Now I have 6 strings to worry about.

[RalphM]

I've decided to test the 6-string waters with this Ibanez.

http://www.bigralph.com/image/Ibanez_sr406.jpg

 

Coming from a 4-string bass, I find it pretty easy to play. This particular bass has a thin neck, low action and the string spacing is such that the overall width of the neck is not as insane as some other 6-ers I've seen.

 

I seem to do best if I just don't think about the extra strings.

 

Anyone else made the jump to 6 lately. Any tips, comments or advice?

 

 

[Ross Brown]

4 is more than I can handle sometimes.... Looks great though Ralph... Hope to get to hear it sometime.

 

 

[jeremy c]

When I got my 6 string (which I no longer have), the first thing I did was to play through the first of Bach's Cello Suites.

 

(I played it as written which means that it came out sounding an octave lower than it was intended to sound).

 

Doing that got me used to reading on the extra strings and also was a quite pleasant musical experience. It also allowed me to play Bach for my Dad. That was his favorite music to listen to.

[jcadmus]

To quote my favorite Zen philosopher-poet -- Tom Hamilton of Aerosmith: I used to think five-string basses were for eggheads. Now I think six-string basses are for eggheads.

 

Enjoy it anyway.

[Seamy ALB]

I have a SR506 myself, lovely bass. Take your time and drill some scales, play along with some tunes you know in the new positions available and have fun!!! Health to play!!!

[kenfxj]

I have a SR506 myself, lovely bass. Take your time and drill some scales, play along with some tunes you know in the new positions available and have fun!!! Health to play!!!

 

Good advice.

 

I like sixers. For some reason I like them better than fives.

[WCriley]

I jumped from 4 to 6 strings a few years ago and haven't looked back. The biggest problem I had was damping the extra strings.

[Wally Malone]

If you don't use it already I'd advise using the floating thumb technique. I find it to be valuable with both my 5 & 6 string basses.

 

Wally

[Michele C.]

When I got my 6 string (which I no longer have), the first thing I did was to play through the first of Bach's Cello Suites.

 

That is what I am trying to do on a four stringer. Keeping my hand on the twelvth fret and using the open G, I have managed to go through the first few pages. But I have found I will need to go way up the neck in the last section.

 

I like this Ibanez, especially the headstock that speaks 17th century to me.

 

http://www.stradivarisociety.com/images/instruments/Stradivari-1690-Auer.jpg

 

Six strings are useful for soloing, I think I could do most of what I do on a three string bass and I try to avoid the G string as much as possibile, as it never sounds the same to me as the other strings.

 

On the other hand, when I solo I think I could use a lot the top three strings of a six string bass trying a jim Hall style, much as Steve Swallow does. The geometry of the bass is such that it is easy to forget how many strings you have, as long as you don't ask yourself what note you are playing :-)

 

I think the main concern with a six stringer would be to find enough musical empty space, like playing in trio with a saxophone. If you have two guitarists to keep at bay it might be more difficult to use the high strings.

[b5pilot]

Nice bass! There was a SR506 at a local music store (unfortunately now closed) that was my go to bass when I tried stuff. Very nice instrument! Messing with a 6 is like messing with a 5, you just have to play it and let the muscle memory develop to feel comfortable with it.

[SteveC]

Very nice. I have toyed with the idea of going back to a 6 again. I used to have a fretless 6 that I used for my jazz trio/quartet gigs. After a while, it was really quite easy to play. I used it exclusively for jazz and had my trusty 5 for my rock/cover/r&b/church gigs.

 

Don't think I'd go fretless again, but there's a nice enough Schecter at a local store for $600 or so that plays and sounds pretty decent. Problem for me is that most are 35" scale which, combined with the wider neck does seem to fatigue my hand quite a bit.

 

Enjoy. The possibilities are endless. And don't let anyone tell you that you shouldn't use a 6 for this style or it's wrong for that style. It's the player, not the bass.

[b5pilot]

When I got my 6 string (which I no longer have), the first thing I did was to play through the first of Bach's Cello Suites.

 

That is what I am trying to do on a four stringer. Keeping my hand on the twelvth fret and using the open G, I have managed to go through the first few pages. But I have found I will need to go way up the neck in the last section.

 

I like this Ibanez, especially the headstock that speaks 17th century to me.

 

http://www.stradivarisociety.com/images/instruments/Stradivari-1690-Auer.jpg

 

Six strings are useful for soloing, I think I could do most of what I do on a three string bass and I try to avoid the G string as much as possibile, as it never sounds the same to me as the other strings.

 

On the other hand, when I solo I think I could use a lot the top three strings of a six string bass trying a jim Hall style, much as Steve Swallow does. The geometry of the bass is such that it is easy to forget how many strings you have, as long as you don't ask yourself what note you are playing :-)

 

I think the main concern with a six stringer would be to find enough musical empty space, like playing in trio with a saxophone. If you have two guitarists to keep at bay it might be more difficult to use the high strings.

 

Wow, talk about a short scale URB!

[RalphM]

>>>Bach's cello suites<<<

I don't think I can read and play those on one string...great music though!

 

>>>play along with some tunes you know<<<

That's exactly what I did. I started out with stuff I know well AND play them in the positions I always did. I find that I will unconciously walk up from the B string or play a riff with upward movement that I just naturally extend to the C string without really thinking about it.

 

>>>I like sixers. For some reason I like them better than fives.<<<

Oddly, I feel the same way. I don't know why but I'm taking to this more easily than the 5. Maybe it's the symmetry of the even number of strings VS an odd number of strings.

 

[EddiePlaysBass]

I am still yearning for a more than decent fretless ... And I always had the idea that when going fretless, a 6-string is the way to go. No reason or logic behind it, though :grin:

 

I played a Yamaha 6'er for a while, but although the bass was awesome she and I did not see eye to eye and it just never clicked.

[SteveC]

I am still yearning for a more than decent fretless ... And I always had the idea that when going fretless, a 6-string is the way to go. No reason or logic behind it, though :grin:

 

I thought it was nice - especially for jazz - as I had a pretty wide range for soloing.

[RalphM]

I've been playing the 6-string for about a week now and I have to say that the more I play it, the more I like it.

 

I think it's a keeper.