Fender Bass VI

[Danilixo]

So I recently learnt of the Bass VI and am honestly really impressed. Many of you purists would argue that it isn’t a real bass and I don’t need the extra 2 strings, but honestly I really want one because it is perfect for grunge which I tend to play a lot, and I also solo quite a bit (off a bass of course) so I see this as an awesome opportunity.

My actual purpose for this thread though isn’t to really gather opinions off it, but more to ask whether I should get a squire vintage modified bass vi and mod the hell out of it, or save up to get a fender pawn shop bass vi, which is obviously much more expensive and relatively hard to get (I’m buying used either way and guitar center has a squier for $350).

So what do you guys think? Also if I were to get the squier, what pickups should I put in (since they are technically guitar pickups, which I know little about), and what other key mods should I make? (Like machine heads, or bridge replacements)
Thanks in advanced.

 

[Gorn]

Maybe get the Squier and give it good strings and a set up before you start spending money on parts.

 

[Danilixo]

Maybe get the Squier and give it good strings and a set up before you start spending money on parts.

Yeah, right now I’m only gathering info on how much the squier would cost fully modified over the fender untouched. I don’t see a purpose on buying a squier, spending over $400 on mods over the years, only to end up having a cheap feeling Bass since it’s still a squier compared to the Fender. I’m honestly unsure if the squier is worth the effort in modding at all.

 

[Gorn]

Yeah, right now I’m only gathering info on how much the squier would cost fully modified over the fender untouched. I don’t see a purpose on buying a squier, spending over $400 on mods over the years, only to end up having a cheap feeling Bass since it’s still a squier compared to the Fender. I’m honestly unsure if the squier is worth the effort in modding at all.

Or it might be great on its own with a set up and good strings. No reason to rule that out first.

 

[TheReceder]

I've got a VI pawnshop, fun to play but I've run across issue on having to reverse saddles to get the intonation right. Another rather irritating little trait is that when I run my finger across the pickguard I get amplified static. I'm talking, barely touching the pickgaurd. My guess is a little shielding would resolve it, but it's low on the priority list of things to fix.
I traded a synth I fixed that cost me 90 bucks for it, so I don't mind if it sits in a case unmolested. For some reason the guitarist in my band hates it, he claims it's not a bass but a baritone guitar and wants me to play bass. My guess... he's afraid groupies will get confused and be going home with a bass player.

Down the road I suspect the pawnshop will hold it's value better.
BTW.. What pushed me over the edge was that this was the (bass) guitar that Nigel Toughnell from spinal tap never played and didn't want anyone to touch, or even point at. They must be pretty special.

 

[Brio]

I’d wanted one for a long time and jumped on the pawnshop when it came out. Loved the simple 5 way switch for a bit but ultimately have spent significantly on modding it just the way I want it (3 single coils, individual on/off toggles, no bass strangle, Staytrem bridge and custom guard). With either VI the bridge upgrade and proper strings are a must IMO.

The Squiers can be found pretty cheaply to try out and are close to classic specs. That would be my recommendation.

 

[fretno]

if you can find the Pawnshop get it . It's a killer sound bass .
this is the only pic I have of mine , which I put a staytrem bridge on .The original would not allow the correct adjustment as the saddle screws are too long . They are quirky but the staytrem solved that and the tone and function of the trem greatly improved . The bass is good fun and the Pawnshop Bass Vi is fantastic and certainly covers bass tones very well , better than some basses do .

 

[Bass Mayhem]

I kinda like mine...
I split the signal to my bass amp and to a Boss Katana combo set to Crunch, with reverb, delay and a bit of tremolo, just for fun...

 

[BassTapp]

Bought the Squier in Olympic White to live out my Cure fantasies. As far as build quality and aesthetics go it was fantastic, I just couldn't get along with the super close string spacing and the dull sounding E string (even after bulking it up multiple gauges). I figured it was a combination of the shorter scale and guitar pickups. Eventually, I moved it on to someone who is hopefully more skilled than me and can make better use of it.

P.S. As mentioned above, the Squier is more faithful to the original VI than the modern Fenders if that matters to you.