So, I sold two guitars and bought one. That's a good trend right?
Been wanting a Bass VI for a while and found a really good deal on Reverb. Perfect compliment to my baritone I think. Comes tomorrow! Here's the seller's pic.
Looks Great!
I wouldn't mind one of those myself.
Nice! Have fun with it. I've had to stop myself from buying one of those a few times. It gets harder every time.
For years, I've been wishing they'd make a lefty version of these. Jealous.
Very cool!
I've come close to pulling the trigger on one of those a couple times.
I have plenty of first world problems. Not having quite enough disposable income for one of these is on that list of problems ::)
I've got one and it is great. Can't beat it for the money!
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Looking forward to your review!
I've been so close to buying one of these many times.
So cool. Make sure to play some Twin Peaks.
Would love to know your thoughts on it.
I wanted one of these so bad but other things always seem to get in the way of me buying it. One day...
I look forward to hearing your thoughts on it after you have played it awhile.
Cody
If been so curious about those and what they are like. If you get a chance post some your impressions.
Do you play it like a six string bass, or do you play chords like a guitar on it?
I've never understood what the Bass VI is supposed to be. Is it an actual bass? It doesn't really look like one. And if it's not a bass, why is "bass" in the name? :o :-\
^^^ this... hopefully you guys can explain. I've always wondered myself. The point (in some ways) of an actual six string bass is that you have more access to notes/scales without moving your hand position. But the spacing is so tight here that it seems like it would be better suited to actual tuned down guitar chords... that's what I've always wondered.
Quote from: culturejam on March 03, 2016, 02:29:35 PM
I've never understood what the Bass VI is supposed to be. Is it an actual bass? It doesn't really look like one. And if it's not a bass, why is "bass" in the name? :o :-\
Is a bass, but unlike most other six string basses the low string is still an E instead of the more common B. So it's tuned like a standard guitar just one octave lower. You can think of it as being like a for string bass but with two higher strings.
Some people say they aren't basses because they have a thirty inch scale length, but that's a standard for short scale basses. My epiphone Rivoli is a thirty inch scale and it can growl like an evil beast. Fender mustang and musicmaster basses are short scale. There are numerous others as well.
One of the main differences you'll notice playing one is the string spacing is much tighter than a standard bass. It's much closer to the string spacing of a six string guitar. So if you're a bass player who plays guitar too or a guitar player who wants to play bass it will be very easy to fall into playing this like you'd play a guitar, not how you'd play a bass.
The Bass VI's I've played haven't sounded quite as deep as I was hoping them to be, the don't quiet have the thump a P does, but from what I've read heavier strings can help a lot with that. Might also have to do with the amps I've used them with as well. Not to say they don't sound nice. They sound cool as hell, but but theyv definitely have there own sound.
Interesting Bass VI trivia, John Lennon played one in the Beatles to cover bass duties when Paul was otherwise occupied with piano or guitar.
Quote from: thesameage on March 03, 2016, 02:49:04 PM
^^^ this... hopefully you guys can explain. I've always wondered myself. The point (in some ways) of an actual six string bass is that you have more access to notes/scales without moving your hand position. But the spacing is so tight here that it seems like it would be better suited to actual tuned down guitar chords... that's what I've always wondered.
The reason for the higher strings is apparently that builders thought the tension of lower strings would just snap the neck.
The string spacing is hard to adjust to, but once you're used to it it's not a big deal. You can play it just like a normal four string. Maybe even a little (or a lot) faster with a little work.
All this talk is making me feel like I need one again.
I've always wanted a twelve string bass as well. Get that Cheap Trick sound.
Here's the story so far - The were going for $349 up until about Jan at which point Fender raised the price to $449. Well, ain't no way I'm paying that for something I just wanna use for some song demo ideas. So, I found a used/re-furbished one in mint condition locally for $319. Pretty sweet deal.
The Good: Fit and finish is great. Frets could use a little rounding off but they are very playable. It's well-made as a lot of imports are these days and the seller did a decent set-up on it. So far I have only plugged into the Champ but I at least like the sound of the B6 and the pickups are good single coil quality. Obviously it isn't as full and round as an actual bass but that's fine because I don't want it to sound that way. I think my favorite pickup combo is the bridge and middle, or all three. I don't get the tone switch...just not something I will use.
