Should I learn on a 4- or 5-String Bass AND Pawn Shop Squier (VM?) 4-string Jazz Bass questions

[Strung_Low]

Lots of great advice on here already, but idk i dont think it matters.. i started w a 5 bc thats what my friend lent me but didnt really get it till i went to a 4 then back again.. everybodys different. I prefer a 5 now bc i like a thicker neck and i like having the extra options of notes and positions that it offers. But fours are super fun too, maybe best to get one of each

 

[Dana R Gregory]

My thought is that if there is oxidation on the pickups then what condition are the electronics in? For what you will pay for the pawn shop bass, you can buy a new 4 or 5 string from Dean. I have the Edge09 4 sting which is the lightest (7lbs.)and most comfortable bass I have ever played. I also have the Dean Edge 1 5 string that I play in church. The sound man says it is the best sounding bass I have ever used there. I use D'Addario Chromes on both. Dean, Ibanez and Yamaha all have low budget basses so I would suggest you shop around. I really think you can do better. Good luck.

 

[somegeezer]

Learn on what you plan on sticking with, if possible. I'd have been happy starting with 5. But I didn't learn that until late in the game, and was on a 4 for a few years before then. If you don't know what you want to use endgame, then a 4 is fine. It is the standard. Hard to go wrong. Plus everything you learn on it will translate to a 5 if you do choose to go for that eventually.

 

[comatosedragon]

Whatever you decide, (4 or 5 string); stick with it. I hemmed and hawed and went back and forth between learning on a 4 and a 5 like every other month for 2+ years. Really hurt my progression and set me back further than I should be.

FWIW, I finally landed on 5's about a year ago, and moved my 4's out of the house.

 

[obimark]

Most learning resources and tabs are geared towards 4 strings so it makes the process a bit simpler.
I learned on a 4 for a couple of years before buying a fiver, it’s not a huge change, it’s still a bass.

I think you should start on whichever one makes sense for your long range goals. If your goal is to play mostly classic rock/pop songs then by a 4-string will work perfect. If your goal is to play technical metal or more modern country/pop songs, then you might as well bite the bullet and learn on the 5.

 

[Bassbeater]

Since you have previous musical experience on drums, you will probably learn bass quickly.
Buy the nicest 5 string you can afford with a bass amp. Otherwise you will outgrow it pretty soon.
Welcome!

 

[buldog5151bass]

Grab a pawn shop find any time. Four or five - depends what you want. Plenty of five string players, and plenty who don't have or use one (both with decades of gigging).

 

[lfmn16]

If you wanted to learn guitar would you start with a ukulele because they only have four strings, then go to a banjo and finally a guitar?

 

[brianrost]

You are playing music and you can learn to do that on a bass with any number of strings.

Although people sometimes talk about "learning" 5 or 6 strings, if you know how to play on a 4 string, you only need to learn the extra notes on the fretboard which really only takes a day or two of running scales and arpeggios over the entire neck.

If you tend to think visually in shapes, unlike a guitar (where the G and B string are a third apart, not a fourth) fingering shapes translate over any number of strings on a bass.

 

[39-Bassist]

that bass is a great playing bass...offer them 125 and go get it properly setup and checked out....learn 4 string first...plus that profile neck makes it easier to learn.

 

[zon6c-f]

Hello Everyone,

I hope you’re all having a terrific day. Also, I hope it’s okay to mix two topics in a thread. I’m new to this cool site.

I’ve played drums since I was eight — more than forty years ago — and wanted to play bass, even then!

Things have changed a lot since the Seventies, what with the addition of a fifth and - gasp- sixth string to the electric bass guitar. I’m just as happy to learn how to play on a 4-stringed instrument. Honestly, it’s going to be a while before I’m confronted with the need to reach the lower registers of more contemporary compositions. Four strings were plenty adequate for my heroes, Jaco, Stanley, Verdine, and the various Motown greats who inspired my desire to play bass guitar.

So, Question One:
Should I learn how to play bass on a 4- or 5-string?

