What's the deal with 5 string basses? 

I shared a lot of short clips from shows my bands have played. Would you guys be interested in seeing the full unedited footage from my gigs?

the secret is to play an active, headless, multiscale bass so people get upset about that and forget about it being a 5-string lmao. fr tho a lot of the songs i play are in low tunings (C standard, drop B etc), and it's way more convenient to use a 5 string, no filing my nut for super heavy gauge strings, no retuning, plus (imo) it sounds a lot better than floppy detuned strings

Another thing that's great about a 5 is that if you're reading music that has the low notes in that range. It is far easier to play those notes rather than having to think about transposing the note up an octave and possibly missing more notes. Happened to me before.

About 3 years ago, i bought a Yamaha 5 String as well... I was in a metalband that time and it was obvious that this step was necessary. It felt good, sounded amazing and opened up so many possibilities for my playing. I never played a 4 string since. The best point you mentioned is my singer asking to play a song in lower keys and i have the pleasure to see the desperate look on my guitar players face!

I play a 5 string and everything he mentioned as a pro to playing one, are things I intuitively knew, just never really articulated to myself. The hardest thing is, switching back and forth between my 4 & 5 string. Often times, if I'm not concentrating enough, I'll forget which one I'm playing.

I think you made a great point about not over doing the 5th string, it's so easy to want to just play with the fancy new string lol and it's not always the best or most musical choice.

Love how you put the pros and cons. Always been a 4 string player but just recently laid away a 6 string

If you're going to get into orchestra gigs having a fiver is pretty much a necessity; there are arrangements that actually write in a notated e-bass sheet and some will dive into that lower register that demands that B string.

One cool thing, you can get cool power chords when the bass plays the lower note and the guitar plays the two high notes. To combat the B string not being defined enough: Get a 5 string with a humbucker (on the bridge) and a 15" bass cabinet/combo/PA. The bucker mid range and low freq response of the 15" really helps to even the sound.

Dude, awesome video! I appreciate how well thought out and presented all the information is. Great gig clips too!

From an outside perspective, I find it fascinating that bass players and the bass guitar itself are a focus point for so much tumult. Be it five strings or four strings, fingers or picks, P or J, the ire of bass is like no other in modern music.

Thanks for inserting examples of your band playing. Thanks.

Agree completely and nice playing!!

great explanatory video with examples ; thank you.

I love working with A 5 string. Those pros are on point. It’s ideal for Reggae And R&B having the advantage of that lower register. It’s Also great for other genres too

I’ve been thinking of getting a 5 string for along time, so this was brilliant to watch. BTW, I also play sax so it was good to see the clips of your band. Thanks.

Very cool video, great band

AMP Thank You for the simple, concise dialogue. Appreciate the insights.

Everything you said about the 5👍🏾, playing in jazz band, the 5 is a godsend especially when not playing the upright bass. I also play a 5 in a electronic/synth band. As for muting, I use fretwraps that take of the sympathetic ringing. Also on the weight issue, I've been using ComfortStrapp. It's neoprene and takes the weight off my shoulders and balances the bass perfectly

Thank you for your feedback on 5 strings basses. That was very informative ;-)

#4 in the pro column about note selection and playing choices has been very apparent for me since I picked up my 5 string in lockdown. I like it. It’s easier to find new grooves and so I’m playing the bass more. Oh and you passed the fact-check. Lol

Wow! Fantastic tips! I was aware of some but others were so obvious I was a little embarrassed I hadn't noticed them before. I've stayed away from 5 strings in the past because of the wider necks and my extremely low vision. But I recently purchased a Sire P7 and I love it! The B string is tight and doesn't flop around like a beached walrus. The sound is fat, buttery, and clear! Your video was informative and entertaining.. I really dug the video clips of you playing with your band showing us real world examples of what you were talking about. Excellent job bro!!

