My Duh Bass Moment

[Lerb21]

On 4 string bass it's simple enough, E, A, D, and G.

I always though that 5 and 6 strings would following suit, starting at E and going up two octaves to another E.

But now I find out that a lot (if not most, according to a video I saw) of 5 string basses at a low B to the bass guitar.

Drumroll please....

[axsys]

Kind of funny, this came up in conversation last week at rehearsal. our bass player thought the same thing.

[JimInMO]

That's about the only reason I would want a 5ver. That would give me a fretted low E. Just can't seem to get the hang of muting the open E string.

[superlightweigh]

I've got a six string bass, too, it's like a bass within a bass >>>the inner four strings are normal, then you've got the Low B and the High C string.

I too was surprised by all this the first time I ever picked one up. That, and the fact that the neck seems as wide as a canoe paddle up around the 12th fret...

Once you get used to it, though, it's awesome

[superlightweigh]

some guys like the low B and also the narrow neck so they string it up B-E-A-D

[bluesfordan]

There's a player I know of in the region who plays a 7 string bass. Don't ask, I only counted them.

Give me a 4 string Jazz bass, that's all I need.

[marshman]

I recall seeing a F#-B-E-A bass in some catalog or another in the not too distant past. Presumably a 35-inch scale.

But that's kinda silly, I think, though a B-E-A-D might be practical...how often do I go all the waaay...up....there...lookin' for a note. Shoot, I rarely pass the 12th fret!

[ne4tt]

Fender's original 5er had a high C string.

Short scale bass.

jamie

[FirstBassman]

Originally Posted by Lerb21

On 4 string bass it's simple enough, E, A, D, and G.

I always though that 5 and 6 strings would following suit, starting at E and going up two octaves to another E.

But now I find out that a lot (if not most, according to a video I saw) of 5 string basses at a low B to the bass guitar.

Yeah, sorry, this is pretty much common knowledge.
Basses are tuned in perfect 4th's so the next lowest string would be a 'B.' *

And the extra string gives a player a whopping five more notes ... most of which can't be heard by the human ear.
Waste of steel IMHO.

* But yes there are instruments with low octave EADGBE strings.

[franchelB]

Since a 5-string bass neck is too big for my hands, I've decided to install a Hipshot D-tuner on my E string. Drop the E string to a "D", fret the second fret, and hey, you have a fretted "E"!

[Tim Armstrong]

Originally Posted by FirstBassman

Yeah, sorry, this is pretty much common knowledge.
Basses are tuned in perfect 4th's so the next lowest string would be a 'B.' *

And the extra string gives a player a whopping five more notes ... most of which can't be heard by the human ear.
Waste of steel IMHO.

* But yes there are instruments with low octave EADGBE strings.

I'm perfectly happy with four strings, myself, but it seems to me that the real utility in a 5 or 6 string bass would be having those extra notes under your hand anywhere along the fretboard...

Tim

[krauser2]

for all those who have seen 'I love you man"

Slapa da bass mon

[beep.click]

Originally Posted by Tim Armstrong

I'm perfectly happy with four strings, myself, but it seems to me that the real utility in a 5 or 6 string bass would be having those extra notes under your hand anywhere along the fretboard...

Yep. I didn't see the point, myself, until I had owned a 5-string for awhile.

[Frankjohnson]

Originally Posted by superlightweigh

some guys like the low B and also the narrow neck so they string it up B-E-A-D

Did that........it was cool for a little while......but not in the long term though

I missed the G

[Tele295]

I don't care if I don't have the low B, but I do find myself wishing for the low Eb, and occasionally the D

[4mal]

In the last jazz thing I was doing, E through C was cool. The B I do not generally care for ... Now when I get the call for that Weezer Tribute gig ... I'll l get another B tuned 5 ...

[FraKo]

Originally Posted by 4mal

In the last jazz thing I was doing, E through C was cool. The B I do not generally care for ... Now when I get the call for that Weezer Tribute gig ... I'll l get another B tuned 5 ...

That's exactly what Steve Swallow mounts on his 5-string bass: an extra high B string.

[aunchaki]

Originally Posted by Tele295

I don't care if I don't have the low B, but I do find myself wishing for the low Eb, and occasionally the D

Yup. I play a 5-string, but almost never go all the way down to the B. I can't, however, live without the low, low D. I've done drop-D tuning on a 4-string and it was OK. If I had a 4-string now, I'd go B-E-A-D with it.

[marshman]

I spent the months learning the 5, and was slightly better than proficient at it, not as good as I was on my 4, but certainly capable of getting through my gigs with it, but like many of us, I found that I never used the low B.

Installed a hipshot detuner set for D on my Rickenbacker and never looked back. Lookin' for one for my J & P now, if anyone wants to get rid of one...

As for Lerb, there was a point in my life when I thought that a 6-string bass GUITAR was just a regular guitar, an octave lower, eg the B & E strings, but there were a lot fewer of them around back then...

[4mal]

Originally Posted by marshman

As for Lerb, there was a point in my life when I thought that a 6-string bass GUITAR was just a regular guitar, an octave lower, eg the B & E strings, but there were a lot fewer of them around back then...

I played cello elementary school through high school. Heard Zep 1 and thought "can't do that with a cello..." So off to the music store to find bass. 4 strings from one to the other... I pick the thing up in the store and - it's tuned all goofy - so I tune it properly - I'd heard some blues & boogie so I tried the 1-4-5 kinda thing... Sales guy comes over listens, looks and my fretting hand, frowns - does is best 'gimme that, kid...' and retunes it wrong again...hands it back. Says - 'that's how you tune a bass ...' I probably shoulda known but the people who were playing bassin the orch at school were sorta developmentally disadvantaged and I just kinda avoided back there ... 4ths ... who knew ? Now I have the same reaction to tenor guitar - a lovely instrument tuned in 5ths mando style. Every time I pick one up, I want to tune it in 4ths and my luthier buddy who makes them just rolls his eyes ...

[psychetelec]

Both of my 6-string basses are tuned E-E, that's how you did it "back then".

[krauser2]

SLAP-A-DA-BASS

[psychetelec]

Originally Posted by ne4tt

Fender's original 5er had a high C string.

Short scale bass.

Are you sure?

It didn't have a regular number of frets as it was meant to be played across the fretboard as opposed to up it, but I always thought it was a full-scale bass.

[unbridled]

I love my 5ers. I rarely go down all the way to B, but, I love having the low D and a fretted E.

One think I don't care for is when bass players forget it's a "bass" and are playing way up the neck in the range of the guitars. Just my personal pet peeve.

[jackajesusfreak]

I thought the same thing until I picked up a 5 string and started to play it. That was quite a rude awakening! I imagine it would take a good while to get used to playing the 5 string. I'll stick with the 4 that I know.