I had a 5 string for awhile before truly understanding the B string. So I empathize with these players that mask their fear by saying it's unnecessary, or so and so only uses 4 strings, etc. What really opened my mind was playing in the community orchestra, seeing how many bass parts went below the e string, and how much power there was when you are the only one in the group that can hit those notes (I played a 5 string upright bass). It completely transforms the sound. The conductor loved it every time. Now I reach for the B string on my electric constantly and it's great to have the extended range. Sure you can string a bass BEAD or use a detuner or an extension on an upright. Those are all valid approaches to producing sub E notes. I mean, we are bass players, why is there hate towards those that want even more bass? Are these guitarists masquerading as bassists? Hmmm?

I hear a lot of talk about how 16-17mm bridge spacing is too tight for finger style, but that's not my experience at all. The tighter spacing facilitates quicker, more precise playing. Even if playing faster isn't what you're going for, the shorter distance makes things just feel more relaxed. I would highly recommend people give something with tighter spacing a shot, especially if they're not super interested in slap.

I'm a 1,000 year old dude and been playing for probably 900 years. I like the FUNK, AND I LOVE YOUR STYLE! Your a badass player with incrediblely fine nuances and you've taught me a lot! You have my most sincere gratitude! I simply tip my hat 🤠.

After years of wanting a five string, I finally pulled the trigger on Fender Ultra Jazz V. I do not regret my decision.

What a wonderful 5 string guide for those players new to 5 string. He covered everything!!!

I agree on how important the string spacing is for a five string. Many years ago I bought an ESP LTD B205 5 string bass. It was a great bass in every way except the string spacing was very tight. It looked great, it sounded great, had EMG pickups and electronics and was solid all around. But I found myself struggling to advanced as a bass player, I kept having trouble learning new riffs and lines and kept struggling to mute unused strings. Then one day I picked up a Spector Euro 5 string at a local shop and discovered that I was able to easily play several riffs that I had been struggling with on the ESP. It was life changing! Not long after that I sold the ESP and actually down graded to an OLP 5 String, they had just come out at the time and I didn't have a lot of money. Wasn't near as nice as the ESP but it was so much easier to play and my abilities grew a lot while I had it.

Sound advice, Lobster. After 5+ years of being a 4-string player, I bought my first 5 in the summer, and trying instruments was key to the process. Did some research online, then visited the local guitar shop and spent a couple of hours playing pretty much every (model of) 5 they had in stock, plus a 4-string Dingwall because I had never tried a multi-scale instrument. They are part of a small chain so I arranged for them to transfer in two additional basses and the follwing weekend turned into a three-way shoot-out between those and the one I liked best from the first session. The three finalists were a Lakland Skyline 55-02 ("winner" from the first weekend: one with a Jazz-style neck pickup and a humbucker at the bridge), a headless Ibanez (1265, I think, not multi-scale), and a Dingwall NG3. For me, the Ibanez was the easiest to play, but had the weakest sound; the Lakland was pretty good, but the Dingwall just sounded a level above and immediately felt more comfortable than the Lakland on the higher strings (among other things, with the Lakland, I pulled the G off the fretboard a couple of times while struggling to get a decent bend); there was an obvious learning curve with the multi-scale aspect but I could feel myself adapting during that session. In the end, I bought the Dingwall but reckon I could have lived with any of the three finalists. Four months on, I don't regret my choice; the 37" B string has forced me to unlearn some habits (one finger per fret doesn't work for me at that scale), but the tones the instrument gives are amazing. I suspect others trying the same instruments may well have come to different conclusions (e.g. buy the Ibanez for ease of playing and get the desired tones by modification or good use of amps and pedals, or get the Lakland for the excellent low B and pickup versatlity while avoiding the complexity of multi-scale), but that's the point (and fun) of trying stuff and finding what works for the individual.

The tighter string spacing helps exponentially with the additional string muting. Once it's muscle memory it's hard to switch back.

Just like with 4-stirngs, I look at the position of the bridge saddles relative to the end of the body, the position of the upper strap button relative to the frets, and the thickness and width of the neck. The positions of the bridge and strap button will determine the reach to the lowest frets, and I want that distance as short as possible. The thickness and width of the neck determines how difficult it will be to fret.

