Are 5 strings necessary for playing metal?

BassAccusation

BassAccusation

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Hey guys,

So back in May I was in a local music shop in Chicago; they had a used 4-string corvette std in perfect condition. I tried it out and fell in love with it. I was still using a 4-string rockbass corvette and after selling it and saving money I walked in and picked up the corvette std with the biggest grin on my face.

I've been playing it non-stop ever since. I've been jamming with some musicians in the area and have decided to stick things out with an old guitarist that I have unbelievable writing chemistry with. We're beginning to toy around with a heavier style that can be related to bands like that of Isis, Tool, Fellsilent, Karnivool, and others.

I've been thinking about considering trading in my 4-string corvette for a 5 string Warwick instead so I can get that extra lower string and have more variety for tunings. Thing is, I've literally only messed around with 5 strings in shops and never actually owned one; in all my 6 years of playing it's been only 4 strings that I've played.

I guess I'm just looking for feedback from those with experience of playing 5 strings or that own them and what their opinion is about what I'm contemplating.

The last thing I want is to get rid of my baby for a 5-string and then have buyer's remorse.

Thoughts?

-Connor
 
If you need a low B string, tune your bass the BEAD instead of EADG. If you're conviced going lower, the question is: Do you really need the high G? I myself play metal, prefer low tunings and 4-string basses.
 
It's clear you are happy with your current bass, so try keeping it. Like you say, it might be really painful if you regret it. In your position I would go for a cheap used RockBass fiver. You will not have the real W tone but it will be a good test platform to live with so you can see if 5 strings are for you. Just my 2 euro cents.
 
IMO good metal is not defined by how low the tuning is.
There's some stunning songs done in simple dropped-D tuning.
On many stereos out there the low B will not even come across much.

It's not what you use it's how you use it.
 
mostly a 4 string will do the job with the right tuning! use a 5-string when you play very melodic or when the guitarists are equipped with 7-stringers....
 
Thanks for all the replies!

Currently my guitarist and I have written all of our material in Db and it definitely sounds heavy and his PRS matches perfectly with growl of my Warwick!

But he does have a 7-string laying around in Drop A that we could potentially use so that's where this thinking stems from. I definitely play more melodic grooves on bass.

The crash-test 5 string does sound like a good idea; I have a 4-string ibanez that's been sitting around forever, maybe I'll trade it in and save up for a cheap 5-string.
 
I'm definitely going to have to agree with the general concensus, and I primarily play 5's! If you look at the bass players in hard rock and metal bands, you'll see more four's than five's. For drop tuning, it tends to be more convenient to have that open D than to have to go to your third fret for it. If I'm playing standard tuning metal, yeah I stick with my five, but if it's drop, I grab a four.
 
Or buy yourself one of the new downtune-pedals. They`ve become pretty good now.
 
Bulletproof_Bass said:
I'm definitely going to have to agree with the general concensus, and I primarily play 5's! If you look at the bass players in hard rock and metal bands, you'll see more four's than five's. For drop tuning, it tends to be more convenient to have that open D than to have to go to your third fret for it. If I'm playing standard tuning metal, yeah I stick with my five, but if it's drop, I grab a four.
Click to expand...

Yep, the same... It's not my case, but if my band plays in Drop D, I get a 4. My metal band plays in C and A#... So I tune one of my 5 in CEADG and the other in standard downtuned a half-step on all strings.
 
There are several options (as others have already explained), but what will work in your case it's entirely up to you. There's no right or wrong way of doing things. So:

1. stringing your bass BEAD (this is my current option too and on Wicks it works without any modification to the nut or bridge - of course, if you're not gonna use extreme gauges like super heavy or whatever).

2. detuning (I don't like floppy strings, so it depends; you might need a different set of strings though and possibly a full bass set up)

3. playing standard (EADG) - there's nothing wrong with it and it definitively works :) I played like this for many years (finally decided to go BEAD this year).

4. getting a 5-er - in my case it didn't work out at all; I couldn't get used to the narrow string spacing and the wider neck (that's why I went BEAD). But it depends on what bass you're playing on...today I got a 5er Vette (Ash) and man, that neck is awesome :)

Get a 5 strings set, put them on your bass (except the G of course) and see if you like having that B and if it's really useful; if it works, keep stringing your bass BEAD. If you feel like you also need that G, then get a 5er. Good luck & have fun experimenting! :)
 
Metal doesnt have to be about going chugga-chugga on the lowest note on the guitar, and be wary of guitards who try to convince you it is. You can end up with every song being in the key of your open low string (makes for same-y sounding sets) or worse guitars trying to get into you frequencies. I think a lot can be done with standard tunes, downtunes and BEAD stringing without giving up your baby. The real advantage i found in my 5banger (after years of going chugga-chugga on open low strings) is that you can play 2octaves within easy reach, allowing for more melodic playing which is great for metal, particularly moving a riff up or down an octave for effect. But NEEDING a 5 for metal...nah, metallica are in usually Eb (to match hetfields voice) and sepultura only started downtuning later in their career. you can be heavy as all schnit in E if you try.
 
Metallica's early stuff was even in E...

Some heavy bands like Volbeat or Lamb of God are playing in Drop D...

[video=youtube;icXHvUcEGvo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=icXHvUcEGvo[/video]


[video=youtube;fOWB6rmSd4I]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOWB6rmSd4I[/video]


[video=youtube;tI9KXK-X2Bo]https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tI9KXK-X2Bo[/video]


Ain't that heavy ?
 
Augie said:
Metal doesnt have to be about going chugga-chugga on the lowest note on the guitar, and be wary of guitards who try to convince you it is.
...
you can be heavy as all schnit in E if you try.
Click to expand...

+1

but try convincing the guitards...
 
jester said:
+1

but try convincing the guitards...
Click to expand...

Guitards who try to tune to the subsonic in an attempt to be 'heavier' are frustrated bassists in denial.




"........that's all i have to say about vietnam"
 
You said about a cheap 5-er. Big mistake!!!! You see, if you buy one you want a good, tight, usable B string. Not many basses can do this, and usually cheap (non Warwick or rockbass) basses have dull B string.
 
I'g go BEAD, especially if you dont have to mod anything to get it. At least you will only be out a set of strings if anything.

Also, +1 on hard rock/metal not needing downtuning. Deftones first albume was all in standard tuning, and its pretty heavy.
 
heh...a few monthz ago I put da BEAD on my LX (5-stringer) and I can tell ya it's da bomb...8:
...nice fat low B (with amazing defintion !) ... no need to get used to other string spacingz/ wider neck...lickz ya usually play on da E string are much 'easier' to play cause now ya have da B to 'rest' yo thumb...:confused:
...songz that 'needed' an open E I play now with a fretted E on da B-string (much more control/defintion/cut thru da mix)....

and about da 'missing' G-string: I play songz, that definetely 'need' da G, just higher on da neck... took a while to get used to that, but it has da (imho) big advantage that notez ya usually played on da G string, now (automatically) have to be played on da fatter (sounding) D !!...goez for da nother notez too of course...so same notez on fatter stringz: da kewl !

only problem is they don't sell BEAD string setz...so I had to buy a 5 string set which meanz I got da G string left...but fortunately I can alwayz keep it as a spare for my other basses....both 4-stringerz, cause no matter wut: a bass has 4 stringz (imho) ...:lol:

(btw: I asked a luthier to do this trick...it cost me only 10 euro's + da string set and he told me that he hardly had to make any adjustmentz to da bass or da neck)

just my two notez...8:
 
ow...just notice I made a mistake in my former post...:x

Da LX is a 4-stringer ...(of course !)...
 
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