Five- and Six-string Basses

Extended range without the status mythology

A five-string bass commonly places a low B below E. A six-string often keeps that low B and adds a high C. Those are conventions rather than laws, and alternative tunings exist. The useful reason to add strings is range and access to notes across positions, not an assumption that more strings means a higher skill level.

If that range is unnecessary, a four-string bass may give you a narrower neck and simpler muting. The main bass-guitar page keeps both options in context.

A 35-inch scale does not guarantee a good low B

Longer scale can raise tension for the same string and tuning, but low-B performance depends on the complete system: string construction and gauge, neck stiffness, bridge, nut, pickups and setup. Some 34-inch five-strings work extremely well; some longer instruments do not suit a particular player or string set.

On a used bass, test the low B fretted in several positions rather than judging the open string alone. Listen for large output differences, unstable intonation or notes that decay in a way the other strings do not.

Neck width and spacing are design choices

Builders can fit extra strings into a relatively narrow neck or preserve wider bridge spacing and increase the neck width. Both approaches have consequences for muting, slap technique and left-hand reach. Compare bridge spacing and nut width instead of assuming all five-strings feel alike.

This becomes even more obvious on a six-string, where neck profile and fingerboard radius can decide whether the extra range is genuinely usable for you.

Electronics and string-to-string balance

Active preamps are common in extended-range basses, but they are not compulsory. Test each pickup, EQ band and bypass mode if present. Uneven string balance can come from pickup height or setup as easily as from the electronics, so diagnose before treating it as a component fault.

Weight is another variable rather than a rule. An extended-range instrument may be heavier, but strap-button position and body geometry determine whether it feels balanced during a long set.

Used five- and six-string checks

Inspect nut slots for the added strings, saddle travel for intonation and fret wear across the full fingerboard width. Ask what tuning and gauge the bass was set up for. A major change in string tension can require neck, action and intonation adjustment.

Extended-range instruments can also be fretless, where fingerboard wear and position references replace fret condition as the main surface checks.

FAQ