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Explain the Fender Bass VI

#82
design said:
FYI: Glen Campbell has stated that the six string bass he played on the recording of Wichita Lineman was a Danelectro borrowed from Carol Kaye. He may have later played, or mimed, a Fender Bass VI, but the original recording is a Dano. It’s got that Dano TWANG!
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Sure, but it's the same scale length and tuning.
 
#83
jd56hawk said:
The Fender VI was released in 1961 and followed the concept of the Danelectro six-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E to E, an octave below the Spanish guitar. The Bass VI was closely related to the Fender Jaguar, with which it shared styling and technical details, notably the Invalid Link Removed. The VI had an offset body similar but not identical to that of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar.

It departed from the concept of the Fender Precision Bass in having six strings, a shorter scale and thinner strings, and a mechanical vibrato arm. The Bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four-string Precision Bass and its derivatives did. The model was discontinued in 1975.

ReissueEdit
In 2006, the Fender Custom Shop released a re-creation of the Bass VI, featuring three single-coil pickups and identical electronics. This format was previously available as a 1962 vintage reissue model made by Fender Japan in 1995.

In 2013 Fender released a Bass VI model as part of its Pawn Shop series. In line with the series' purpose to reconfigure classic Fender designs, the new Bass VI has a Jazzmaster-type P-90 bridge pickup and a Stratocaster-style five-position pickup selector, as opposed to separate switches.[1] There are three available colors: brown sunburst with a tortoiseshell pickguard, black with a tortoiseshell pickguard, and candy-apple red with a white pickguard and painted headstock.

Also in 2013, Squier released a Bass VI as part of the Vintage Modified series. This model was similar to the traditional Bass VI design with four switches (on/off for each pickup and a strangle switch) and a Jaguar-style control plate. It continued the trend set by the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguars and Jazzmasters of having a non-locking tremolo plate. It was available in three-color sunburst finish with tortoiseshell pickguard, Olympic White with a brown tortoiseshell pickguard and black with a tortoiseshell pickguard. It currently is available in three-color sunburst and Olympic white.

In 2019, Squier released its Classic Vibe Bass VI, available in three-color sunburst and black. It has a slightly wider width at the nut than the Vintage Modified Bass VI (1.685" vs. 1.65") and is equipped with narrow, tall frets. Most of the other main features are similar to the Vintage Modified model.

Oh, yeah, they're a little on the heavy side.
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So this is basically a baritone guitar concept? Or does it have a deeper tonal register than one?
 
#84
Axstar said:
Hard to play fingerstyle on (so you are stuck with pick playing) and a bit fiddly in the left hand.
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This is exactly why I haven't got one of the Squier Bass Vi , I am 99.9% a fingerstyle player, I play a Hofner so I am used to narrow spacing but the Bass Vi is guitar spacing (7mm i believe) which is useless for fingerstyle playing, if they made one with 14mm spacing like a Hofner i would be all over it.
 
#88
hypercarrots said:
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I believe Peter's VI is a Shergold, no longer in production, and has spacing wider than a Fender/Squier Bass VI but skinnier than a 'modern' six string bass. You can almost tell by the wideness of the neck in the paused shot of the video. Wider than Fender/Squier, but not the oar you're used to seeing.
matante said:
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.
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There is single-note playing all the time, particularly with the use of a chorus.
 
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#90
It's only the most kick-ass rock song ever recorded (this ain't arguable either!) Every band member adds something to make this song so great. It has attitude, it's triumphant, when I hear this song, it makes me wanna drink beer. Steven Tyler's vocals are at their best.

