New Pawn Shop Bass VI - Page 6

**kenstee** · #**101** 01-18-2013, 02:50 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by TolerancEJ

if most people don't like it, then I want it. Haha! !

Actually, most people do seem to like it so this time you are actually riding at the head of the parade! Haha!!

ggvicviper · #**102** 01-18-2013, 03:07 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenstee

Why?

Issues with some pricing of the instruments. I posted about this in two other threads... Just rather not get into it again - I got pretty mad in the AVRI waiting room thread.

I'm glad you guys are getting a positive response from the instrument tho.

**kenstee** · #**103** 01-18-2013, 03:27 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

Issues with some pricing of the instruments. I posted about this in two other threads... Just rather not get into it again - I got pretty mad in the AVRI waiting room thread.

Yes, they are charging a lot for their decals and head-stocks in many - but not all - instances these days. The Squire VM line being one of the more obvious exceptions these days.

Quote:

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

I'm glad you guys are getting a positive response from the instrument tho.

Not me. I'm a thumbs down on it - and catching a fair amount of flack for that opinion I might add......But, its OK.

Must be something with us Brooklyn guys....

hachi kid · #**104** 01-18-2013, 10:15 PM

no, you're more getting flak because you posted the exact same thing in multiple forums for no other reason than to grip about an instrument. it's cool to have your opinion, and all, but at that point, you're pretty much just trying to ram it down people's throats.

I got mine in yesterday, and I think it's a pretty great instrument. yes, there are some small issues, but it can be fixed. e is a bit floppy, needs a setup, and the pickups can sound a little thin...but they're guitar pickups...I knew it wasn't going to be an EB-0 going into it. overall, I love it. it's a total blast to play, and I've already got some parts on the way to fix what I want fixed.

ggvicviper · #**105** 01-18-2013, 10:26 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenstee

Yes, they are charging a lot for their decals and head-stocks in many - but not all - instances these days. The Squire VM line being one of the more obvious exceptions these days.

Yeah, I feel this way too.

Quote:

Originally Posted by kenstee

Not me. I'm a thumbs down on it - and catching a fair amount of flack for that opinion I might add......But, its OK.

Must be something with us Brooklyn guys....

I'm usually pretty cool around the forum, but there seems to be a lot more negative energy lately. A lot of standoffish behavior from certain people in particular, and so many hot button topics regarding the brands. More than usual.

Plus being from Brooklyn, we're all about the value

Even if you don't like the bass that's cool. It still looks good, I would still like to tinker with it in the store. I just don't foresee buying a new Fender in the near future. Not a big deal, I already own two that I love.

Ferniff · #**106** 01-22-2013, 06:18 PM

I finally found one in Guitar Center in NYC so for everyone who is interested I made a "demo" video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tOORXepa4y8

I'll copy and paste my description and opinion:
"I don't like talking in videos so you'll have to pay attention to where the pickup selector is. And believe me, this is the quietest room I found. I found that the bridge/humbucker pickup was the least powerful and at one point I thought I had m y volume off. The strings were rounds, which I hate, and for a majority of the video I had the amp's EQ with bass/mid/treble all at 12 o'clock or I raised the bass a little and lowered the treble. I also play very little guitar so my chords were muddy sounding at best and I didn't really know how to utilize the high B/E strings."

"For $800 and being a bass vi fanatic, I'd get this. But I'd get heavier flatwound strings and would probably stick with the neck and/or mid pickup with bass boosted/treble lowered on the EQ. The neck was a little chunky and the high B/E have no low end, not surprisingly.

It also doesn't seem too challenging to mod it so it'll be more similar to the original bass vi's. Here is also a post I made on reddit with links I dug up regarding making this more to the original: http://www.reddit.com/r/BassVI/comme...is_yet/c7vurhz

JoeWPgh · #**107** 01-22-2013, 06:24 PM

It might not be a bass, but I still want one!

change-jug · #**108** 01-22-2013, 07:34 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by JoeWPgh

It might not be a bass, but I still want one!

ah,but it is a bass! A short scale,6 string bass.

hachi kid · #**109** 01-22-2013, 07:41 PM

it's totally a bass

PDGood · #**110** 02-02-2013, 04:05 PM

Yikes. After reading this thread I listed to the Beatles Oh Darlin (played on a 6 by George). I was surprised that there are some mistakes in the recording of the bass track. Some are small, but the one at the :53 mark is pretty glaring.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P8-29i_Thp8

I never noticed this before which just says something about how strong the song and melody are that it just doesn't much matter.

