POLL: If you could only have one...

guitargeek62

...bass at home, would it be a 4-string, or a 5-string*?

I sold my short-scale Squier a little while back with intentions of replacing it with something more modern-sounding and feeling. I generally play rock/metal, but I think most of the stuff I'd play could be done on a 4-string quite easily. I'd be intrigued to hear any arguments for/against a 5-string over a typical 4-string choice.


FYI: I'm not a bassist by any means, this is purely for home practice and recording, so I've got my eyes on the Sire M series (likely an M2, unless I get an M7 at the right price). It'll only be played through an iRig HD2 and modelling apps, or maybe through a guitar amp occasionally.

Funkfingers

Question does not compute.

Almost all of my bass playing habits - good and bad - were learned on four string instruments. I own precisely one five string bass guitar. I briefly owned a budget six string.

For me, the "only have one bass" decision would be fretted versus fretless.

fretmeister

5 string.

I play a lot of music where there is only a piano score available making the low B very useful and also play with reed instruments so there's a lot of music in E flat and other flattened keys. Playing an octave up can really get in the way of other instruments and the low B gives more positional choices.

ICBM

And the Lord spake, saying, "Four shall be the number of the Bass, no more, no less. Four shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be Four. Two shalt thou not count, neither count thou Three, excepting that thou then proceed to Four. Five is right out. Four strings, Four beats, Four notes, that is the counting of the Bass."

I confess to heresy and having owned a 5-string recently. I am now doing penance and own a fretless four-string instead.

guitarfishbay

I only own  4 strings currently.  I've not played many 5 strings I'd want to buy, if you need the range though they make a lot of sense!

LastMantra

I only have one for home playing /recording. An ibanezATKs 4string (I got for a steal!). 
A 5 string (or above) would be as much use to me as a 7-8 string guitar...not much!
"traditional" amounts of strings are more than enough and imo mix well.

Saying that, I would mind trying some of these things out of curiosity. There's some cool looking 7strings! 

MattBanshee

A proper full-scale 34" 4-string bass. If you're going to buy a 30" scale then you may as well just buy a ukulele.

ICBM

MattBanshee said:

A proper full-scale 33.25" 4-string bass.

FTFY

sweepy

I quite like my 7 String Ibanez, long scale so the low B isn’t flappy and Bartolini pickups and preamp

https://i.imgur.com/tByZvFQ.jpg

IvanMC

5-string, big time. The low B is not just exceedingly useful, but a musical ambrosia as well.

Funkfingers

Paraphrasing Vivian Stanshall’s Sir Henry Rawlinson, if I had all of the money I’d spent on bass register instruments, I’d spend it on an NS Stick.

stickyfiddle

Like Telecasters, there's no proper music that can't be played on a 4-string Precision.

JanekLubanski

Four string. And short(er) scale if possible.

equalsql

..

pintspiller

Four

Fretwired

Four string .. for what I play a fifth would be superfluous ..

Jeremiah

5 string. If I could only have four strings, they would be tuned B-E-A-D.

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

And the Lord spake, saying, "Four shall be the number of the Bass, no more, no less. Four shall be the number thou shalt count, and the number of the counting shall be Four. Two shalt thou not count, neither count thou Three, excepting that thou then proceed to Four. Five is right out. Four strings, Four beats, Four notes, that is the counting of the Bass."

I confess to heresy and having owned a 5-string recently. I am now doing penance and own a fretless four-string instead.

Thou art in no position to quote the Book of Motown...

In Paul’s second letter to the Precisions, Chapter 2 he says:

”Verily I say unto thee my friends, that you are the closest to the Lord your God of Bass - for the Precisions are the holiest of the low thumpers. Do not be tempted by these evil thoughts of the Rics.. they are false gods and do not give that low end muted thump that you need. They are thin, weedy and noisy beasts who will do nothing for your overall mix.”

Fretwired

Bridgehouse said:

Thou art in no position to quote the Book of Motown...

In Paul’s second letter to the Precisions, Chapter 2 he says:

”Verily I say unto thee my friends, that you are the closest to the Lord your God of Bass - for the Precisions are the holiest of the low thumpers. Do not be tempted by these evil thoughts of the Rics.. they are false gods and do not give that low end muted thump that you need. They are thin, weedy and noisy beasts who will do nothing for your overall mix.”

Amen brother .. the Lord has wis'd you.

ICBM

Bridgehouse said:

Thou art in no position to quote the Book of Motown...

In Paul’s second letter to the Precisions, Chapter 2 he says:

”Verily I say unto thee my friends, that you are the closest to the Lord your God of Bass - for the Precisions are the holiest of the low thumpers. Do not be tempted by these evil thoughts of the Rics.. they are false gods and do not give that low end muted thump that you need. They are thin, weedy and noisy beasts who will do nothing for your overall mix.”

Motown is in the Old Testament. From the New Testament, Book of Lemmuel... "Verily my Rick has been sanctified with humless pickups, and will set forth to smite the unbelievers with the wrath of almighty fuzz."

Bridgehouse

ICBM said:

Bridgehouse said:

Thou art in no position to quote the Book of Motown...

In Paul’s second letter to the Precisions, Chapter 2 he says:

”Verily I say unto thee my friends, that you are the closest to the Lord your God of Bass - for the Precisions are the holiest of the low thumpers. Do not be tempted by these evil thoughts of the Rics.. they are false gods and do not give that low end muted thump that you need. They are thin, weedy and noisy beasts who will do nothing for your overall mix.”

Motown is in the Old Testament. From the New Testament, Book of Lemmuel... "Verily my Rick has been sanctified with humless pickups, and will set forth to smite the unbelievers with the wrath of almighty fuzz."

Most modern scholars accept that it’s allegory. After all, it’s the same book, only a few chapters later that declares:

”Behold! I have sent forth my son, for it is he who will save you all, save your tone, save you from valves, and save your backs. You will know him for his name is Katana, and he is the Boss”

So clearly all rubbish....