Six String Snob!

[josie]

On 27/01/2023 at 21:28, Horizontalste said:

What a cool photo 😎

Thank you! Photo by Andy Hibbs https://www.andyhibbsphotography.co.uk/ at an Aynsley Lister guitar weekend in Jan 2019 when I got to work with the wonderful bass player and teacher Steve Amadeo (and it's his rig, not mine).

[SH73]

I have considered six string ,but opted for an electric guitar. On the serious note, I'd like one at least to test it.

Edited January 29, 2023 by SH73
Edit before spelling police arrives

[Newfoundfreedom]

On 27/01/2023 at 12:06, DTB said:

I tried really hard not to let it happen. 
I only started playing six string within the last couple of months and I mentioned to my wife about a couple of web pages I had read from six string players I termed  “six string snobs” who thought their instruments were superior, and whilst I don’t share that point of view, I picked up my Jaco replica (the Vintage make not the custom shop one) to play Sledgehammer yesterday only to put it down to go back to the sixer. 
Can’t see the four string getting much use now. 
But I guess it doesn’t matter just as long as one plays as much as possible. 

 

I thought the same when I first started playing a sixer. I couldn't see me ever going back to a four string. Then I put my back out and literally couldn't even lift it. ( Mine weighs 14 pounds ) so had no choice. The think I've found though is that the time I spent with the six has made me a far better player on the four. My muting technique is much better, and I now use notes I wouldn't have even considered going for before. Lots of nice little runs and slides to get to the notes which were much more easily accessible on the six. 

 

[Newfoundfreedom]

On 27/01/2023 at 20:01, Owen said:

I own a six string. It makes my head spin. If anyone wants a top quality Overwater 6er give me a nod. 

 

Well, if you're giving it away, my back is suddenly feeling a lot better. 😆

[DTB]

13 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

 

I thought the same when I first started playing a sixer. I couldn't see me ever going back to a four string. Then I put my back out and literally couldn't even lift it. ( Mine weighs 14 pounds ) so had no choice. The think I've found though is that the time I spent with the six has made me a far better player on the four. My muting technique is much better, and I now use notes I wouldn't have even considered going for before. Lots of nice little runs and slides to get to the notes which were much more easily accessible on the six. 

 

Definitely better at string muting now. Before my thumb was anchored firmly enough to hold the Titanic, now it floats and mutes. 
I actually find it easier to play the sixer. 
Tempted to have a luthier make one fretless for me, that would be interesting. 

[DTB]

Although I have to add, I learnt a song the other day, could have sworn it was in C when actually it was G as I was still thinking the 5 th string was the A string. Takes a while I guess. 

[Richard R]

2 hours ago, SH73 said:

I have considered six string ,but opted for an electric guitar. On the serious note, I'd like one at least to test it.

 

Try to get to a Bass Bash and play one there. If we're lucky,  then @Owen will be able to come to the Midlands Bash in April, and maybe bring the 6 as well as his rather tasty collection of 5s.

Edited January 29, 2023 by Richard R
Typo

[SH73]

Midlands is a bit far for me.

[Newfoundfreedom]

1 hour ago, SH73 said:

Midlands is a bit far for me.

 

It's a bit far for everyone. Even those who live there. 😂

[Chris2112]

I always used to like seeing six string basses live. It always made me think 'this guy can probably play' and I looked forward to seeing them used. Boutique basses made me think the same thing too. On the flip side, plenty of times I'd see a Precision on stage and assume the playing/music wouldn't be up to much. 

[StickyDBRmf]

I had a Yamaha John Patitucci model it was pretty cool. No radius, like a classical guitar. Strange and wide...and pretty cool. My other basses at the time were a Padulla 5-string fretless (high C) and a Danelectro Longhorn. I could switch between them effortlessly. I also had a 10-string Stick, an original Ironwood Classic tuning.

I now play a 12-string Dual Bass Reciprocal Stick. 12 Strings! SnobbySnobbySnobby.

I still have the Longhorn. It hurts my fingers pretty quickly 'cause I ain't got no calluses from playing Stick all the time...

[Richard R]

16 minutes ago, StickyDBRmf said:

12-string Dual Bass Reciprocal Stick.

 

You can't post a statement like that without pictures! 

 😅

[DTB]

1 hour ago, StickyDBRmf said:

I had a Yamaha John Patitucci model it was pretty cool. No radius, like a classical guitar. Strange and wide...and pretty cool. My other basses at the time were a Padulla 5-string fretless (high C) and a Danelectro Longhorn. I could switch between them effortlessly. I also had a 10-string Stick, an original Ironwood Classic tuning.

I now play a 12-string Dual Bass Reciprocal Stick. 12 Strings! SnobbySnobbySnobby.

I still have the Longhorn. It hurts my fingers pretty quickly 'cause I ain't got no calluses from playing Stick all the time...

