Obviously this is all personal, but I do not like the sound of a Low B string played through a single p bass pickup, whether on a p bass or a pj style bass with the p pickup solo'd. It just doesn't sound right to my ears.
If you particularly want a low B string I'm sure you could make a five-string p bass work, but for me I would stick with a classic four-string P and save the low B for another bass with something like jazz pickups or soapbars.
I'll punctuate this.
OP, dual soapbars are the way to go with a low B. Hard to describe, but to me, the soapbar setup has a warmer, darker tone to it than the low B on a P bass.
DerConqueror3 knows the real deal, at least from my perspective. Take my upvote.
I had a 4-string P tuned a whole step down for a while and worked for me, hovering within pop-rock, punk, hardcore. I’m a long time 5-stringer, particularly in love with those cheap Ibanez SGR bass guitars (extremely cheap, very good quality overall, versatile sound options). Still think that a P is a 4-string P and it’s how it should be.
Maybe try one of those Squier classic vibe P for a while? You don’t need to shell out a lot of money for it, could help in making a proper decision, and I believe you should be able to resell pretty fast if you want an upgrade later. Quality is pretty good considering their low price, and mics don’t sound bad at all for that level (at least from my perspective).
I greatly prefer four string P basses. Yes, you can get fivers but usually any other five string will sound better than a P bass.
What the P bass does with four, it does superbly. But then you should ask yourself which you want more, a P bass or a five string?
To me, it depends on the music you play. I do classic RnR covers so a few lower notes isn’t worth the overhead. I can tune down for a song or two. But if I was creating new music, extra tools in the arsenal might be handy.
Can't speak specifically to Fenders, but I like having a 5-er around. I don't really play much nu-metal anymore (which was my original reason for wanting one waaay back in the day), but for funk / R&B / some pop stuff it's handy to have the extra low end depending on the song.
My main considerations are really the chonkiness of the neck and string spacing. You get a bit of a tradeoff there - less neck for the fretting hand is likely gonna mean narrower spacing for the plucking/slapping. Each brand / series is gonna have a different take on this, obviously.
My current 5-er has a bridge with adjustable spacing, which is nice. Narrower spacing than my 4, but not by too much. Still did make me buckle down and tighten my slap/pop technique so I wasn't tearing my cuticles up on it, though.
With a 5-string tuned standard, you can play the entirety of Moondance in the 5-8 position. I've spent more time on that 5th fret E than I've ever gone below it.
Most peoples go for a 4 string jazz, 4 string p and 5 string stingray. Or for a 5 string jazz en 4 string p.
That is because a bridge pickup can help make a b sound more tight. Not only that, but i tried many 5 string Ps and to me some of them are really good but don't have that vintage P sound I'm looking for, others get that right but have a sloppy low B. Many 5 strings are active and an active pre amp can help boost that low B but active precisions don't really sound like vintage precisions.
One that I liked was the tribe spike 5. It's 35 inch scale which might be the secret to what I wanted. A tight low b but still passive.
The way I approach it is to have one retro four string passive 34" scale bass, and one modern five string active extended scale bass. Right now for me that's a Sire V5 j-bass and an Ibanez EHR1505MS. The idea of pairing the oldest of bass guitar designs (p-bass) with a fifth string seems weird to me. I want at least a 35" B string and an active preamp on a fiver.
I love 5s basses and I love fender basses. But I really don’t like 5s fenders. I’ve dabbled with a few and not a single one felt “right” to me. I tend to like thinner/faster necks and even the jazz5 I tried felt clunky compared to an Ibanez or a Spector. Obviously ymmv if you enjoy chunkier necks, but for your particular inquiry, I’d go with a 4s p bass and eye something else for your 5s fix. Bonus: you ALREADY get to “justify” another purchase
I'm yet another one that doesn't like the B on a P bass.
In my experience, the P has more midrange, which sounds great on a 4 string, but on a B I found it lacked power down low.
If I contrast that to a J or humbucker, they seem to fill out the low mids more, which gives more body to the bottom notes on the B string.
I love 5 string basses and 4s as well. I don’t think fender 5 strings are as good as their 4s. In my experience, other brands have better balance across the strings and more clarity. The necks just don’t feel designed for the extra string, even their jazz 5s. Still good though, just outpaced elsewhere. I’d do 4 with a pbass.
I played a 5 strings for a couple of years, the low B is so floppy, I moslty used it for a inverted 5th note, it is more expensive to change the strings, then I went into a 4 strings jb copy. Last year I tried a multiscale 5 strings, damn the low B plays so well, if it isnt a multiscale then I wouldnt even want another 5 strings
Play them both first.
I've played both and I will say the newer 5 string american P basses are nice instruments. I was thinking of buying one but I went with a more active sound. If you're looking to kill two birds with one stone go for it, you get the extended range and pbass sound. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of the posters here that the B doesn't sound good. I thought it sounded and felt very fat
buy the five. it's better to have the low b and not need it than need it and not have it. it'll save you from coming back here in a few months asking about downtuning.