Question Two:
In a local pawn shop, I’ve handled a Squier Jazz Bass that appears to be a 2008 Indonesian-made Vintage Modified. It is natural wood color, has two Duncan-Designed Jazz pickups that have oxidized/rusty magnets and screws for the pick guard. It has black block inlays in the frets that cause me to think it is a VM. Might it even be a ‘70’s or ‘77?

Anyway, if you folks think it’s wise to start out on a 4-string, what are your thoughts on the pawn shop find with the $150.00 asking price? I’m toying with the idea of offering $80 to a max of $100, in light of its non-pristine condition.

It doesn’t have any scratches that I saw, but I haven’t heard it plugged into an amp. I don’t know about the electronics.

What do you think?

Blessings

Most recorded music prior to the 80s was exclusively on 4s and afterward on 5s

So if you first buy a 4 you’ll still cover most music ever recorded and transition to 5 is easy

 

[Bassbeater]

you only need to learn the extra notes on the fretboard which really only takes a day or two of running scales and arpeggios over the entire neck.

You will actually need to earn how to float your right hand to mute the extra strings on a 5. That's much harder than learning the extra notes IME. I suggest doing it sooner than later. When I switched to 5 string I could play it all over right away. It took about 3-5 months before I got to play the 5 string clean enough for recording and playing live at loud volume without occasional loose strings ringing out.

 

[Frank77]

From your initial post, it doesn't sound like you want or need the extended register of a 5-string, so I'd say get a 4. I have and play both, but my 4-string gets 99.5% of my play time these days. If later on you feel like you need one, you can always pick one up. It really depends what genre(s) you will be playing and what sound you are after. I played a 5-string exclusively for like 15 years before getting a 4-string and oddly enough, instead of limiting myself it opened new possibilities for me : It forced me to rethink how I use the fingerboard, which helped me build more creative bass lines. The opposite might be true for someone going from 4 to 5, too...that's something you'll find out with time.

 

[CarpeBasso]

I started out with a 4-string. I'm in a Christian contemporary band now and like an earlier poster said, there is a lot of contemporary music where a 5-string is used. So I got a really nice 5-string as my main player, but kept my 4. Nothing wrong with having both, in fact I recommend it! Trust me you'll find plenty of times to use both and switching between them is no real issue.

 

[Maxdusty]

I agree with some of the comments here regarding 4 or 5 string. Play the bass that's suitable and works best for you. You're not a better player with more strings, there are advantages to both. I can play both equally well but my preference is the 4 string, really it's whatever works best for you and there's no stopping you from playing both - I've been playing for 30+ years so the transition between the two isn't a biggie, but it's highly recommended you stick with one for now while you're learning how to play.
Victor Wooten for example plays both and is equally talented on both. He doesn't use a five string exclusively because there are advantages to using a four. Heck he uses a six too and fretless basses.
You use the right tool for the job.

Here's an interesting thread:

Moving from 4-string to 5-string (or back again)?

 

[Duanestuermer]

A pawn shop bass is only as good as the neck.
If it has a S curve, or in some other way cannot be properly straightened, it will be unplayable and is only good as a knick knack on the wall, no matter what the brand it is, unless you buy a new neck.
So take someone knowledgable instrument person along before you buy, and check with a straight edge.
On another front...
I believe it is easier to learn proper bass left hand technique on a 5.
One of the most prominent problems new bass players have, is an improper left hand technique, either gripping too hard, or drooping the thumb over the top of the neck. Both of these are hard to undo if not caught early, and the larger neck of a 5 naturally helps slightly stem those bad techniques.
You may have seen some famous players using bad technique, and overcome it.
Depending on how far you want to go may be determined by such variables.
I also believe starting by learning tablature is a bad idea, and a waste of time.
In most professional situations knowing how to read music is the norm, in 50 years as a professional bass player, I have never been presented with tablature, only sheet music and/or chord charts.

 

[madbass6]

Hello Everyone,

I hope you’re all having a terrific day. Also, I hope it’s okay to mix two topics in a thread. I’m new to this cool site.

I’ve played drums since I was eight — more than forty years ago — and wanted to play bass, even then!

Things have changed a lot since the Seventies, what with the addition of a fifth and - gasp- sixth string to the electric bass guitar. I’m just as happy to learn how to play on a 4-stringed instrument. Honestly, it’s going to be a while before I’m confronted with the need to reach the lower registers of more contemporary compositions. Four strings were plenty adequate for my heroes, Jaco, Stanley, Verdine, and the various Motown greats who inspired my desire to play bass guitar.

