The Short-Scale Six-String Club—for the original six-string basses!

[lunarpollen]

So I just got an email back from Kurt@Rondo Music.com saying that we should expect something similar to a Bass VI this fall...no word on specs but..

Eeeee I am excited about this!!!

 

[MIJ-VI]

The neck on my 62 Burns 6 string bass was narrower than the neck on our guitarists Strat.
The Burns also had a whammy bar as it was in reality a modded version of their Split Sound Guitar and brought out in answer to Fender's Bass VI

Hum-cancelling pickups?

 

[MIJ-VI]

Maybe, but the Hellcat uses a .022 cap and 500K pots, so it already passes a lot more treble than the Bass VI's electronics, for instance. I'm more inclined to think it's fact that the pickups are humbuckers rather than single coils (in split mode they sound brighter, but they're really low output).

But since they're humbucking (unless you engage the coil split), kslight, they shouldn't really hum or require extra shielding. Could just be a bad solder joint on a ground wire or something, which any competent guitar tech should be able to handle.

I believe that the Fender Jaguar uses 1 Meg Ohm pots (on the lower of its two circuits) to achieve the screeching treble its (in)famous for.

Perhaps said pots would brighten the tone of a Hellcat VI?

Another potential option would be to fashion a new pick-guard made for Strat pickups.

EDIT: Or split, single-coil pickups like Invalid Link Removed which Curtis Novak offers for the Fender Electric XII.

Curtis could likely wind these similar to Jaguar/Bass VI pickups so that they sound good for bass guitar.

Single-coil twang, and single pole-piece-per-string bite without the buzz!

 

[MIJ-VI]

Hey I've been a lurker on this thread for awhile...and I am a VI-er at least as far as purchasing a Schecter Hellcat VI about 6 months ago.

If you guys want to see a VI from Kurt @ Rondo, I would highly suggest expressing your interest to him over email (www.rondomusic.com is his site...).

I've bugged him a couple times and he seems interested but is probably unsure of being able to sell it and what kind of features the people that actually play a VI want (that they can't get anywhere else affordably, preferably).

If he did end up making one, I imagine that he would require a deposit similar to how he sells the 8-string guitars that he has...which look very high quality for the price...even though the 8-strings are more than his other instruments, I definitely think the build/finish looks a lot better/cooler than the less expensive models...

I've purchased 3 guitars from Kurt in the last 8 years, and they were less expensive models, but I still own and play one of them (a discontinued SG copy with P-90s), and like it better than the similar Gibson model....and it looks like lately his quality has gotten to the point where he's almost a niche manufacturer instead of just another Korean copy producer.

So for me, I'd be really excited to see what he came up with in terms of specs/body/finish/price..if he could make something that looks as well done as his 8-strings, especially.

So I say if you are interested in one and want your voice heard as far as deal-breaker features (well we all know we need at least a 30" scale...whammy or not, single coils x2 or x3, extra switching options, finish, body style, price you'd be willing to pay), then let him know or else don't complain if you don't see a VI from Rondo or it doesn't have "x" feature that you think is essential.

I would like to see (1) a 30.5" scale though I'd take a 30" if it came to it, I don't have a whammy bar now so I could take it or leave it, being able to accept standard VI strings is essential as they are already difficult enough to get.

I'd like (2) three single coils with jag switching if he'd do it+being well shielded out of the factory would be a big plus, and I'd really like to see a body style that hasn't been used on a VI before...

I think (3) a "vintage" looking flying V style would be neat, or an SG to match the Gibson VI, or I'd take the SJM-62 body he'd suggested earlier in the forum.

Really anything is probably not as ugly as the Hellcat...but something totally unique would definitely add something to the value for me.

I don't think I'm as picky as some might be, so I think pointing out deal-breakers to him might be helpful in getting the best all around VI features...and since I've not played a real Fender VI, maybe someone else could say that (4) the jag switching/trem bar doesn't add much if anything the value of it, then that would be helpful.

Me personally, as I own the Hellcat only, I can definitely find some room for improvement (which doesn't mean I don't like the guitar, but it is as far as I can see the best option outside of finding a quality vintage instrument or building a USAGC).