Awesome video! Another thing to note with 5 strings (own and play two of them, Sire V3 and Sire M7) is that they increase the likelihood of things like tendonitis, bone spurs and carpal tunnel if they're a 35" scale length, which most 5 string players prefer since the low B is a bit tighter. I'm looking for a 4 string myself since I just got diagnosed with carpal tunnel in my left hand (not because of bass, but I'm sure it doesn't help). Anyways, rock on!

I own the same bass, the black one. It is a beast. From 4 to 5 string takes some study and getting used to, but i love it. And you are right it needs a good amp. Thanks for your video!

Thanks!

Banger thumbnail

Thank you for more videos about the five string. Not enough of those. Warning: I am going to steal your dance grooves.

Spot on. I recently picked up a 5 string mainly for one of the exact reasons you mentioned related to transposing. A lot of songs I had been playing were requiring me to drop the E to a D (even to a low C at one point) in order to properly play a song where the key had been dropped one or more whole steps (going high would’ve just been no good as you also said). So far its been incredibly helpful, especially considering I no longer need time to change the tuning in between songs. And the additional playing options you brought up were something else I realized during the first few moments of playing a 5 string (playing a G progression using the B string for example). And I agree, the low notes like E or G on the B string have an additional richness or fullness to them. Going from a 4 to a 5 is a journey, but I’m loving it so far. Nice use of the Yamaha BB btw. I’ve played them too and they’re great basses. I’ve played a 1980s model Yamaha as well, plays great.

Excellent breakdown on the bass😊now explain the 6 string and up

Been playing bass in bands for 20+ years, I have genuinely never even picked up a 5 string, never really even been curious, that is until now…. Great video, new subscriber here 👋

I'm a guitar player to begin with, but I do enjoy playing the bass, and I'm the bass player in one of the bands I'm playing with. When I'm on bass, I'm definitely in the 5-string camp, I think it gives more options, and like you said, that fifth string has a different character to it. Great vid, thanks!

I feel like it depends on what kind of music you play because as a worship bass player I’ve found my self more often then not wishing I had a 5 string because of that lower register being needed, also as a Hispanic a lot of our music (Bachata, Salsa, Merengue) demands that low B string I can’t play Spanish music correctly without it, I’m getting one soon so hopefully i Can fulfill my needs :)

Been playing bass for 29 years. Started of with my Epiphone Newport 4 string and what a bass it was and did my apprenticeship on that bass. It was in 2002 that I walked into Marshal Music Johannesburg that I saw this Ibanez GSR200 4 string in transparent red.....I was in love. Next to it was a 5 string GSR 205 5 string and I tested both and walked away with the 5 string and the rest is history. So much versatility on a 5 string and if you are playing metal like I do the 5 string just works better with those lower notes. I still play my 4 string from time to time but my 5 string is my war machine. Great video and what I like is how you present the pro's and cons where other big bass master just dis the 5 string bass. Shake the stadium with that lower B ...Rock On !!!!!!!!!!!!!

I love my 5 string basses. It took a little getting used to when I first got it, as I would accidentally hit the B string instead of the E string, I like the extended range, the ability to play in drop D without retuning, and less moving around the fretboard, I also like to occasionally hit E an the forth open string and on the fifth fret of the fifth string at the same time, which can really kick. Also when I play songs that have a fatter bass sound, I like to use the fifth fret on deeper strings, like you mentioned. I also usually use my thumb to mute the low strings; muting the B string took me a little practice. Unless desired, no string should ring. My old BTB 5 string, with I called my "Yule log" because of it size and weight, and the upper frets on the 5th string were locking up the knuckle on my little finger because of the reach across the wide neck. It sounds great, especially plugged into a passive input on the amp while using it in active mode. It sometimes would growl like a tree bending too far in the wind. I recently got an SR Prestige 5 string because of the lighter weight and thinner neck; however, it is a bolt-on neck when I usually prefer a through-neck.

I play Fender fretless 4, Warwick 5 and Carvin 6 string basses. They all have their place. Nice vid. Enjoyed the added footage, Nice playing.