Less Good: Biggest problem with this guitar is the bridge. The D and G strings have a rattle that is unpleasant. It's not fret buzz....it comes from the bridge. I found that if I pressed hard enough between the saddle and back lip of the bridge the buzz stopped. Looking further into it, it seems the strings are in constant contact with the bridge lip. So, the obvious answer is to raise the saddles a bit and lower the entire bridge slightly to keep the setup while moving the strings off the lip. But, there is another issue - the posts and post holes are completely different sizes so the bridge pulls forward under string tension. I think this must be on purpose because why do that? After looking some more I found this:
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fender-Squier-Bass-VI-Fixing-tone-tuning-and-inton/step3/Fix-the-Bridge/
It seems inserting some brass sleeves will do the trick to keep the bridge upright. I don't really plan to use the vibrato anyway so I might just lock everything down. Assuming this simple fix does the trick I'll be happy.
That is a constant fight I have with my Jazzmaster and Jaguar...bridge buzz on the floating bridge.
I am interested in the brass inserts and see if that fixes your issues. Looks like an easy fix.
Cody
As far as play-ability, it's a lot like playing a baritone except the strings are much thicker, of course. It does take getting used to because the frets are in a position you are not used to and strings are a lot closer together than on bass. I do have a short scale 4-string but the Bass VI feels different even though the scale length is about the same.
Chords are like a meatloaf on this thing. Lower register chords are a bit hit or miss (like an open E chord is a little mushy) but that is not a surprise. On a Baritone, the open G, D and A chords are just phenomenally cool. The D and A chords on this are also good as well as most barre chords. I don't think I will be doing much string bending but single lines are easy enough to play. Fat strings and stank licks can be lots of fun!
Your bridge problems are a standard rite of passage for Jazzmaster/Jaguar players :) The posts are indeed meant to float in the holes. This is the main "feature" of that vibrato system; relative tuning is supposed to be preserved across strings, unlike with other whammy bars. Something like the Mastery bridge does away with this, and people love that, but honestly I've found the stock bridge to be more robust than I expected (once I got it set up), and I never have problems with it (anymore). Part of the characteristic tone of these ridiculous beasts is that hollow plonk that comes from the (lack of) coupling of the bridge and the body, I think.
As for the rattles and what not, it's pretty standard to have to shim the neck so that you can raise the bridge more. (This is why Fender has several JM/Jags in production that have an angled neck pocket.) This gets you more down-pressure on the bridge, which keeps things a little more solid, and also helps keep the strings from jumping out of their slots. You'll have to find a balance between raising the bridge itself and raising the saddles. I tried raising the saddles a lot initially, and found that the intonation adjustment screws themselves were now at a steep enough angle that they were touching the resonating strings!
Now: even after having done this, you might still get some rattles in the bridge. Typically this is because manufacturing tolerances are working against you and the grub screws don't fit very precisely in the saddles -- this can also be a problem with the screws that adjust the height at the bridge posts. When this happens, the screws can rattle so much that they start to turn, and the saddles (and the bridge) will lower themselves while you play! No matter; a little teflon tape and perhaps a dab of vaseline will put the kibosh on that. I think some Loctite Blue will also do the trick.
I have a 62 Jazzmaster I picked up back then and a bass player I worked with got a little crazy and used silicon and filled up the bridge post holes. I don't remember how he did it but it eliminated the issues and is still working today. All those years. It makes the bridge flex a bit but it always goes back to the right place dead center. The adjustment screws still work and I think there was something about using a lubricant getting the silicon not to stick to the bridge posts when he was letting it set up. It's the Jazzmaster in my avatar picture. Beautiful intonation and no tuning buzzing issues at all.
A buzzstop will probably serve you very well. You likely would not need to shim the neck and raise the bridge then. I'm not a huge fan of them because I like that trem, but they do get rid of bridge rattle well.
A lot of guys wrap the bridge posts in electrical tape to minimize the bridge rock. I works pretty well if you don't really use the trem.
Thanks. I did end up getting some brass tubing for locking the posts. Interestingly, the 5/16ths size only fit in one post hole...the other one is slightly smaller. So I've only got one in there now. It does keep the bridge perpendicular which raises the break angle of the strings and nearly eliminates the rattle. I think what I'm going to do is put the other one on my dremel or drill press and sand the outer layer to shave off some of the diameter so I can get it in the second post hole.
Still liking the BASS VI except for that minor annoyance.