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

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#821
cbaixo said:
So, this means:

"...I [any guitar player in ca. 1962] can get a Fender VI [or a Danelectro] because not only can get bass gigs, but also I can play on this instrument like a guitarist, i.e., I can play melodies and chords as well as bass lines. And this is perfect because I don't need to 'custom' my fingers to the string spacing and string length of a regular bass guitar, because my Fender VI [or Danelectro] has the -aproximately- same string length and spacing than my regular guitar..."

Is it correct?? Have I understood Fender VI [or Danelectro] function properly?? :confused:

cbaixo
Click to expand...

The scale length of a Fender VI is 30.3", and the Danelectro 6 is 30", whereas the Fender Stratocaster, Telecaster, and Jazzmaster etc have scale lengths of 25.5".

So a Bass VI-type instrument has longer (and much thicker) strings which, at best, can be bent (the E 1st string anyway) somewhere between a semi-tone and a whole tone (depending upon the string gauges used).

Playing a Fender VI provides a feel, sound, general capability which lies mid-way between a Jazz Bass and a Stratocaster (at one time or another I've owned all three instruments), yet is very different as well--bass sound, guitar feel.

A 'VI is a truly unique instrument which must be explored on its own terms.

I've posted this before, but here it is again: a Fender VI (flatwounds, string mute disengaged, strangle switch on, bridge pickup only) being used as a guitar in a band which already has a bass player (as always, headphones please :)); Hank The Knife & The Jets - Stan The Gunman.
 
#823
Hi again, MIJ-VI!! :)

Thanks again for your very useful comments!! :)

Let's see:

MIJ-VI said:
...So a Bass VI-type instrument has longer (and much thicker) strings which, at best, can be bent (the E 1st string anyway) somewhere between a semi-tone and a whole tone (depending upon the string gauges used).

Playing a Fender VI provides a feel, sound, general capability which lies mid-way between a Jazz Bass and a Stratocaster (at one time or another I've owned all three instruments), yet is very different as well--bass sound, guitar feel.

A 'VI is a truly unique instrument which must be explored on its own terms...
Click to expand...

I see. It can be seen NEITHER a substitute for a guitar and NOR a substitute for a guitar but another instrument... Aha... Good!! :smug:

MIJ-VI said:
...I've posted this before, but here it is again: a Fender VI (flatwounds, string mute disengaged, strangle switch on, bridge pickup only) being used as a guitar in a band which already has a bass player (as always, headphones please :)); Hank The Knife & The Jets - Stan The Gunman.
Click to expand...

Very clear this example...

Then, in a band with no bass player, Fender VI will fill this role and in a band with no guitar player Fender VI will fill guitar role.

Thanks a lot!! :)

cbaixo
 
#824
BluesyRocker said:
Im confused, are these things basses or just electric guitars with Heavy gauge strings?
Click to expand...

Hi BluesyRocker.

They're both.

Here's a band which, at one point in their lengthy career, used two Fender VI's: one as a bass (neck & mid pickups), and the other as a guitar (all three pickups): The Tielman Brothers - Bossa Nova Baby (Indorock / Indo Rock) Holland

EDIT: The Tielmans are playing two Olympic White 1961 Fender VI's. (Note the three switch, switch plates, and metal pickup mounting rings.) Those are now VERY rare Fender VI's indeed! (From 1962 onwards Fender VI's used a 4 switch plate, and Jaguar guitar pickups.)
 
#825
Thanks for the useful info, I still love my four stringers though. These look to much like regular guitars to me. But I guess they have their place would be useful for more melodic stuff and if you are playing a lot of chords. **** after reading some of these posts on what you can do with them, I want one too :).
 
#826
MIJ-VI said:
...Here's a band which, at one point in their lengthy career, used two Fender VI's: one as a bass (neck & mid pickups), and the other as a guitar (all three pickups): The Tielman Brothers - Bossa Nova Baby (Indorock / Indo Rock) Holland...
Click to expand...

Aha... Very good!! :)

With no doubt Fender VI was a very versatile instrument as it could function as a guitar and as bass. Now I wonder why bands like that one (=The Tielman Brothers) preferred the two Fender VI instead the regular couple of guitar+bass...

