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6 String BASS Club (Guitarists keep out!)

#841
SlugShellBass said:
That my dear sir is an HK bass I believe
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Spot on - I guess there was a big clue in my profile :).

I bought it new, on a whim, to test a theory of mine that the basic construction of budget instruments is now so good, through CNC and the like, that they can be made into very respectable instruments with a bit of fettling and hotrodding of the bits that they skimp on to meet their price point - and because I'm mainly a five string player, so I didn't want to spend a fortune on a sixer that would only see occasional usage.

I did a bit of basic setup, shimmed the neck, routed the control cavity to make it a bit bigger, fitted an ACG EQ01 filter preamp and made a new 'nut' for it. Originally, it came with an adjustable nut (a bit like a Warwick), which I thought was the most stupid idea I had ever seen because it also has a zero fret and when the adjustable nut was low enough for the strings to sit on the zero fret the adjustable nut string slots were too low and the strings kept popping out and losing the string spacing. So, I removed it and made a 'nut' that is really only a string spacer, letting the zero fret do it's thing.

The end result is a bass that's a bit heavy, but has a really nice playable neck, a nice flattish fingerboard (made of some sort of phenowood, nice and black with no front markers - which I'm a sucker for). It also sounds good and, thanks to the ACG pre can cop just about every tone I need.

So, it cost me about $900 all in. Is it as good as my main player GB Rumour (that would list around $5000), well, no it isn't; but it's at least 90% there and is a nice bass that I've been quite happy to gig with.
 
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#843
My fretless Tune TWB63WN.
Snapshot_2015704.jpg
 
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#845
Jools4001 said:
Spot on - I guess there was a big clue in my profile :).

I bought it new, on a whim, to test a theory of mine that the basic construction of budget instruments is now so good, through CNC and the like, that they can be made into very respectable instruments with a bit of fettling and hotrodding of the bits that they skimp on to meet their price point - and because I'm mainly a five string player, so I didn't want to spend a fortune on a sixer that would only see occasional usage.

I did a bit of basic setup, shimmed the neck, routed the control cavity to make it a bit bigger, fitted an ACG EQ01 filter preamp and made a new 'nut' for it. Originally, it came with an adjustable nut (a bit like a Warwick), which I thought was the most stupid idea I had ever seen because it also has a zero fret and when the adjustable nut was low enough for the strings to sit on the zero fret the adjustable nut string slots were too low and the strings kept popping out and losing the string spacing. So, I removed it and made a 'nut' that is really only a string spacer, letting the zero fret do it's thing.

The end result is a bass that's a bit heavy, but has a really nice playable neck, a nice flattish fingerboard (made of some sort of phenowood, nice and black with no front markers - which I'm a sucker for). It also sounds good and, thanks to the ACG pre can cop just about every tone I need.

So, it cost me about $900 all in. Is it as good as my main player GB Rumour (that would list around $5000), well, no it isn't; but it's at least 90% there and is a nice bass that I've been quite happy to gig with.
Click to expand...

I've always wanted to try one of those basses but I can never seem to find one to play. I'd like to get a 4 string version of what you have because I already have enough 6+ strings and I have a pair of Nords for a 4 string!
 
#846
Yaphet said:
Under more typical lighting, the Fodera really takes on a dark, understated look, which I also really like. Honestly, I'm not that into the real in-your-face "coffee table" look.
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Me either. And as much as I appreciate Pete Skjold's work, I don't hang around the Skjold thread much anymore. It's less of a "Skjold players" thread and more of a thread for people waiting for their basses to be built, and who all try to one-up each other with how elaborate the wood choices are. Apart from his quasi-celebrity endorsers, there's little evidence of anybody actually playing these things - I wonder if a few people actually mount legs on theirs!

In Pete's defense, he's told me 1:1 that he appreciates the simple ones himself but he builds what the customer wants. I dig.
 
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#847
SlugShellBass said:
I've always wanted to try one of those basses but I can never seem to find one to play. I'd like to get a 4 string version of what you have because I already have enough 6+ strings and I have a pair of Nords for a 4 string!
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I don't think they're made anymore. I originally wanted to get a 5 but they only had 6 strings in stock...so I thought I'd get one anyway. I asked about a 5 but they said they were no longer making them and once the 6s were all gone they were gone.

HK is not a manufacturer, they're a German dealer who had obviously commisioned some Far East manufacturer To build this range of basses. I suspect they might have been given a 'cease and desist' notice because of the basses uncanny similarity to a Marleaux Consat...which a lot of other musos think it is until I tell them.
 
#850
Jools4001 said:
I don't think they're made anymore. I originally wanted to get a 5 but they only had 6 strings in stock...so I thought I'd get one anyway. I asked about a 5 but they said they were no longer making them and once the 6s were all gone they were gone.

HK is not a manufacturer, they're a German dealer who had obviously commisioned some Far East manufacturer To build this range of basses. I suspect they might have been given a 'cease and desist' notice because of the basses uncanny similarity to a Marleaux Consat...which a lot of other musos think it is until I tell them.
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No way! what a bummer! it would be awesome to get one of those! Too bad though
 
#852
AngelCrusher said:
Yes, please do.

Id love to hear that and your Smith if possible.
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We didn't wind up recording our last practice, so I made a little quick and dirty recording straight into my laptop after changing my strings yesterday/tweeking set-up. Running Labella Bass Rx stainless and trying to figure out if I like them or not (was running LaBella super steps prior to these and liked them quite a bit).

This is just kind of a simple loop idea to noodle around with. Each part was played on the Fodera 6... thats what I love about 6ers- cover all the basses (no pun intended) without putting down/changing instruments. Couldn't resist throwing a reverb and delay into the chain before going into my laptop!

 
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#853
Zodion said:
View attachment 655133
My schecter stilletto custom 6. I don't play it in my current band (I'm using a 4 and 5) but it's a nice little bass. It's a bit on the quite side I've noticed which could be due to the lack of a mid control
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Can you measure the Stiletto Custom 6 string spacing at bridge?

I'd like to have one if it has wider string spacing than my current 6ers, which both have tight 16 mm string spacing at bridge.
 

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