Extended bass advice please

[maxr]

I'm a UK/Irish/Euro folk band fiddler learning bass. I've posted this question on a big US bass forum, but some of you here in UK might know more about the music I play - so apologies if you've already seen the other.

 

I have cheap but workable fretted and fretless 32" acoustic 4s, tuned EADG. I find I prefer fretless and don't find the intonation too difficult. Next step is a cheap but workable solid 5 or 6 string like e.g. a Harvey Benton 550 or 650. Why? Sometimes I need to practice quietly with phones. I'd like to be able to play conventional bass lines in the 4 string frequencies, or 2/3 note chords up the neck on higher strings. Also, I'd like to be able to play folk tunes I know 'across the neck' on higher strings rather than up and down it as I find neccessary on a 4. Most of these tunes are in C F D G A or related keys and modes.

 

So, my plan is to get a 5 or 6 stringer, move them all down one, and add another on top, so I end up with e.g. E A D G C (5) and maybe F (6), low to high. I've checked F strings are available for bass. I prefer fretless, but that depends on just how hard it is to chord in tune on say the top 3 strings of a fretless bass. Questions that occur to me are: * Fretted or fretless? * 5 or 6 string? * B string or an extra high one? * Any other suggestions?

 

Thanks!

 

[Skybone]

Have you looked at a lined fretless? The frets are marked (lined), but obviously, fretless.

 

There was an inexpensive 6 string bass in the "Basses For Sale" section not too long ago, might be worth a search. 

 

Fender Bass 6?

[JoeEvans]

Fretless is a bit of a pain for chords, especially higher up the neck where a smaller inaccuracy of finger position corresponds to a larger inaccuracy of intonation (as a proportion of a whole tone, if you see what I mean). The general plan is a good one, though. I'd personally probably go for a 5-string E to C, I find 6-string necks a bit bulky for my own taste, but that's up to you...

[itu]

I think you need an Ashula. The older, the white one, or the new one. That will fulfill all your needs.

 

Strings, that's up to you. Learn this table, and your instrument can have practically any tuning you want. Do not forget piccolo strings.

 

https://www.daddario.com/globalassets/pdfs/accessories/tension_chart_13934.pdf

[tauzero]

What are you mostly going to be using it for? If the main use will be the four bass strings and there will be a bit of chording in addition, a 5-string E-C means you'll be stretching over one additional string to reach the four you'll mostly use (like playing a B-C 6-string). If you were to get a 6-string and string it E-F, you'd have to stretch over 2 additional strings to reach them.

 

As for fretted versus fretless, you could experiment with your acoustic fretless - try playing an octave C , third fret A string and 5th fret G, then slide it up to an F, then up again to an A, and see how well you kept the octave as an octave. That will give you an idea of the issues facing you if playing chords on a fretless.

[Boodang]

I used a 5 string fretless strung high C in a folk rock band for a number of years, and I would say that would work well for your needs. I didn't feel the need to go high F but then that's a personal preference. However, one thing to consider if you did go 6 string is the width of the neck as it does, to me, feel a step too far. As for low B, I've never been a fan, mostly because the string itself feels like a different beast than the rest and to my ears is just too low. I know lots of people here will disagree, but you've got to get a well sorted bass to make a low B even vaguely workable (and that's before we take into account that most cabs struggle to reproduce a low E let alone a B).