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Six String Basses

F

Fenderbird1

May 6, 2014
10
2
37
United Kingdom
#1
Hi there everyone,

Just wondering if any cats out there had some advice for me on moving to the six string bass.

Obviously there is the mental change of having the low B and high C strings, but what I'm really after is advice on the type of bass to buy.

I'm currently using an American Deluxe Fender Jazz (which I love) but I'm looking to expand my horizons.

Budget wise I am thinking no more than £900 (UK).

Thanks in advance.
 
#2
Hi there! Great to hear you want to explore the 6 string basses.
I'm a Ibanez lover, they makes excellent basses with a great price / quality ratio.

Check out their Premium basses from the Soundgear series and the BTB series.

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#3
Fenderbird1 said:
Hi there everyone,

Just wondering if any cats out there had some advice for me on moving to the six string bass.

Obviously there is the mental change of having the low B and high C strings, but what I'm really after is advice on the type of bass to buy.

I'm currently using an American Deluxe Fender Jazz (which I love) but I'm looking to expand my horizons.

Budget wise I am thinking no more than £900 (UK).

Thanks in advance.
Click to expand...

When you say "expand your horizons" you have to define what you mean by that exactly. As you note there is the basic thing of having 6 strings. The means a few "expansions" which include a few higher notes, a few lower notes and the cross-neck scales with a wide range at a given position thing. Any 6 string will let you "expand" like this. And any 6er will teach you the importance of "floating thumb" damping and proper hand position on the neck.

But then you have to ask do you wish to keep the Fender Jazz vibe and yet also expand to the 6 string thing, or do you want to take a big jump to 24 frets, active, Ibby style modern 6 string playing? I do both. And I love the 24 fret active modern bass thing. I've got Ibbys. I've got Modulus. I've got Ken Smith and love them all! All were under you price limit bought used. I especially like the 24 fret modern sound (transparent highs) for the C string solo thing.

But lately I've had an interest in seeing just what a Fender-style bass but in 6 strings would give me. Well, there is a problem here. And the problem is that while there are excellent 6 string Fender clone basses out there that are killer, (such as LEJ by Low End or the Fretless now discontinued Fender Steve Bailey) Prices are HIGH! My solution was to buy three SX 6er basses for experimentation. And I must say I LOVE The Fender passive 6 string thing. Although I do plan to add an Audere preamp to the SX 6 with round wounds. But plunking down for an LEJ 6 is a bit out of range even now. I understand that Bass Mods sells a Fender clone 6 that is a bit more reasonable that might be an answer.

So first you have to decide how far you want to go.

Personally for 6 strings I LOVE my Ibanez soundgears. They are absolutely killer modern basses. A perfect match to 6 string playing and in the price ball park too. But on the other hand these days I'm really digging my Fender clone 6ers. Generally I prefer 24 frets in a 6er, but Fender vibe with the extended range (I do have a Fender Deluxe V also) is really floating my boat. So you have to decide just where you want to go.

Now if you ask me which bass is my favorite 6ers that would be my Modulus fretted or my Alembic fretless. Both are to die for. But not within your budget.
 
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#6
Thanks for your insight guys. I plan to use my fenders for working and playing out and really throw myself into the adaptation/learning of new and different techniques hence why I'm not looking for a more expensive instrument ATM.

I have heard great things about Ibanez basses but this day have never tried one!....

In terms of mindset and technique what do established/more experienced 6ers feel the common pitfalls are?

Where do people fall down on their transition?
 
#7
I don't play mine much. I have/keep it just in case I ever need a 6-string - and it's a really nice bass that I got for cheap (compared to normal used market price). When I do play it, I find it harder to play than 4 or 5 strings. I don't really have any trouble switching back and forth between 4 and 5. But, I think that's because mentally I think I reference my fretting from the bottom string (i.e. the treble side). So, adding a string on the top doesn't throw me off. All the "regular" notes are where my fingers expect to find them. But, adding that C string on the bottom side does throw me off. Now all the "regular" notes are 1 string over from where my fingers expect to find them. Plus, I more or less started on a 5 string and started switching back and forth with a 4 pretty early on in my playing and have switched back and forth constantly ever since.

