NBD: Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI!! - Page 2

ggvicviper · #21 01-18-2013, 07:09 AM

Wow, looks even better than I was expecting! I agree, wanna hear some clips.

GBassNorth · #22 01-18-2013, 07:21 AM

Cool bass!
Please pardon my ignorance, I've never played or seen one of these in person - I assume the string spacing is relatively tight so pick playing vs finger style would be the norm - is that a correct assumption? If so, I'm gonna have to brush up on my pick playing, this thing looks fantastic, can't wait to hear some sound clips.
Happy NBD to you!

Rockin Mike · #23 01-18-2013, 08:48 AM

With proper EQ could this be used in place of a regular scale bass, or is it a special-purpose beast?

hachi kid · #24 01-18-2013, 10:20 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by thedudebrah

Are you gonna be playing this trough a bass amp or a guitar amp? I'm on the fence about getting one and every demo I've watched has it run through a guitar amp, which I have no intentions of doing. Some sound clips through a bass amp would be great if you're feeling generous!

I'm actually going to run it into the front of my Leeds 21 pedal, and then right into my audio interface. I'm also going to compare it to my Warmoth Jaguar bass, too. it's got a nice meaty Dimarzio Will Power p-pickup in it. I'll solo that one, and use it as the baseline (pun......sorta...) to compare the sounds of VIctoria to.

Quote:

Originally Posted by GBassNorth

Cool bass!
Please pardon my ignorance, I've never played or seen one of these in person - I assume the string spacing is relatively tight so pick playing vs finger style would be the norm - is that a correct assumption? If so, I'm gonna have to brush up on my pick playing, this thing looks fantastic, can't wait to hear some sound clips.
Happy NBD to you!

string spacing is definitely tight. finger style is a bit of a rough thing for me, at the moment...but like everything else, I'll eventually acclimatise. I do enjoy playing it with a pick, however. this thing is gonna make my guitar playing grow so much!

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rockin Mike

With proper EQ could this be used in place of a regular scale bass, or is it a special-purpose beast?

I'm not so sure, yet...the pickups do sound a bit thinner than I'm used to, but they're guitar pickups. I will eventually replace all the pickups on it because I want to put some humbuckers in the neck, and p90 in the bridge...not sure what is going in the middle just yet. it is going to be converted to stereo next week, however! I also have two packs of LaBella stainless steel roundwound Bass VI strings on the way. it uses a .095" e string, so it should make the instrument seem even more like a bass. can't wait!

Stilettoprefer · #25 01-19-2013, 12:52 AM

I may have to get one of these and make a baritone guitar out it! I've been thinking about doing it to one of my current guitars by getting a conversion neck, but the "30 scale bassVI would be perfect!

hachi kid · #26 01-19-2013, 01:02 AM

quick sound test: https://soundcloud.com/josephcote/bass-vi-test

be sure to read the description for the pickup path

I recorded it a few seconds ago. hopefully I'll be able to shoot a video this weekend, but I'm not sure what I'll play. I just was fooling around with this Foo Fighters riff, and it has the low E in it. I also have a 3 pickup Warmoth Jaguar bass, so I used it for comparison. I play the riff on the bass vi with a certain pickup selection, then on the Warmoth full scale bass in the same pickup selection for comparison. I ran both through a Pigtronix Philsopher's Tone to even out the volume difference between the two instruments...the Warmoth is a good bit louder than the Bass VI. I chose some really hot Dimarzio pickups for it when I built it.

also, I used my fingers

hachi kid · #27 01-19-2013, 11:50 AM

does anyone know how I can get the production number of this bass out of the serial number?

PDGood · #28 01-19-2013, 12:07 PM

That's a beautiful bass for sure.
For the two previous posters and myself, would someone please elaborate how this bass would be used? I've often wondered about six strings, just never got around to asking. Is it used as a baritone? Does it have enough real bottom end to be played as a bass? Do most people tune them BEADGC or something else?
My first thought would be that the purpose of having six strings would be still play it as a bass but add chords or harmonies and make soloing easier by staying in one position longer. But when the discussion turns to putting flats on it, I'm not so sure that that's your goal.
I'd love to hear from some six players how you use it.

hachi kid · #29 01-19-2013, 12:26 PM

I posted a sound clip in just a couple posts ago comparing it to my traditional Warmoth Jag bass. it's definitely got enough bottom to be used as a bass. and I'm not putting flats on it. I bought a couple sets of La Bella stainless steel round wound bass VI strings. they're traditionally tuned EADGBC, but I'm going to tune mine to D-standard when I get it set up.

how I'll use it...honestly, it's an instrument with a lot of possibilities. it makes chords much easier, and it still has the capacity to be used as a traditional bass guitar. I'm personally going to be modding mine to have stereo outputs soon, so I'll be able to cover a lot of sonic territory with it. clean bass amp, dirty guitar amp...this thing will sound killer. as far as the purpose...I'm not sure, really...it's just a different take on the register. I like it a whole lot more than I though I ever would.

grisezd · #30 01-19-2013, 12:34 PM

This question (how do you use it) seems to come up a lot in discussions about the Fender Bass VI and instruments like it. Capitols for emphasis only: IT'S A BASS!!!!! You can play bass on it just as it is. Through a bass rig it sounds like a bass. It has a few extra strings and tighter string spacing, but it's a bass.

