Re: Finally getting comfy on a 5

Mike wrote:
I bought a used Steinberger Spirit 5 string a year or so ago and I've
never really been comfortable having an additional string where I'm
used to having an E. I'll admit that I haven't really thrown myself
into the 5 string (I've continued to play 4 strings at all gigs).
Well, I took along the 5 string to our gig last Friday night and I put
3 drop D songs together in the set list and made my mind up to make the
leap. Before the gig I was tuning up the 5 (which takes about a
half-second with the Steinberger bridge...barely needs tuning
adjustments ever) and I decided to shorten the strap. The short strap
made ALL the difference. I wear my 4 string basses pretty low (not
knee-level, but somewhere between waist and knee-level), but my hands
were getting lost on the 5 string when I wore it low. With the short
strap I was a lot more confident with where my hands were.

Did any of you folks have trouble transitioning to a 5 string after
playing 4 strings exclusively?

Mike


Made the transition to a 5-string about 5 years ago, and rarely play the 4-stringers any more, except for maybe a couple songs that call for extreme (for me) speed - then I bring out the Jazz with the extra-narrow neck (1-7/16" at the nut).

After playing 4-string basses for 35 years, I'd say it took me a couple of months of practice to reprogram my mind away from the idea that the fattest string was the E string. Did you see how I avoided that "top string, bottom string" thing? :-)

--Steve
.