(1) Yes! More string tension = more bone-to-the-tone. (A 4+2 tuner layout would reduce string tension for the 1st & 2nd strings making them easier to bend.)

(2) Mandatory. The mid pickup on my MIJ Fender VI gives it the only mid-bass punch it has.

(3) Only a contoured body shape which is weight-balanced and comfortable to play standing or seated will do.

(4) A Strat switch in a body rout large enough to accommodate Invalid Link Removed would be FAR superior to fiddly little slide switches which rattle from string vibration.

The Jazzmaster/Jaguar/Bass VI tremolo is an interesting toy which compromises tuning stability/ease of set-up. In a live performance setting I wouldn't tolerate it.

EDIT: This impression was formed by the stock trem in my MIJ Fender VI.

I've since learned that the U.S made American Vintage units are of a superior quality.

Invalid Link Removed They are interchangeable.

Also the Invalid Link Removed are different as well (the U.S. made American Vintage one allegedly has a groove that helps it remain in position instead of falling loosely away).

 

[Bassman62]

Hum-cancelling pickups?

Not quite sure as there was only on suitable position for Bass (Jazz) the split sound concept was for Guitar.

 

[MIJ-VI]

Yeah the Hellcat's pickups are definitely not bright or intense, but I can't help but wonder how much brighter they could be with a tone pot bypass.

And I definitely don't have any hum issue on mine

Within days of buying it, I replaced the tone pot in my MIJ 'VI with a 6-pole, 4-position rotary switch to add a number of series in & out-of-phase pickup combinations (the original p/u's in my 'VI had no RWRP centre pickup).

Subtracting the tone pot from my 'VI's circuit resulted in a treble attack increase which can part hair!

The resulting round-wound string finger noise is substantial.

I'm considering adding a 250K resistor and an orange drop cap to simulate the presence of a tone pot turned up full--unless of course, the LaBella flat-wounds turn out to be good strings (no dead, thudding low E string, and 1st & 2nd strings which are reasonable easy to bend).

 

[MIJ-VI]

Not quite sure as there was only on suitable position for Bass (Jazz) the split sound concept was for Guitar.

What I meant was, do the Burns pickups employ two coils (one RWRP) each.., similar in principal to Fender Precision p/u's?

 

[MIJ-VI]

We'll soon know. I just ordered 3 sets.

Subscribed.

 

[hellboy]

I believe that the Fender Jaguar uses 1 Meg Ohm pots (on the lower of its two circuits) to achieve the screeching treble its (in)famous for.

Perhaps said pots would brighten the tone of a Hellcat VI?

I'm sure they'd be brighter with 1 Meg pots, but they might also just add lots of string noise without changing the essential character of the minihumbuckers. I still think actual single coils is the better way to go. I've been debating whether to get Seymour Duncan Jag pups or Novaks. Your idea of using the XII-style split pickups is interesting, too - personally I think the Precision split pickup is probably the best bass pickup ever designed, and the XII's might sound similar.

Within days of buying it, I replaced the tone pot in my MIJ 'VI with a 6-pole, 4-position rotary switch to add a number of series in & out-of-phase pickup combinations (the original p/u's in my 'VI had no RWRP centre pickup).

Oooh, I'm intrigued. What other combinations did you add and what do you think of them?

 

[kidgloves2]

Anyone have clips playing their Bass VI's? I wan to hear sonic possibilities and intonation. The couple clips I found on youtube were poorly intonated. I hear it's a problem for the bass VI.

 

[lousybassist]

Anyone have clips playing their Bass VI's? I wan to hear sonic possibilities and intonation. The couple clips I found on youtube were poorly intonated. I hear it's a problem for the bass VI.

There are three tracks over at my Link Removed that were recorded at a solo gig I did with my CIJ VI a while ago. These tacks may give you an idea of some of the VI's sonic possibilities, but are pretty worthless if you want to hear it in a traditional bass role.

 

[kidgloves2]

Was that it on Plume? Very nice! I like your music. What are the 3 tracks exactly?

 

[MIJ-VI]

(1) I'm sure they'd be brighter with 1 Meg pots, but they might also just add lots of string noise without changing the essential character of the minihumbuckers. I still think actual single coils is the better way to go. I've been debating whether to get Seymour Duncan Jag pups or Novaks. Your idea of using the XII-style split pickups is interesting, too - personally I think the Precision split pickup is probably the best bass pickup ever designed, and the XII's might sound similar.

