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6 String Basses - What are you go-to brands?

#21
I have been into sixers since 2007.
I saw Adam Nitti in Chicago playing his Warrior six.
That set me off.
Later I walk into My local Sam Ash and immediately saw a Tune TWB63 on the wall.
I come back a month later with My tax refund and the rest is history.

I have had at least five or six different TWB63's over the last 19 years.

I have also made Ibanez six string basses part of My heard.
I've had an Ibanex B-1006 and currently have an EHB 1506MS
And Wolf and AIO (KHL.C0) basses.
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#24
I have a pair of Status Stealth 6ers, I love them. But, they're rather hard to get ahold of these days. If I were to buy a brand-new 6er today, I'd be looking real hard at @GeoffGould based on my experiences with his 4-bangers and fivers. Beautiful, great-sounding, and great-playing basses. Wal is another high-end option if you have a truckload of cash and don't mind waiting an eternity.

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#25
Main price point is that the answer for you which one do you want to spend OP? The sound gear series as well constructed with decent parts. Serious you might want to change the tuners, but probably not for a bass. The pickups, however, serious garbage. So decide preemptively that you’re going to buy replacement pick ups for the Bart (made for ibanez)Mark1 style that are featured in ibanez SG basses and Cort.

Worth the upgrade for sure. If you can also spare an extra hundred bucks or so for a new preamp do it.

These are my Ibbys
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#26
I have a modded Ibanez SR1306 with upgraded Bartolinis and an Aguilar OBP-3. I will never get rid of this instrument, extremely versatile electronics and a simple string change can change the feel/sound of the instrument. I think the quality of electronics will determine how good/bad your experience overall, but high quality fretwork matters more (imo) with the larger B and smaller C strings. Lower cost 6 string basses are usually very, very heavy as well. My Ibanez SR1306 is significantly lighter that all of my 5 strings except for my Stingray.
 
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#31
UNICORN BASS said:
Bit off the wall here but have you considered a Peavey Grind 6. Neck thru, kinda heavy, great low action. They have passive soap bars and can be adjusted for any style. They don't have the "modern" sound but to my ears they fall in between Warwick and Soundgear. Just a thought.
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Decided to look these up at your mention.



It might not work for very aggresive or heavy music, but that's a very workable sound. One could do a lot with that.
 
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#33
The first bass I bought was a Grind. Heavy as all get-out, and I did not love the pickups, but they worked, and the neck felt good. Punched well above its weight class. That was a 4-string, in 2004, and, if you can find a sixer of the same era, you’re in good shape.
 
#34
I have to echo the recos for Ibanez because that's where I got my start with 5+ strings as well, back in the '90s. Not so much their 12-string guitars at the time. :laugh: I recently tried one of the new headless 6s and was somewhat impressed, despite the neck pocket being very sloppy.

Yamaha is up there too but for those that have shouted out the OG TRB6P or the Patitucci models, be aware they have quite wide necks and spacing which is a serious consideration for a budding 6-string player. I never quite got along with narrow-spaced 6s so I've always gravitated towards something with more room. My sole 6 today is a Keith Roscoe Custom LG3006 that I spec'd out with 18mm spacing at the bridge. Before that I had a blacked-out Fodera Edward 6. Before that Ken Smith, Surine, Elrick, Tobias, Modulus, Acacia, F Bass, all kinds. And all fairly expensive on the used market. On a side note, unless you're in the UK, a Status Graphite will usually be very hard to come by!

If I were dipping my toes in the water today it would be quite different. There are so many better options at lower prices. That Cort demo was seriously good! I'm impressed with the sound quality actually. I would be looking at the stalwart brands that are readily available at lower prices before I thought about going up, unless I had the means to do so and even then, I might pause before I knew if it really was for me (and the projects I was working with).

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#35
wysiwyg248 said:
Tobias, because of the neck profile. I have small hands and playing a 6 comfortably has always been a challenge but not with this.
MTDs have similar neck profile, I own a 5-string and is a breeze to play. I assume the 6 strings is just like the Tobias.

