Searching for a budget 6-string bass

[Conkal]

Hello All and a happy new year !

I am toying with the idea of buying a 6-string bass and I would like some proposals and insight from you in order to find a fitting 6-string . I am budget-conscious[max 600 euros/$] but as i understand prices are totally different in the two shores of the Atlantic.
I live in Greece and testing most instruments first hand is not an option but i may find similar ones to test (for example I may find a 6-string Ibanez to test if it is similar to the model you propose but not the same model)

I like modern instruments both visually and acoustically. I now play a 5string warwick mainly but would appreciate a thinner neck, this is the reason that i like ibanez basses.

Now , I am looking at Ibanez SR306EB and SR506, ESP Ltd B206 and D6 or a couple of Corts that I saw online
Have you played with them ? what about the sound , feel and the neck ?

Any other proposal ?

 

[Nashrakh]

I own an Ibanez SR306EB, current production model.

I paid maybe about 380 Euros for it. Very versatile in sound, I get compliments all the time (from drummers no less!). Neck is slim, typical Ibanez, and even with my smallish hands it's very comfortable to play.

My one and only gripe about this bass: in order to get the lowest action possible, I had to insert a full pocket shim, ca. 2mm thick (effectively raising the whole neck). Otherwise, the bridge saddles would bottom out and the action would still be too high. I had this on my LTD F-204 too, maybe I'm just really picky.

 

[Vooter]

You can get a used Cort Curbow 6 online right now for $400-$450 (E350-E400). I've never played their 6, but I have a bunch of Curbow 5s and absolutely love them (and I'm also thinking about picking up a 6). Thin, fast neck (the nut on the 5 is about 42mm and string spacing at the bridge is about 16mm; not sure what the 6 is), and they really stay in tune. The only downside, IMO, is that they're not good basses for playing while sitting; I don't, so it's not a problem...

 

[Conkal]

You can get a used Cort Curbow 6 online right now for $400-$450 (E350-E400).

I forgot to ask about Cort. I definitely admire their products

But I can't buy also anything used. As i said i dont live in the States but in Greece. The used market is all but dead. Ebay is out of the question do to the customs fees and transport costs . It can easily lead to double prices so a used instrument would cost as a new one or even more if i buy it from the US.

 

[Conkal]

I own an Ibanez SR306EB, current production model.
My one and only gripe about this bass: in order to get the lowest action possible, I had to insert a full pocket shim, ca. 2mm thick (effectively raising the whole neck).

Was it a problem with the specific bass or a design issue for all of them ? I have a SRX300 bass and despite the heavy use the action is low and the bass built like a tank

 

[JPrinos]

Hi Conkal! Ti Kanis!

The ESP Ltd B206 is a great bass! I own 2 ESP basses and the neck and fretwork is great on both. They setup to low action without issue. The preamp is quiet and allows for a wide range of sound. It is a big heavy bass and the neck is wider than the Ibanez but I have never found it uncomfortable. The 35" scale length can lead to hand cramping when playing for a long while around the first 5 frets.

 

[Geri O]

I wish I had made note of the model of the new Ibanez 6-string bass I played at the music store yesterday. The price on the bass was US$350 and I was blown away and how good the thing played and sounded. I'm sure there were compromises somewhere in the materials' quality, but it wasn't at all obvious to me as I played it. It would be a great "starter" 6-string bass and I considered buying this one, but then I stepped back and thought about all the gigs I do and realized that I have absolutely no use for a 6-string bass at the moment, unless I start writing my own songs again and form my own band (not real sure I'm up to that task again at 60 years old and been through a bunch of bands).

I'll see if I can find out the model of this bass.

 

[Conkal]

Hi Conkal! Ti Kanis!

The ESP Ltd B206 is a great bass! The 35" scale length can lead to hand cramping when playing for a long while around the first 5 frets.

Hello! Ola kala!

About the 35" scale, I considered it a plus over the 34" ibanez , but i am not sure as all the basses i have used are 34". What about the ESP Ltd D6 , have tried it ?

 

[Conkal]

I wish I had made note of the model of the new Ibanez 6-string bass I played at the music store yesterday. The price on the bass was US$350 ...I have absolutely no use for a 6-string bass at the moment...
I'll see if I can find out the model of this bass.