I agree on everything you said! My first bass was actually a 5-string, even a Yamaha BB. It was the BB-G5 back then, already 25 years ago. And the Yamaha BB range is still one that I'd recommend for somebody looking into getting into the 5-string world. These are awesome basses, from the entry-level BB 235 up to the MIJ BBP. But there are many great 5-string basses out there, so just choose whatever works for you.

I want to get a 5 string bass now

Great vid mate, band sounds great too 👍 I just bought my first bass a month ago, a Harley Benton MP-4mn. Its very good for the price so would recommend HB for those on a low budget (£100-300). Once you get over £200 though most brands make decent basses these days, you cant really go too wrong. Just take your time, watch vids, play some if you can, and get whatever inspires you.

Being someone who records in my home studio and I like to have a lot variation in my creations, I like the 4 string for simplicity helps me be creative in a different way and the 5 string most importantly bring thunderous low notes that I find very necessary. If I was to pick again I’d just go 5 string and recommend the same for most people.

I started with 4 strings bass 10 years ago and it was so inconvinient having no bottom D that I sold it after a year of fruitless training. So when I bought a 5-string bass during COVID, it fitted so well in what I tried to play that I can't imagine playing my spare 4-string bass with full feedback now. B1 in a lot of songs sounds weak as hell

Like Jaco said and I paraphrase If it sounds good I dig it!! Lol 4 5 or 6 don't matter, it's all MUSIC❤️

Sire v5 5er. Gigged for first time this past Saturday. Sounded and played excellent. Very affordable too

If a 5 string is a one trick pony, than a 4 string is a dead horse.

When I started playing 5''s I stopped Using my 4's(so that i wouldn't go running back to my 4's) I use the B string as a thumb rest and this also doubles as a mute until I want to use the low B ,You've mentioned all the points I've encountered so Great Job , I can't be doing with Transposing and re tuning, sooner learn the music in another Key and keep all the same patterns.

This is a good video. Fair and honest. The problem with muting does require learning new techniques either with the palm, pinky finger, or "floating thumb".

I'm mainly a drummer. Back in 2009, I went in to record a couple of songs playing all the instruments but without any training. (That turned into my first album.) I learned guitar chords from a Beatles fake book and I just made up bass parts in my head for my own songs. When I tried to record with a four-string, I just found myself unsatisfied with the range of the four-string. Fortunately, the studio I was in had a five-string and it was just so much more comfortable. Fast forward to now. I want to learn bass properly. All the Internet advice is to start on a four-string, so I went to a music shop thinking about buying an Ibanez IJSR 190 kit, with a bass, strap, cheap amp, etc. I just didn't like it. But the store had an Ibanez GSR205SM, and I fell in love. Except for the extra string, it looked the same - a beautiful instrument. I'm starting out learning to play properly on a five-string. Sure, I'm not a COMPLETE noob, at least in that, I've been a musician most of my life. For a complete newbie, maybe (MAYBE) a four-string is where to start, but I just don't see it that way. All the other problems are not problems, just the muting thing. But I already knew that and already knew how to mute with both (well, either, depending on the situation) hands. Pain in the ass? Yes. Worth it? Yes.

I started on a Washburn XB125 which is a great inexpensive Indonesian 5er but doesn't have a great variety of tone and very dependent on its active preamp. I then got a Yamaha 735a like yours and it's fantastic, there's just something magic about Yamaha pickups and the passive tone is just as usable as the active. My next bass will probably be a Sire P7 fretless 5er, they're looking very good.

your bands singer is wildn out in that bulls gear = ) ). would love to find you guys playing a gig sometime

I learned to play on a 5 string bass way back in the very late 80’s early 90’s. Didn’t own a 4 string until maybe 2008 and it felt like I’d been handicapped by losing the low B. Sold both of my 4’s about three years later and never looked back. From 2001 to 2018 I played a 6 string exclusively (big mistake). Now I’ve fallen back in love with 5 strings and only bring my 6’s out when the gig calls for them. Even owned a 7 string Conklin Groove Tools bass in the early 2000’s for a short period! I’m so embarrassed! 🤦🏾‍♂️ My bass journey through the years has been all over the place. Kids don’t be like me! 😂

good stuff

I was recently handed a 5 string while watching some friends practice while I was doing art. Their bass player could never make it, so they handed me a 5 string and said you're the bass now. I personally love the added B string~ Recently saw Thundercat playing a 6 string and kinda want one now lol

