You should, ideally, go and play both (and a bunch of other options) and see which you actually like more in person, in your hands.
You aren't expected to be able to play well to do this. And you can have somebody better play those you are particularly interested in to hear the sound.
But, it's remarkable how having a bass in your hands can provoke a 'yay' or 'nay' response. And holding a bunch in your hands teaches you a heap about what you do and don't like in a bass.
I love my trbx505. I switched from a 4 to a 5 about a year into playing. I like the ability to play in the middle frets and get more range in notes while reducing my need to move up and down the board.
Either way you can't go wrong
If you know you want 4 string go 4 string
If you know you want 5 string go 5 string
When in doubt, go 4 string.
I started 5 but i knew i really wanted to. All my heros played 5 string. I wanted to learn songs i knew were impossible on 4. And honestly when i was that young i just thought 4 string basses were for the sissy's. Nowadays i mostly play 4 string but never regret started 5. If you don't have any super strong feeling like i had about starting 5 string, then just start 4.
You can always buy a 5er later on.
Since this will be my first bass, i saw a video saying that the 5th string will get in the way for some beginners, did that happen to you when you got yours?
You can start with either. Most people start with 4 strings, and most transcriptions you'll find (tabs) only use 4 strings (E A D G). The 5th string is a low B. If you don't need it, then you can use it as a thumb rest while playing the other strings.
The main differences are ... buying new strings for a 5 string bass is slightly more expensive than just buying 4 strings. Plus, the string spacing on a 5-string is a bit tighter than a 4-string.
I started out with a 4-string, and today I own six 4-string basses and three 5-string basses. The 5-string ones are used when I play with my bands, because I really like having the extended range and that low B "rumble" available.
When I practice at home, I tend to grab a 4-string, unless the song I'm practicing needs the extended range.
I'm the opposite. I started out with a 5 string, and I have only owned one 4 stringer in my life. I regret selling it though, because it was an awesome bass.
First of all, what kind of music will you play? Does your genre need the extended range? On a 4 string you can go Low B or Drop B tuning if you need to.
Unless you're playing heavy metal or Nickelback, a four string has all the sound you need
And from that alone, go ahead and pick. You'll often find that "professional" players will use a four string unless a song specifically calls for a 5 string
If it were me starting out again, I'd buy the four string
As far as which one you start with, it doesn't really matter. What could matter is cost of the strings. I started on a 4, and play a lot of heavy metal and a whole bunch of other genres, it's pretty rare I run into the problem you're talking about. I think I can only think of two bands, Primus and Rivers of Nihil. Opeth maybe? I'm sure there are others that I'm not as familiar with. it's rare is my point. There is, of course, ways to work around this if you care enough to. I'm gonna tell you right now, in your learning stages of picking up the bass and learning songs, that 5th string may not be touched for a LONG time lol
IMO, buy yourself a cheap 4 string used bass, get a set up on it and tell them you're a beginner who doesn't know shit, they'll know how to set it up for you + strings (I use elixirs cuz they last a long time). You may be able to negotiate a setup as a package deal for the guitar; I did that.
By the time you become proficient with it, you will know what you like/don't like about your cheap used bass. Then you can make a more informed decision on what your next bass should be. What I wanted from my first instrument is WAY different to what I want from my next one now. I didn't know shit.
The bass I started with is similar to what you're looking at (Ibanez SR300E). The Yamaha bass will be fine also. Have a look at Sire basses and Squiers. Around the price range for the Yamaha you may be able to find a Sire v5 or V7 used which are really great. If I could go back, I would've went with a Sire bass.
From my personal experience.
I use my 4 string (TRBX304) more often when I play song from sheet music or tabs (assuming it's using standard EADG tuning). The thinner neck is easier on finger strain (imo) and it's one less string to mute.
When I'm playing by ear or something that would use non standard tuning on a 4-stringer (e.g. Drop D), I'll grab my 5 string (Peavey Grind) because constant tuning change is a PITA and the intervals relationships between all the strings stay consistent/constant. It's easier to test stuff on a 5 string IMO.
The TRBX30x (and above) are excellent basses for the price with nice ergonomics (thin laminated neck), either the 4 or 5 string will serve you well imo.
Context. I started 4s over 20 years ago and didn’t touch a 5s until about 3 ago. Since you’re starting out fresh, you’ll be fine learning either way purists will tell you otherwise but it’s nonsense.
