I think we need to make a distinction here between “sounds good” and “the signal is mostly the fundamental tone.”
A B0 (or E0) will likely still sound great through a Rumble 100. It’s just that increasingly, as the frequency goes down, what you will be hearing more and more is the higher harmonics vs the fundamental tone.
This still sounds fine and will still sound lower than E1… just less and less pronounced the lower you go.
Love number five. All this talk of upper registers, and here I am thinking it’d be fun to have a four-string bass strung B-E-A-D.
Jacob Umansky is doing some really cool stuff.
Schecter specifically sells some Basses setup to be BEAD. Others may too.
It’s easy to do yourself too, many of us have at one point.
I like BEAD 4-strings much more than 5-strings.
Filing to nut to fit the strings isn’t too bad but how’d you handle the saddles? Swap the E-A-D down (if the bridge allows) and get one .130 saddle for the B … for file them too?
The stock saddles ended up being fine with no mods at all.
I also want a Spector PJ to set up BEAD
I actually did it on a Warwick Rockbass Streamer LX4 so yeah good choice 
I add to file mine, at the time. Also I add to drill a bigger hole for the string itself. But that’s not a big deal really.
Yeah this will vary by bridge for sure
I have thought about more strings before but I’ve never run into a situation where I can’t make a four string do everything I either want, or need it to do. I don’t think I need the extra complication! Or expense.
That is a YOUNG Maynard James Keenan. I met him once in Scottsdale, AZ when he demonstrated his wines to us. The one caveat that he set was if anyone said even one word about music, he’d leave. Fortunately, no one did. I’ve been to his barbershop up in Jerome a few times, but never got to visit his vineyards.
My focus is on HOW I play above WHAT I play. I am less concerned with what notes I am able to play than being able to express them how I want.
The Ibanez GSR206 referenced earlier is 54mm wide at the nut and 84mm at the 22nd fret. It has string spacing of 16.5mm
A GSR200 is only 41mm at the nut and 62mm at the 22nd fret. It has a string spacing of 19mm.
Those are big differences.
A 4 strings is going to be lighter and smoother in my hands. The wider string spacing means I can attack strings harder with less worry that I’m going to hit the lower string. I can more easily slip my fingers between strings to pluck or pick upwards. I am less likely to hit two strings while slapping. I can do weird things like bowing the E string with my index finger, or other methods of really soft attack.
It gives me more options and makes it easier to play with a greater variety of characters.
The 6 strings would get me 10 more possible notes, that… I don’t have much use for. I’ve only once wished I could grab a Low B. And that was literally the last note of a song. I can use a pedal if I really want that.
It’s not about beginner vs. advanced. It’s about what STYLE of playing you want to do.
A 6-string is better if you want more notes for technical melodic playing.
A 4-string is better for characterful groove-oriented playing.
I want to play grooves that inspire feelings that make people want to move their bodies. The 4-string is the better choice for me with my focus on playing grooves that are melodically simple but with greater variety in character.
I’m sure a more skilled player than me would have the control and precision to play with more character than me on a 6-string as I can on a 4. But I also think they would find even more ways to play on a 4.
This is the way…
I would thoroughly despise this instrument
Yup
I agree with this and where you are going with this but would even challenge this a little and say that the 6 will give you easier chording/arpeggiating opportunity but that’s it and honestly for going in to melody I feel that on bass keeping it simple and driving sounds a lot better. YMMV there though and as that’s kind of the essence of post-punk melodic bass this is also my musical preference showing.
Oteil Burbridge (Allman Bros Band, Tedeschi Trucks Band, Dead & Company) rocks a sweet 6-string Sandberg California
This is the way