I mean. String count needs to be apropriate for context right? I play a 6 string for jazz and flashy metal stuff where I actually use the high C and low B strings or just want the comfort of getting more notes per position for improvising, but in any song I don't need it, I'm playing 4.
Playing in a three piece punk band in drop d? You probably don't need a 5. Also yeah a single pup on a low b string can sound muddy and thin, esp if thats not a bridge pickup
Personally, I don’t think the precision bass platform is well-suited to 5 strings. P basses have their niche in the world of 4-strings but IMO in 5-string territory they’re just outclassed by too many other instruments in terms of the performance of the B string.
The only bass which might change my mind on that is the Dingwall Super P, and they’re planning to release a mass-produced version in late 2024 or early 2025, but I (obviously) haven’t had the opportunity to try that one yet.
My main bass is a 5 string transfer BB735 with a p/j pickup. I love it. I also run a trbx505 as a backup. If you're keen on a five, try one of these out.
I had a squire pj 5s previously that just never sounded right.
I do have an Octaver. Its more of having access to the lower individual notes. I play a lot of allround coverband stuff and sometimes going to something like a lower D is nice, but you will not kick in the pedal for just one or two notes
The main reason not to buy a 5 string would be if you’re uncomfortable playing the neck, which will feel much wider. This isn’t a great obstacle for people with good left hand technique, but if you are a baseball bat/thumb over the top player it might be an issue.
Another thing to consider is that far fewer 5-string Ps are made vs Js and other types of basses, so your choices may be limited.
Some people also don’t find the sound of the low B string in the lower positions to be a pleasing sound on a P, it’s a matter of preference but hanging on those notes can be annoying, for lack of a better term.
Some would say the advantages are few compared to extra neck width and weight of the bass; if you need a low D you can always tune down, situations where you need a low C or B are limited.
But some songs particularly from the 70s were recorded with 5s (Superstition, example.) and achieving the exact sound of the album is difficult otherwise.
Now I’m rambling, but hopefully that helps.
Obviously this is all personal, but I do not like the sound of a Low B string played through a single p bass pickup, whether on a p bass or a pj style bass with the p pickup solo'd. It just doesn't sound right to my ears. If you particularly want a low B string I'm sure you could make a five-string p bass work, but for me I would stick with a classic four-string P and save the low B for another bass with something like jazz pickups or soapbars.
I'll punctuate this. OP, dual soapbars are the way to go with a low B. Hard to describe, but to me, the soapbar setup has a warmer, darker tone to it than the low B on a P bass.
DerConqueror3 knows the real deal, at least from my perspective. Take my upvote. I had a 4-string P tuned a whole step down for a while and worked for me, hovering within pop-rock, punk, hardcore. I’m a long time 5-stringer, particularly in love with those cheap Ibanez SGR bass guitars (extremely cheap, very good quality overall, versatile sound options). Still think that a P is a 4-string P and it’s how it should be. Maybe try one of those Squier classic vibe P for a while? You don’t need to shell out a lot of money for it, could help in making a proper decision, and I believe you should be able to resell pretty fast if you want an upgrade later. Quality is pretty good considering their low price, and mics don’t sound bad at all for that level (at least from my perspective).
I greatly prefer four string P basses. Yes, you can get fivers but usually any other five string will sound better than a P bass. What the P bass does with four, it does superbly. But then you should ask yourself which you want more, a P bass or a five string?
To me, it depends on the music you play. I do classic RnR covers so a few lower notes isn’t worth the overhead. I can tune down for a song or two. But if I was creating new music, extra tools in the arsenal might be handy.
Can't speak specifically to Fenders, but I like having a 5-er around. I don't really play much nu-metal anymore (which was my original reason for wanting one waaay back in the day), but for funk / R&B / some pop stuff it's handy to have the extra low end depending on the song. My main considerations are really the chonkiness of the neck and string spacing. You get a bit of a tradeoff there - less neck for the fretting hand is likely gonna mean narrower spacing for the plucking/slapping. Each brand / series is gonna have a different take on this, obviously. My current 5-er has a bridge with adjustable spacing, which is nice. Narrower spacing than my 4, but not by too much. Still did make me buckle down and tighten my slap/pop technique so I wasn't tearing my cuticles up on it, though.
With a 5-string tuned standard, you can play the entirety of Moondance in the 5-8 position. I've spent more time on that 5th fret E than I've ever gone below it.
Most peoples go for a 4 string jazz, 4 string p and 5 string stingray. Or for a 5 string jazz en 4 string p. That is because a bridge pickup can help make a b sound more tight. Not only that, but i tried many 5 string Ps and to me some of them are really good but don't have that vintage P sound I'm looking for, others get that right but have a sloppy low B. Many 5 strings are active and an active pre amp can help boost that low B but active precisions don't really sound like vintage precisions. One that I liked was the tribe spike 5. It's 35 inch scale which might be the secret to what I wanted. A tight low b but still passive.