You covered the 5-string dilemma very well. The loss of Privately owned music stores hurt's the opportunity to check it out. I really wanted to hear that LakLand.

Thank you for sharing your skill, talent and experience on this subject. Some of us are still learning about all the different ways to play bass and having someone explain these things so clearly is really helpful.

Dude, the part where you said, "forming an opinion through the internet." That's so true... I feel like I'm an expert and know everything even though I've only played like 3 basses. And I'm like starting to craft this wierd hypothetical perfect bass in my head. Like a 5 string fretless p5 with a high C and tapewounds and I've never tried any of those lol

The scale length is a big thing for me. 34" 5 strings often have a flabby B string with barely any note definition to my ears. 35" is the minimum for me, but multi-scale basses like Dingwalls have by far the best B strings that I've heard and played.

This is actually quite informative. I have been thinking of getting another bass after several years of not playing. A retirement give from me to me, as so to speak. My big concern is string width at the bridge. G&L has what is called Big Chunks, at 17.5mm. Their standard is smaller, 16.5? I used to play a Fender MIM Jazz V. That was playable. My friend has a Roscoe SKB 3005, Standard and that has a dream neck, a fantastic feel (but that is just under 4k). I also find that it is the technique that we use that defines our quality of play. Good technique will allow us to use any string spacing. If you want to play a fretless, you must have very good technique to play in tune, regardless of string spacing. With an improved technique for both hands, it appears that string spacing is still important, but not a deal breaker for a good ax. So I concur and trying / auditioning many different brands. The neck feel and string spacing is most critical. You can easily modify/change the electronics to anything you have a preference for. Again, thank you for this informative video.

Switching to a 35 inch scale ESP was a gamechanger for me, especially considering drop tunning. String tension is simply perfect!

Something I now look for, that you've mentioned in other videos (unless I missed it in this one): sometimes on 5-strings the outer strings (G in particular) get a bit too close to the edge of the fretboard, and will slip off while playing if you aren't careful. This is greatly exacerbated if the fret ends have been too aggressively beveled by an inexperienced guy leveling his own frets... DAMHIK. But yeah I think you nailed the most important criteria with weight, balance, string spacing, and avoiding neck profiles that are too fat vs. thin for my hands.

Just a week or two ago I got a Sterling by Musicman Sub Ray5, because I wasn't getting comfortable on the Harley Benton neck. The string spacing on the new one is a bit more narrow, but I like it that way. It's the fourth 5 String that I bought and I'm still angry at myself, that I traded the cheap Johnsson Stingray copy for a crappy fretless, that I sold later. -.-That bass was actually really nice. What I have learned: String spacing is one of the most important things on a 5 string. And a different neck profile makes a much greater difference in the playing experience as opposed to a four string. If possible go to a store, try different basses and let your hands decide.

Thanks Lobster. Just watching your videos, I found a 5 string bass that fits me. The MTD Super 5.

I don’t think I’ve ever seems any on this channel, but I can say with great confidence that Warwicks have fantastic sounding B strings for 34” scale basses, both the German and Chinese ones

I am still in love with 4 strings beast! With 4 strings !🙃👍keep on rocking .

I bought a 5 string Squire 70s classic vibe. The novelty of the low B wore off quick, plus whenever I would play my 4-string then went back to the 5, I was always on the wrong string for a while until I got used to it again. I decided to order a set of 6-string strings (D'addario XL) and put the high 5 on my bass so now it's tuned E-A-D-G-C. Now I don't get thrown off when I switch back and forth, but the high C string is strange sounding, like it doesn't belong with the set. It's a bigger jump in tone from the G-string than the other tone-to-tone string jumps, and it sounds noticeably "thinner". I can live with that. I still like the high C much better than the low B. I think I'm going to switch to flat wounds and see how that works out.

At the moment, I own a five string CV Jazz Bass V, partially modified with Graphtech string tuners and high quality Flatwound strings. I'm still learning. It's a good Bass, for my needs at this point in time.

Interesting as I would never have considered things like headstock size and weight etc. After buying a L-1000 and loving it after watching the channel, I would seriously look at a L-1000 Series 750.

