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Explain the Fender Bass VI

#141
Jason42 said:
Is it a guitar? Is it a bass? Who plays these things and in what settings? What's up with the whammy? I've never seen these things in person, but they show up in my Reverb feed and I'm curious
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1) Some threads - if you forum-search for "bass VI" in thread titles more should come up - about the possible uses of it:
How to use a Bass VI in a band?
Who here uses a Fender Bass VI as an actual bass?
Having a "Bass VI" as only bass. Doable?
Anyone here play a Bass VI?
Squier Bass VI
Ibanez SRC6 and other Bass VI's
Squire bass VI in band situation
Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI: Practical applications
Bass VI: practical application
Fender Bass vi

2) Some more, random ones, with contributions/ramblings by yours truly:
The Fender Bass VI: What Is It?
So...what exactly is a Fender/Squier Bass VI?
Guitar/bass in one instrument seems to be getting more popular
Danelectro Baritone as a bass?
NBD... Ibanez SRC6 crossover... LOVIN IT!
Would you call it "guitar," "bass," "bass VI," or carrots?
Is it worth to sell or trade my fender hwy 1 p bass for a pawn shop bass VI?
I'm the new guy, so hello and I have a question...
Bass VI: Let Ed clear Up the Controversy
Witty responses for people that don't understand the Bass VI...
Bass VI putting us out of work?

3) Four megathreads on this type of instrument:
The Short-Scale Six-String Club—for the original six-string basses!
The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 2- for the original six-string basses!
The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 3 - for the original six-string basses!
The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 4 - for the original six-string basses!
4) Two specifically about the Squier re-issue:
Squier Bass VI. At last an affordable, somewhat correct VI!
Official Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Club
Conversely:
bass vi alternatives site:talkbass.com - Google Search

Have fun ;)
 
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#142
HaphAsSard said:
1) Some threads - if you forum-search for "bass VI" in thread titles more should come up - about the possible uses of it:
How to use a Bass VI in a band?
Who here uses a Fender Bass VI as an actual bass?
Having a "Bass VI" as only bass. Doable?
Anyone here play a Bass VI?
Squier Bass VI
Ibanez SRC6 and other Bass VI's
Squire bass VI in band situation
Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI: Practical applications
Bass VI: practical application
Fender Bass vi

2) Some more, random ones, with contributions/ramblings by yours truly:
The Fender Bass VI: What Is It?
So...what exactly is a Fender/Squier Bass VI?
Guitar/bass in one instrument seems to be getting more popular
Danelectro Baritone as a bass?
NBD... Ibanez SRC6 crossover... LOVIN IT!
Would you call it "guitar," "bass," "bass VI," or carrots?
Is it worth to sell or trade my fender hwy 1 p bass for a pawn shop bass VI?
I'm the new guy, so hello and I have a question...
Bass VI: Let Ed clear Up the Controversy
Witty responses for people that don't understand the Bass VI...
Bass VI putting us out of work?

3) Four megathreads on this type of instrument:
The Short-Scale Six-String Club—for the original six-string basses!
The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 2- for the original six-string basses!
The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 3 - for the original six-string basses!
The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 4 - for the original six-string basses!
4) Two specifically about the Squier re-issue:
Squier Bass VI. At last an affordable, somewhat correct VI!
Official Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Club
Conversely:
bass vi alternatives site:talkbass.com - Google Search

Have fun ;)
Click to expand...

I just order a Squier VI....I guess that's my required reading?
 
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#146
Been playing bass over 40 years and never learned guitar. My first instrument was violin but I stopped playing in 1980 and lost the feel for such thin strings decades ago. My original purpose for getting a Bass VI about 3 years ago was to teach myself guitar but have thicker strings that feel more comfortable to me. I somewhat abandoned that thinking, (chording is muddy on the lower strings and it is difficult for me to get my fingers into most chord shapes), and play my VI more like a bass. I've gotten into recording with it for the more classic rock oriented songs I have. I'll lay down bass lines using the neck pickup or neck and middle and use the bridge and middle with the strangle switch on, hi's boosted and lows cut in my preamp eq, playing power chords and triads on the top 3 strings to fake guitar parts.
 
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#147
Hi, tuned an octave below guitar, these tenor basses were effectively wielded by Foley in Miles Davis's electric bands of the late eighties. He killed on both bass parts and guitar-like solos. He is the only player I've ever seen use this as his main ax.
 