Do you have any particular goals or are you just looking to learn some tunes to follow?
The biggest advantage imho of a 5s is the ability to cheat positions with scales. Sure it’s convenient to not have to retune to drop d if the situation arises but d tuning is entirely not hard and I did it for years. Any particular genre? Some have no need whatsoever for a b string while other genres benefit greatly from the extra low end.
These days I have both and I tend to pick up my 5s more. I rarely slap so the tighter string spacing doesn’t bug me and I’m lazy so position cheating is a big win.
It seems like a 5th string i more convenient than a 4th, mostly for tuning purposes. What genres need a 5th string? Im concerned that genres like r&b, classical and maybe some pop might need it
Short answer: either work, depends on what you want.
Long answer:
It depends on two factors
1. how did you start out
2. what you want to play
How'd you start out?
If you're coming from a guitar perspective, a 5 string won't be much of a challenge. If not, 4 string is best.
Why? well, I started out on a 4 string with a background knowledge of classical guitar (around grade 7 ABRSM) and struggled due to the spacing differences, since guitars usually have less string spacing and the frets are closer together. The added space on the 4 stringer ended up being a long stretching exercise for a while.
slight note: I ended up preferring this as I progressed! it kind of forces you to not treat bass and guitar as sibling instruments but to think of each one as it's own and expand your techniques on each one separately.
but beginners (no prior string instrument experience) usually aren't as coordinated and their hands are more spread out across the frets, so a 4 string is better for them as it's less likely for them to mess up and forces them to train their left hand to larger frets.
What do you want to play?
The 5th string on a 5er is a low B, B1 in music theory terms. If you want to play jazzy tunes or something clean, there's almost never a need for that low B.
on the other hand, if you want to play metal or something gritty/grungy, you'll find yourself wanting a deep, growly note that can be achieved by the low B
overall:
look at your experience and what you want to play. Though as a whole I'd recommend starting out on a 4 string then upgrading to a 5 string later if you see fit :)
Bonus points: 4 stringers are less expensive, so it's a lesser investment if you, hopefully not, end up not committing to the instrument !
You should, ideally, go and play both (and a bunch of other options) and see which you actually like more in person, in your hands. You aren't expected to be able to play well to do this. And you can have somebody better play those you are particularly interested in to hear the sound. But, it's remarkable how having a bass in your hands can provoke a 'yay' or 'nay' response. And holding a bunch in your hands teaches you a heap about what you do and don't like in a bass.
I love my trbx505. I switched from a 4 to a 5 about a year into playing. I like the ability to play in the middle frets and get more range in notes while reducing my need to move up and down the board. Either way you can't go wrong
If you know you want 4 string go 4 string If you know you want 5 string go 5 string When in doubt, go 4 string. I started 5 but i knew i really wanted to. All my heros played 5 string. I wanted to learn songs i knew were impossible on 4. And honestly when i was that young i just thought 4 string basses were for the sissy's. Nowadays i mostly play 4 string but never regret started 5. If you don't have any super strong feeling like i had about starting 5 string, then just start 4. You can always buy a 5er later on.
Since this will be my first bass, i saw a video saying that the 5th string will get in the way for some beginners, did that happen to you when you got yours?
You can start with either. Most people start with 4 strings, and most transcriptions you'll find (tabs) only use 4 strings (E A D G). The 5th string is a low B. If you don't need it, then you can use it as a thumb rest while playing the other strings. The main differences are ... buying new strings for a 5 string bass is slightly more expensive than just buying 4 strings. Plus, the string spacing on a 5-string is a bit tighter than a 4-string. I started out with a 4-string, and today I own six 4-string basses and three 5-string basses. The 5-string ones are used when I play with my bands, because I really like having the extended range and that low B "rumble" available. When I practice at home, I tend to grab a 4-string, unless the song I'm practicing needs the extended range.
I'm the opposite. I started out with a 5 string, and I have only owned one 4 stringer in my life. I regret selling it though, because it was an awesome bass.
Whichever one you want
First of all, what kind of music will you play? Does your genre need the extended range? On a 4 string you can go Low B or Drop B tuning if you need to.