Haven't even watched the video bit thenknyou Lobster, you're easily one of my favourite bass KZfaqrs. Much love from Australia

Wish I'd seen this before I bought my first 5 string. I got a Cort B5+ and I absolutely loved everything about it EXCEPT the super narrow string spacing. Sold it and bought a Lakland with full 19mm spacing and I love it! Honestly, I think the narrow spacing would be nice once you're used to it but I also have a 4 string and it was too weird going back and forth.

I bought my first 5 string out of laziness (I didn't want to tune my bass to drop D etc. when particular song demanded notes below E). Now I own two 5 string basses (Sire V3 and Cort GB75JH). Both are completely different basses, except for styling. Sire has narrower string spacing on the bridge and much narrower nut width. I was worried that the Cort will be difficult to play but I found some songs to be easier to play on wider string spacing. My tips and recommendations for buying 5 string basses: - if you want a bass with J pickups or single P pickup, then the 35'' is a way to go if you really want a great definition in your B string, - 34'' scale works great in basses equipped with humbuckers that have big pole pieces and/or in twin humbucker configurations, - go active. Active preamps can help get the most out of the B string.

Now I am even more dubious about the choice of a 5st 😱

After I watched your video on the Sterling Subray 5HH I went and bought pne in the theftproof Olive Green, have to say, I'm not at all disappointed.

Pretty much 5 strings all the time now. Started when the songs our cover band were doing back about 10 years ago called for 5 strings. My first was a Lakland 55-01. Not bad for the price but way too heavy at over 12 lbs. It also suffered from some quality issues like poor shielding and general wiring problems. Next was a USA Fender V Professional (passive). It was great and even better when I fitted a John East pre-amp. Still slightly heavy so I traded it for a Mike Lull M5. It’s just perfect in every way. 35 inch scale, killer B string, 19 mm spacing and a great pre-amp. Best of all it’s only 8 lbs so long gigs are a breeze. Recently I bought a Ric 4003s/5. Not really that pleased with it. Nowhere near the build quality of the Mike Lull - albeit the prices I paid were similar. The general tone of the Ric is a bit meh and the B string is pretty weedy. Things have improved a bit by using a Darkglass AO900 with a bit of grit dialled in but I don’t see me using the Ric that often. As for actually playing on a 5, it opens up a whole world of options and is especially great when transposing to lower keys to accommodate vocalist ranges for example. The only downside for 5 players is having to hear the old cliches from 4 string purists - you know the ones 😄

Great video. I'm in the market for a 5 string now and having trouble finding something that fits my style. This really helped. Thanks!

I took the plunge and ordered the musicman 5 string Crescendo BFR.. I love my stingray 4H in amethyst sparkle. I haven’t played a 5 string I’ve liked, so I’m hoping this has the magic that my 4H has.

New 5 string player here (after playing 4s for 8+). I have a Sterling Ray35HH and a FGN Mighty Jazz. I highly recommend both. I may get a 3rd at some point. Considering a Solar or maybe a Yamaha BB435. I have a 434 and it's my cheapest bass and my second best overall player. Best budget instrument, imho (at least of ones I've handled).

Great addition to the channel…looking forward to more.

Ive had my 4 string lakland for 6 months now and i love it but im eventually looking to own a 5 string for more metal style playing. The recent ibanez btb 5 strings look awesome

1. The debate whether body wood affects the tone at all is still going. I'd say the overall effect is rather marginal. The neck wood on the other hand does, in my experience - although it's more like a different colour on the same car. As a sidenote - does anyone still use plywood as body material??? Even the cheapest Chinese crapbasses have some sort of hardwood body nowadays. 2. IN MY EXPERIENCE (I used the upper case to stress it) heavier brigdes seem to work better, especially for 5+ strings. The notes seem to have more attack and definition and the sustain is longer. However, it's always better to choose a bass you like more overall even if it has a crappy bridge - there's a huge choice of aftermarket bridges and they're easy to swap :-) 3. Scale lenght does play some role but if you struggle to play in lower positions (hand size, joints and tendons etc) it's better to stick to 34". There are lots of standard-sized 5-string basses with very good B strings. I'm fortunate to have an Alembic Essence 5 and, with its 34" scale, it has one of the greatest, tightest and most "alive" B strings I've ever heard in my life. There are also lots of less costly 34" scale basses with very satisfying B strings - Stingrays are a prime example. 4. There's also a choice between bolt-on and NTB basses. The former, in general, have a faster attack response, the latter usually have longer sustain and more even response across the neck. Once again, it's down to personal preference.

