Explain the Fender Bass VI

[Bass Man Dan]

I just recently kind of figured out what these things were. I kind of want one just to fiddle with as I can play a bit of guitar. Having never held one in my hands it's all an unknown quantity, but if I get one it will be one of these, as I'm sure it will meet my needs (which are slim to none) and costs half what a Squier does:
https://www.thomannmusic.com/harley_benton_guitarbass_vs_vintage_series.htm

 

[okcrum]

"This product contains materials subject to the convention to protect endangered species (CITES). Delivery to United States is therefore not possible at the moment."

 

[nilorius]

Never heard of a Fender bass VI fretless. What model ? What series ?

 

[Joe Nerve]

The Fender bass VI is an awesome looking instrument that will inspire creativity. Especially if you're a guitarist/bassist. It has lots of versatility. Though many say you can use it as a regular bass, *you can't. Unless you play in a band that can handle a really thin sounding bass. It also really needs to be played as an entirely different instrument. Not quite a bass. Not quite a guitar. You won't be able to do many of the thing you can on your bass, on the VI (unless you practice relentlessly and develop new skills), and you won't be able to do MOST of the things you can on your guitar.

If you're anything like me you will buy it, and be thrilled. You will play around with it for a few days. You will think of great things you will do with it. You might take it to a rehearsal. You might play it one or two more times. And then it will sit on a stand, or hide in a gig bag... and you will look at it... thinking... I really should play that thing. And time will pass... and dust will gather, and you will think of selling it, but laziness will win, over and over...

And then one day, years later, it happens!

You put an ad up.

Someone buys it!

And you never miss it. Not for a single day.





*Watched some of the videos in this thread. I can't.

 

[zubrycky]

I never had the chance to play one of the these basses but I saw a bass player using it during a concert.

I really liked the sound. To my ears, it reminded a guitar played with an octave pedal (with the octave below activated).

It's a great instrument full of possibilities. I wish I have one of these beauties.

 

[Fredrik E. Nilsen]

 

[johnson79]

Skip to 1:30 >



Though he modded his a bit, our lead player switched to one when the Squire came out. Incredibly versatile. The low end sounds great enough that they don't even need me for some numbers, but shhhh

Is that an original song? You guys sound amazing!!!

 

[johnson79]

i posted this in post #27

I could listen to it all day long.

 

[bholder]

As Dabndug said I think you’d have to be pretty handy with a pick in order to get anywhere with it.

Works pretty well fingerstyle too (meaning guitar fingerstyle here).

 

[BwanaDust]

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

The whammy is so you can play the intro to Twin Peaks.

It's bass-like and all basses are guitars. so yes.

 

[Lobster11]

Julie Slick uses one from Lakland

In addition to her solo stuff, Julie also uses the VI exclusively in her two-bass band EchoTest, with Marco Machera on a five-string. Much of the time she plays it much like a guitar while Marco holds down the low end, but frequently they'll switch and she'll take the "bass" part while Marco goes high. This band is amazing. Check out this live set:



(Video should start around 8:45 at the beginning of the set (after interviews).

 

[jnewmark]

The Bass VI can function as either a bass or as a baritone guitar. Very few people consistently used it as a "normal" bass guitar (John Lennon, George Harrison, and Jack Bruce as mentioned before spring to mind), but the one that blew me away was Roy Babbington of later (and current!) Soft Machine - check out this footage (the second clip has Allan Holdsworth!):





I have one of the '96-'97 MIJ reissues that I acquired in a trade in 2006. I finally dove in and started using it as a bass with other people this past year, trying to play it exclusively with standard finger style. The string spacing makes it challenging but it was fun! I managed to record a couple of things - no drums, but I think it still would have worked. The first one is fingers, the second pick:

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(Played through a Vox VX50BA mic'd with a Shure Beta 52A into a Zoom H6)

So my conclusion - for me, it's an ERB - an extended range bass - that covers the normal 4-string bass range with an extra two strings on top.

Glen Campbell's Wichita Lineman is a classic use of it as a baritone:



(It looks like he's "lip-sync" strumming along at the beginning but then he starts turning knobs and plays the low melody part in the middle at 1:42)

The Glen Campbell song is the best example of the Bass VI. It has that unique , solo, guitar sound. Duane Eddy used it on some songs also like, " Tiger Love And Turnip Greens", and Spaghetti Westerns, 60's Surf music, etc. I had the Eastwood for awhile. I found that I liked it out of a bass cab better than a guitar version. Also, according to Carol Kaye, that's the Dano Bass VI on " La Bamba ".

 

[40Hz]

I think the Bass VI is a bit pointless if used for single notes. He may have used it on seventeen seconds and faith but it's not obvious. Where it's more obvious is on Disintegration because he's playing chords. It gives a sound you can't get with a normal guitar or bass. "Pictures of You" is probably the best example.

I notice in the Cure video he’s pretty much above the 12th fret for most of it. Which is the same thing as playing below the 12th fret on a regular guitar n’est-ce pas?

 

[bassrique]

Forgive me if already posted, but I cant read the while thread at work. Search engine how many hits had the Fender 6. It's a cool list.

 

[ONYX]

Nice. Do any TBers use this in a gigging scenario? What genre / setting?

I've got one of these ( mine is the same turquoise color), the Danelectro 6 string bass, tuned E to E, like a guitar an octave lower. I've never used it in a gig situation, but I have taken it to a few private blues jam sessions. It's a lot of fun to play.

 

[TheBassmaster27]

I have always wanted one. As a lefty bassist though, I cant afford to lose a lung or something to afford one. But they are kinda cool. People keep posting videos of the vi used as a bass. Here is one of it used as more of a guitar. Van Halen on the song Spanked.

 

[Jebberz]

I have the Gretsch Baritone stung with Bass VI strings. I use it live for one third of our songs in my cover band. I use it to play regular bass, mainly, ans also a bit of a guitar (in some intros, or where there is pace for a 2nd guitar and no bass). I is very fun.

 

[Cave Puppy]

Someone mentioned the Squier Bass VI is heavy. I can certainly vouch for that. It's probably the heaviest (weight wise) instrument I have. The Squier Bass VI is difficult to intonate, so much so I put a Mastery bridge on mine. There are horror stories about trying to intonate the low E especially. The tremolo is pretty much useless unless you want to tune every time you use it. I have flatwound LaBellas on mine as well. It does mimic that '50s "tic-tac" sound pretty well now, though. I have debated several times whether or not to keep it. Might as well at this point. I should also mention the build quality is ok, not great. I have the Olympic White with the tort guard but the "tort" started to peel away so I peeled the whole thing off so now I have a white on white Bass VI which I think looks much better than the peeling tort.

 

[dalo]

I have a Fender Pawnshop Bass VI. It sounds like a bass when played through a bass amp and like a baritone guitar when played through a guitar amp.

Chords can be a little muddy and it definitely needs to be played with a pick. But overall it is a very cool instrument. I haven't gigged with it, but I do like having it around as another tonal option.

 

[rashrader]

I’ve know a guy who strings up his 6 String Thumb Bass in the Bass VI Style of tuning. It sounds amazing.