Fender Bass VI recordings

Listen to any record by New Order or The Cure. You'll hear it. Listen to the solo in the song Disintegration by the Cure from the ablum of the same name. Or the song Faith. That's nothing but bass, drums, and Bass VI.

 

Sunshine of Your Love was played on the Fender VI I believe. Look at Brad Johnson's signature, though.

 

Most noticeable use I know of is Joe Perry on Aerosmith's "Back in the Saddle." He said he winced everytime they got to that song in the set because the VI did a number on his hands.

Beatles' White Album, Yellow Submarine, Let It Be, and Abbey Road where Harrison and Lennon used John's VI a bit - John used it on "Back in the USSR." There was a video that was shown quite a bit in the US showing the Beatles lip synching and George using the VI on the song, "Let It Be" and fans chiming in on the repetitive chorus at the end of the song.

 

God, I actually remember seeing this 'guitar'(in fact, I still have a Fender catalog from the early '70s...it looks like a Jaguar/Jazz Master, right?).


Anyway, how was this played? I know Bruce played one with early Cream...everyone else mentioned, though, is a guitarist. Is this axe plucked, picked, or strummed?
(Remember, you don't strum a bass!).

 

But on the original record, Steve Tyler played the Bass VI

Other recorded Bass VI users:

the guy with Mahogany Rush
Roy Babbington with Soft Machine on "7"
Ry Cooder "Bop Till You Drop"

 

Jim - The 2-3 occasions where I've seen one played the musician used a pick. I think that's all you could do realsitically, since it's really a baritone guitar.

I know I couldn't pluck that string spacing -



Believe it or not, their collectibility rating is just a C+.

 

Is it? You're saying it isn't an "octave guitar", tuned EADGBE, but BEADGB? I've had the opposite impression.

But look at Brad Johnson's signature.

 

Having never touched one, I don't know Oyster.

I've done some Fender research a few times in the past and it keeps getting mentioned in the same sentence as "baritone guitar."

(BTW, there was a Japanese reissue of it).

Here's how one owner spec'd it -

"Half bass... half guitar... all Fender. Tuned one octave below
a guitar, this six string baritone is in a league of it's own.
Part Number: 027-7600
Body: Alder
Neck: Maple
Machine Heads Special Design Vintage Style
Fretboard: Rosewood
No. of Frets: 21
Pickups: Three Special Design Single Coils
Controls: Master Volume, Master Tone
Bridge/Tremolo: Floating Tremolo
Pickup Switching: Three P/U On/Off, One Low Cut
Scale Length: 30.3" (767mm)
Neck Width @ Nut: 1.5" (38mm)

 

The Bass VI is an octave guitar, not a baritone.

 

Peter Hook of New Order never played one of these - I've seen them live a few times and he does play 6-string bass but it's definitely not a Fender - it's a Shergold Marathon - a British made instrument.

 

Old Barney has been known to use them in the studio though.