The only bass that is sold at this price point from ibanez is the SR300EB . I also am not sure that i will need the 6-string but i want to try it .

 

[JPrinos]

Unfortunately I have not tried a D6. I have only ever found ESP's used in Toronto. I don't know where to find them to try them in-store.

Looking at the specs, the neck is practically the same, except for the scale length.

 

[Geri O]

The only bass that is sold at this price point from ibanez is the SR300EB . I also am not sure that i will need the 6-string but i want to try it .

Understand. I'm sitting here thinking again, "why not just get it to have around at that price?" But with hospital bills, I'm finally using better judgment about it.

But the day ain't over...

(I didn't ask about the price, it could have been a sale price)

I sent a text to the salesman about the model number, I'll post it if he responds.

 

[juggahnaught]

Now , I am looking at Ibanez SR306EB and SR506, ESP Ltd B206 and D6 or a couple of Corts that I saw online
Have you played with them ? what about the sound , feel and the neck ?

I currently own an Ibanez SR506 and I use it as my main working instrument. Mine is the 2006 model and there gave been some changes since then, but I'm very happy with the playability and weight of the bass. The neck is slim and I like the profile; the string spacing may be a bit narrow for slap styles depending on your hand size (but definitely doable). Some don't like the oiled finish, but I love it - it isn't flashy, it's a working instrument and I'm not worried about small cosmetic scratches, so it actually works out better for me.

I feel as though the instrument is well-balanced - the body is light and the small headstock alleviates neck dive.

I really like the body contours. I do have a slight issue with upper fret access due to the lower horn - the last four frets are a bit hard to reach.

I'd talk about the electronics, but they've changed with newer models so it's probably not relevant. (I swapped out my preamp for an OBP-3, and I have the Bartolini MK-1s.) The sound is good, but it does seem that these basses tend to have a fairly low output compared to other basses even though they're active, so that's something to be aware of. You can alleviate some of this with the EQ boost.

Overall, I'm very happy with my bass; I see it as a working person's instrument, and I find it dependable and reliable (and a blast to play!). I don't have personal experience with the other basses in the lineup you mentioned, but I wanted to give you my experience with the SR506.

Good luck! Hope you make the right choice for you.

 

[Conkal]

I sent a text to the salesman about the model number, I'll post it if he responds.

Thank you!

Generally ibanez has 3 affordable (by me) 6-string basses Gio SR206 , SR306EB and SR506

I currently own an Ibanez SR506 and I use it as my main working instrument.
I feel as though the instrument is well-balanced - the body is light and the small headstock alleviates neck dive.

Overall, I'm very happy with my bass; I see it as a working person's instrument, and I find it dependable and reliable (and a blast to play!).
Good luck! Hope you make the right choice for you.

thanks for the info. I also like Ibanez basses very much especially for their price, i think they are totally killer. I am not working per se but i play a lot and the finish is not my favourite as it gathers scratches but i can ignore it if the bass is good (the same finish is on the warwick that i have)

 

[Nashrakh]

Was it a problem with the specific bass or a design issue for all of them ? I have a SRX300 bass and despite the heavy use the action is low and the bass built like a tank

I think the problem lies with me, people consider my setup unplayable. A shim already did the trick, but the angled neck pocket of the SRs makes using them a bit harder.

Unless you really need to get every last micrometer out of your setup, you'll be fine. As far as I know, I'm the only one who ever complained about this on the current SRs.

 

[Conkal]

I don't need every micrometer, as you say, but I appreciated basses that can reach mid-to-lowish action. Nothing fancy though

 

[Eilif]

Personally I am very much NOT a fan of the Ibanez soundgear look or it's skinny necks. However, I've almost never played a bad one. Their QC is very good and they sound good too. I don't think you can really go wrong with one. My advice would be to buy the best one you can afford which I believe would be the 506. Low end ones are good too, but I think the soundgears really shine once you get around the 500 series. Ibanez packs alot of features into them.

LTD instruments are great too. I had an LTD P-bass for a couple years that I liked alot. Everytime I play an LTD it feels like I'm playing something worth more than the price. I feel roughly the same about Yamaha, but they're a good bit less common in the US than Ibanez or LTD.

However in your situation I'd go with something I can try out in-person, even if that just limits you to Ibanez.

