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Best Rondo Six string

Which is the best Rondo bass (6 sting

  • Total voters
    26
  • Poll closed .
H

highwattage

Jan 4, 2008
75
2
Huntsvegas, AL
#1
I know I've been bugging a few of you guys a lot and I finally have $300.00. Just wondering what Rondo fretted sixer I should get. I was thinking the Z6, but please tell me if that is a mistake.

Douglas - WEB-846
Douglas - WOB-826
Brice HXB-406
Brice Z6

Also if you find a new sixer (thats better than these)anywhere else for less than $350 let me know
 
#3
For your budget of $300 the Z6 is not an option .... the blue Z6 is currently $329, the red Z6 is $400 and I haven't seen any of the natural finish Z6's at Rondo in a long time, but when they're available they cost around $500.

That said, the Z6 is the best 6 string available from Rondo .... much better than the Douglas or the HXB's in terms of tone and build quality. You might also keep any eye out for a used Dean Edge 6 or possibly an Ibanez or Schecter if you can find a good deal .... :cool:
 
#4
pointbass said:
For your budget of $300 the Z6 is not an option .... the blue Z6 is currently $329, the red Z6 is $400 and I haven't seen any of the natural finish Z6's at Rondo in a long time, but when they're available they cost around $500.

That said, the Z6 is the best 6 string available from Rondo .... much better than the Douglas or the HXB's in terms of tone and build quality. You might also keep any eye out for a used Dean Edge 6 or possibly an Ibanez or Schecter if you can find a good deal .... :cool:
Click to expand...

Pointbass pretty much covered it. However, I have a Z6 and WOB, I just sold my HXB and I played a WEB in the (now closed) store when I bought my WOB and I will offer my opinions below.

Z6 - best quality period. However, mine has an issue in that the tone controls don't work at all in passive mode. It also has wider string spacing than the others, that challenges me, but if wide spacing is what you want, this is your bass.

WOB - before I got my Z6 this was my favorite 6er. I am comfortable with this spacing. I still love this bass! Even though the Z6 has Alnico pups, the tone on the WOB kills!

HXB - The quality on this bass is above the WOB (it IS a Brice) but this one had tone control issues in passive mode also and I actually liked the tone on the WOB more. I got rid of it because I REALLY don't need 3 6ers and it became redundant when I got my Z6.

WEB - When I bought my WOB, I tried this first. From a solely aesthetic POV I honestly don't like the body shape. But the real reason I walked out with the WOB was feel, it just felt better (the WOB was my first 6er).

All of them are reasonable basses for what you pay, so there really isn't a bad choice, but for any individual, some may be better choices than others.
 
#5
dabbler said:
Z6 - best quality period. However, mine has an issue in that the tone controls don't work at all in passive mode.
Click to expand...

dabbler, I had the exact same issue when I owned my first Z6, a cold solder joint on one of the pots was the culprit. I initially assumed it was because the electronics were crappy so I didn't even look for the problem right away.... :rolleyes:

I don't have that bass any more but I sure wish I had never sold it. I loved the wider spacing and feel of the neck ... :cool:
 
#8
I have a Brice 6 string fretless.

My advice is to stay FAR away from it. It's the worst bass I've ever played.

I even replaced the pickups and electronics with Seymour Duncan basslines and it still sounds like crap. Before I made the electronics change, the bass sounded fake and had a very odd "whine" to each note (it's not the frestless "mwah").

It was better when I replaced the electronics, but it still sounds like crap in comparison to a real bass. I'd sell it for $250 plus shipping, but I'd still feel like I was ripping someone off.

My advice is to save up a little more and get a much better bass. I have a Peavey Fury six string which DESTROYS any other bass I've played and I bought it new for $350 on special.

In comparison, the Fury sounds and plays better than my Vantage, which I bought for $1,200 (I know, I got ripped off), as well as the Fenders, Galvestons (duh), and other basses that I've had.

Of course, the addition of Bartolini pups and preamp didn't hurt the Peavey either. :bassist:

Good luck with whichever one you choose.
Seth
 
#10
You asked for pics:
Picture002.gif

SX001.gif
 
#15
kevinmoore73 said:
I wish the Z6 was available as a fretless.
Click to expand...

They do (or at least did) make a fretless unlined Z6, I've seen them in all three colors (natural, red and blue). They had a blue unlined demo on sale for $180 when they were closing the store .... should have bought that bass when I saw it :rolleyes:

Maybe give a shout out to Rondo .... a lot of times they have stuff in-house that's not on their web site .... :cool:
 
#16
Auriaprottu said:
Don't know what it is, but this image makes the bass look very, very pretty.

EDIT: I mean, I'm sure it's pretty anyhow, but it looks better here than on the Rondo site.
Click to expand...

Thanks for the compliment. Part of the difference is actually unintentional use of flash. My cheap camera won't allow me to turn the flash off, and the extra light is bringing out the grain really well. The blue is kinda dark and unless you are in really good light, the grain is more subdued. Also, for once, the flash reflection didn't show up in the body as glare (but you can see it in the lower horn).

Since you guys liked that so much, I guess I'll show the back too (and in this pic, I don't really know what caused that circle that looks like it's on the back of the guitar, but it's a reflection of some type, the guitar's finish is quite fine)!
SX002.gif
 
#18
I am thinking of upgrading to a Z6 since they brought the Price down to $329. I was wondering for all they current Z6 users do you find the string spacing too wide and if so how does it affect the playability. I am currently playing a rogue lx406 with 16mm and i have played a modulus with 17 which wasn't a problem. I am just a little weary about jumping to 19mm.
 

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