I am thinking of building a bass but with limited budget in mind. I am tired of making strats mind you... I could use a bass however I was interested in the gecko bass because it looks real unique, however I wonder about having a 5 string bass since I am not really a bass player so should I go with the G4 instead? I really like the gecko inlay though...
help choosing a bass
- Thread starter rahimiiii
- Start date
It's been my experience that most skinny-stringers express an easier transition to a 4-string. I wouldn't let that detour you from getting out, going to your local music stores, and trying a few different makes and models (4,5,6 strings) in order to make an informed and intelligent decision. We're all different, and have requirements based on a host of varied factors. Nobody can really make the right call but you, yourself - build / acquire accordingly...
hmm... good point there. I guess I could go with the gecko 5's. I was thinking of going with black korina body or something and prep it with tru oil first, then grain fill (not sure what to use here, I don't like stewmac filler too much by the way maybe a dark filler??) then clear coat with lacquer. It would be a cheaper option to go with swamp ash but then I never seen a black korina guitar so it'd be totally different.
rahimiiii said:
I'd go with a five and just get it over with. You will end up learning better technique right away. If you build a fiver you'll be more inclined to play it just by virtue of the fact that you've got so much invested in it, so I don't think the extra string will throw you off for too long.
JBD
LarsXI said:
Well... I do prefer being able to use standard components (so I can go on ebay and find cheap ones) rather than buying expensive kahler bridges or whatever. I was thinking to use the KISS principle and build something simple but effective, like a dinky J or P or a G4... and use standard bridge/pickup routing. I think I am inclined to go with one pickup only however with a preamp inside...
R
RLW
Guest
If the day ever arrives when Vic needs a fifth string, I'll change my mind.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dWb-aCWR8U
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4dWb-aCWR8U
bpmorton777
Hero Member
- Messages
- 1,651
I stood right in front of Victor at the Flimore for a Flecktones show and could not see how he was doing what he was doing!
Id like to try a five string one day..there are some songs that would be easyer to play with five.
Brian
Id like to try a five string one day..there are some songs that would be easyer to play with five.
Brian
This will probably earn me eternal damnation, but I don't think that low B strings sound very good. A majority of the best bass players still play four-strings for that very reason, and when you do see a great player using a five or six-string, they just use the low B string as a thumbrest anyway. Go over to the talkbass forum and search "B string" or "five strings". At least a third of the posters are complaining about the tone of their B string, and asking what amp, strings, pickups, preamps etc. can fix it. Well, too bad - even a 35" scale doesn't address the fundamental mud problem caused by a too-thick string. It's the same problem seven-string guitarists run into, when you go over a .066" (or so) low string. You really can't have it all... If a five or six-stringer would please post a Youtube clip of someone specifically playing great-sound notes on a 0.135" string, I'd be proven wrong, huh? :laughing3:
http://www.talkbass.com/
(My new fave bass player is fretless six-banger Robertino Pagliari of OHM, but it seems he just uses the B as a thumbrest, as far as I can hear.)
http://www.myspace.com/robertinopagliari
http://www.talkbass.com/
(My new fave bass player is fretless six-banger Robertino Pagliari of OHM, but it seems he just uses the B as a thumbrest, as far as I can hear.)
http://www.myspace.com/robertinopagliari
Yeah fanned frets help some. But I would say 4 string. Most (good) bass players I know who have a 5 string only actually play the low B about 1% of the time, more as a gimmick or special effect.
I saw the flecktones a few years back and that guy blew my mind!!
I saw the flecktones a few years back and that guy blew my mind!!
onedrop said:
Yea, most of the bands I listen to all use 4 string basses anyways... I haven't seen too many bands that uses 5 or 6's... (I listen to Iron Maiden and most of the classic metal and/or death metal styles and just about all of them have standard instruments)
stubhead said:
A couple of points: Just because the notes aren't super-low doesn't mean they aren't being played on the low B string. I play a *lot* of low E notes on the high frets of the B string... Which was what I was talking about with the comment about the improving technique in my previous post. So there's a good chance people are playing the low B a lot more than what your ears are telling you.
I think the majority of complaints from people over five strings comes from the scale length. I don't play 35" scale basses anymore, because they are harder to play. All of my 5s are 34". I don't notice a difference sonically, but I'm sure there's lots of people that will say they do. But I'm still getting gigs and compliments on my sound, and that's all the proof I need.
It took a little while for me to make the switch, but now it is second nature. It probably took longer because I went through 35" scale basses before I realized that was a problem. Now, I wouldn't go to a gig or audition without a five now. My collection is fine with no four string basses, but I have to have at least one good fretted five all the time. I guess if you have the reputation Vic has you can play a one-string bass and everyone will still love you for it. But most of us don't have that luxury.
JBD
Similar threads