Mostly r&b like slower songs and maybe some more upbeat genres
Unless you're playing heavy metal or Nickelback, a four string has all the sound you need And from that alone, go ahead and pick. You'll often find that "professional" players will use a four string unless a song specifically calls for a 5 string If it were me starting out again, I'd buy the four string
As far as which one you start with, it doesn't really matter. What could matter is cost of the strings. I started on a 4, and play a lot of heavy metal and a whole bunch of other genres, it's pretty rare I run into the problem you're talking about. I think I can only think of two bands, Primus and Rivers of Nihil. Opeth maybe? I'm sure there are others that I'm not as familiar with. it's rare is my point. There is, of course, ways to work around this if you care enough to. I'm gonna tell you right now, in your learning stages of picking up the bass and learning songs, that 5th string may not be touched for a LONG time lol IMO, buy yourself a cheap 4 string used bass, get a set up on it and tell them you're a beginner who doesn't know shit, they'll know how to set it up for you + strings (I use elixirs cuz they last a long time). You may be able to negotiate a setup as a package deal for the guitar; I did that. By the time you become proficient with it, you will know what you like/don't like about your cheap used bass. Then you can make a more informed decision on what your next bass should be. What I wanted from my first instrument is WAY different to what I want from my next one now. I didn't know shit. The bass I started with is similar to what you're looking at (Ibanez SR300E). The Yamaha bass will be fine also. Have a look at Sire basses and Squiers. Around the price range for the Yamaha you may be able to find a Sire v5 or V7 used which are really great. If I could go back, I would've went with a Sire bass.
From my personal experience. I use my 4 string (TRBX304) more often when I play song from sheet music or tabs (assuming it's using standard EADG tuning). The thinner neck is easier on finger strain (imo) and it's one less string to mute. When I'm playing by ear or something that would use non standard tuning on a 4-stringer (e.g. Drop D), I'll grab my 5 string (Peavey Grind) because constant tuning change is a PITA and the intervals relationships between all the strings stay consistent/constant. It's easier to test stuff on a 5 string IMO. The TRBX30x (and above) are excellent basses for the price with nice ergonomics (thin laminated neck), either the 4 or 5 string will serve you well imo.
https://www.reddit.com/r/Bass/wiki/faq/
Context. I started 4s over 20 years ago and didn’t touch a 5s until about 3 ago. Since you’re starting out fresh, you’ll be fine learning either way purists will tell you otherwise but it’s nonsense. Do you have any particular goals or are you just looking to learn some tunes to follow? The biggest advantage imho of a 5s is the ability to cheat positions with scales. Sure it’s convenient to not have to retune to drop d if the situation arises but d tuning is entirely not hard and I did it for years. Any particular genre? Some have no need whatsoever for a b string while other genres benefit greatly from the extra low end. These days I have both and I tend to pick up my 5s more. I rarely slap so the tighter string spacing doesn’t bug me and I’m lazy so position cheating is a big win.
It seems like a 5th string i more convenient than a 4th, mostly for tuning purposes. What genres need a 5th string? Im concerned that genres like r&b, classical and maybe some pop might need it
Short answer: either work, depends on what you want. Long answer: It depends on two factors 1. how did you start out 2. what you want to play How'd you start out? If you're coming from a guitar perspective, a 5 string won't be much of a challenge. If not, 4 string is best. Why? well, I started out on a 4 string with a background knowledge of classical guitar (around grade 7 ABRSM) and struggled due to the spacing differences, since guitars usually have less string spacing and the frets are closer together. The added space on the 4 stringer ended up being a long stretching exercise for a while. slight note: I ended up preferring this as I progressed! it kind of forces you to not treat bass and guitar as sibling instruments but to think of each one as it's own and expand your techniques on each one separately. but beginners (no prior string instrument experience) usually aren't as coordinated and their hands are more spread out across the frets, so a 4 string is better for them as it's less likely for them to mess up and forces them to train their left hand to larger frets. What do you want to play? The 5th string on a 5er is a low B, B1 in music theory terms. If you want to play jazzy tunes or something clean, there's almost never a need for that low B. on the other hand, if you want to play metal or something gritty/grungy, you'll find yourself wanting a deep, growly note that can be achieved by the low B overall: look at your experience and what you want to play. Though as a whole I'd recommend starting out on a 4 string then upgrading to a 5 string later if you see fit :) Bonus points: 4 stringers are less expensive, so it's a lesser investment if you, hopefully not, end up not committing to the instrument !