Re Con #1: Muting. FOREARM MUTING. Use the soft underbelly of your "picking hand" arm to mute the low strings. Which should work for you given your penchant for wearing Hawaiian shirts to gigs. 😬 Don't shoot the messenger, bro. Heh-heh. Love your channel, keep up the good work! Love from Canada - JD

Great vid. Thanks. My recommendation for a starter 5-string would be an Ibanez SR because they're cheap, slim neck, sound good and are light. The reason NOT to would be the string spacing makes picking and slap hard work so depends on what style you play most. FYI my tutor has a 5-string that gets a lot of use in covers gigs (Eb for Superstitious anyone? and SOOO useful when a singer wants to drop the key by a tone) and also uses a Yamaha BB bass.

I'm looking for the ideal four string bass to play B-E-A-D. I don't have a problem with muting, but I think I'd like to adjust my playing so, like you said, I'm not tempted to overplay. I also like to have a fretted E, Eb, and D. I don't use the low B much since the open low B sound as well as the open E sound is usually harder to control although since I've started playing mostly with my thumb and four fingers I find that I can tame the sound a bit easier. The problem I have is so many basses I've tried kind sound crappy past the seventh fret on both the E and B strings. I have two five strings where this isn't the case and what they have in common are five piece necks, tilt back headstocks, 35" scale and more than four bolt necks. I'm not sure if it's one or a combination of those factors, but they seem to combine for a B and E string that don't sound dull or dead the farther you get up the neck. I think I would like a four string Dingwall, but they're really expensive even for the lower tier models. Other more affordable options would be an old Ibanez BTB four string (one of my five strings is a BTB), one of the ESP LTD multi-scales or a Kiesel Vanquish multi scale.

Greetings, I have a Ibanez RB850 5 string circ 1985....When I was playing in a 3 piece and the guitarist was soloing I used the 5th string to open up the music. Also with a 145 gauge B string it is handy as a tow rope when your mates car needs a tow.

ENjoyed this video so much:) FIanlly, some thoughts and clues from someone who PLAYS basses not SELLS basses :) Well put, cewl !

4 string player here, and a year late to the party. Great info and presentation. Thanks for the solid video! ⚡️

When the band dynamics go "big," that extended range lets you plant the whole thing by going "low!!" Just love how a 5 string gives you control over the chord voicing of the entire group!!

Love that original 5 string Yamaha, as played by Merv Goldsworthy. That’s my dream bass.

B E A D G That s the deal with 5 strings BASS X3

A few years ago I had a 5 string, but sold it out of frustration. The more I play with my current band, the more uses I've found for a 5-string... HOWEVER, all my wife remembers was me complaining about that old bass, making it difficult to get her on board with agreeing to another go. Money is tight these days! Your video might have been the push I need to sell one of my 4's to fund a 5. Thanks! (I think...)

Now I want to get an Yamaha BB even more :)

I want to get a 5 string actually because I feel like its all I will ever need. I'm not a big fan of having to detune all the time so I love the idea of just going from song to song.

They make 5 String Upright Basses too. The Low B String makes transposing easier especially in Church Gigs. I tune mine down a Half Step (Bb, Eb, Ab, Db, Gb) so that the high notes are easier for me to sing.