Also, string muting is definitely somewhat more challenging on the 6. It really just makes me put a bit more effort into my technique. The Cirrus fretboard is pretty flat - i.e. a larger radius. I think this helps with muting, making it easier than it would be with a shorter radius/more curved fretboard.

That said, I have never spent a lot of time playing the 6. I just dink around with it occasionally. I expect that if I just committed to it and only it for a couple of weeks it would come to feel natural and my 4 stringers would start feeling like toys! It's moot at the moment, though. I'm one year in and I'm still in love with my EBMM Sterling 5H and it fits the music I'm playing (blues, rock, r&b, and big band) perfectly (in my opinion, anyway), so I'm not likely to worry about playing any other basses any time too soon.
 
#8
I'm gonna have to suggest trying out a Schecter Stiletto 6 (specifically the Custom or Studio), or the (best value for the money) ESP LTD 206 SM, but as Thomas suggested, Ibanez makes some good 6-strings, too, provided you don't mind a 34" scale for the majority of them.

Keep in mind that a 6-string bass' neck is lovingly referred to as a 2x4 for a reason. They're wide, and that does take some getting used to, even if you're just moving up from a 5-string, but especially if you're coming from a 4-string. I didn't find them uncomfortable, per se, but you have to stretch your hands and fingers a bit more to accommodate for the wider neck. If anything, after you get one, I'd fully recommend that you take the time to learn how to play it before going and trying to gig with it, provided you do that sort of thing. One important thing to remember (and something I struggled with) was that my high string was no longer a G. That in itself took some getting used to.

Stuart brings up a good point that muting becomes a bit more of a challenge and it will definitely refine your technique.

They're fun though. If you get one, just keep plugging away with it until you can play as effortlessly as you could with your 4-string.
 
#11
This is in your budget. A lot of bass for less.

ESP LTD D6 NS bass guitar, 6-String Merbau, Neck thru body, Neck/Fretboard: 5-pc. maple-mahogany, Rosewood fingerboard, 24 Frets, thomann Pickups: ESP DB-6 Set, Electronics: Vol / Bal w/ ESP ABQ3 3-Band Active EQ, Bridge: ESP DB-6 string-thru-body, Color Natural Satin. Price EUR 539,00=£446.38.

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Regards,

R.
 
#12
This is also in your budget. Pay attention that they deliver all basses with a PLEK job.

K6 35"6-String Bass - Spalted Amberburst- Plek'd - Custom Wound Pickups- Hipshot

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#15
Six strings are a blast to play. My main bass is an Ibanez Soundgear 6'er. If you get one, keep in mind that the string spacing is quite a bit narrower than the average 4 or 5 string. There are other 6'ers with wider spacing, like the BTB series or the MTD Kingston Z6.
If you can, get over to a music store and play a few. I realize that 6'ers aren't nearly as common as 4's, but hopefully you'll be able to get your hands on at least a couple different basses.
 
#16
I prefer the MTD Kingston line because of the Bartolini electronics and the excellent craftsmanship.

I like this one. Purple heart fretboard….really amazing. And a 6 string.

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#17
+1 on the Sound Gear Premium, I got one and love it. They are a pretty good bargain, the narrow spacing is great for playing chords yet you can still easily slap with it. It's relatively light and very comfortable to play on gigs. Those Norstrand pickups which you can also get on the BTB are really what makes it shine, the clarity of notes is amazing, again great for playing chords. On the other hand, depending on your musical style the high C can be a bit of a novelty, where you could probably get by on a 5 string just fine most of the time. I'm my opinion the low B is far more of an advantage for most bassists than having that high C. Just remember having more strings is not going to make you any better of a player, it will just change the way you sound. Marcus Miller can blow almost anyone out of the water with his 4 string jazz bass.
 

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