I am considering a five string and going high C rather than low B. I also would like another fretless. 
Has anyone seen this Ibanez …….

https://www.ibanez.com/eu/products/detail/sras7_1p_06.html

that really appeals to me but I don’t know why lol. 

[mario_buoninfante]

I have to admit, 6 string basses are interesting beasts

Never had or played one. I only had a cheap 5 string bass early on in my journey, but I then moved back to a 4 string again.

My main concerns when I think about 5 or 6 string basses are:

- how's the E string compared to a 4 string?

- is the B string too different tonally?

 

I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts about it.

Edited January 30, 2023 by mario_buoninfante

[DTB]

The B string is okay down to the D imho. My studio setup loses a little definition lower than that tbh. Probably due to room size. 
I think my next bass will be a fretless 5 string tuned E/Drop D ADGC

[mario_buoninfante]

10 minutes ago, DTB said:

The B string is okay down to the D imho. My studio setup loses a little definition lower than that tbh. Probably due to room size. 
I think my next bass will be a fretless 5 string tuned E/Drop D ADGC

What bass though?

[DTB]

Yamaha TRB

Actually it is more defined than I thought so long as I keep volume down which is definitely room size. the room is well treated but till weather warms up I keep the partition across so it’s cheaper to heat. 

Edited January 30, 2023 by DTB

[thebassist]

On 29/01/2023 at 13:30, Chris2112 said:

I always used to like seeing six string basses live. It always made me think 'this guy can probably play' and I looked forward to seeing them used. Boutique basses made me think the same thing too. On the flip side, plenty of times I'd see a Precision on stage and assume the playing/music wouldn't be up to much. 

I used to think this too when it comes to thinking someone who plays a six can probably play …until I got one myself, and I’m definitely a below average player 😆

 

The main thing I love about playing six is the low B, 24th fret high C, chords and being able to play vertically.

[Dood]

4 hours ago, mario_buoninfante said:

I have to admit, 6 string basses are interesting beasts

Never had or played one. I only had a cheap 5 string bass early on in my journey, but I then moved back to a 4 string again.

My main concerns when I think about 5 or 6 string basses are:

- how's the E string compared to a 4 string?

- is the B string too different tonally?

 

I'd be interested in hearing people's thoughts about it.

Both of these points depend a lot on the instrument, it’s hardware, its electronics and its strings!

 

I’ve reviewed cheap basses with insane low B strings and expensive ones that surprised me. Not necessarily in a good way.

[Dad3353]

[DTB]

I think if you’re going to police the apostrophe you should also point out the error. It’s only fair, no?

[Dad3353]

3 hours ago, Dood said:

Both of these points depend a lot on the instrument, it’s hardware, its electronics and its strings!...

 

27 minutes ago, DTB said:

I think if you’re going to police the apostrophe you should also point out the error. It’s only fair, no?

 

Is it not flagrant..? 

 

The rule is simple : can 'its' or 'it's' be substituted by 'it is'..? If 'Yes', apostrophe; if 'No', none. 

[KingBollock]

2 hours ago, Dad3353 said:

 

 

Is it not flagrant..? 

 

The rule is simple : can 'its' or 'it's' be substituted by 'it is'..? If 'Yes', apostrophe; if 'No', none. 

It might have been auto corrected. The following two instances are correct.

 

My typing on my tablet is not very good, but it seems that most of the words I do type correctly get auto corrected in some very strange ways. Its to it’s is a common (if not particularly strange) one (in fact it did it just then!)

 

I’ll read through a post a couple of times before I press send. And then I have another read through and edit the mistakes. Then read through again and fix the mistakes. At which point, accuracy be damned, I abandon it.

 

What really gives my bladder a squeeze, is when it really doesn’t want you to use the correct word. It’ll change it, so I change it back, and it’ll do it again and again, even after I have pressed the cross next to the suggested correction. And it’ll do it for every instance of that word it the post.

[Dad3353]

6 hours ago, KingBollock said:

...My typing on my tablet is not very good...

 

S'what comes of being old; I don't do 'tablets' or 'smart phones', although I've now abandoned the quill for the ease of a keyboard (less ink splodges, and a 'backspace' that works...). I'm not certain, but I would imagine that functions such as 'auto-correct' and 'predictive typing' could be disengaged..? I do have a spelling checker active as I type this (it's not happy with the very first word, for instance...), but I'm the Boss, and I control, warts'n'all, what gets sent. Yes, reading through seems to be a lost art for many, in an apparent Need For Speed, but, in my dotage, I have the leisure, and little else to do than to read again my ramblings. There are occasional blips, though; even I make mistakes from time to time. It's just a 'standing joke', really; I lose little sleep over BC punctuation, if Truth were told. 

[StickyDBRmf]