View attachment 7494581View attachment 7494582
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Small hands here too, and I worship Soundgear sixes because nothing else feels right. How does Tobias compare to SDGR neckwise? Might there be a world outside Ibanez?
 
#36
Brad Maestas said:
I have to echo the recos for Ibanez because that's where I got my start with 5+ strings as well, back in the '90s. Not so much their 12-string guitars at the time. :laugh: I recently tried one of the new headless 6s and was somewhat impressed, despite the neck pocket being very sloppy.

Yamaha is up there too but for those that have shouted out the OG TRB6P or the Patitucci models, be aware they have quite wide necks and spacing which is a serious consideration for a budding 6-string player. I never quite got along with narrow-spaced 6s so I've always gravitated towards something with more room. My sole 6 today is a Keith Roscoe Custom LG3006 that I spec'd out with 18mm spacing at the bridge. Before that I had a blacked-out Fodera Edward 6. Before that Ken Smith, Surine, Elrick, Tobias, Modulus, Acacia, F Bass, all kinds. And all fairly expensive on the used market. On a side note, unless you're in the UK, a Status Graphite will usually be very hard to come by!

If I were dipping my toes in the water today it would be quite different. There are so many better options at lower prices. That Cort demo was seriously good! I'm impressed with the sound quality actually. I would be looking at the stalwart brands that are readily available at lower prices before I thought about going up, unless I had the means to do so and even then, I might pause before I knew if it really was for me (and the projects I was working with).

View attachment 7495472
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That thing is super wide. It could be a 7!
 
#37
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Ibanez SR506 is the best for budget out there.
I already tried another brands on similar price range, nothing beat this.
The electronic is so so, but easily replaced.

Why I prefer matte finish. It's simple and easy to handle.
There are similar specs Ibby 6ers non premium ones, but they have different finishes.

I put Nordstrand 3b-5b pre inside, still retaining Barts MK1 (reverse P), it already sounds super good. The muddy modern of the Barts MK1 is emphasized but also calmed down by the Nord pre, and it suits my need.
I already got passive JB from Bacchus MIJ handmade, G&L L2500 for the unique humbucking, this one, and also later customized 6ers using EMGs. So it's already complete for me.

Planning to try MK6 CBC US later but it's so hard to find here in Indonesia, and if importing those brand new, 2 pups will be more expensive than the bass itself. So far I am happy with this, even though the wood strength and stability is still way below japan handmade quality, but it's already worth the money and again IMO, the best 6ers out there below $1000
 
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#38
My first bass teacher had a SR505 in the mid 2000's. That line of instruments was the first time I ever really played a good quality bass. If you can deal with the very fragile natural finish, the 506 will be enough to tell you if you want to play a 6 string or not. If my 1306 suddenly exploded into a fireball and was destroyed, I would buy a 506 while I saved up for something else. If you can get one with upgraded electronics, you will more than likely be very satisfied.
 
#39
I've got a very early TRB-6. I was told that the music store had bought out what remained in Yamaha's booth at NAMM. I think I paid $1200 for it around 1996. These days I mostly play 5-strings strung tenor, but when I do pick up the Yamaha I always think, "Damn, this is a fine axe. Really world-class." immediately followed with, "Damn, this thing is heavy and that neck is really wide."

Regarding Ibanez, I don't have any of their sixes, but I have a BTB-845V. Once I refinished it - the way it was finished from the factory was the worst I've ever seen on a new bass - and replaced the offshore Barts and el cheapo pre that was in it, I'd put it up against just about anything out there. Personally, I think that the mid-tier Ibby's have really great bones, and with a little modding they can be awesome. The SR 2605 I have is about as beautiful as any bass I've seen and unlike the BTB, was world-class out of the box.

When I think about playing that TRB-6 every night at my age now (63), that EHB becomes very appealing.
 
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