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Another reason why a four-string bass may be better for beginners is due to the thickness of the neck of a five- or six-stringed bass. Bass strings are thicker than guitar strings.

For most people a 4-string bass is adequate if not perfect for them. Why get more strings if you're not going to use them? It is possible to tune a 4-string bass lower than its standard tuning and it is very common to do so. You can tune it lower by 2 or 3 notes if you need those lower pitches from time to time.

The biggest advantage of the five-string bass is its extended lower range. From the fretted low-E all the way down to the chest-imploding low-B, that fifth string provides a gateway for exploration into previously uncharted territory.

The bass is also used a solo instrument in some metal styles. While four-string basses (tuned E, A, D, G from lowest string to highest string) are the most common, since the 1990s, some metal bassists have used five-string basses for added lower range—a low "B".