So, Question One:
Should I learn how to play bass on a 4- or 5-string?

Question Two:
In a local pawn shop, I’ve handled a Squier Jazz Bass that appears to be a 2008 Indonesian-made Vintage Modified. It is natural wood color, has two Duncan-Designed Jazz pickups that have oxidized/rusty magnets and screws for the pick guard. It has black block inlays in the frets that cause me to think it is a VM. Might it even be a ‘70’s or ‘77?

Anyway, if you folks think it’s wise to start out on a 4-string, what are your thoughts on the pawn shop find with the $150.00 asking price? I’m toying with the idea of offering $80 to a max of $100, in light of its non-pristine condition.

It doesn’t have any scratches that I saw, but I haven’t heard it plugged into an amp. I don’t know about the electronics.

What do you think?

Blessings

On the bass deal it would be a great start up bass ! If you can get it for your offer cool, if not grab it anyway ,
good deal! The pickups alone are probably worth that price!
on either 4 or 5 srrings
I think you should Go with 4 string!
you don't seem to crazy about 5 string!
Besides don't try running before walking!

 

[stringthrough]

Having played 4 stringers forever, but now finally migrated permanently to 5 stringers, here's my takeaway.

It's easier to get going on 4 stringers - Muting strings is easier, memorizing the notes on the fretboard takes less time, etc. and you can be an effective bassist with only 4 strings. HOWEVER, if you seriously plan to eventual migrate to 5 stringers, start with a 5 stringer. Getting up to speed will take a bit longer but you'll do away with the awkward 4 to 5 string transition later on. (Took me about 5 starts and stops before I finally crossed over; the final motivation being that my band needed the lower frequencies.)

As for the Squier, as long as it plays easily, sounds OK (make sure to plug it into an amp and fiddle with the volume and tone controls before buying) and is in good structural condition (ignore cosmetics) it's a good starter bass. That, and I read on TB that some bassists are content with Squiers for life.

Good luck!

 

[LoveThatBass]

My advice is to play them both amplified and see what speaks to you in areas of feel, playability and sound. If you buy one that doesnt give you that “ Ahhh feeling “ and fights you to play it you will not be inspired to play. I have a 5 string I really love and noticed when I play it and then went to my 4 string jazz it is effortless, fast and easy. I have small hands so that may not be your experience. Not all 4 strings are the same as not all 5 strings are the same. I find Fender and Squier 5 ‘s to be too wide and chunky as compared to Esp LTD’s, Ibanez, and Peaveys

 

[dmccombe7]

Thank you, so much, for your informed responses, everyone. I appreciate your input. Honestly, I like the idea of beginning on a 4-string. What musical genres seem to prefer the 5- and 6-string instruments? I look forward to playing R&B, Motown, Contemporary Christian Praise and Worship, and Jazz.

Strictly responding to a prior post, I don’t have huge hands, but not small, either. I wear size Large motorcycle gloves, if that provides relevant information as to whether a +string bass will be playable for me.

Now, what are thoughts on the pawn shop Squier Jazz Bass that I found? Should I be concerned about the oxidation on the pups and pick guard screws? Does that suggest rusty (compromised) electronics under the hood?

Do you think it may be a Vintage Modified? ‘70s or ‘77 VM, maybe?

Haven't read thru the full thread so apologies if i've missed something.
Coming late to this thread and a relative newcomer to Talkbass. I started on 4 strings 40yrs ago and in last few years moved to 6 string for a spell and then back to a 5 and eventually i'm back to 4 again. I feel more comfortable with my 4 strings but that may be due to fact i played 4 string for 30-35 yrs.
I have relatively small hands and take a Med motorcycle glove however you will adapt to whatever bass you think you need for your style of music. One thing to remember is that the more strings on a bass then generally more wood and therefore more weight. Some of my heavier basses i struggle to play for longer periods as my neck and shoulder get a a bit of an ache whereas my Jazz or P basses are fine.

Sounds like the bass is a pretty good buy.