Yamaha BB235 I think is the hot buy and most playable at least for me.Thinking of going upscale to BB435 for better neck and bridge etc.

Thanks Lobster, very informative.

Everytime I watch this channel I practice my bass for like the next 10 hours lol. Also, dang, I want that shirrrrrt!!!

...how did you know I was shopping 5-stringers?! Thanks for the video! :D

Another good reason for using a 5 string is hand injuries. Four-fret fingering is difficult for me down near the nut because on an injury to my middle finger. Up the neck it’s OK. The fifth fret on the B string is the same note as the open E. Abandoning the lowest four frets the fingering is easier for me and the tone is fatter, too, because of the thicker string. It’s like playing a short scale bass with a high C string. I do use the low D now and then in keys like D, G and sometimes A. Db to B I find of no use at all other than playing a lower root at the end of a song.

Thanks for doing such a comprehensive list, Lobster! :D I had to consider all of these points during most of 2021. I was on the market for a 5-string that wouldn't break the bank, but that was better than my Harley Benton. I knew my budget (< 600 euro), and that I wanted a passive instrument with a Jazz Bass-type neck profile (I don't like the chonky P-bass and Tele bass type necks). Eventually, I settled for a Squier Vintage Modified Jazz Bass V in December (which, btw, I don't know why Squier discontinued those; they're superb instruments).

Haha, "neckst." I'm picking up what you're putting down. Thanks for these tips! :D

I thought that you will have some insights on the desired sound on a 5-string bass vs a 4-string. I have a 6-string Jazz Bass, which neck pickup sounds incredible with high strings, it makes them sound big and bassy, but it totally sucks on the low B. The bridge pickup sounds very tight and articulate on the low B, but is too thin for the high C. I have a theory, that low voiced basses, pickups and pickup positions, like a P Bass, are perfectly paired with the standard 4-string bass tuning, but if you want to tune lower, then you are more interested in overtones than in a fundamental, so brighter pickups and pickup positions are more popular - Ibanezes, Stingrays, Warwick Thumbs etc. 5-string Warwick Thumb even has the neck pickup closer to the bridge than the 4-string. BTW I agree with not fixing ones opinion on string spacing just by reading other's opinions in the Internet. I slap a lot, so I always thought, that my 6-string should have 19mm spacing... When I bought one, it turned out, that the neck is so wide, that it's almost unplayable.

Greatly appreciate this!

Video came at the right time, I’m looking to get a Ray35. I’ve been playing for close to a year now on a Mexican fender J, still not sure if adding a 5 string at my experience will help me improve as a player but I’ve always wanted to own a stingray

The first and only 5 string bass i bought was SUB by Sterling, I didnt like it because of the weight and I barely use low b, I tried bc rich, ltd, spector and some others but i didnt like the feeling of 5th string, same happened with 6 string ibanez and ltd I used to play, Im ok with 4 strings. Anyway, great video my crustacean friend.

Over the Years i found the following to be true for all Basses: 1.: Bodycontour! Wild Bodyshapes with sharp edges can feel uncomfy especially the higher up u play your Bass. (sitting) 2.: Neckshape! This is the Part of the Instrument u interact the most with. Shape, witdh and Frettboard radius are a make or break factor. 3.:Weight distribution! Neckheavy Instruments are a hastle.... constantly batteling the neckdive is a real pest. 4.: More Strings Factor! 19mil stringspacing works great for 4 strings but i found that the more strings a bass has, it becomes more and more unacceptable. And that is in many ways. 19mil may be fine for 5 Strings but as you do the math it will quickly add up to a very substantial Neck which gets increasingly hard to handle. Also it makes the instrument heavy and shifts the weight distribution more and more of Center. Getting even worse (as lobster mentioned) with the Headstock layout and added tuners. 5.: Anything other than that like Pickups/ Electronics, Woodselection and Hardware options are personal taste. AND NEVER...NEVER cheap out on Security locks ;-P

Love my stingrays but I gotta say my favorite B so far not having a dingwall would have been my 5502 Neck dive= Warwick thumb NT5 lol

On 4-string P-basses the bridge string spacing is actually 20mm :)

Great job!

