and 1 of you might as well be playing a different song? This is the problem we've only had with bassists, a bassist will always want to be the show off of the band.

DerKaiser

thelastpartizan wrote: »

No you'd be wrong in saying that, but I can see why you're getting involved in this, I think someone from my band had "dealings" with you before.

Someone equally as limited then, I'm sorry, I don't recall, you'll have to be more specific

Adyx

Has anyone here ever used a bass like the Hagstrom HB-8, with the strings in pairs?

J.S. Pill

big stripey lie wrote: »

As for the detuning arguement, yep, it doesn't work, but there's nothing stopping you using much heavier strings instead, say tuning to B-E-A-D. The tension on the instrument is quite similar, although sometimes the spacings on the nut can be a bit restrictive.

Works for me. I use 2 basses, 1 EADG & 1 BEAD. I tend to use the BEAD bass for songs that are in drop D rather than playing in drop D myself. I find it handier anyway.

88show

this is the biggest waste of friggin space I have tried to read!!!
Just play the damn thing!
slap it, finger who cares!!!
if it's your baby, then play the bloody thing instead of turning this into a muso wanky politics
Lay a groove or just move and I'll do it for you

4 On THE FLOOR or ShoW eM the door

shiiii.....

Rigsby

88show wrote: »

this is the biggest waste of friggin space I have tried to read!!!
Just play the damn thing!
slap it, finger who cares!!!
if it's your baby, then play the bloody thing instead of turning this into a muso wanky politics
Lay a groove or just move and I'll do it for you

4 On THE FLOOR or ShoW eM the door

shiiii.....

That's a bit OTT, is it not ??

People are entitled to have preferences and opinions, and to be curious about other's. Forums are for people to express and compare their differences.

SouthTippBass

J.S. Pill wrote: »

Works for me. I use 2 basses, 1 EADG & 1 BEAD. I tend to use the BEAD bass for songs that are in drop D rather than playing in drop D myself. I find it handier anyway.

Is it ok to do that? Do you put 5 string strings on a 4 string bass (BEAD) and its ok? Never even thought of that could be fun... am I going to damage my bass though?

big stripey lie

SouthTippBass wrote: »

Is it ok to do that? Do you put 5 string strings on a 4 string bass (BEAD) and its ok? Never even thought of that could be fun... am I going to damage my bass though?

http://store.daddario.com/category/152633/EPS160-5_Long_Scale_5-String_50-135

The low B string is under less tension than the G, so the overall tension on the instrument will actually go down. With a little truss rod adjustment it should be grand.

cedomination

juanchoja wrote: »

If you are thinking about some metal bassist, then I might agree with you, there are baritone basses specially made 4 strings to be tuned in B, but even a metal bassist will want to do the odd high note once in a while.

Don't want to turn this into a genre debate but metal is far, far more than just root notes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=euxQE_M66Aw

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=YRNIhBYQK6U

Forest Master

Slugs wrote: »

if you want 6 strings play a guitar!

You should pick up a bass sometime & see if a 6-string bass sounds like a guitar.

Malice

88show wrote: »

this is the biggest waste of friggin space I have tried to read!!!
Just play the damn thing!
slap it, finger who cares!!!
if it's your baby, then play the bloody thing instead of turning this into a muso wanky politics
Lay a groove or just move and I'll do it for you

4 On THE FLOOR or ShoW eM the door

shiiii.....

Hi there,
Please be aware that this is a discussion forum. If you don't like what is being discussed, feel free not to post.

Malice

SouthTippBass wrote: »

Is it ok to do that? Do you put 5 string strings on a 4 string bass (BEAD) and its ok? Never even thought of that could be fun... am I going to damage my bass though?

big stripey lie wrote: »

http://store.daddario.com/category/152633/EPS160-5_Long_Scale_5-String_50-135

The low B string is under less tension than the G, so the overall tension on the instrument will actually go down. With a little truss rod adjustment it should be grand.

I was going to this with a four string bass a few years ago (in fact I think it was one of my first posts on Boards ). One other thing to be aware of is that you may need to file the nut so that the thicker B string will fit.

reniwren

You can also ask the question "not an upright not a bass?" alot of people dont consider a 6 string bass to be extended range anymore.

Malice

reniwren wrote: »

alot of people dont consider a 6 string bass to be extended range anymore.

Not many people play the kind of behemoths you play though .

reniwren

Well I dont get on with 5's n 6's either and I started on 4 strings so theres no problem there, I find that cords and the like open up from 7 string on

J.S. Pill

SouthTippBass wrote: »

Is it ok to do that? Do you put 5 string strings on a 4 string bass (BEAD) and its ok? Never even thought of that could be fun... am I going to damage my bass though?

You'll probably have to file the nut down a bit and mess around with the set up. I much prefer having a bass tuned like this than having to play a 5 string.

Dord

I just play 4's. I'm contemplating buying a 5'er this year but I really need to play one first to see how comfortable I am with it.

Malice

Dord wrote: »

I just play 4's. I'm contemplating buying a 5'er this year but I really need to play one first to see how comfortable I am with it.

If you ever happen to be in Galway or Tralee feel free to give me a shout and you can have a go on my basses.

NukaCola

A bass is a bass judged on notes not strings...
Bit of a pointless thread really

eoin5

KingKenny wrote: »

A bass is a bass judged on notes not strings...
Bit of a pointless thread really

Things change over time and can lose some of their original meaning, like mince pies.

I think while the bass is a bass instrument by virtue of its range its also a bass due to a history in both structure and playing. Its built up more meaning than just a description of its range. What I'm saying is that I can see how someone can say "that's not a bass" about an 9 stringer or whatever because its so far removed from what a bass usually is.

Now, if you want confusion, there's a difference between a regular and a medium coke in liffeyvalley vue. Try to make sense of that one

NukaCola

I can see how someone could say "Thats a weird Bass" when referring to a 5/6 string bass, but discounting it as a bass on the amount of strings is silly.

After all a 12 string guitar is still a guitar.....a 128 key piano is still a piano etc etc etc

eoin5

KingKenny wrote: »

I can see how someone could say "Thats a weird Bass" when referring to a 5/6 string bass, but discounting it as a bass on the amount of strings is silly.

After all a 12 string guitar is still a guitar.....a 128 key piano is still a piano etc etc etc

What about the mince pie idea, a mince pie has no mince. Its silly but its true. On that logic why cant an electric bass guitar not mean something more than those three words to people?

Since the instrument has been around so long and people have learned to play music other than bass on it, the assertion that its range defines it fully is naive. I'm not saying someone is definitely right to say that a weird bass like instrument is not a bass, what I am saying is that whos to say they're wrong?

NukaCola

eoin5 wrote: »

the assertion that its range defines it fully is naive

Naive in what way exactly?

You can add a xylophones to a drum kit but it only an add on to playing drums, its not something completely different, its still drums.

If you have an extra string or two on bass its to enhance playing the bass, but your still playing bass. And its bass completely because of its range IMO. The only time it stops being bass is if its range changes.

If that happens its no longer a Bass guitar then should be called something else.

eoin5

KingKenny wrote: »

If that happens its no longer a Bass guitar then should be called something else.

If I strung a bass with guitar strings would you not just call it a bass that's been strung weirdly?