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Tick Tack 6 String Bass Question...

O

oceantracks

Jul 20, 2011
9
0
#1
Hey I'm a bit late to the party discovering these things but I just love the sound of the solos in "Galveston" and "Wichita Lineman".....is there any bass made today that will get that tone, and the famous "tick tack" bass sounds of the early Sixties? Without spending a fortune?

Thanks for any info...I checked the Dano site but they apparently don't make one anymore...like I said...late to the party...;) Thanks

Tom
 
#3
Eastwood makes one:

http://www.eastwoodguitars.com/

Sidejack Bass VI.

Fender has reissued the Bass VI in a Japan made version in the 1990s, but fetching higher dollars. The USA Custom shop version is really pricey:

http://www.themusiczoo.com/product/3857/Fender-Custom-Shop-Bass-VI-Relic-Electric-Guitar-Sonic-Blue/

The Fender Bass VI and the Danelectro Longhorn 6 are probably the two most famous examples. Tuned like a guitar, but an octave lower.

The Fender Bass VI is nice, but the neck is narrow (1.5 inches) at the nut. Pretty tight for those with larger hands.

Warmoth and USA Custom Guitars both make versions of the Bass VI, but the USACG is more accurate (but the metal control plate is hard to come by).

Dan

:
 
#4
The AFFORDABLE option is Schecter:
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I have an Ultra VI, it's great.

For a more vintage-style B6, there's the Hellcat, which has just been redesigned for a new model with single-coil pickups:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
 
#5
Hey great, thanks for the quick and informative replies. OK..bear with some noob questions please....

Now...are we saying that any 6 string bass will get that sound?
I had it in my mind that the "Wichita Lineman" sound was not only a six string bass, but either had something to do with the pickups, or ...were they using..and would one use...some kind of roundwound strings on them to get the twangy sound?

I would use this only for recording so authenticity in looks isn't important. I'll check out the links...thanks!

Tom
 
#8
oceantracks said:
Now...are we saying that any 6 string bass will get that sound?
I had it in my mind that the "Wichita Lineman" sound was not only a six string bass, but either had something to do with the pickups, or ...were they using..and would one use...some kind of roundwound strings on them to get the twangy sound?

I would use this only for recording so authenticity in looks isn't important. I'll check out the links...thanks!

Tom
Click to expand...

Well, any short-scale-six will sound similar to that. As to whether it's the exact same sound, that's more a matter of opinion. My Ultra VI is a very different beast to a Dano longhorn, but to my ears it doesn't sound all that different, particularly using the bridge pickup alone.

There's a multi-part TB Bass VI club thread, by the way. That's part 4, there are links to the earlier parts.
 
#9
djetz said:
The AFFORDABLE option is Schecter:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
I have an Ultra VI, it's great.

For a more vintage-style B6, there's the Hellcat, which has just been redesigned for a new model with single-coil pickups:
[Invalid or Expired Link Removed]
Click to expand...

Big fan of the Ultra VI myself, plus you can split the coils to get "that sound". Very versatile.
 
#10
Why does it have to be a six string bass at all?

It seems to me that a bass VI is tuned EADG exactly like a regular bass, has a short scale, light gauge strings, and is generally played with a pick. Am I wrong?

Just get any short scale bass and put light strings on it. Play it with a pick, and you'll be 99% there, without having to deal with the quirks of a bass VI.
 
#11
There`s a couple of ways to tune a baritone guitar, but Glenn Campbel`s tuning is a 4th below a guitar, lowest string is a B.
I just picked up a used Danelectro Longhorn baritone and am now having a hard time playing bass. This guitar is that cool.
 

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