The 5-String Double Bass

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

You always make it sound like jazz players don't have to deal with as many problems as classical players and I think your right.

Well Uncle Pauly, I too am a Jazz player as well BUT my whole purpose of getting or rather trying the 5er was for playing Classical Orchestra Music.

I don't know if Classical players have more problems with a 5er like mentioned above but being that we play mainly with the Bow and 100% what's written on the page, I would venture as far as saying that Classical players have different problems..

[David Powell]

As a jazz player and mostly classical listener, I think the classical players have a huge challenge in making the music their own. With jazz it kind of starts as "your own" in the ideal world.

I will admit experiencing a certain sense of satisfaction after having come back from an annual festival that features diverse music and players and out of 4 DB players there, I had the only large 5-string. No-one had extensions. We were covering Chitlins Con Carne and bouncing down to that low C after a couple of choruses in the higher octave and hearing it reverberate across the stage and out to the audience;- no matter what the other players could do, that moment belonged to me. I think it might have scored lowest note played at that festival, unless some keyboard went a step lower. And I played all of Foot Prints arco, again using the lower G on the B string as the pickup to the head instead of the higher G. That's a dark foot print.

Paul, it was you and that Bohmann that did this to me. And I thank you!

[Paul Warburton]

Originally Posted by David Powell

As a jazz player and mostly classical listener, I think the classical players have a huge challenge in making the music their own. With jazz it kind of starts as "your own" in the ideal world.

I will admit experiencing a certain sense of satisfaction after having come back from an annual festival that features diverse music and players and out of 4 DB players there, I had the only large 5-string. No-one had extensions. We were covering Chitlins Con Carne and bouncing down to that low C after a couple of choruses in the higher octave and hearing it reverberate across the stage and out to the audience;- no matter what the other players could do, that moment belonged to me. I think it might have scored lowest note played at that festival, unless some keyboard went a step lower. And I played all of Foot Prints arco, again using the lower G on the B string as the pickup to the head instead of the higher G. That's a dark foot print.

Paul, it was you and that Bohmann that did this to me. And I thank you!

You're most welcome....due to finances, i'm selling the Bohmman. Any takers, Kenny- Boy?

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Paul Warburton

You're most welcome....due to finances, i'm selling the Bohmman. Any takers, Kenny- Boy?

Just when I thought 'me and 5-strings' were 'Oil and Water'.. Ok, ok.. Make me an offer I can't refuse!

[Eric Hochberg]

I have the good fortune to be playing some jazz bass with the Grant Park Symphony here in Chicago tonight and Friday. We are playing Rodrigo's Concierto (Sketches of Spain) Adagio and some Brazilian music, including a Gil Evans arrangement of Corcovado. The concert features the singer Luciana Souza.

I don't have many opportunities to play in an orchestral setting and have been closely checking out the bass section. On the extension front, here's the tally:
3 mechanicals, two fingered (one without extra stops) 1 bass extensionless, and one 5 string Poelmann. I know this has been discussed, but watching the players reaching up on those extensions, I can't help but think the 5 string bass just makes more sense. I'm going to try and talk with Andy Anderson, who plays the 5 stringer, to find out what brought him to it, as extensions seem to be the norm in the states.

[Ken Smith]

Originally Posted by Eric Hochberg

I have the good fortune to be playing some jazz bass with the Grant Park Symphony here in Chicago tonight and Friday. We are playing Rodrigo's Concierto (Sketches of Spain) Adagio and some Brazilian music, including a Gil Evans arrangement of Corcovado. The concert features the singer Luciana Souza.

I don't have many opportunities to play in an orchestral setting and have been closely checking out the bass section. On the extension front, here's the tally:
3 mechanicals, two fingered (without stops I think) 1 bass extensionless, and one 5 string Poelmann. I know this has been discussed, but watching the players reaching up on those extensions, I can't help but think the 5 string bass just makes more sense. I'm going to try and talk with Andy Anderson, who plays the 5 stringer, to find out what brought him to it, as extensions seem to be the norm in the states.

Well, here's my take on it. If playing some moving lines and octaves, the 5er works best. If you have your speed and practice it, the capo extension can do quite a bit. If just a note here and there on the bottom, I think the 5th string is in the way for the majority of the time you don't need it. Also, the entire time you are playing on a bigger and wider neck even when playing the normal 4-strings.

I think that every 5-string player says they prefer it to the extension. Every capo extension player says the same about their choice as well.

[Joel Larsson]

For me, an extension is a great way to bring a four-stringer down low, without converting it to a fiver. I know a few people who actually say that their bass has sounded better with the E/C than it did as a regular four-string. I think 'more open' was what they said. While on the other hand, a fifth string might choke the bass, plus it gets über difficult to set it up properly, so as to avoid playing on three strings at the same time without having to reach a mile for the G, and it also has to be able to carry those low notes. Big enough, basically... which in itself might restrict playability. A fiver that really works is dang hard to find and usually costs a lot. But yes, there are times when a fiver is simply priceless. Most of the really great ones are owned by the wealthier orchestras. A newer fiver is of course affordable, but if you already have eight Panormo-class basses in the section, people just won't ever get really satisfied with the sound that it produces. In which case, of course, it's basically a luxury problem.