How Many Strings On My Bass Project

[black_labb]

ive just about finished making a bass to teach my girlfriend to play. ive strung it up and put the bridge pup in and some rudimentary controls and its gone well, but ive decided i want a bass for myself. i bought some timber and glued up a bubinga-maple-bubinga-maple-bubinga neck through blank for the instrument, but im unsure how many strings i want on it. after getting the timber i realised that i had enough with the 3 bubinga strips (they were around 22mm wide each) and thought maybe i should not use the maple, but i wanted the strips on there as well to get the right effect (its a 1 piece design for the neck, as the neck wood is the fretboard and the truss rod is put in from the back, which gives the fretboard a stripey surface).

the bass was going to be a 4 string, as i dont really see too much of a need for a 5th string, but not using it makes me feel a bit wasteful.

do you think id benefit from making a 5 string? im also considering a 6 string, but ill see if i have enough wood.

most bassists i see myself trying to play like play 4 strings ( dave sims of the jesus lizard, rob wright of nomeansno are probably my 2 favorite, but im mainly a guitarist).

for 5/6 string

i already have a 4 string bass (its at my girlfriends place as shes learning on it, but its mine none the less)

5 or 6 strings would expand my options

id feel less like im wasting timber

against 5/6 string

i dont really want to play a 5 string,

makes the neck bigger

i dont feel id use the low b

it would make the instrument heavier (in the neck mainly),

make it a bit harder to play and mean more cost in making (not much, but a bit extra for hardware and bits and pieces)

if i dont like it i might not play it as much as id want to

what do you guys think i should make, i seem to be getting into playing bass, but i dont know how many strings i should do it.

[fryovanni]

Kinda funny that you mention that a 5 or 6 would expand your options as a plus, then say you wouldn't use the low B in your negatives.

Build what you want to play. If you build a four string, build it to suit your style of play. I have two four strings one that has active soapbars and one that has passive P and MM in the bridge position with an active EQ. They both offer very different sounds. I have a five with active Jazz PU's. I don't have a six, but may build one someday if I get the notion. How a bass feels is really important, and building to suit your style (so it feels good makes it worth the effort). If you are used to a four, more strings take a little getting used to, but after a couple weeks it will become familiar.

Good luck,

Rich

[zyonsdream]

Make a 4 string, 5 string and a 6 string but make the 4 string first since it seems like what you want to do.

You could always bandsaw the excess wood off the neck blank and then use it somewhere else.

[black_labb]

hmm, keep in mind that i already have a 4 string which is virtually finished, but being used by my girlfriend. as much as she has it, it is still mine. when we do move out which may be in the nearish future, it wont matter that its at hers as it will be at mine, so im not really sure.

im thinking that i would rather do a 6 than a 5, as it seems to me most people who play 5's only play the 5th string because they want to play low with their metal band. i know that is a gross generalisation, as i know there are plenty of good bass players that play 5 strings, but it seems most are not being used to their potential in most cases, maybe its just the bands ive personally seen.

ill keep thinking and make a decision once ive finished on mycurrent projects

[Jon]

Play on some 5 and 6 string basses. I have played tons and tons of custom basses, from $1,150 to $7,000 and everything in between. No two are the same. You're going to have to try some basses with different string spacings, different gauge strings, different scales (34" / 35"), and different pickup configs / brands to get a better idea of what you'd like. If you're building an instrument simply because the amount of strings, you're going to be sorely disappointed in the end.

[Prostheta]

Look at how your gf plays whatever instrument she plays at the moment (if any?) and adapt from there. More strings will require a better left hand position, so if your gf is open to suggestion then perhaps more than 4/5 is an option.

Perhaps make a 5 with a higher string? Or perhaps use something different to EADG with low/high strings? Does she play piano or read staff? Try an open tuning perhaps...

[black_labb]

the 5 string was going to be for me. shes started playing guitar more than bass, and ive stepped into the bassist role a bit. i guess singing and playing guitar works better than bass, which makes sense to me. im making the 5, but im not particularly motivated towards it. i have other builds at the same time so they can come first. one is a hollowbody for her to play.

[GregP]

Must be one heckuva girlfriend.