Background
The song's main riff was written by Joe Perry on a Fender Bass VI, which gives the song its distinctive "growl". Invalid Link Removed plays the lead guitar part. "Back in the Saddle" also features one of the heaviest and most noticeable bass lines by Tom Hamilton. The song is also notable for the slow buildup of the drum beat and guitar riff in the beginning of the song, as well as the sound effects of a galloping horse and whips, and screams and yodeling by Steven Tyler at the end of the song. A real bullwhip was intended to be used for the whip effects and hours were spent trying to get it to crack. The band members ended up cut up and hurt without making any progress. Eventually, the band decided the whip effects would be created by whirling a 30-foot cord from the studio, then by firing a cap gun to create the crack of the whip (the sound effects are more prominent in the Invalid Link Removed mix of the album (Columbia CAQ 34165)). When the song is performed in concert, Tyler often makes more noticeable lyrical and visible references to sex. Although the lyrics, by Tyler, were written with the simple idea of cowboys and sex, this song took on new meaning after Aerosmith reunited in 1984 and embarked on their Back in the Saddle Tour.

Today, the song remains a staple on classic rock radio and in concert. It is arguably one of the heaviest songs of Aerosmith's Top 40 singles, and is cited by rock musicians Slash and Invalid Link Removed as among their favorite rock songs.
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Quote from Wiki

 
#92
I started my Bass VI experience with a Schecter Hellcat a bunch of years ago and grabbed one of the Pawnshop Fender Bass VIs as soon as they were released.

I love the instrument and see it as a unique voice. With the right set up you could fill traditional bass or guitar set up but I think it’s better to explore what the Bass VI is good at. I use a lot of pedals and think that some grit and light distortion is key to getting the right sound. I’m generally a pick player so that’s not an issue for me with the Bass VI. If you can swing it the Bass VI thrives with a two amp set up. I run a Fender Deluxe Reverb and an Ampeg combo and it sounds like heaven.
 
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#93
boggus said:
Mainly:

Andy Babuik - Beatles Gear: All the Fab Four's Instruments from Stage to Studio
Mark Lewisohn - The Beatles: Recording Sessions: The Official Abbey Road Studio Session Notes, 1962-1970
Brian; Ryan, Kevin Kehew - Recording the Beatles : The Studio Equipment and Techniques Used to Create Their Classic Albums
Geoff Emerick - Here, There and Everywhere: My Life Recording the Music of the Beatles

Sgt. Pepper's Lonely Hearts Club Band 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition book
The Beatles ("White Album") 50th Anniversary Super Deluxe Edition book

There are more resources. However, not all of them are perfect, as there was a lot of misinformation found in Emerick's book for example, and a few errors in Lewisohn's as well. The album anniversary reissue books have some questionable information as well for example stating Lennon playing bass as an overdub on While My Guitar Gently Weeps, but overall it's all not too bad, especially if you cross-reference and put it all together.

Unfortunately some confusion like bass on released version of Helter Skelter still remains ("it's John playing sloppy on Fender VI" is still repeated everywhere ad nauseam) and also comes mostly from some of these books as well. In these cases, "Multi-tracks" from Beatles Rock Band video game and a lot of officially released and bootlegged outtakes are a big help as well.
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Still ALL speculation.

And, your "The only Beatles songs..., and that's it!" has expanded.
 
#95
When someone says "the Bass VI is an octave below standard guitar" I wonder how often people don't realize that a P-Bass is also an octave below standard guitar?

And when people say "you can't use it as a regular bass" I get annoyed - you can, Roy Babbington is the proof and I have done it myself. However, it does take some adjustment of technique, and it helps to use heavier gauge strings like the ones LaBella makes. But then I realize, it's better that people think "you can't use it as a regular bass" because then I'll be one of the only people doing it!
 
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#97
Somebody on here told me a while back that the bass VI is an octave below the guitar, and a regular bass was 2 octaves below, so the VI couldn't be used as a proper bass. :thumbsup:

People complain about the low E not being deep enough for bass. Why not just put on some heavy gauge flats?

Honestly I would love to play one if they didn't have the stupid trem bridge on there. If it was a simple 2 knob hardtail I'd be all over it.
 
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#98
Gravel Gertie said:
Somebody on here told me a while back that the bass VI is an octave below the guitar, and a regular bass was 2 octaves below, so the VI couldn't be used as a proper bass. :thumbsup:
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No.

A "regular bass" is one octave below guitar. So is the Bass VI and the Danelectro 6 string---they both have E-A-D-G strings in addition to a B and an E---so, low to high: E-A-D-G-B-E.
 
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