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Making the leap to an (inexpensive) 6 string bass

#21
dr_gonzo said:
Hi everyone,

I've been taking lessons from an amazing teacher. She plays a six string bass. Up until now, I had never ever considered moving away from the 4 string, I just felt insecure with my skills and figured mo' strings, mo' problems; plus, if you whip out a sixer, (I believed) people expect you to play the heck out of it. Anyways, I've been getting more confident and seeing the real use of having a six string, specially for studying chords and improv with a loop pedal, but also for the music I like to play (rap, hip hop, jazz, r&b, a bit of funk). Also, I'd have the oportunity to be taught by a pro.

So, I just wanted to hear some thoughts about budget six string basses. There are two important disclaimers: one, I don't have a lot of money to spend (mainly because this is an "experiment", I want to see how I adapt to it before making a bigger investment), and also, I live in Chile, meaning there will be a lot of brands you guys have on the US or UK that aren't commercialized here. I'm buying used to get the best out of my money, and these are the basses I've come across in the local classifieds.

I've converted the asking price to dollars. It's common practice to bargain, so probably all of these would come down a bit in price. Also, very important: not all of these people live in my city, so it's dificult to actually play them all. Closer I can get is to play the models sold in the store, but in many cases not the actual bass.

Cheaper basses
· Ibanez GSR396: 265 USD
· Ibanez Gio (unknown model)*: 330 USD
· Ibanez GSR256: 330 USD
· Cort Action VI-A: 297 USD

Mid-priced basses
· ESP LTD B-206SM: 495 USD
· Ibanez SR506: 577 USD
· Ibanez BTB676: 577 USD

Weight is also a big factor here, and part of why I need external input. I don't have a bad back per se, but would definetely prefer a bass on the lighter side. Have you tried any of these? Would you emphatically recommend one of the above? I would rather not spend more than 400 bucks.

Thanks so much!

* The owner didn't know the exact model, but he sent pics. I haven't had any luck IDing the bass either, can someone try?
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Ibanez sr406 is andecent affordable 6 string.

I switched to a very expensive 6 in 2017. Yes looping and chords are a ton of fun. But I would say the biggest benefits for me is it saves me money and allows me to be more comfortable with one instrument because When I had bigger collections of 4 and 5 string basses I was using different basses for different tunings/ranges. Needed a low b for my modern originals rock band which the guitar player plays droptuned to b, liked having the high c for solo playing. I just like having a bass that can do everything. Sure set of 6 string strings a are more expensice than a 4 string set, but not more expensive than stringing multiple basses. I’m sure this reason won’t go over well with the quantity over quality crowd but I prefer it over having a bigger collection of basses and constantly switching between different basses
 
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#23
dreamadream99 said:
Ibanez is a good value line, but if you can step up to their mid lines, you’ll be happier with the better pickups and preamps
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+1 to this. Ibanez has a good reputation for quality even in their cheapest lines. They also tend to be pretty light weight with slim and comfortable necks. The next step up from their lowest line does usually include much better electronics packages and they tend to be cheap on the used market. It's worth spending a little more on an Ibanez because you will get a lot more compared to the bottom of the line.
 
#24
Rickter said:
The pic you linked to is an older Ibanez SR (Soundgear).

Personally I like the Ibanez 6s. I had an Ibanez BTB 6 when they were still bolt on construction. I really liked it. Ended up getting rid of it because I ran into to many knuckleheads that thought if played a 6 you were only a jazz player. I actually lost possible gigs because of it. I loved playing a 6 because of the variety and range it provided. Was actually window shopping for another 6'r last night.

From my experience with 6s and playing the low to midrange 6s, I'd really recommend the Ibanez stuff. I have played the ESP/LTD B series 6 several times and as much as I want to like it, it just doesn't feel as nice to me. The Ibanez stuff just feel nice and is typically pretty light. The GIO line 6 is decent, but you'll probably feel the upgrade bug quickly. I would suggest the SR306E personally. Given the opportunity it's the one I'm gonna go with.
Click to expand...

