Ramirez wrote:I’m not a 5-string player, but I see their advantage being more about having more notes under your hand in one position, rather than the extended range itself per se.
Yup, that's it. Also because you end up playing it around the 5th fret most of the time, which is more comfy on long gigs. And the bottom E flat is handy if you have horn players in your band.
You could just drop the whole bass a semitone if you regularly play with horns?
For the music I play though the low D is the most useful extra note, if I ever convert the P-bass back to four strings I'll definitely invest in a Hipshot Drop D tuner.
I thought five string basses came about so bass players could play basslines that were originally played on a synth.
I was in a band that did Ain't Nobody by Chaka Khan which is in Eb minor and has a distinctive synth bassline. Our bass player dropped his E string to Eb.
The upright bass (the wardrobe as opposed to the chopping board that is the electric bass ) is tuned the same as an electric bass and upright bass players have no problem with horn players or the key of Eb.
Personally I'd go for a four string, echoing much of the comments above. I've played all three of those basses you mention (I should say that I own a Sire) and I'd rank them in terms of playability: 1. Sire (by a country mile), 2. Yamaha, 3, Ibanez. The preamps on the Sire are particularly good but the feel of it is also superb.
merlyn wrote:The upright bass (the wardrobe as opposed to the chopping board that is the electric bass ) is tuned the same as an electric bass and upright bass players have no problem with horn players or the key of Eb.
Historically the electric bass is tuned the same as the electric bass
You do get upright basses with fingerboard extensions on the low E but they are more prevalent in the classical world. WRT jazz upright players I doubt they tune down . Either way Eb is a pain of a key for guitarists.
You can of course live without a low e flat. It's just nice to have it.
I don't rate the wardrobe bass as anything more than a style statement. Very few people play them consistently in tune. Soloists like bass players who use them, because the relative lack of higher harmonics keeps them out of the way.
Remember that Jazz bass was originally a tuba. The electric bass was adopted pretty much as soon as it was invented.
The wardrobe bass was a better option than the tuba during the years when Bebop was being developed. But that's the best you can say of it in my never-humble opinion.
You may have anticipated I wasn't going to agree with much of that.
I can only say ... Ron Carter. He got the sack from the Miles Davis band for refusing to play electric bass. He's still playing it. (I surely don't need to add -- in tune )
SecretSam wrote:You can of course live without a low e flat. It's just nice to have it.
I don't rate the wardrobe bass as anything more than a style statement. Very few people play them consistently in tune. Soloists like bass players who use them, because the relative lack of higher harmonics keeps them out of the way.
Remember that Jazz bass was originally a tuba. The electric bass was adopted pretty much as soon as it was invented.
The wardrobe bass was a better option than the tuba during the years when Bebop was being developed. But that's the best you can say of it in my never-humble opinion.
Check out Oscar Peterson's bass player - Nils Erik Pederson, I think. He seems to manage the odd few notes in tune every now and again.
Regards, John
Thanks everyone for your input and I decided to go for the Ibanez SR305EB should be arriving today or at latest tomorrow depends on the post. Having owned some good quality guitars I know all about paying for quality, things are a budget price for a reason (usually). I decided to get the budget 5 string simply because should I buy a 4 string later down the line, I would get a good one and splash the cash, but probably on a good second hand one. Now is not the time to buy its xmas and the choice is limited.
Since I am not a seasoned bass player moving from 6 strings to 5 should not be as difficult and the spacing less of a problem. I was actually in the process of buying a Bass cabinet that made me decide to buy a Bass guitar, something that is good for kick and Bass/Synth but thats a completely different topic and challenge !!
uselessoldman wrote:Thanks everyone for your input and I decided to go for the Ibanez SR305EB should be arriving today or at latest tomorrow depends on the post. Having owned some good quality guitars I know all about paying for quality, things are a budget price for a reason (usually). I decided to get the budget 5 string simply because should I buy a 4 string later down the line, I would get a good one and splash the cash, but probably on a good second hand one. Now is not the time to buy its xmas and the choice is limited.
Since I am not a seasoned bass player moving from 6 strings to 5 should not be as difficult and the spacing less of a problem. I was actually in the process of buying a Bass cabinet that made me decide to buy a Bass guitar, something that is good for kick and Bass/Synth but thats a completely different topic and challenge !!
Do you actually need the notes below E? Or are you thinking about re-stringing it E-C?
IMO if you don't need the lower notes you will get a much better 4-string bass for the price you are paying for the 5-string.
Alternatively if you want a more guitar-like experience have you considered a Bass VI? A short-scale 6-string bass, tuned an octave down from a guitar and with string spacing closer to that of a guitar.
The way I look at it is I am buying a budget Bass guitar so why not get the 5 string. I want the lower string to compliment the synths and yes I could use keyboards/midi/vsts, that is what I have done for years more recently with those brilliant Ample Sound samples but I wanted a real Bass guitar and was struggling for suggestions for my xmas present from my other half.
She got a nice new watch I got me self a nice new guitar (another guitar). I have one of those guitar racks that takes 7, I now have 5 or will have very soon. The rest are covered in various cables. Enough space left for another couple of guitars
Once this pandemic madness is over I will then look for a good quality second hand 4 string.
I'm a ropey bass player, but I use a Washburn T25 Taurus 5 string. Its not a Stingray, but it suits me and I love the sound of its bottom string and the ability to match what Id normally play on the organ bass pedals.
Technical Editor, Sound On Sound...
(But generally posting my own personal views and not necessarily those of SOS, the company or the magazine!)
In my world, things get less strange when I read the manual...
uselessoldman wrote:Thanks everyone for your input and I decided to go for the Ibanez SR305EB should be arriving today or at latest tomorrow depends on the post. Having owned some good quality guitars I know all about paying for quality, things are a budget price for a reason (usually). I decided to get the budget 5 string simply because should I buy a 4 string later down the line, I would get a good one and splash the cash, but probably on a good second hand one. Now is not the time to buy its xmas and the choice is limited.
Since I am not a seasoned bass player moving from 6 strings to 5 should not be as difficult and the spacing less of a problem. I was actually in the process of buying a Bass cabinet that made me decide to buy a Bass guitar, something that is good for kick and Bass/Synth but thats a completely different topic and challenge !!
If by any chance you don't like that, try an Ibanez ATK. Preferably an old one (heavy, but great), but the new ones are cool, too. And not as heavy. These things play well above their price point.
well it arrived and I am happy with it, It has a decent range of tones although I think I will mainly use those towards the HEAVY end. Over time I might play with the tuning, yes the 5th string is REALLY low, but playing along side synths that is no big deal, its an advantage. https://1drv.ms/u/s!AtrL6c85OL0Upg0LnR3N6zYEOcjF
Last edited by uselessoldman on Thu Dec 24, 2020 2:33 am, edited 1 time in total.
