Does anyone here care about 5 strings?

[Dave W]

You haven't given us a your review of the 4-string EB Bass yet.

[Chris P.]

BTW: I love the name of the new bass. It really sounds instant classic. Almost poetic. There must have been some artists or marketeers who have thought very long and hard of this name.

'Five-String EB Bass'

[Dave W]

BTW: I love the name of the new bass. It really sounds instant classic. Almost poetic. There must have been some artists or marketeers who have thought very long and hard of this name.

'Five-String EB Bass'

 

They probably used the same marketing firm that came up with Gibson IV and Gibson V in the late 1980s.

[westen44]

Well definitely some poetic geniuses at work.  No doubt about that. 

[uwe]

You haven't given us a your review of the 4-string EB Bass yet.

I'm not over the moon with it. For a brandnew model of a bass the action needs to be rather high for buzz freedom. The narrow range of the pole pieces has been aptly criticized by the Sawmeister himself when he played one at the HOG, I concur. But what really freaks me is the amont of magnetic interference the pups generate unless you have them really low. The harmonics of the E-string are everywhere (and it is untunable and non-intonateable) if it is fretted at, say, the 17th fret. I can barely accept that on a 300 bucks budget bass but on a mid-priced bass such as this one it is like "Hey, this is 2013, not 1951!". The (here) much maligned TB-Plus pups cause no interference whatsoever - even if the E-string rests on them!

That said: It sounds nice (but not altogether that different to other Gibson basses of non-maho composition) and the bridge is kinda fun.

Gibson bass history won't be rewritten because of it. It will be out of their program in a little while, so I have to hurry for that 5er!!!

[Dave W]

Yeah, no surprise that they're not promoting a bass. I'd be shocked if they ever did.

I didn't have a problem with the range of the polepieces. Or buzz. But I just played it, I left adjusting the action to you. The pickups sounded nicer than the TB Plus to me, interference or not. The bass is not as objectionably midrangy to my ears as a modern T-Bird. Then again, the ash body could have as much to do with that as the pickups.

[uwe]

It's true, the pups are clearer than on a modern TBird, even a little scooped. The low mid dominance (as opposed to nasal high mids) of the modern TBirds doesn't bother me as a pick player though I can see why it would be a bit much for a finger player.

[uwe]

Post scriptum: It's slowly growing on me. It does have some nice sounds and even the "old school vibrato effect" you create when bending the strings in the high register has something.

[westen44]

Tom Hamilton uses a 5-string on several songs. 

[the mojo hobo]

Tom Hamilton uses a 5-string on several songs. 

What kind? EB, LP, T-Bird?

[westen44]

What kind? EB, LP, T-Bird?

I don't know what kind of basses he uses on specific songs.  I just know in trying to learn some of the songs they require a 5-string.  I didn't mean that I knew anymore than that or that I had info on whether or not he uses an LP, T-Bird, etc., on certain songs.  Sorry about that.  Tom Hamilton, of course, seems to play more different basses than just about any bassist I've seen.  So, I'm not even sure if a hard-core Aerosmith fan would be able to keep up with all that.  The last I saw he was playing a Parker (something mentioned on another topic several months ago.)

[uwe]

He is on record with saying that he used to think 5-strings were for nerds and now misses the B string when he is playing a four banger.

I believe 5 strings have their place, I just don't play the music for it.

[Rhystard]

I care about 5 strings, my band does detune and play two tunings, one being drop C on 4 bangers and then there is the bane of my existence, drop A on a 5 string. Hard to get the heavy .145 low string here in Perth, Western Australia, hard to get speaker cabs that like the low notes..... Anyway I digress.

I've been on the hunt for a 5 string passive bass to play alongside my G3, Burns Bison and Silverburst Epi T-bird(with upgrade Rio Grande Pit bull pick-ups), as my active Spector and massively hot Warwick Rockbass$$ 5 strings feel a world away both aesthetically and tonally. Now they do this in cherry with black pickguard, it seems the hunt for this 5 string is over! Time to start saving!

[uwe]

You must be Geezer Butler, welcome you molten lava emitting brethren! 

[4stringer77]

Geezer lives in Perth?
Rhystard, how do you like those Rio Grande Pit Bulls?
For a passive 5, you could get something in a T bird variety for a reasonable price from Cataldo.