Rockin Mike · #**111** 02-02-2013, 04:56 PM

Most all of our favorite classic songs contain some small mistake on the bass part.
In the bass "solo" of All Right Now, Free's Andy Fraser misses a note the 13th time around.

**mjac28** · #**112** 02-02-2013, 05:00 PM

I love it but I don't know what I would do with it?

**kenstee** · #**113** 02-02-2013, 07:24 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Ferniff

"For $800 and being a bass vi fanatic, I'd get this. But I'd get heavier flatwound strings

Only issue is - that as currently configured - other buyers report that the thicker flats DO NOT fit.

Found this on the Bassoutpost.com board:

"Got out the LaBella flats and tried the low E string and the often dreaded 30" scale lifeless thud reared its ugly head. The .90 gauge string just doesn't sound good at all. So, the round wound LaBella is going back on."

IMO, for $800 you should NOT have to make any mods for a standard Bass VI flat string (.095) to fit. That's just plain wrong...especially when there are zero issues with these strings with the Schecters and other VIs. Having a proper set of flats is one of the pleasures of owning a VI. One should not need to compromise on this - or any other important element. Maybe $800 isn't a big deal to some of you to have something to "play around with." It is for me though.....Before I spend that much it had better be pretty damn good - and complete - out of the box. Otherwise it's say, like buying a new car and having to get a new engine - or tires - installed BEFORE you leave the lot so the car works as expected.

change-jug · #**114** 02-02-2013, 09:20 PM

So in order to put on a E string that isn`t all that much thicker/heavier than what the Pawn Shop fender VI ships with you`d have to bust out a rat tail file and widen the tuning peg hole?

That`s not cool.

tombowlus · #**115** 02-02-2013, 10:52 PM

Saw some nice Bass VI's at NAMM:

**mjac28** · #**116** 02-03-2013, 05:04 AM

They're beautiful no doubt about it I would snag one used or if I got a great sale price on one.

hachi kid · #**117** 02-03-2013, 10:31 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by change-jug

So in order to put on a E string that isn`t all that much thicker/heavier than what the Pawn Shop fender VI ships with you`d have to bust out a rat tail file and widen the tuning peg hole?

That`s not cool.

I've got a .095 La Bella roundwound on my bass vi.

change-jug · #**118** 02-03-2013, 10:58 AM

thanks for the input about the heavier string hachi!

hachi kid · #**119** 02-03-2013, 11:03 AM

no problem. the strings are tapered on the end that goes through the peg head because the instrument uses guitar tuners, rather than wider bass tuners. so, string gauge doesn't really make any difference.

DirkP · #**120** 02-04-2013, 03:52 AM

I bought one last friday. I was looking for a kind of Fender Bass VI for decades. Had to go with sunburst, 'cause it was the only one available in Hamburg and I had to leave the shop with this beast. It's my first mexican Fender and my sixth Fender Bass. The workmanship and quality of the parts seems to be more than o.k. It doesn't even seem to have a veneer like other mexican Fenders (and the Schecter Hellcat: on sunburst models the back is completely black! I never could try a Schecter, it's highly overpriced in Germany, around €1000, while the Fender is €750).

It's fun to play such an instrument for the first time and try to figure out what to do with it. I like to play open and barred chords between the 12 and 15th fret. You can't do this with a guitar - at least not properly - but because of the 30" neck there's more space between the frets. I like it, when the open tunes of the chords are an octave lower than the freted notes.

What I find a bit unexpected and dissapointing is that the sound of the bass is very mellow, esp. the attack of the lower strings. I'm not sure if the reason is the lacking string tension or if the reason is the tremolo?

If I play in the higher regions of a classic 4 string bass, I often use a plektrum and I mute the strings with the palm of my hands which results in a very strong attack. Think of Peter Hook or on the other end of the bass and using his fingers: Jaco Pastorius when soloing the bridge pick-up of a Jazz Bass. Or the sampled bass tune Angelo Badalamenti uses for the Soundtrack of David Lynch's "Twin Peaks". (Think:Julee Cruise, Floating into the Night). These are 3 completely different bass sounds, but the attack is very important when using a bass in the role of the "lead-melody" instrument.

I can't get that sound with the Pawn Shop VI. Even a compressor doesn't help a lot.
Should I try other strings or should I lock the tremolo? I guess that the tremolo comes into play when the strings are plucked rather aggressively and instead of resulting in a more aggressive attack, the tremolo simply "gives in".
Am I right, am I wrong?

Dirk