Jump to content
Why become a member? ×

Do the best pro-bass players mainly play 4 strings?


Al Krow

Recommended Posts

I'm just starting out on 5'ers, but a discussion with some of my BC buddies got me thinking:

Actually, do the best pro-bass players mainly play 4 strings?! (And if it's good enough for them...)

What great albums / tracks have 5 string bass?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

They'd generally play what they need for the gig. Sometimes a band leader might specify a certain instrument. I've never personally had that, but I do know people who have been told they must use a P bass or something. I know someone who did a musical based on the 1950s, the band were visible on stage, it had to 'look' right.

Dave Swift is one of the UK’s busiest, his main bass at the moment is a 6 string Ibanez, though he plays others depending I guess on what the gig requires.

Anthony Jackson always plays his 6 string Fodera.

John Patitucci always plays a 6 string, usually a Yamaha.

Jimmy Haslip plays a 6 string Roscoe.

Edited by ambient
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

17 minutes ago, stingrayPete1977 said:

There are many pro players that use a five string in the studio but not live (or not often at least). 

Flea - Red hot chili peppers

Stuart zener - Jamiroquai 

Jamareo Artis - Bruno Mars

Off the top of my head. 

Ok, you've just named three bassists whom many of us (me included) consider to be awesome. Are their studio albums done on 5 string as far as you know?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

19 minutes ago, Len_derby said:

I think Nathan East plays 5 strings all the time. In public anyway 😉

He played his 6-tring Yamaha when we saw him in GAK a couple of years ago. He didn't bring a BBNE2: he thought that GAK would have loads of them hanging on the wall.

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

It's just a tool.

 

I play a 5 purely because I get piano scores rather than bass parts and I like to be able to play the low end without having to thing about changing things.

Half the time I don't use the lowest notes but I have more positions to play in because I can play across the board rather than up and down.

 

TBH anyone who does the "4 was good enough for Jaco" routine is a weapons grade silly billy. There were hardly any 5 string basses around at the time. There was the 15 fret Fender V 1965 but the first really popular 5 was the Stingray and that wasn't introduced until 1987. The year Jaco died. Wal and Alembic did some before that but they weren't common or affordable.

 

Who knows what he would have done if he had lived longer.

 

But one thing I am sure of - he wouldn't have said - "Oh look! a 3 string double bass was good enough for Bottesini so that's good enough for everyone"

  • Like 6
Link to comment
Share on other sites

15 minutes ago, Al Krow said:

Ok, you've just named three bassists whom many of us (me included) consider to be awesome. Are their studio albums done on 5 string as far as you know?

I know Flea uses a black Stingray 5 on some tracks, Zender had a pink Stingray five, and Artis has fancy custom basses in both four and five string versions. 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, fretmeister said:

TBH anyone who does the "4 was good enough for Jaco" routine is a weapons grade silly billy. There were hardly any 5 string basses around at the time. There was the 15 fret Fender V 1965 but the first really popular 5 was the Stingray and that wasn't introduced until 1987. The year Jaco died. Wal and Alembic did some before that but they weren't common or affordable.

 

Who knows what he would have done if he had lived longer.

 

But one thing I am sure of - he wouldn't have said - "Oh look! a 3 string double bass was good enough for Bottesini so that's good enough for everyone"

Jaco liked 5 strings:

jaco5-jpg.1580485

jaco_acoustic.jpg

 That's a Gretsch (or a Guild? can't remember, think it began with a G) and a custom acoustic he specced I think.

Edited by lemmywinks
  • Like 2
Link to comment
Share on other sites

4 hours ago, BigRedX said:

Besides the best bass lines on most albums released since the early 80s were synthesised or sampled and played by a sequencer.

'Best' is of course entirely subjective, but most albums? Really? I doubt that somehow.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 hours ago, BigRedX said:

It is of absolutely no importance to me what other bass players do.

Besides the best bass lines on most albums released since the early 80s were synthesised or sampled and played by a sequencer.

 Sorry this is bollocks  There are 100,s if not 1000,s of great bass lines since the 80s that were played on an electric bass. Or is it just the greatest basslines you like.? If it's of absolutely no importance to you what other bass players do, why bother commenting. In fact why even take part in the forum

Edited by bubinga5
  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

53 minutes ago, bubinga5 said:

 Sorry this is bollocks  There are 100,s if not 1000,s of great bass lines since the 80s that were played on an electric bass. Or is it just the greatest basslines you like.? If it's of absolutely no importance to you what other bass players do, why bother commenting. In fact why even take part in the forum

giphy.gif

 

Edited by skidder652003
  • Haha 5
Link to comment
Share on other sites

16 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Ok, you've just named three bassists whom many of us (me included) consider to be awesome. Are their studio albums done on 5 string as far as you know?

Flea played a Stingray 5 on The Righteous and The Wicked from BSSM. The rest of the album he played a Wal (mk2 IIRC)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Billy Sheehan does seem to have an aversion to 5/6 string Basses.

On the (drop tuned) Sons of Apollo record, he's used a 4-string tuned BEAD, and is actually touring using a double neck, which has BEAD on the lower neck, and EADG on the upper neck which is used for his solo spot.

895152500_sheehanSOA.JPG.aa98d93ec34e9bce4ec62af54112d259.JPG

Link to comment
Share on other sites

13 minutes ago, Lozz196 said:

... whereas on the punk scene a five string bass is rare - if ever - to be seen.

I did want make some cheeky comment here about our punk brethren not wanting to be considered "intellectual" by being able to count to more than 4 (are there any punk tracks not in 4/4?) but I must resist! 😂

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Join the conversation

You can post now and register later. If you have an account, sign in now to post with your account.

Guest
Reply to this topic...

×   Pasted as rich text.   Restore formatting

  Only 75 emoji are allowed.

×   Your link has been automatically embedded.   Display as a link instead

×   Your previous content has been restored.   Clear editor

×   You cannot paste images directly. Upload or insert images from URL.

  • Recently Browsing   0 members

    • No registered users viewing this page.
×
×
  • Create New...