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The Short-Scale Six-String Club Part 3 - for the original six-string basses!

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#561
idoru said:
Oh, the wait... I have a '96 MIJ VI inbound via Shipito.com (an invaluable service for us Aussies).

c-
Click to expand...

I've got one too. If it still has stock pickups then they'll likely be quite microphonic (a problem if one uses overdrive tones at hefty volumes) and they'll all be the same (no Reverse Wound, Reverse Polarity centre pickup to create a hum-cancelling circuit when used in conjunction with the bridge or neck pickup).

Since the Fender VI uses the same pickups as the Fender Jaguar guitar here's an affordable replacement option from Angela Instruments:

Get one Fender Jaguar Bridge Pickup (this is the RWRP unit)

And two Fender Jaguar Neck Pickups

These affordable (39.99 USD ea.) genuine Fender Jaguar pickups come with the metal 'claw' and plastic cover.

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A pricier replacement pickup option:

Have [Invalid or Expired Link Removed] for a Fender VI. (Be sure to ask him to wax pot them in order to combat microphonic squeal.)

Please note: these do NOT come with the claws & covers. You'll have to use the ones which came with your MIJ's stock pickups. This is what I did when I had Curtis make me a set in the winter of '09. (FTR I didn't know about Angela Instruments at that time.)

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BTW. If you're chasing the 1960's Fender VI tones which are to be heard on many, many soundtracks then flatwound strings are a must-have. La Bella is the only major string company in the world who makes them for the Fender VI (I've had them on my MIJ' since last winter, they're excellent).

Here's the best deal I've found thus far:

LABELLA 767-6F 6-STRING ELECTRIC BASS SET
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]

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Oh yeah. The MIJ Fender VI has carbon shielding paint applied to its pickup and control cavities and does NOT have a shielding plate under its pick-guard (IIRC the original Fender VI'es made from 1961 - early 1975 had one made of thin aluminium).

It's best to have the instrument properly shielded with copper tape before installing replacement pickups:

How to shield a guitar.
http://www.google.ca/search?hl=en&s...+a+guitar.&gs_rfai=&pbx=1&fp=edaa10517bd269d5
 
#564
OK. HOLD ONTO YOUR HATS. SCHECTER HAS RELEASED A NEW VI!!!!

Called the Ultra VI. Some details........

Tuners -
Grover ROTOMATICS® WITH 18:1 GEAR RATIO (102-18 SERIES) The original Rotomatic® with an improved higher ratio gearing. The 18:1 ratio provides for finer tuning and greater stability. The finer gears provide smoother tuning and a higher degree of backlash elimination


Finger Board - Rosewood
The most common fretboard, Rosewood is naturally oily, and works well for any surface that sees frequent human contact. The sound is richer in fundamental than Maple because the stray overtones are absorbed into the oily pores.


Pickups - Duncan Designed FG-101 pickups with Volume/Tone/3 Slider on/off/tap controls. These are different from the ones on the HCVI.
THIS HAS BEEN OFFICIALLY CONFIRMED WITH THE PRODUCT MANAGER FROM SCHECTER


Neck - 3-pc Mahogany
Made with 3 pieces of mahogany for extra stability. 3 piece necks can withstand the test of time. Where standard necks may show aging defects from temperature and moisture changes throughout the years, the 3 piece neck will stay nice and straight for a lifetime of playability.

Construction: - Set Neck (HCVI IS BOLT-ON)
Available Bodies: - Mahogany (HCVI IS ALDER)
Neck: - 3-pc Mahogany (HCVI IS MAPLE)
Finger Board: - Rosewood (SAME AS HCVI)
Frets: - 22 Medium (SAME AS HCVI)
Inlay: - MOP Blocks (HCVI IS DOTS)
Tuners: - Grover (SAME AS HCVI )
Pickups: - Duncan Designed FG-101 (DIFFERENT FROM THE HCVI
Electronics: - Volume/Tone/3 Slider on/off/tap controls. DIFFERENT FROM THE 5-WAY ON THE HCVI
Available Bridges: - TonePros System w/Custom Brass Saddles (SAME AS HCVI)
Scale: - 30" (SAME AS HCVI)
Hardware: - Chrome (SAME AS HCVI)
Available Colors: - Gloss Black (BLK) - Silverburst (SVB)
Available Cases: - None (SAME AS HCVI)
Available Lefty: - Yes (NOT AN OPTION WITH THE HCVI)

New Ultra VI: [Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Original HCVI: Invalid Link Removed

Pricing: It is not clear what the "street" price for it will be. MSRP is US$919. BUT, according to the Schecter site the HCVI is listed at MSRP US$869. Nearly identical. So, the actual retail price difference between them may not be all that different. The street price for the HCVI is usually US $599 or so.

Strings: The LaBella HCVI strings will fit this one as well. You will need to cut a few strings to size. NOTE: Ernie Ball will be manufacturing strings for this and all future Schecter VI's.
 

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#568
Stop the presses......Possible typo in the Schecter Ultra VI PUPs description...

The pickups in the Ultra VI DO look a lot like the FG-101's in the online description. It does appear to be a typo on the Ultra VI's product page. They don't look like the 102's currently found on the HCVI. I have emailed Schecter for clarification. Stay tuned...


THIS IS NOW CONFIRMED WITH THE PRODUCT MANAGER AT SCHECTER. THE ULTRA VI WILL DEFINITELY HAVE THE NEWER FG-101's.
 
