I have a perverse desire for a 6 string piccolo bass

[mikeoso]

I like this concept specifically because of how it differs from a standard guitar. Comparatively, I've been looking for a *guitar* that has a longer scale and a little bit wider spacing. While I love short scale basses, I've been playing bass so long that standard guitars are too small and fiddly for my hands to find comfort in anymore, so I'd be looking for like a 27-28" scale standard-pitch guitar with heavier strings, and I don't even know if such a beast exists. It wouldn't be *too* far off what the OP wants, either.

Many baritone guitars can be strung to play in standard guitar tuning, and they usually fall in the scale length you mention.

 

[mikewalker]

Perhaps it's time for a walk on the wild side?? Have frets, will travel!!

Baroque Style Hand made SONG Brand Maestro 6 string 27" viola da gamba #10969 | eBay

( ** these guys built me a similar custom 5-string a couple years back, the quality is extremely good... )

 

[Geoff K]

Although this is an old thread, just curious what you ended up going with? I've recently setup my 6 string bass with Piccolo strings... F#,B,E,A,D,G. This gives me same fingering and setup on the high strings (an octave up of course) and gives me bottom end to within one tone of a regular bass. I've found this to be least confusing setup, keeps my patterns consistent with my regular bass for high register stuff, and allows me to still get bass tones all on the one instrument. I've found the regular tuning for my 6 string just gets muddy in the low end, and the high C throws me out when doing high stuff. This option has given me the best of both worlds. Will I ever use it on a gig.. who knows? who cares? its fun to play when jamming with mates and i can start learning a whole new world of simple chords, while still being able to jump back to regular bass as required.

 

[Miri]

Although this is an old thread, just curious what you ended up going with? I've recently setup my 6 string bass with Piccolo strings... F#,B,E,A,D,G. This gives me same fingering and setup on the high strings (an octave up of course) and gives me bottom end to within one tone of a regular bass. I've found this to be least confusing setup, keeps my patterns consistent with my regular bass for high register stuff, and allows me to still get bass tones all on the one instrument. I've found the regular tuning for my 6 string just gets muddy in the low end, and the high C throws me out when doing high stuff. This option has given me the best of both worlds. Will I ever use it on a gig.. who knows? who cares? its fun to play when jamming with mates and i can start learning a whole new world of simple chords, while still being able to jump back to regular bass as required.

Geoff, just wondering whether you are still using the F#-G piccolo tuning on your 6, and if so, how it is going for you nine months on? I have a beautiful 6 string bass which is sadly neglected, the extra weight and wider fretboard simply not being worth the hassle for 'ordinary' bass parts that are easily covered by my 4 string in C#. Gaining an entire octave above standard, though, while still being able to easily play within 'normal' bass range? Now there's a 6 string tuning which is genuinely useful