Oooh, I'm intrigued. (2) What other combinations did you add and (3) what do you think of them?

Hi hellboy.

(1) For the sake of affordable experimentation couldn't you add a 500K resister in series with each of the pots?

(2) I used the 'Ultimate Strat Switch' schematic published in a Guitar Player magazine article back in '84 or so. I posted scans of photocopies of said article HERE.

(3) The original pickups in my MIJ Fender VI had NO RWRP capability.

As a stopgap measure I installed the rotary switch to give my 'VI some series out-of-phase (thus hum-cancelling) p/u combos for use with overdrive.

Clean, these OOP sounds made my MIJ sound like a variety of bass banjos, and sitars (think the nasally-sounding guitar solo on the original recording of Steely Dan's - Do It Again but tuned down an octave) .

However with overdrive the resulting tones made typical heavy metal guitars seem wimpy.

The series in-phase tones were/are thicker & louder than the stock parallel in-phase pickup combinations.

But a couple of months ago I got around to installing the Jaguar pickups which Curtis Novak made for me.

Aside from sounding more full, punchy, and crisp, these p/u's also add RWRP (centre p/u as per a proper Fender VI) which supplies hum-cancelling on the stock parallel bridge + mid, and mid + neck combos but now all the sitar sounds (all three p/u's in series with the centre one out-of-phase) are noisy.

*The ideal single-coil pickups are the split-coil design. G&L uses them on [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] If you [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] them maybe they'll sell you some.

*EDIT: "[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]".

 

[Godbody]

So I just got an email back from Kurt@Rondo Music.com saying that we should expect something similar to a Bass VI this fall...no word on specs but..

I am crapping my pants with excitement NON-STOP until this comes out.

 

[iamthebassman]

http://cgi.ebay.com/Gretsch-G5566-J...trkparms=65:12|66:2|39:1|72:1205|293:1|294:50

 

[lousybassist]

Was that it on Plume? Very nice! I like your music.

No, not "Plume", but almost, and thanks! Glad you like what you heard.

"Plume" features a Jaguar Bass VI though, as does one of the versions of "Ohne Titel" (the non live one). In fact, most of my album Auszüge - which, incidently, is available for free downloading over at Link Removed - was recorded with my Jaguar Bass VI.

What are the 3 tracks exactly?

Sorry, I should have been more specific in my previous post... It's the three first ones in the player - namely those with "(live)" in their respective titles - that was recorded at my latest solo gig, during which I played my regular VI.

 

[iamthebassman]

Here's a shot of my converted-to-lefty Gretsch(yes, I play with the big string on bottom), forgot I had this photo, gonna put Labella flats on tonight.

 

[kslight]

Here are some samples of performance with my Hellcat VI...the songs you hear are demos off of our upcoming album, so a little rough, but should give you a different idea of how its played than the way I think most people choose to play their VI...all of it is recorded off of a Fender 59 Bassman Reissue...several different pedals involved if you are curious I will explain...

Link Removed <---Only "How It's Meant To Be"...I do play "Optical Crown" NOW through the VI (it is the only guitar I use in this band), but at the time that we recorded that about a year ago I didn't have the VI.

Also this video all the guitar in the beginning you hear is the Hellcat VI...

http://www.youtube.com/v/xnJnFfBH-lU&hl=en&fs=1&

A more recent video...

http://www.youtube.com/v/W-WODq_mXIA&hl=en&fs=1&


I sometimes play it just like a baritone guitar, sometimes like a bass, sometimes as a melody instrument...sometimes all within the same song.

 

[iamthebassman]

I put the Labella Bass VI flats on my Gretsch last night, had to widen the low E nut slot slightly, and give the truss rod a tweak to get the action back down, but I must say they sound fantastic! That real 60s movie/TV picked bass tone. Feel great too.

 

[Tony In Philly]

I put the Labella Bass VI flats on my Gretsch last night, had to widen the low E nut slot slightly, and give the truss rod a tweak to get the action back down, but I must say they sound fantastic! That real 60s movie/TV picked bass tone. Feel great too.

Kinda like the "Wild, Wild West" maybe?