I've jettisoned the low "B" string.

[jazzyitalian]

Well Chaps...The title should say it all. Fact is that I love the 5-strings because of the apparantly obvious utility to them. A six string is even more, but dimishes the playability and speed by it's width. But the 5-string is right up my alley. I've owned a Pedulla Rapture for about 8-years now and while the low register B is a nice thing, it's not a great thing.

I can't find enough songs to justify playing the low "b". So I decided to go the other way. Now I've moved everything north and added a "C" at the bottom. Hard to imagine that the nut is still a fit. But it is. All I did was get the thickest guage (Mediums 50-105) and buy a 36 guage C-string. Badda Bing.

The soloing possibilities are great and endless. I did some Waymon Tisdale shadowing and it was like butter. Even on the slap / pluck it's got a cool vibe. I love playing chords with the higher string. They come out clear and even the harmonic taps are a thing of beauty. :wub:

So I think I'll be staying to the high-side on my 5-er. No I won't buy a 6-string. Too much fretboard for my liking.

I don't know of anyone else that has ever done this to their 5-strings. So I won't start a poll. I think it's pretty one sided....But some of you should try stringing the 5-er that way. It's a pretty decent thing....

As always,

Jazz

Edited April 21, 2010 by jazzyitalian

[Bilbo]

Steve Swallow and Janek Gwizdala are both EADGC 5 string players. Can't say I like the extended range in either direction myself - low B is tooo heavy for may tastes and I find the notes that are high on the C string are a bit too pingy!! I guess it depends on what music you are playing.

[Steve A]

String a 5 string this way is becoming more common among the soloists.

[basshead56]

Good move. and +1 for doing so


I did this last year on my Gibson Thunderbird Studio V and I have to say, I love it.
Never liked the low b sound- too heavy metal or something
I bought a set of D´Addarios Chromes 6 (for 6er bass) and just didnt use the last one


Love the sound of my T-Bird now!
It suits the kind of stuff I´m playing with the bands now perfectly.
Never had a 5 string before that, but am starting to use it live more and more now.
Will have to get a 5 string Fender though if I decide to use a 5er as my main bass-have to keep up appearances as ´the Fender guy´!

Edited April 21, 2010 by basshead56

[El Bajo]

I play a 6 string but I agree with you on the addition of a C string. It opened so many melodic possibilities and chords. Its a good decision, especially if your a lazy person like me and like to have all the notes under your fingers

If you find the C string a bit trebly try a Rotosound, it really cuts through.

[beardybass]

Check out Renaud Garcia-Fons, does the same thing but on a double, grand stuff.

[url="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDG0SyjQ9Qo"]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qDG0SyjQ9Qo[/url]

[ThomBassmonkey]

Bought a 5 string off a basschattter over the weekend that was tuned E-C, had a play with it for day before I bought some new strings and it was fun, but I like to keep it low and try not to interfere with the guitarists too much. I have a 6 string too if I'm ever inclined to play with that high C though, so I don't need to worry about it anyway.

[Lfalex v1.1]

Did it with my MM SR5 fretless ages ago, and have never looked back. Fretless low "B" doesn't seem to articulate the way the high "C" does.
Currently using 30, 45,65, 85, 105. Used the heaviest "C" to stop nut rattles, and tweaked the rod/action and did the intonation (needless to say)

[jazzyitalian]

amazing...there are a few others after all. I didn't encounter any issues with the nut when I moved the strings up the nut. Though I was fully prepared to have them. it was a nice surprise indeed.

j

[EdwardHimself]

I don't like the way people assume low notes to be a strictly "heavy metal" thing. In fact the idea of lower notes has existed in genres such as jazz and funk for a long time before it was thought of in metal music.

I've heard about doing this. It's a nice idea if you don't generally use the lower notes. However, i not only use the lower notes frequently, but i have actually done exactly the opposite with my 5 string, well in a way. I got some heavier strings and strung it ADGCF because that way i can use the extra Bb and A notes. In fact, if i want i can actually tune the A down to G, although i do have to adjust the neck in that case. I've recently started playing bass with the minimum use of open notes, because as some of you may know i was thinking of joining a cover band and i figure if i can play songs in this manner then it offers several advantages, namely not having to adjust tunings, being able to learn songs more quickly and also being able to simply adjust the position of the notes should the key of the song be adjusted at any point.

[Oscar South]

I played EADGC for about 2 years, Stanley Clarke was playing ADGC yeeeears ago but I wanted to keep a low E as well.

Its 'fun', but not that useful, you can't really do anything much that you can't already do on a 4 string unless you're big into two handed tapping. I prefer a 5 string with a low B for solo accompanying vocalists and a 4 string tuned standard or some transposed variation of that for actual solo bass. I still tune up EADGC sometimes for a bit of fun but what you lose from the low B string far outweighs what you gain from the high C imo.

[CHRISDABASS]

I have also found that i prefer E - C tuning on my fender P5! The B string never really felt or sounded right! The high C sounds awesome!

[bubinga5]

[quote name='EdwardHimself' post='830874' date='May 7 2010, 05:57 PM']I don't like the way people assume low notes to be a strictly "heavy metal" thing. In fact the idea of lower notes has existed in genres such as jazz and funk for a long time before it was thought of in metal music.

I've heard about doing this. It's a nice idea if you don't generally use the lower notes. However, i not only use the lower notes frequently, but i have actually done exactly the opposite with my 5 string, well in a way. I got some heavier strings and strung it ADGCF because that way i can use the extra Bb and A notes. In fact, if i want i can actually tune the A down to G, although i do have to adjust the neck in that case. I've recently started playing bass with the minimum use of open notes, because as some of you may know i was thinking of joining a cover band and i figure if i can play songs in this manner then it offers several advantages, namely not having to adjust tunings, being able to learn songs more quickly and also being able to simply adjust the position of the notes should the key of the song be adjusted at any point.[/quote]
your right...there is not alot of modern soul funk gospel without a low B....for me the low B is essential in the sound of a 5 string...IMHO why would you want to lose the low down bass power for high notes?? your a bass player not a guitarist..

Edited May 8, 2010 by bubinga5

[JTUK]

[quote name='bubinga5' post='831486' date='May 8 2010, 02:57 PM']your right...there is not alot of modern soul funk gospel without a low B....for me the low B is essential in the sound of a 5 string...IMHO why would you want to lose the low down bass power for high notes?? your a bass player not a guitarist.. [/quote]


agree.... wouldn't be without one.

Each to their own, though, and if you can find a place for it in the work that you do, then ok.
I would think the soloists in our bands would be very wary of it..

[Pentode]

I've been playing quite a bit of Bach on my lovely sixxer (Thanks Matt!) which is tuned EADGBE.

Works a treat for me.

[purpleblob]

I find no use in the low B in anything I do musically, so all my 5's have E-C tuning. But I do keep a 6 string with a low B just in case

[TankJon]

I sold an american deluxe p-bass 5 string to a guy that dropped the low B in favour of a high C. Not something I would do but I would certainly do it if I needed the C as a 6 string just isn't comfy to play in my opinion.