#569
"The most common fretboard, Rosewood is naturally oily, and works well for any surface that sees frequent human contact. The sound is richer in fundamental than Maple because the stray overtones are absorbed into the oily pores."

Hahahahahahahaha

Well I hope they get the specs sorted soon re: pickup model and switches. This beast looks like a real winner. I'm eager to hear what the neck + bridge PU combination sounds like!!
 
#575
hellboy said:
If you like the tone, that's all that matters. You can't even begin to define what would be "better" until you know what it is that's unsatisfying about what you currently have. If you're really feeling insecure about having Chinese knockoffs, look for the originals - there are lots of replacements for Gretsch-style minihums. TV Jones might be a good place to start.
Click to expand...

I agree with you and MIJ-VI, I like my tone and I don't want to necessarily change anything.
This pickup hint is what I was looking for, "upgrading" my pickups, not mounting something completely different.

I'll take a look to TV Jones stuff ... let's see.
 
#576
Ultra VI: Initial Reports

KEEP IN MIND THAT THESE OBSERVATIONS ARE FROM SOMEBODY WHO HAS A MODEL WITH THE NEWER PUPS

1. LaBella HCVI strings work fine!...

Poster to the FB Group reports: "Yes the Labella strings will work. I bought the Ultra VI prototype Schecter had for sell a month or so ago, I have the Nickel Labella Hellcat VI strings on it and they work like a charm. I had to cut the B & E strings but other than those the other strings went on without a hitch."


2. Initial Playability report...

Same poster reports "Well I guess you could say the obvious is the Hellcat plays like a Fender as to where the Ultra is like a Gibson,really smooth feel with a wider neck, the pickups are different they are MH101s, which may be what are in the new Ultra if in fact they have a typo on the spec sheet but we shall see. Over all the tone is a lot cleaner and less muddy than the hellcat but the output volume of the Ultra is less than the output of the Hellcat. Thank god for clean boost pedals haha."

"I can say after spending some time with the Ultra prototype the pickups to my ears are a cleaner/brighter sound than the hellcat, while the hellcat can get a more rounded bass sound than the ultra."

"Split or not split? Split it sounded like anything you have ever heard from The Cure, then not split it sounded like a p bass that had EMGs in it because it was very very clean but not quite as well rounded as a standard P Bass."

"I enjoy playing the Ultra more personally, so to me it is easier I think it is more of a question like what are you used to playing because that will determine which is easier to play, I like the wider necks so the Ultra is more my style but if someone likes playing a strat or tele more than a gibson the Hellcat would be for them."

"Ok well the Hellcat had a cure vibe but to me you couldn't get the terrible clean sound to sound as good as you hear from the bass VI Robert Smith used, but you could get the bass sounds and actually even deeper bass sounds from the hellcat than you could the Bass VI but now the Ultra kinda flips it around, you can get the terrible cleans that to my ears sound even cleaner and more bell like than a bass VI but as far as the low end bass sounds, you can get what the bass VI can get but not the really rounded low end like what the Hellcat can get. Does that make sense?"

"as far as mahogany vs alder & maple, the only difference that has made is sustain, the Ultra has endless amounts of sustain like you wouldn't believe much more than the hellcat which had a lot already, the sound on the ultra actually resonates so much that the other strings vibrate with a bit of sympathetic vibration like you would experience on an acoustic guitar"


3. About the PUPS
THE ULTRA VI WILL DEFINITELY HAVE THE NEWER FG-101's.
 
#577
I got some major news from the Schecter folks today...

1. IT HAS BEEN CONFIRMED BY SCHECTER THAT THEY ARE USING THE NEWER FG-101s PUPS FOR THE ULTRA VI.

"FG-101 pickups with Volume/Tone/3 Slider on/off/tap controls."


2. Ernie Ball will be making strings for the VI. Not sure how they will stack up to the LaBellas. But, competition is always good.

"We have also developed a new relationship with Ernie Ball who will be producing the strings for this and future VI models."


3. There will be other VI's coming from Schecter this year:

"We have a C-1 VI in the proto stages, so this may be one to look out for in 2011!!"

So, there you have it!
 
#578
Interesting. I wonder if the C-1 Bass VI will be an archtop version, like most of their C-1s.

I also really want to do an in-person comparison of the Hellcat to the Ultra. I like the look of the Ultra better, but I play Fender-y guitars more often these days...

I wonder if anyplace in NYC will ever get one (or both) in stock?
 
#579
IntrepidCellist said:
Interesting. I wonder if the C-1 Bass VI will be an archtop version, like most of their C-1s.

I also really want to do an in-person comparison of the Hellcat to the Ultra. I like the look of the Ultra better, but I play Fender-y guitars more often these days...

I wonder if anyplace in NYC will ever get one (or both) in stock?
Click to expand...

You and me both...I'm checking on availability.........

I got my HCVI via Internet retailer. They're a "fringe" instrument so most places don't keep them in stock. You have 30 days or so return options with Amazon and the like so risk is minimal. All you're out is return postage and insurance if you return it.

The C-1 is still in R&D phase so will be awhile until it's ready.
 
#580
Timing on the Schecter Ultra VI: Probably not available until late Spring, 2011 at best......

The C-1 is still in R&D phase so will be awhile until it's ready. Hopefully, later this year......
 
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