19mm is the best always, its not a matter or preference its a matter of ergonomics, youd have to have tiny hands or be a pick user for 17mm spacing, and no matter how much you get used to it, your technique is not gonna be as good as someone who isnt scared of 19mm spacing and getting reckless but still sounding clear

I only have Sire v3 and v5. 5 string basses . if I haven't played them for a little bit of time it's only a matter of minutes to re-adapt to them. The only bass I have that's a bit hard to play fingerstyle with is my bass VI.

weight is the biggest issue for me as i am now in my 40s and my left shoulder is all screwed up from having heavy monsters hanging off my neck.

All good things to think about. Hard to put into practice, as it might be hard to get 5ers in one place to compare. I have a Sire P5 on order. Since I have never held one, I have no idea if the playability will be any good. Nor do I know if the B string at 34" will be decent. 🤞

lobster how do you perfectly upload videos that correspond with my google searches huh

I'm lazy and prefer a 4 string strung BEAD. Feels like a plain old 4 string with fatter strings. The narrowest 5 string i ever tried was an early 80s Steinberger. The narrow 5 bridge was the same footprint as the 4 string. So if you had an L2 4 string could get a new 5 string bridge and headpiece and convert the 4 string L2 to a 5. Considering Steinberger 4 string basses had narrower spacing than a fender, the 5 was super narrow.

Thanks. Have you played a Schecter Stilletto Stealth? Any opinion? I have the opportunity to buy one for a great price.

Sound is what I listen for, number of fretts is second, and to defend Jackson the Spectra has a 3/2 tuner, I know that's not the standard for all of them, my Minion has the 4 in a row but just saying they are out there

Hi Master! wich I should pick between Ibanez305, Sire v5 or Jackson Spectra JS 5?

I think the spacing is critical. I had for a while a G&L CL 2500 and while it sounded absolutely amazing I couldn't get used to the spring spacing was too tight for me and I ended up returning it.

Things that I look for while getting a bass guitar: 1. Application: don't just buy a 5 string because it's cool. Buy it because you need to utilize all the strings. Say your band is playing dropped tuning or drop A and you only need the the 5th string then better to use the BEAD strings on your 4 string bass. 2. Instead of splurging huge amount on the guitar and fancy pickups invest on your amp. That's what would shape your tone. A cheap guitar sounds great in a good amp and a great guitar sound average to bad in a cheap amp. Get standard pickups and they should do the trick initially.

I’m currently shopping for a 5 string bass as a fretted counterpart to my 5 string fretless ebmm ray I’m leaning towards a roasted maple sterling or the roasted maple v5 or v10 (kinda wanna put a tone capsule in a jazz bass Idunno why)

Excellent video! You made a lot of good points though I am surprised that you left out that the G strings of 5 string basses are often very close to the fret edge and can slide off when bending the string.

I have a 5 string bass and want a better one. Which one will you recommend for Gospel Music I kinda like the jazz style pickup but don't like fender bass.

Don't need one, bit I reeeally want an ibanez btb. Just the best looking instrument ever created by anyone ever. Except Carl Thompson. Edit: where do you get your t shirts from? They're awesome!

is it me or the free thumb rest notwithstanding i found 5 string basses [i assume, larger neck, maybe better woods. larger guage string] that in some EQ settings being comprable] that they sounded richer, deeper more dynamic range. Would you agree with that.

What kind of flat wound strings do you have on that Lakland bass?

I stayed at 5 and will not want to go from 4 to 5 and back! My recent Lakland weight 4kg. 35” scale. I can just handle it. The big advantage is for instance an song in D tune or D#. When you must play this on a “A string” its no bass at all…..is my opinion.

I'm a 4 string bassist and I am about to buy a marcus miller v5 5 string. What's your opinion about it? Is it comfortable to play like a fender jazz bass?

Hey, Cort just released an Elrick licensed NJSA 5 model. I would love to see a review or vs. a Lakland skyline jazz?