BTW: which guitars are the other two at that clip?? :confused:

Best!! :)

cbaixo
 
#827
lousybassist said:
Here's my Jaguar Bass VI. It's a lovely instrument, even though it's impossible to intonate the low E properly with the stock bridge.

HPIM0104.jpg
Click to expand...


Nice guitar, but I cant stop looking at the massive loom in the background , equally impressive.
 
#830
cbaixo said:
Aha... Very good!! :)

With no doubt Fender VI was a very versatile instrument as it could function as a guitar and as bass. Now I wonder why bands like that one (=The Tielman Brothers) preferred the two Fender VI instead the regular couple of guitar+bass...

BTW: which guitars are the other two at that clip?? :confused:

Best!! :)

cbaixo
Click to expand...

Dance routines? :D

The white guitar is a Fender Jazzmaster.
 
#831
Hi MIJ-VI!1 :)

MIJ-VI said:
Dance routines?...
Click to expand...

Probably you are right as I have read that "...in the spring of 1961 Andy Tielman bought his first (white) Fender Jazzmaster. Andy knew this guitar from the LP sleeves of The Ventures. This guitar appeared to be quite suitable for stage bouncing (much lighter than Gibson Les Pauls) and other guitar acrobatics and stage acts. This was quite important and in the end the band bought a complete Fender equipment outfit at Radio Barth in Stuttgart...."

But the question remains: why Fender VI's and not -for example- 2 Jazzmasters and a Precission?? Is Fender VI lighter than Precission?? Or..., are two Fender VI + one Jazzmaster + that_unknown_guitar (=gear at your clip) lighter than two Jazzmasters + one Les Paul + one Precission (=gear at my photo)?? :confused:

Thanks again and best wishes!! :)

cbaixo
 
#832
cbaixo said:
But the question remains: why Fender VI's and not -for example- 2 Jazzmasters and a Precission?? Is Fender VI lighter than Precission?? Or..., are two Fender VI + one Jazzmaster + that_unknown_guitar (=gear at your clip) lighter than two Jazzmasters + one Les Paul + one Precission (=gear at my photo)?? :confused:

Thanks again and best wishes!! :)

cbaixo
Click to expand...

Hi cbaixo.

The Fender VI is lighter, shorter, and easier to throw around than a P or a J.

On the day the Tielman Brothers bought their Fenders they may have went for matching colours and body styles, or perhaps they got a deal on the two 'VI's, or maybe they just liked them.

They were a cutting edge, and very cool instrument at the time (and still are IMO :))

Years ago I even saw a photo of a young, tuxedo-wearing, and clean-shaven Willie Nelson playing one. :eek:
 
#839
Hi again MIJ-VI!! :)

MIJ-VI said:
...The Fender VI is lighter, shorter, and easier to throw around than a P or a J.

On the day the Tielman Brothers bought their Fenders they may have went for matching colours and body styles, or perhaps they got a deal on the two 'VI's, or maybe they just liked them.

They were a cutting edge, and very cool instrument at the time...
Click to expand...

Oh I see...

Which seems clear is that they changed from the 2 Jazzmasters + Les Paul + Precission line to the unknown_guitar + Jazzmaster + 2 Fender VI's somewhere in 1961 or 1962, judging from your clip and my photo..., didn't they??

It's very interesting indeed...

Best!! :)

cbaixo
 
#840
BluesyRocker said:
Nice guitar, but I cant stop looking at the massive loom in the background , equally impressive.
Click to expand...
It is indeed massive, that loom, and I can't for the life of me understand how it works. :)

MIJ-VI said:
Hi LB.

Have you managed to track down a Tune O Matic bridge which has a better intonation travel?

If not, perhaps Invalid Link Removed can help.
Click to expand...
I haven't seriously looked for another bridge, but thanks for the link! I'll save it for future reference. At the moment, I have the Jaguar strung B-B, which avoids intonation issues.

savinggrace said:
I would like to hear more examples of the VI (and/ or related instruments) on the more bassy side of things, to see how far it can go in that direction.
Click to expand...
I think I've posted these links before in this thread, but anyway, here's two live videos in which you can hear me play a VI strictly as a bass. I even play it fingerstyle:



That gig was played about a week or two after I got my VI, so please excuse my sloppy playing...

josbroek said:
dont they sound and play like a guitar??
Click to expand...
It depends on how you play them, and how you want them to sound. But then again, that goes for any bass guitar. :)
 
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