Started with a Squier PJ; buying an Ibanez SR875 allowed me to learn songs in BEADG and even some ADGCF tuning; the low string and close spacing made learning slap more difficult.

great video and nice two octave scale ;) I will say this. 5 and 6 string "upright basses" were in use hundreds of years before the electric bass was invented (for guitar players)

My recommendation is the Mono Betty straps. I have a five string Musicman Stingray dual humbucker. It is a heavy bass and find that the Betty long strap is perfect for long standing gigs without getting a sore shoulder or back.

having never played I bought a 5 string primarily because of its extended range & I had no idea at that time what de-tuning was

Hey, did you realize a dog takes the stage at 11:48? He wanders around for a while and (when he realizes Security is lax) he even moves to centre stage for a quick jig and his 15 minutes of fame. Lovely. Good thing he didn't leave any "bio hazard" for the band to tread in. Fans, eh? (EDIT: He even gets a little pat on the head from your sax man at 12:02. Nice.)

I had three 5-string basses, and while they were super fun to play, I just wasn’t using them for anything more than I could do with a 4-string. But definitely I would recommend to those that haven’t tried it.

Thanks for the great video. How does the neck feel on the BB735A? I owned the 734A, and the neck edges were really sharp.

7:40 I just mute the B with my wrist while slapping. For the rest I use floating thumb. Works like a charm.

I've been primarily playing 5 string basses for many years, I would occasionally get jokes or negative comments but it really wasn't that often. However, my Stingray 5 weighs 11 lbs. and I am now in my 50s and needed to get something lighter and more comfortable if I was going to continue playing. So now I've been showing up to gigs with a headless 5 string and man does that ever make some people's head explode.

I love my 5 banger especially for the leading 5th tone right above the E string, extended range from the B string.

Everything I’ve learned on bass has been in drop tuning so I’m not very familiar with standard bass scale pattern, but I do play c# standard in a thrash band I’m in so I’ve gotten the hang of it pretty quick in the past few days luckily. But because of this I can’t think of any practical uses for a 5 string (even though I have one) in what I do

I went from a fender jazz to a Spector multi scale 5 string. Love it. No Drop D here.

Hello there) i have exactly same bass, play metal and pop in different projects... Don't know why, but i want to try flats... So much videos and opinions, that flat's with metal- bad idea, but thas sweet old school sound... ( Maby active circuit here could compensate that a little bit?)

I've played nothing but 5 strings for nearly 20 years. I'm lazy and love having more notes under my fingers in a position, plus I hate open strings.

I got a five string nearly a year ago. I've found the best thing is that I can approach a low e from below, and since loads of guitar songs are in e it's great to get below the bottom e. I use the d quite a lot, but I rarely use the lower notes tbh. The other great thing is being able to play stuff in f and f# on the 6and 7th frets rather than way down the bottom end of the neck.

started playing bass 2 months ago, bought my first bass, learned it was a P-bass, then i learned that what I wanted was a J-bass and therefor bought a Mexican made Fender Player Jazz Bass Fretless because when i went to actually play on a J-bass from the store, they only had like a Squire Vintage 60s fretless J-bass available for me to play, the rest was Fender P-basses. So i grabbed the Squire, which in my head i thought ( omg i remember the Squire Stratocaster i had....) But it actually sounded great not gonna lie, it sounded so great that i shifted from just wanting a J-bass to now wanting it fretless too, and due to experience with Squire guitars, I wanted something i knew had quality, at least used to have quality, so i got a Fender. Now its not a perfect Fender, the knobs are mounted too high, the fingerboard has a black oar in it going from the nut all the way down which i found kind of annoying for a fender to be like that but it is what it is! 5 String bass is not my kinda bass, i like sticking to the E A D G's I don't need that extra deep B and to mute on a 5 string, all you do is put your thumb along your fingering fingers so your thumb slides up and down on the strings muting all the ones it touches. =) A 5+ threads bass is like a baritone guitar basically :)

One of my favourite pros of a 5-string bass is that top string is really helpful for balancing my thumb on while my fingers pluck the other strings. It makes it much easier for me to pluck faster on the other strings.

You sound great live. How does the 5 string sound on your Rocket 210 or your now stolen Rumble 500? Also, as you know, I gravitate to the 5-string when I'm playing with a horn player as a lot of the tunes are in Bb so it's nice to hit that low Eb.

You can get a mute strap to put around the upper neck. You can even use hair bands if you don't wanna go buy one. They are also very helpful when tapping.

