Many bass guitars these days boast 6, 7, or many more strings. When you have that many strings... i think it defeats the purpose of providing a rhythmic low end to the music. I play a 5 string bass for the added low end (I was probably tricked into it by the music of the late 90's). I like the added range, and not having to detune my E string every time a song calls for a low D.
I was drawn to the bass because of it's simplicity. I picked up a 6 string bass at a music store once and was confused. I liked that I didn't have to worry about chords or an entire pedal board of effects to make it sound right (that didn't stop me from buying a pedal board worth of effects however). More strings won't make you a better player or make your tone sound better.
I've found an innovative bass luthier that takes this way of thinking to the next level: The minimal range bass guitar.
A two string bass.
Who needs 7 strings? His design was obviously based off of the famous Carl Thompson 6 string "Rainbow Bass" made for Les Claypool. Many of his designs show that influence. I like the attention to detail shown in this bass. No volume knob, just on/off switches for each pickup. Simple!
Some of his other designs include a bass with an on board tube pre-amp, a bass made from plastic counter top, and some that are made from just metal tubing. Really cool.
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