I bought the 120$ glarry 5 string and I’ve been gigging with it for my first 2 years of playing bass in a rock band. That thing fucking chugs and the tone is amazing, the electronics are trash tho

I think that for people who've played 4 strong all their lives, the 5 string bass feels uncomfortable and so instead of just saying, as I do, "that feels weird to me", they respond with hostility. I saw Keb Mo's bass player use a 5 string very effectively and that made me a convert. I still don't have one yet but am no longer averse to a 5.

Ok but what's the best bass for metal? Lol good video as always!

Actually, traditionally all fender basses and the old musicman basses were 20mm spacing, to this day the oldschool fender bridge is 20mm

Has anyone played a Lignum bass? They are made in Croatia. A 5-string Wenge, spring bass costs $245. I've only heard someone on KZfaq playing a sub-octave 4 string (42" scale) so far. Since I'm a guitarist, I just need a solid quality bass to record with.

Can you do the same video for fretless bass?

Great video! The wisdom you impart could be applied to many facets of life. I got a 5er a little ways back to see if I liked it (Stingray SUB 5, used). So far I like it well enough, but weirdly the B sting feels like it doesn't have the same tension as the other stings (it's just shy from being floppy it feels like). I'm wondering, do you do your own setups? Any key differences/tips between 4 and 5? I can usually pull off doing an initial basic setup and seasonal adjustments on my 4s but the 5 required a lot more tweaking and head scratching to find the neck relief/action sweet spot. Could also be string choice, I went with the factory Ernies it was supposed to come with. Going to try medium DR highbeams next and see if that does me any good. Any advice would be appreciated, thanks! P.S.: I saw you featured in the G&L email newsletter. Pretty cool.

Must be a sign...was dreaming of a 5 string this week

Salutations… this explains a lot why 5 string tryouts felt so strange… 34” scale is not for me… too floppy no matter what is the other configuration.. thanks from this video

I only play 5s these days. Im in a covers band and virtually every song we do gets the key dropped. So much nicer sounding to have an actual B string as opposed Octave pedals.

Try tuning a 5 E to C for interesting results

What about nut type? Bone, plastic, wood, brass ...

How did you know I needed this?

Awesome thanks big L😃

im a bit different..i hate the low B but love the high C after playing a six string too much...so im prolly gonna get a harley benton jazz and put some strings on it. Does anybody else do that?? zimmyjim

Nice info and reminders Lobster! My 5 is a SBMM with 16.5 mm spacing. It is pretty tight but I used to play my Ibanez 6 string a lot that was even tighter, I think 16.25?! Anyways, I do find the differences in string spacing more challenging than even navigating the extra string when switching between my 5 and 4 strings. Even now, I usually try to pick one that best suits the gig instead of switching between them for that reason.

Gotta bring that business with the B s lol

Iv never played a passive 5 string that didn't have a B like a damp noodle.

start with a Yama BB435 .....then in a year or so move up to a BB P 35 . forget all the other hoopla

Also look out for the gatekeepers who need to remind you how many strings Jaco used, lol.

Hi Lobster 🦞, I'm deciding between the ibanez ehb1005, ibabez sr605e and the sadowsky metro express . I will appreciate your advice. Which one you prefer sound wise and value?

My wish list combination is 37 scale with 19mm spacing & there is no such animal. .Kiesel has 19mm with 36", but I had a 36" LeComte & the B didn't ring like my old 37" Dingwall.

I also have a beard, cat, and bass... what else do I need? :D

Isn't "want" the same thing as "need"? I wasn't aware there was a difference lol.

im a 5string player, and for me real bass guitar is a 5string it feels complete, not 4 String. I cannot live with only 2 bass. i feel i need 1 jazzbass, 1 musicman, 1 modern bass and 1 pbass, maybe for additional like a dingwall style bass

To B or not to B...that is the queston.....

Are five string basses still a thing ? Seeing more bassists from the 90's returning to 4 strings has put me off getting one but I could do with one to complete my arsenal

“You should think about whether you need or just want a 5 string bass” hey don’t call me out like that!

Too many people get a 5-string thinking they are graduating to the next level. Wrong. The 5-string has a purpose and if you don't play it all the time, it is money wasted. I am happy with a 4-string bass as it does everything I need it to do. If I got a 5-string, there is no way I would pay full price for one. There are a ton of them on the market from people trying to unload something the don't play. I have a friend who plays one and loves it.