WE HAVE THE SAME BASS!!! bro i love it but unfortunately dropped the 5th and using it as a 4 stringer....maybe this video will help

I have the same bb735a, it is awesome! I lack the skills, but I love it anyway.

I am a guitar player but still i just ordered a squire 5 string exactly the same reasons u said..more on the timbre side of things

Kenny Fong sightings throughout the video

I'm a long time 5 and 6, I'll never go back to a 4 :) A neg point with a 5 is often the string spacing at the nut, I'm a tall girl with big hands and playing on a 43mm(1.69') wide nut is a pain in the bass.... I've fall in love with a 2010 Squier JazzBass-5 Deluxe, active, 51mm (2.01') wide at the nut. Match my needs perfectly.

I've been wanting one of those Yamaha basses... mostly the Japanese made version, the BBP35, probably in the midnight blue color. :)

One of the nice things about being one of the pick bass weirdos is that, even when you go all the way up to SIX strings, the muting becomes a non-issue pretty quickly; a solid right-hand muting technique is way easier to pull off when you can just rest the edge of your hand on the strings.

I started playing bass recently and chose to start with a five instead of a four. I certainly don't regret my decision! Every bassist said I can't start on a five, but it seems to be working for me lol

I play a 5 (G&L M2500), but don't use the low B that much. It's nice once in a while to have, sort of like that tool you rarely use but happy to have if you need it. In my current band I might use the low B twice all evening.

A fret wrap at the nut can help with the muting

i play a 5 string in a band that does drop C# so I tune as they do but I also drop the 5th string is drop tunned to Ab. I have found that this gives me a lot of options especially dropping certian runs down an octave easier.

5 strings basses are a must have for modern metal and modern prog. Its extended range is so usefull, but there is some elements to put in a consideration: -muting requiers a floating thumb technique instead of a anchored thumb technique. It actually was a real challenge for me since I first learned to mute the E string with my pinky and the A string with my ring finger. As you mentionned, it's also harder to mute with the slap technique. In order to fix that I use my forearm ( like Fernando Molinari ), wich is so damn hard ! -the extra tension needed on the low B/low A ( drop a ) may cause some problems for non multiscale basses. The B string naturally comes a bit flubby and muddy, thicker gauge helps to get more tension but darkens the sound, and lighter gauge help to get more clarity but easily ends with a very flubby string.

I got my first V string bass back in 2002, inspired by Gail Ann Dorsey during her time with Bowie. Never had another 4 string since, It just feels right for me, due to the very reasons mentioned. Besides I can do on a 5 what I can do on a 4 but not the other way around. I use the floating thumb technique for muting. It's great to make electronic music.

I use my 5 String in an orchestral setting tuned to drop A so i can reach the deep Tuba notes especially in film scores

Hello AMP, may I know your Yamaha bass setup measurements? Like string height, pickup height etc. I just got the entry level one (BB235) since that's all I can afford for now. My goal is to learn all kinds of songs so I think it's just right to have you, a working bassist, as a reference. I also noticed from various videos that Yamaha basses tend to have more protruding pickups so it might not be suitable to use other basses' setup measurement (?) Much thanks!

I've started 5 string base( yamaha bb235) about 5 months ago being my first bass. Personally I get it to do covers close to the original. It's fine to start to learn mutting technique from scratch but may be unusual for 4 string players. I find pros such as ergonomic thumb rest on a 5th string and narrow spacing as I was switched from a guitar, and cons are - clear slapping is really hard to master for begginer.

I love my 5 string. I didn't really want one, but I picked up a second hand Ibanez for $80 and I couldn't say no to that kind of deal. I took to the 5 like a fish to water. I love it. It gives me so many more choices with fingerings and voice. I don't understand how people can say that it's only good for those 5 lower notes. The 5 definitely makes moving around the fret board so much easier. I also play my 4 strings as well. However, it's not always easy to go from the 5 to a 4 when I learned the song first on the 5. Going the other way is easy since I can just play 4 strings on the 5 and not worry about it.