i play guitar, but i am wanting a bass for Christmas, i want this bass, http://bass-guitars.musiciansfriend.com/product/Peavey-Millennium-BXP-5String-Bass-Guitar?sku=511370 , its a nice looking bass, but idk to get a 4 string or a 5 string, and i just want a nice practice bass thats it, just to play with

I'll say 4 but I'll be in the minority here.

By the way and for what it's worth, I think Peavey basses are a lot of bang for the buck.

I vote for a 4 string. Later, if you want to pursue the bass further, you can add a 5 string. I own both but I really enjoy the 4 string the most.

Do the bass players you like to listen to play 4 or 5 string basses? That information might help you make your decision.

p.s. I have both kinds and my 5 string bass is a PRS.

I have been playing for a while and I continuously debate this question. I have a 4 and a 5. My 5 was my go to bass for a long time. My 4 is a "better" bass so I have been playing it a lot lately to see if I really NEED 5 strings.

NEED is the debate. For most of my playing 4 strings are plenty. Then there are about 3 tunes a night that a low B would be "nice" and "appropriate" to have, but not necessary.

Of course, there are many times where taking something down just sounds good or changes things up. If not over-done this works. This is where I struggle. I have been playing my 4 exclusively for a few weeks and while I an used to it, there are plenty of times where I miss my B string - especially at church.

I guess I'm fortunate to have both, but I'd really like to have just one bass to do all my gigs with.

I know that wasn't much help, but at least you know that people who have played for years can also struggle with the decision.

Obviously, from your post above, your 5 can cover everything, whereas your 4 doesn't quite.

G.

Depends on how much slap playing you do. Nothing equates to a 4 for slapability, and if you are a minimal or non-slapper, then it is hard to argue with the versatility of a 5.

98% of the world's great bass lines were played on 4's, and that is what I use. I have a Hipshot Xtender and a Boss OC-3 to help me go deeper on those "nice" occasions.

Get a 4 string.

Yeah, I guess I just need to trade my 4 string Sadowsky for a 5'er.

I go along with Jeremy. If you need or want to replicate the sound of an instrument, get that instrument or something like it. Fivers give you more range, fours are easier to get used to is you're used to playing a guitar with an E as the string closest to your chin.

I disagree.


Part of that is because most of what we currently consider "the world's greatest bass lines" were played before 5-strings were common.

I'd say go with the 4. Might be a bit easier to trasition from guitar. Then again, maybe having the 5 will make you think differently and challenge you more.

Or get a six string. Tune is B E A D F# B and there you have it.

Not really recommended for a beginner.

Jeremy aren't those normally tuned B E A D G C or are you kind of simulating guitar tuning only starting with B?
I was a guitar player and started out on a short scale 4 string bass. It was easy to get used to. Now I use a 5 string which is pretty versatile but that low B might throw you off at first. Also the necks are a tad wider which will also be a little more difficult for a beginner. I recommend a 4 string first then eventually get a five if you like.

Yes.

Peace.
--SW

No.

Peace.
--SW

Yes.

Peace.
--SW

Yes.

Peace.
--SW

Yes.

Peace.
--SW

Maybe.

Peace.
--SW

I was simulating guitar tuning to lower the learning curve for someone switching from guitar.

Thank you Dr. Sweet "Post Count" Willie.

Yeah, I thought so. I'm a little slow in the uptake today.

You will also find many bassist that "Love" a Jazz bass for it's slim, trim, lean, small, FAST neck. Then they will tell you they prefer a 5 string. Go figure?????
Rocky

5 for speed. I rarely touch B when playing popular music, but I love to hammer out the bottom end.

The one bad thing about a 5 string is you don't have to move around the neck as much which is maybe not such a good thing. With everything pretty much in one spot you don't have the tendency to explore the neck as much as with a 4. At least I haven't. I think that's one of the reasons why I recently bought a 4 string. To get out of my comfort zone.

I've been playing a 4 lately and this was one of the reasons.

I switched to 5-string about 6 years ago, and the main trouble I have when I try to play a 4-string now is that the strings are spaced too far apart. My hand is so used to the closer spacing of the 5-string that the wider spaced 4-string is awkward. I also love playing in F Major starting on B6, thereby avoiding the open A string from playing F Major on E1.

I've noticed that also when switching from a 5 to a 4. It throws my timing off just a little as I have to reach farther for the string and it takes me a bit to get used to that.

Just get whichever bass tickles your fancy, and if need be trade it in later or sell it. It's not a science, it's a tool. I went from 4 to 5 to 6 and back to 5, and the WAV is a 4. No biggie (usually).

Oh and if anyone even thinks of replying with "you're a tool" ...

...and also that Ibanez necks are too small as well.

On the topic though...I haven't owned a five yet but why not give it a try? I've actually been considering a six in the spirit of Billy Sheehan in that if I'm gonna make it more complicated then I might as well jump in with both feet. Only thing though is that reaching the B with my pinky is a challenge.

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.