SR306EB_WK_1P_01.png
 
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#26
bassbully said:
Douglas 6 in black on rondo music site ...on sale $125.00.
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This is a really decent active 6-string bass for the price ... I used to own one of these, except mine was a navy blue color I think. The electronics are kinda so-so on it, but for $125 it's a solid deal overall, especially if you're just testing the 6-string waters. The 6-string basses that I really like that Rondo Music sells are the SX Ursa 2 basses, I own a couple of those. Usually they run around $175-$225 USD. They're currently sold out right now, but check out Rondo's website periodically as they will crop up from time to time.
 
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#27
Thank you all for your advice! So far I've been leaning towards the Cort Action

bassbully said:
Douglas 6 in black on rondo music site ...on sale $125.00.
Click to expand...

It looks really good, but I'm unsure if they do international shipping. I just emailed them to check but I'm expecting they won't. IF they did... I'd be getting this one:

zph2mG9.jpg


drooldrooldrooldrooldrooldrooldrooldrool

And they're so cheap, too...
 
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#29
Reply from Rondo:

I don't think that's going to work, The cost shop to ship plus the case will add up to be more than 3 times the price of the item. Also we may not be able to ship you (depending on your government rules) any model that contains rosewood (in the neck or fretboard).

:crying::crying::crying:
 
#30
dr_gonzo said:
Reply from Rondo:

I don't think that's going to work, The cost shop to ship plus the case will add up to be more than 3 times the price of the item. Also we may not be able to ship you (depending on your government rules) any model that contains rosewood (in the neck or fretboard).

:crying::crying::crying:
Click to expand...
Where do you live? There may be TB members who live there too or at least close. If so they might be able to point you in the right direction
 
#32
Rickter said:
The pic you linked to is an older Ibanez SR (Soundgear).

Personally I like the Ibanez 6s. I had an Ibanez BTB 6 when they were still bolt on construction. I really liked it. Ended up getting rid of it because I ran into to many knuckleheads that thought if played a 6 you were only a jazz player. I actually lost possible gigs because of it. I loved playing a 6 because of the variety and range it provided. Was actually window shopping for another 6'r last night.

From my experience with 6s and playing the low to midrange 6s, I'd really recommend the Ibanez stuff. I have played the ESP/LTD B series 6 several times and as much as I want to like it, it just doesn't feel as nice to me. The Ibanez stuff just feel nice and is typically pretty light. The GIO line 6 is decent, but you'll probably feel the upgrade bug quickly. I would suggest the SR306E personally. Given the opportunity it's the one I'm gonna go with.
Click to expand...
I second that, and who the hell thinks 6ers can't be used for metal???? Have they never heard of John Myung???
 
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#34
Another fan of Ibanez 6ers. I own a Soundgear SR 886 from the 90s, and had a BTB 6 for a few years. Both are/were great instruments that serve(d) me well.

The ones i tried are light, easy to play, sound good (or great, for the more expensive ones) and have consistent quality. Also, the thin Ibanez necks are a very comfortable in 6string form. Hard enough to get used to the extra width, and so the thinness really helps, compared to some others I've tried, imo.

One thing I've noticed is you can sometimes get a reaally good deal on a used 6er. From my own experience selling and buying (all I played were 6ers, for about 20 years), they're just damn hard to flip, because there aren't that many people in the market for one at any given time. Similar to 8 string guitars. But there are always a few for sale, at least around here. Folks that tried them out, just to see, and then realized it wasn't what they were looking for.

Good luck!
 
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#38
I bought a GSRSM206 (Ibanez) for $349. A pretty and good sounding 6er. I found a deal on some aggie DCB's and OBP3 and it sounds great. I'd gig it anywhere. The Ibby GSR206 is a bang for buch 6er but has close string spacing. Still I'd recommend it as a first 6er simply for looks, price, feel, and tone.
 
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