Regarding "35 scale, It's my personal preference, but I wouldn't go 35" if it means buying a heavier bass. I'm thinking of the Ibanez BTB series which are great sounding and playing basses but always seem to be needlessly heavy. Also it sounds like you wouldn't like the wider BTB spacing.

 

[mrcbass]

Hi Conkal! Ti Kanis!

The ESP Ltd B206 is a great bass! I own 2 ESP basses and the neck and fretwork is great on both. They setup to low action without issue. The preamp is quiet and allows for a wide range of sound. It is a big heavy bass and the neck is wider than the Ibanez but I have never found it uncomfortable. The 35" scale length can lead to hand cramping when playing for a long while around the first 5 frets.

This. Great instrument in entry level pricing (around $500). I purchased the 6 string, but found it was just too much for me, but turned around and bought the 5 string fretless version of it immediately. I love it despite the fact it is a bit on the heavy side. The beautiful spalted maple top (for me anyway) makes it look as good as it plays.

 

[Vooter]

I forgot to ask about Cort. I definitely admire their products

But I can't buy also anything used. As i said i dont live in the States but in Greece. The used market is all but dead. Ebay is out of the question do to the customs fees and transport costs . It can easily lead to double prices so a used instrument would cost as a new one or even more if i buy it from the US.

I totally understand. But in case you want to check it out, there's a Curbow 6 up for sale on eBay right now for $499 OBO, and they quoted a $110 shipping charge to Greece. They did mention that import/custom fees would be handled at checkout, so I don't know how much they are, but this would certainly be one way to get a 6 in your hands within a couple of weeks. Here's the listing:

Cort Curbow 6 Six String Bass Guitar Metallic Blue Finish | eBay

 

[Systolic]

I've owned and tried a LOT of these low to mid tier 6'ers. This is just my experience with these brands/basses and I do no intend to represent everybody else's experiences. So...my $0.02:

ESP: B and D series. Tight string spacing, QC has been a bit all over the place. Wide flat/thing neck which I like. "Meh" tone IMO.

Schecter: Largely "fine" in my book. Tighter string spacing, sounds fine, divisive aesthetics, QC is decent overall. The very definition of "Ya, it's nice."

Ibanez: SR series has tight string spacing as well, usually pretty good QC, and tend to have THAT Ibby tone. Which some call versatile, I call boring. The BTB's are the same story, but a have wider spacing and have the 35" scale which tend to have little more clarity down low.

Spector: Again with the very tight string spacing. Necks are very middle of the road. Not too fat, not too skinny, not too glossy, not too raw. Has the EMG sound going on if you like that (mostly.) QC on the Legend seems to be pretty hit and miss and the preamps aren't great, but mid tier and upper tier line are lovely if you can find a nicely priced used one. Some people like the Tone pump pre's some hate them. Rebops and up are undeniably nice basses though.

MTD Kingston: Wider spacing. Great QC. Wide but thin neck (kinda like the BTB.) Tend to fall down a bit on the electronics. Darker pickups on Z line. Overall a very nice instrument though.

Warwick: Variable string spacing is nice. The newer Rockbass line can be quite good. QC seems to be hit and miss on the new ones. Thinner neck than the GPS or German made stuff. Main difference is body/neck wood and preamp. The preamp being the real weak spot on the RB line. Still has the majority of the "Warwick Sound." As far as the higher end Warwicks, I don't know that you'd be able to find a used 6'er in that price range, but fit and finish are certainly top notch. Neck profiles have really changed over the years. I'm not an expert, but I *think* that they were pretty chunky during the 90's and early 00's but more recently they've slimmed down quite a bit.

Carvin: Can be found used for great prices as Carvin tends to have low resale value. Usually very tight string spacing. Fit and finish are known to be pretty great. Sound/feel is largely dependent on the options the original buyer chose...I've played a few and while they felt like quality, they've have indeed varied greatly in the end result...which, I assume, is what the original owners wanted.

Had a chance to play a Yamaha TRB6 a couple times. I was impressed. Sounded great, played great, felt great, but also felt very big. Big body, big neck, heavy. Similar to the BTB but a fatter neck IIRC. Still sounded killer though. Used prices are all over the place.

Have not had a chance to try any Cort or Tune stuff nor a Brubaker Brute. Though I'd really like to.

I think that's all for now. I'll be waiting for people to yell at me for something.

 

[mustBmtd]

Here's mine. Soon available.