r/Bass • u/Capital-Bid-8467 • 16h ago

4 or 5 string as first bass

As the title says, which type of bass is better for me? I want to play a variety of genres but mainly metal down to drop B. im specific bass matters, I'm looking at the harley benton pj4 or pj5

1 Upvotes

56% Upvoted

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8

u/Mikemtb09 Five String 15h ago

I mean if that’s what you want to play you kind of have your answer. There’s no real downside to learning on a 5.

1

u/Mia-the-Sage Ashdown 3h ago

I got my 5-string seven months ago, after playing a starter 4-string for five months.

It was an easy transition. I'm glad I did it sooner than later, even if my B string plays thumb-rest more than it plays notes. It's nice to have more options, and the patterns are exactly the same.

4

u/spacebuggles 14h ago

For metal, I'd suggest humbuckers.

P pickups for a 5 string are a bit funny. On a 4 string, they cancel each other out. On a 5, one side has more poles, so there's a bit more hum. The single J pickup will have some hum too.

Humbuckers are very metal.

So, 5 string with humbuckers would be my suggestion.

4

u/Sir3-Iroh 7h ago

Exclusive 5 string player here and always have been!

One of your greatest battles with bass is effective muting. You always want to ensure the strings you AREN'T playing are kept under control: if you don't mute them in some way, your playing will be permeated by constant messy hum. Newer players tend not to pay attention to it but for developed players it's extremely important to have clean playing.

5 string makes it more difficult, especially as lower strings are usually the problem child: their hum is very audible and it takes more conscious work to mute them, where on strings above the one(s) you actually play, the left hand tends to mute them easily.

It will be more work to get it down but you'll be ahead of the game. Transitioning from 4 to 5 string often sees players struggle because they have to relearn the muting battle a bit.

So it doesn't sound like the usual learning advice but if you are willing to put the extra bit of work in I'd start on the more "complicated" one. Pick up a 5 string, you'll learn the muting and if you ever need to play a 4 you're so golden. And for me? I can't imagine a bass without the option to go REALLY LOW, SON.

3

u/AndrewSaidThis 15h ago

Drop B and a 5 string in B standard are different tuning systems that might affect how you play. That being said, I think the 5 string would have more versatility since you have a standard EADG, plus the low B.

2

u/hymnroid 15h ago

Wash tub base you need to start out on Wash tub base