It is tuned EADGBE with the first four strings exactly the same as a standard 4 string bass. It can also be tuned EADGCF if that makes bass patterns easier to transfer to the higher strings. I keep mine in EADGBE and use it in my 3 piece, especially on songs where there is a second guitar part missing. I'll just play a chord and strum the higher strings to fill in. I tend to use a pick in that role, though it can be played with the fingers. The VI has also been used as a lead instrument, the Cure being a good example. It can also be very nice as a solo instrument.

The scale length is 30 inches, the same as a short-scale bass (Fender Mustang, etc). The strings are similar to a light-gauge bass set with a few extra strings tacked on. This can give the bass a thinner sound and can make drop tunings a bit buzzy. Careful string choice can make it suit lower tunings and richen up the tone, and obviously you can string and tune it any way you want. I use a little more compression to fatten things up myself.

Baritone guitar falls between a bass and a guitar, typically strung with a low B below a standard guitar's low E. Scale lengths are typically shorter than 30in and longer than the 25in or so that a standard guitar uses. People have sucessfully strung barritones as basses (with FAT strings), but a typical use is for heavily down tuned music (as a guitar) or as a punchy low twang in roots music.

I think you could totally get away with playing a Bass VI as your only bass in a number of settings. It's been done. Some things would be very difficult to do due to the narrow string spacing and the technique would have to change to suit. That said I don't use it as my main bass but it's getting closer all the time!

Whew, that was a lot of words! Short version, it's a bass, plus some, with some limitations! And a lot of fun!

DirkP · #31 01-19-2013, 03:24 PM

Used as a bass:
New Order, Dreams Never End
(Pete Hook plays the Shergold Marathon 6-string)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvlIPtmfV2s

Used as a complement to a bass:
The Cure, Pictures of You
(Simon Gallup on 4-string bass, Robert Smith plays the Fender VI)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=syByMZIddxQ

A nice video from a guy playing Cure-tracks on a Shecter Hellcat VI:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dN1sIFF2b5o

Dirk

PDGood · #32 01-19-2013, 06:57 PM

Man, that was some great info guys (grisezd and Dirk P). Thanks for taking the time for putting that together.
And my apologies for temporarily sidetracking this thread about the cool Fender VI.

hachi kid · #33 01-22-2013, 07:32 PM

this video pretty much sums up how I feel about this thing:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yPYZpwSpKmA

oh yea, I dropped it off to my setup guy today...it's gonna be stereo in a week.....

DiabolusInMusic · #34 02-03-2013, 09:18 AM

Your serial number says it was made in Mexico in 2012, probably summer 2012 or later.

Hope that helps.

Nice bass/guitar.

The bass VI is also on Back in the Saddle by Aerosmith, Joe Perry is playing it instead of guitar. since you are talking about it Learned that when trying to cover it.

Also, what kind of guitar doesn't need a setup? A)It just went through shipping and all kinds of climate/pressure adjustments B) Everybody likes a different setup, so you cannot set it up for everybody.

mgauge · #35 02-03-2013, 09:21 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by FrednBass

Great, now i'm GASing for one.

thank you, thanks a lot.

By the way, congrats!

GAS is a dangerous thing

hachi kid · #36 02-03-2013, 09:41 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by 254 stringer

Well when I buy a new car I return it if the mirrors aren't adjusted right for me right off the lot.

exactly. this is the sort of thinking this guy seems to have. ridiculous.

I may learn Back in the Saddle. this is kind of opening up a new world to music that will hopefully get me out of the rut I've been in.

I'm curious to know if I can ever find out the production number of this one...it is apparently one of the first PS Bass VI's out...

DiabolusInMusic · #37 02-03-2013, 10:31 AM

I don't know what you mean by production number, I am not in manufacturing, but if you need more info on the bass e-mail Fender your serial number they will provide a list of information.

I don't know how much more specific they will get with date beyond made in Mexico 2012 but it might get specific. It would be made probably summer or later.

hachi kid · #38 02-12-2013, 09:43 PM

I just got VIctoria back from my setup guy. I told him I wanted it stereo...I ordered the parts, and he assembled it all. I have LaBella roundwounds on it, and it's tuned to d-standard. Two stacked volume knobs, and no tone. Each knob is a volume for each output, and the mini toggle switches are for each pickup to choose the output. The middle position for the switch is routed to ground...so each pickup essentially has a choice of output 1/kill/output 2.

I think this might be the first stereo Bass VI in the world?...

hachi kid · #39 02-13-2013, 06:46 PM

Bump for update

leifvdd · #40 03-19-2013, 10:16 PM

I bought one of these here in Australia last week. Was in desperate need of a set up and I wasn't a fan of the light strings although did make it easier to use as a hybrid Bass/Guitar. I have now put LaBella 095 flatties on it and it sounds super sweet thru my 1970s MM HD130 and 65W 15" cab. Its off getting set up now and relic-ed to make it look a bit, well...less new