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#148
I have a Danelectro 6-string bass made in 1999, in turquoise sparkle just like the one shown in an earlier post here. It's a very useful tool, but more so if you play guitar also. I've only ever played it with a pick. I alternate stringing mine E-E or B-B (baritone) depending on what I'm using it for. The nut and bridge can handle both with a little bridge saddle adjustment. I've almost never played it live, but I record with it once in a while, either for low melody stuff (a la Wichita Lineman as mentioned here numerous times), for low 2 or 3 note chords to provide some chunky low mid reinforcement in certain tracks, or occasionally as a true bass. David Lindley's use of one in that manner on his first album (heard most prominently on "Your Old Lady") was an inspiration for that.

The most fun I've had with the Dano was tracking with it on a retro country album project, where I used it in the classic "tic tac" application, doubling my upright track. That was a lot of fun.

Re. the Bass VI, I've never really had a jones for one, but they are interesting. The Dano to me has a bit more of a twangy and stringy sound, so for my purposes it fills the bill better than a Bass VI would.
 
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#149
Jason42 said:
Nice. Do any TBers use this in a gigging scenario? What genre / setting?
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I used to use one with an oldies band in which I took occasional leads. I don't use it in my current oldies band, but I'm hanging on to mine, in case I ever want to use it again. I feel it is a very useful instrument in certain specific contexts, such as wanting an E-to-e baritone with muscle in the bottom end, or an oldies band where the bass player is covering a lot of the lead work. BTW the baritone guitars heard on a number of Beach Boys songs (I Get Around, Do You Want to Dance?, Dance Dance Dance) - are Fender Bass VIs.
 
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#150
Allatoona Rebel said:
Glen Campbell used one way back in the 70's when he had his own show. George Harrison is pictured with one in the video of "Hello, Goodbye" and maybe on the album cover of Sgt Peppers.
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George Harrison and John Lennon both used a Bass VI a lot in the studio. That's a Bass VI playing the bass line of "Back in the USSR" and several other songs on the White Album. And then, the baritone guitar parts on several Beach Boys songs are played on Bass Vis. So the instrument has some versatility, admittedly in "niche" parts of songs.
 
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#151
realale said:
Jack Bruce played in a trio called Graham Bond Organization long before Cream.
Shortly before Graham died (he fell under an underground train in Finsbury Park London) a young guitarist got on stage and jammed with the Organization, I've always believed that was Eric Clapton.
Shortly after Graham's sad death The Cream was born.
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CORRECTION: Just to set the record straight...
1. Jack Bruce mostly played upright bass with the Graham Bond Organisation, which was not always a trio, and included one rather talented young guitarist named John McLaughlin... check out the Solid Bond double LP.
2. Graham Bond met his sad demise in 1974 - well after Cream had come and gone. He also played in Ginger Baker's Airforce in 1970-71, and released a very interesting jazz concept album, Holy Magick, in 1970.
 
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#153
Here's where I can't get my head around this. Why would a bassist who plays E,A,D,G or B,E,A,D,G or E,A,D,G,C or B,E,A,D,G,C on a four, five or six string want to play in the fashion of guitar E,A,D,G,B,E unless they were a guitar player.
It just doesn't go with the circle of 4ths
1200px-Chromatic_circle_fourths.svg.png

Yes, I know there are alternate tunings, but they still usually follow this pattern.
 
#154
Interesting to see a lot of dissing the fine instrument that dares to cross the boundaries between bass and guitar... I own three such creatures, and love 'em for the amazing variety of aural opportunities they provide so, yeah, I am partial.
But when I see such simplistic put-downs described by non-cognoscenti as the instrument's "limitations" (tone, playability as a bass, "useless" vibrato arm, etc.), I offer one Roy Babbington as a player who can lay to rest such false claims:
 
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#155
B-Mac said:
Here's where I can't get my head around this. Why would a bassist who plays E,A,D,G or B,E,A,D,G or E,A,D,G,C or B,E,A,D,G,C on a four, five or six string want to play in the fashion of guitar E,A,D,G,B,E unless they were a guitar player.
It just doesn't go with the circle of 4ths
1200px-Chromatic_circle_fourths.svg.png

Yes, I know there are alternate tunings, but they still usually follow this pattern.
Click to expand...

So you're saying it needs to be more satanic or less satanic?
 
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#159
matante said:
In the first video, Robert is playing a P Bass. In the second, he's playing his Jaguar/Jazzmaster guitar. Supposedly he plays the Bass VI on the old albums but you don't see him use it live til about '85/'86.
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What you say about Forest or Primary is true. However the song Faith which dates back to '81 has a bass VI in it.
It was also extensively used on '89 album Disintegration.

Faith, live in Orange 1986


Lullaby, live 1992
 
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