Bass Players (esp. those with an LTD B-series!)

[JayX]

i tried a B104 or B105 (i THINK it was a 10x rather than a 20x) in my local store a few years ago, and fell in love with the sound, and the way it played.. but i was absolutely broke. now im thinkin of raising the cash and part ex-ing my old bass in to get a new one, and am considering the LTD B154 or 155 (im not sure what happened to the 104/5 , must've been replaced) but can't decide whether to go 5 string or stay 4

its not the money as its only about 30 quid difference, but im used to playing 4 string, and haven't really experimented that much with a 5th. is it an easy transition? im fairly "open" to genres, so it'd be nice to have the low B if i need to (especially if im playing in metal/hardcore band, for that extra rumble) but i dont want it to get in the way if i'm not using it (i saw someone with the low B removed and they just looked silly, as if they couldn't play the thing) unless its simply a case of it not really being a problem (im used to picked playing as my pickups aren't the strongest, but i'll be concentrating more on fingered bass now hopefully) ?

the other thing is, i have really small hands.. the LTD basses seem more like ibanez' necks tho, which are a lot thinner than the fender style bass im used too.. so is anyone else out there with small hands playing a 5 string or you just sticking to a 4?

also if anyone has used a B- series for a long period of time, i'd appreciate your feedback. ta!

[JamieC460]

Hi JayX,

I suppose I'm a bit of a dinosaur but I've never seen the need for having a 5-string bass. I've always wanted a distinct sound that can be heard through mix, in a manner akin to Burnel and Entwistle. I'm sure others will tell me I'm wrong, but IMHO if the song needs a really low note, I'll let the keyboard player have that space to play.

[JayX]

fair nuff, just a matter of different genres then. most hardcore/punk bands don't include a keyboardist (altho i like electronics myself) mainly as it wasn't used in the early sound, and there simply isn't much room on most stages we use :) i think i'm gonna have to sit down and try and jam on one and see how comfortable i am playing 4 string stuff. i guess if i'm playing original material then it shouldn't really be a problem. and it'll stop my guitarists from thinkin they can play bass :D

[Jon]

I have a 5 and I don't find the extra string a problem when playing parts written on 4 string - a lot of the time it's a very long thumbrest... ;) That said, I don't use it live - about 1/3 of my band's set is in drop D, and requires use of the open D string, so I have a 4 string with a Hipshot D-Tuner fitted.

The only thing I've found to be tricky on my 5 string is slap - probably because the string spacing's a bit tight.

[JayX]

ah good point, but im not much of a "slapper" :D my main concern now is my hand size.. i'm pretty sure the LTD has a nice narrow fretboard so i should be able to wrap my hand around it ok.. but there's no way i'd be able to play a musicman 5 string or something from memory of the fretboard width. such girly hands, and such a silly choice of instrument to play :D

[sanityfalls]

I suppose it really depends on how you play bass as well. You talk about being able to wrap your hands around the neck... from that I take it you position your bass relatively low and bring your thumb round the back of the neck and place it on top (which many players do). I tend to hold my bass quite high, and rest my thumb on the back, which gives you much more reach if you have smaller hands. I changed to a 5 string warwick a while back and have never really played my 4 string since, in fact, I found the tension on the neck was much better than my old ibanez so i found it much easier to play.

[JamieC460]

and it'll stop my guitarists from thinkin they can play bass :D

:bow: :bow: :bow: :lol:

I'm glad I'm not the only one to suffer from this. I was in a band once where everyone liked to swap instruments with each other. The guitarist always tried to play my bass like a poxy guitar :nono: , he gave up after the fourth time of me almost wetting myself with laughter.

I guess guitarists assume that because a bass has fewer strings, it must be easier to play :cuckoo:

Good luck with your whatever you decide to purchase.