Does anyone here care about 5 strings?

[Dave W]

Never have had a need for one. If I were still playing out, I wouldn't be in any band where one was needed.

More power to anyone who finds them useful. Horses for courses.

[mc2NY]

5-strings are just another tool in the arsenal. I played one for 10 years as my main bass, after nearly that long using a Kubicki ExFactor with the drop D. So, yeah, I can appreciate lower than E notes but I wouldn't be unable to play without them.

But I DO have a Thunderbird 5-string (Jackson) so that I can still look cool, despite hitting an occasional low B 

....but I ABSOLUTELY HATE a 5-string bass strung with a hi C. It's called a BASS. Because you play LOW notes, not high notes.

[Hörnisse]

One of the first songs that made me notice the extended range bass was Showdown At Big Sky by Robbie Robertson.  Larry Klein played a nice part.

[patman]

having played a sixer for a couple of years as my main bass, the high c gets you an almost unlimited palette of harmonic chords.  It's a nice touch, sometimes. Not nice enough to put up with the awkwardness of the sixer

[Blackbird]

I used to have a SR5 as my main....but when I sold it (and a Warwick thumb...ick!!) and ended up with a T-bird, I never looked back at anything other than a four.  Since I'm always seeming to jam or play along to lower tuned music, I'm now just using these D'Addario's that are like 55-120's...they really do well...first time I used something other than light gauge Roto's in 5+ yrs...  My Rick 4003 is strung with 40-90's though....for a lighter touch...and upper register access! :0  One of the bands I'm auditioning for has verses where it's all bass chord strumming, so the Rick's setup is great for that. 

 

[jumbodbassman]

I have about a dozen or so.

Depending on the band I am playing with determines whether i use one or not.  The music i love to play doesn't need one as it was all done way before the b string was used.  Bands playing newer stuff usually I will find a few tunes that IMHO sound better on the 5 string and i am not a huge fan of hipshot extended tuner as the e string gets too floppy and makes me think too much about what note is where ,  which is one thing more i don't need while singing....

i have two  6 strings just because but seldom use them.

To me its not so much the actual fifth string but more of the string spacing on the 5 string bass....

[tore00]

What is that? Maybe my children can consider it vintage when they will be in their 40ties like me, but most probably they will think what I think of 20/20

[the mojo hobo]

Wow. With all the Gibson bass lovers here not one said the EB 5 was cool or desirable or was interested in buying one. So if no one else is buying them I think I will, so that in five or six years I can put it on eBay for $6000.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

 I keep thinking I should have a Studio 5er 'Bird


But I'm not paying the 6k ebay idiot!

They're REALLY nice, but don't sound very "Birdy." They're more in the Gibson bottom/Stingray top sound category.

[Psycho Bass Guy]

I'd love to try one out. I got a chance to check out two of the new Asian neck-through Epi T-Birds. One's neck sucked (white) and the other(burst) was a nice player, but both had the Epi ass-toned cheap pickups. I don't get it. Loads of import basses have some pretty nice sounding pickups, but Epi's are generally horrible. You'd figure they could spend another buck or two and get something decent sounding.

[Dave W]

Wow. With all the Gibson bass lovers here not one said the EB 5 was cool or desirable or was interested in buying one. So if no one else is buying them I think I will, so that in five or six years I can put it on eBay for $6000.

Might as well ask more than that if it's not going to sell anyway. 

I suspect Uwe will want one.

[dadagoboi]

I'd love to try one out. I got a chance to check out two of the new Asian neck-through Epi T-Birds. One's neck sucked (white) and the other(burst) was a nice player, but both had the Epi ass-toned cheap pickups. I don't get it. Loads of import basses have some pretty nice sounding pickups, but Epi's are generally horrible. You'd figure they could spend another buck or two and get something decent sounding.

IIRC pickups are supposed to be USA TB+...perhaps they ship the clunkers overseas.

[4stringer77]

Wow. With all the Gibson bass lovers here not one said the EB 5 was cool or desirable or was interested in buying one.

The EB seems like a crossover bass meant to attract people (Fender, Music Man and G&L players) to the brand that aren't already. In that respect, I think it's been successful.

As far as Epis having cheap pickups, I'm about to find out myself when my Epi LP standard bass arrives. It's a vintage sunburst I got on Ebay. Looking forward to the 3 point bridge 
I'm curious to see if the stock chrome buckers in the Epi measure up to the TB+ pickups in my LP doublecut. Will report back on my findings.

[Dave W]

While I haven't played any of the import Epi series with US pickups, every one I've tried with stock import pickups has sounded awful to me, no matter whether it's a T-bird type, EB-type or P/J combo. It shouldn't be that hard to have decent sounding pickups in an import, other companies have managed to.

[4stringer77]

The Epi Les Paul Standard arrived. I had a brief chance to play it during lunch break since I live across the street from where I work.
I'm pleased as punch! The bass was built in 2001 at the Un Sung Korea plant. The pickups are fantastic and I don't see any need to swap them out. They have all the characteristics of the tb+ pickups in my LP$, capable of being clear and punchy and overdrive nicely when pushed. Looks like I've got a new workhorse in my stable so the thoroughbreds don't have to carry the load.
The flame maple carved top is gorgeous and the neck joint actually has no orange peel around the body connection like my LP$.
Only drawback was the nut, which is made from the same rosewood as the fret board, is seated very high and needs to be re cut or replaced but that's an easy fix. There was a ding on the back of the headstock but no cracks and the seller was cool enough to give me a $75 discount because he didn't mention it in the description. So I scored it for $430 with shipping! The bass shipped with a great strap and lots of picks and a vox 1/4" jack to headphone converter. I'll see if it needs a mod bar after the set up but otherwise I'm gonnah roll with the 3 point. I'll try to get pics up but it might take a while since my ex ran off with the only cam I had. Here's the original listing. http://www.ebay.com/itm/Epiphone-Les-Paul-Standard-Bass-4-String-Bass-Sunburst-Excellent-w-Hardcase-/231004297095?pt=Guitar&hash=item35c8edd787&nma=true&si=wj4qsNH1jPOXaA115whRY7loaG8%253D&orig_cvip=true&rt=nc&_trksid=p2047675.l2557