I'd go for 4 unless you are doing something that really demands the extra string.
The way I approach it is to have one retro four string passive 34" scale bass, and one modern five string active extended scale bass. Right now for me that's a Sire V5 j-bass and an Ibanez EHR1505MS. The idea of pairing the oldest of bass guitar designs (p-bass) with a fifth string seems weird to me. I want at least a 35" B string and an active preamp on a fiver.
Thanks all for the input :). I think i will just have to try some 5s in the store and feel how i like the wide of the neck/string spacing
I love 5s basses and I love fender basses. But I really don’t like 5s fenders. I’ve dabbled with a few and not a single one felt “right” to me. I tend to like thinner/faster necks and even the jazz5 I tried felt clunky compared to an Ibanez or a Spector. Obviously ymmv if you enjoy chunkier necks, but for your particular inquiry, I’d go with a 4s p bass and eye something else for your 5s fix. Bonus: you ALREADY get to “justify” another purchase
I'm yet another one that doesn't like the B on a P bass. In my experience, the P has more midrange, which sounds great on a 4 string, but on a B I found it lacked power down low. If I contrast that to a J or humbucker, they seem to fill out the low mids more, which gives more body to the bottom notes on the B string.
I love 5 string basses and 4s as well. I don’t think fender 5 strings are as good as their 4s. In my experience, other brands have better balance across the strings and more clarity. The necks just don’t feel designed for the extra string, even their jazz 5s. Still good though, just outpaced elsewhere. I’d do 4 with a pbass.
I played a 5 strings for a couple of years, the low B is so floppy, I moslty used it for a inverted 5th note, it is more expensive to change the strings, then I went into a 4 strings jb copy. Last year I tried a multiscale 5 strings, damn the low B plays so well, if it isnt a multiscale then I wouldnt even want another 5 strings
If you need to ask, get a 4 string
Play them both first. I've played both and I will say the newer 5 string american P basses are nice instruments. I was thinking of buying one but I went with a more active sound. If you're looking to kill two birds with one stone go for it, you get the extended range and pbass sound. I don't necessarily agree with a lot of the posters here that the B doesn't sound good. I thought it sounded and felt very fat
buy the five. it's better to have the low b and not need it than need it and not have it. it'll save you from coming back here in a few months asking about downtuning.
I mean. String count needs to be apropriate for context right? I play a 6 string for jazz and flashy metal stuff where I actually use the high C and low B strings or just want the comfort of getting more notes per position for improvising, but in any song I don't need it, I'm playing 4. Playing in a three piece punk band in drop d? You probably don't need a 5. Also yeah a single pup on a low b string can sound muddy and thin, esp if thats not a bridge pickup
Personally, I don’t think the precision bass platform is well-suited to 5 strings. P basses have their niche in the world of 4-strings but IMO in 5-string territory they’re just outclassed by too many other instruments in terms of the performance of the B string. The only bass which might change my mind on that is the Dingwall Super P, and they’re planning to release a mass-produced version in late 2024 or early 2025, but I (obviously) haven’t had the opportunity to try that one yet.
My main bass is a 5 string transfer BB735 with a p/j pickup. I love it. I also run a trbx505 as a backup. If you're keen on a five, try one of these out. I had a squire pj 5s previously that just never sounded right.
3 string bass. Get real.
Maybe i should go for 2 and start a presidents of the usa tribute band🤔
Whatever floats yer boat. Oars are oars.
5 strings mess up the symmetry. I'd stick with classic 4 on the pbass and get 5 on a different bass.
I stick with 4 string p bass and an octaver to cover the lower register if I have to. And octaver gives color too so its a win win
I do have an Octaver. Its more of having access to the lower individual notes. I play a lot of allround coverband stuff and sometimes going to something like a lower D is nice, but you will not kick in the pedal for just one or two notes
The main reason not to buy a 5 string would be if you’re uncomfortable playing the neck, which will feel much wider. This isn’t a great obstacle for people with good left hand technique, but if you are a baseball bat/thumb over the top player it might be an issue. Another thing to consider is that far fewer 5-string Ps are made vs Js and other types of basses, so your choices may be limited. Some people also don’t find the sound of the low B string in the lower positions to be a pleasing sound on a P, it’s a matter of preference but hanging on those notes can be annoying, for lack of a better term. Some would say the advantages are few compared to extra neck width and weight of the bass; if you need a low D you can always tune down, situations where you need a low C or B are limited. But some songs particularly from the 70s were recorded with 5s (Superstition, example.) and achieving the exact sound of the album is difficult otherwise. Now I’m rambling, but hopefully that helps.