a slapper? i dont speak bass, i pick my guitar, i hate using my thumb, sometimes i hit my low e string with my middlefinger buts that not that much, so what is slapping? i mean is it slapping your strings and how would that get you your tone>

and is peavy good or bad? and yes i love PRS guitars but i dont have the cash for a PRS bass, and i thought bought a six string but the peavy i want dont come in a 6 string

There is no substitute for a 4 for slapping; the string spacing is there, and most of the classic slap lines are played on 4's. I have come across the occasional 5 that I am able to slap comfortably on, but really prefer the 4. If one is unfamiliar with what slapping is, or what proper technique might be, just remember that it's the information superhighway and start searching. The truth is out there.

Slapping the bass.
Thumping and plucking.
Spanking the plank.
Whatever you want to call it, here's Louis Johnson.



p.s. Peavey makes pretty good basses.

Sure there is. Lots of people (including [ex]forum members) slap on 5 and 6 string basses. Heck, we have a forumite who plays a 7 string (forgot his name for a sec) and from what I heard he slaps the heck out of it. I may be wrong, though.

Ultimately, what counts (IMHO) is your comfort zone. Don't tell me that a 4 is the be all and end all of slapping. That's just not true. If you tell me it is the be all and end all of slapping for you then I won't argue.

well i tried slaping my guitar and i do ok so yeah

How to slap a guitar:

I've played Peavey Millenium BXP basses in a music store...ONCE.

I thought they were pretty good -- excellent for the price.

Peace.
--SW

Beware the 5-string - I "upgraded" last year from a Schecter 4-string to a Fender Jazz Deluxe V, and landed myself a real nice case of tendinitis. I actually traded-in today for a 4-string J in the hopes that I can leave this issue behind me. I'd go with the 4-string.

You're of a minority (on tendonitis, not on preference). I'd say it's a valid concern but should certainly not be a decision guideline.

Fair enough. I guess my thought is that if he's just starting out, maybe a year+ with a 4-string could pave the way towards the versatility of the 5-string, should he choose to stick with it.

Meh...you could just as well say "Start with a 5 and if you feel like you don't need the B after a year or two, switch to a 4." Too many people still think of "EADG" as the definition of "bass." Both the instrument itself and the role that it plays has shifted so much in the last couple decades that one can hardly say that a standard 4-string is the best place to start. It's a paradigm shift many are not willing to make.

Not necessarily true. In another post I talked about my tendonitis, and that was from playing on a 4 string jazz bass. It was due to lack of preparation and hazzardous technique as opposed to it being a 4 or 5 string.

I don't know about a paradigm shift. 5's are certainly popular and useful. I played one exclusively for a long time. I am now back to a 4 and I am really finding that I don't miss my B string that much. Yeah, once in a while, but really, I can cover a lot of ground with the D-tuner.

I took out my 5'er the other day after not playing it for a while and the neck felt really wide. I am getting spoiled by the Sadowsky.

You missed my point, Steve. I wasn't saying that bass playing has shifted from 4-strings to 5. Rather, bass playing and bass instruments aren't always anchored in standard-tuned 4-strings anymore. 5-strings aren't just a 4-string with an extra string.

Oh...got ya. That is true.

That Louis Johnson Slap vid was worth the price of admisson.

Not to go to far OT, but does anyone else remember Eddy "Funky Thumbs" Redding of the LA Noppers? Man I wish I could fin more of their stiuff in print.

Hi PRS. For what you're looking for, a 4-string would probably be best.

Fascist.

Would you advise a 5-string to someone who wants to start playing bass, and wants to make a 6-string bass his first choice?

Go down to GC and test drive a few different brands of each. The only way to really know which you prefer is going to be to try several of them out.
And Peavey does make good basses... the BXP's are great for the money.

DX

A lot of opinion and I would say that the 4 camp is slightly in the lead, but honestly, the issues raised should help you decide.

I had a custom bass built and I chewed over the 4/5 decision for sometime - ending up with 4. Maybe I should have gone 5 who knows. I honestly think that with a 6 what you gain in range is lost in weight and neck size and feel. The 4/5 decision is pretty well even.

Davo

From one guitar player to another... don't bother with a 6 string bass if you're thinking that the number of strings will help your learning curve... it's a completely different animal altogether, the number 6 being the only thing they have in common.
4 vs. 5 is going to be strictly a matter of personal taste.

DX

LOL

...so...

You didn't get tendonitis from playing a 5-string.

You are banned from sharing your opinion.

PRS: why not buy an instrument that you like? I know... crazy idea.

Spud, read what PRS wrote:



For a "nice practice bass, just to play with, that's it," I would recommend to anyone to go with a 4-string. A guitarist looking to dabble at bass -- why not? Anyway, a forum is a medium of sharing opinions, and that is my opinion. You don't have to agree with it Spud.

BTW: I like your website.