Extended Range Basses

I'm Just a Bass Player

Your Subtitle text

I'm often asked why I play basses with so many strings, rather than just sticking with the standard 4 or 5 string bass. "Is it because you want to be a guitar player?" or "Do you play a lot of solo's?" are the two most common questions immediately following the "why so many strings" query.

I played 4 string basses for most of my life. It wasn't until about 2001 that I ventured beyond 4 string and got my first 5 string bass. When I started with the 5, the freedom that the low B string gave me was amazing! All that low end tone added so much to the music, giving it a fullness and depth that I hadn't heard in my head before.

Shortly after getting the 5 string, I began to play a few chords now and then. The chords really helped to fill out the sound of a 3 piece band at times. I also started to play unison lines with the guitar players, and my role as a bassist began to evolve into that of a "full-support" musician rather than just a bass player. Sure, I still had to fill my basic role of providing the bottom end and groove, but I began to see that I could do the typical "bass player thing" AND handle some other roles, as well!

It was actually a pretty quick evolution into 6 string, and then 7 and 8 string basses once I got the ERB bug. I was able to get much more mileage out of my playing and my expanded role in a band setting started to get me more exposure and more work.

A beautiful Conklin Guitars custom 8 string!

Some of My Thoughts About ERB's

I have been disheartened by a lot of the attitudes expressed within the bass community about ERB's. A common partial tongue-in-cheek comment from many bass players is that Jaco (Jaco Pastorious, a famous modern bassist who has passed away) only needed 4 strings, so why would anyone else need more?

I guess I can understand that thought process, to a certain degree, if the player is a "nuts and bolts" root-five type of bassist. There are many bassists that believe their role is that of a time keeper and support player only, and in that light the idea of limiting themselves to a 4 string might make sense.   But in many ways that same player might be missing the opportunities that extended range playing can provide.

I view extended range basses as a way to broaden the entire musical landscape of any situation I am in.  Rather than limiting myself to strictly playing the "bottom" notes of a chord, I find that having the ability to double certain lead lines or play chords adds so much to the composition (even if that composition is a worn out classic rock tune). I also find that having a much wider range of notes available causes me to think more about note placement and allows me to broaden the overall sound of the music.

I feel that music is an expression of the individual, and if that expression is done with a 2 string bass or an 11 string bass, that should be the musicians choice.   Others are certainly entitled to their own gear choices, but I do wish there was more tolerance within our own community of bassists for those with opposing points of view.

With Kelly, Vinnie & Jay in Colts Neck 1/09

FBB fretless 8 string # 1025-00

The joy of playing an ERB!!

So, What Are The Disadvantages of Extended Range Basses?

Oh, man, there are a bunch! First is the expense. These basses aren't cheap and the strings and parts for the basses are usually more expensive. Second, the weight and size of the basses can definitely put a strain on you while playing them. Next you need to consider the amplification required to provide a proper sound for these new frequencies, and finally you need to be able to deal with many of the stereotypes associated with something that is considered to be very far out of the ordinary.

But most importantly, you need to really change the way you play when using an ERB. It's not just a question of having a few extra notes that you can pluck away on ... your entire mindset changes once you've been opened up to the possibilities given to you by these basses. If you aren't mentally prepared to re-think your approach to bass playing, an ERB will quickly fall out of favor. There are a lot of bass players that think it would be "cool" to have the extra strings or the bigger looking bass, only to realize that they have no abilities for these instruments.

Low End Jazz 7 String - Magnificent!

My ERB Settings

While not 100% universal, most of my basses are set up pretty much the same way. I have found some things that work really well for me, and while I do have a tendancy to kind of mess around with my normal set-ups every now and then, invariably I end up back where I started.

All of my regular gigging basses are 35" scale. I don't subscribe to the theory that the lower strings (B & F# in my case) need to be longer in length to elminate the "floppy B" syndrome, especially since I've had some 34" and even 33" scale axes that had wonderfully tight B's. My first 35" scale ERB was my FBB fretless 6 and the whole feel of it was just perfect, so since then all of my newer acquisitions have been 35" scale.

All of my main players are neck-through-body designs. Again, similar to the scale length thoughts, it's not so much that I dislike bolt-on or set-neck basses, I just happen to like the feel, fit and tone of neck-through's.

With the exception of my Brice Z6, every bass I own has 18mm string spacing (the Brice is 19mm). My bridges are roller-type, so I do have some very minor spacing tweaks from string to string (slightly tighter on the C, F, Bb side).

I'm prone to HipShot hardware, although I do have some Gotoh stuff on a few of the basses. My pick-ups and pre-amps are mostly Bartolini, but I do have my FBB 7 set up with FBB pickups and an Audere Z-Mode pre. All basses have a passive/active by-pass, and I do find that I'm playing in the passive mode most frequently.

I really like this particular bass built by Matt @ FBB but I have lost track of who currently owns it. If anyone ever comes across it, please let me know. Last I heard, it was in Europe somewhere