Moving to the 6 string environment

[Sub_Drop]

I own a 4 string fretless and a 5 string but I want to extend my range and also play stanley clarke/ victor wooten pieces in the ADGC tuning. What would be a good quality 6 string bass to invest in?

[chrismuzz]

What are the makes/models of your current two basses? There are plenty of options in that price bracket

[Chris Horton]

Hi,
I would recomend either of the basses in the links below -


[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146725&hl=trb"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146725&hl=trb[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146959&hl=trb"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146959&hl=trb[/url]


Both basses would be very different but great sound and playability for not much dosh

[Chris2112]

Yamaha TRB is always what comes to mind when I think of a good six string on a budget. I believe there is also a 6 string Spector on the boards at the moment for not much more, which will be an incredible bass.

[jhk]

[quote name='Chris Horton' post='1345050' date='Aug 19 2011, 07:34 AM']Hi,
I would recomend either of the basses in the links below -


[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146725&hl=trb"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146725&hl=trb[/url]

[url="http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146959&hl=trb"]http://basschat.co.uk/index.php?showtopic=146959&hl=trb[/url]


Both basses would be very different but great sound and playability for not much dosh [/quote]



+1

[Truckstop]

Yamaha TRB FTW! You could possibly also pick up a Yamaha RBXJM1 or 2 but they're quite rare. They're incredible instruments though and they look fantastic!

If you fancy not putting up so much money, Washburn XB600's are great instruments and there's been a couple on the forum recently for less than £200. Small string spacing and thin necks make these good starter 6ers.

If you want to go new, ESP Ltd 4006 look good and sound great. Slightly chunkier necks though IMO. They're new at GAK for around £400.

Truckstop

[AttitudeCastle]

I'd say the Yamaha TRB either of those used ones will serve you very well! (Truckstop, you still GASing for one? I am! =S )

But the Ibanez SR506 is around £550-£600 and is slim necked with 16.5 string spacing so going back to the 5 would be less trouble (IMO)

Though saying that i never get on with 5 strings but love 4 and 6 strings!

[cheddatom]

I bought a "brice" 6 string from Rondo Music years ago for £150ish and I still love it. My main bass was a schecter 6 string (until a couple of months ago) but they are more like £500 I think.

[uncle psychosis]

I just bought a five string TRB and its ace. Suspect the 6 string version is equally good.

[Doddy]

My first 6 was an Ibanez BTB. They're bigger than the Soundgear and with wider string spacing,but really
nice to play.

[Blondino]

[quote name='Sub_Drop' post='1345041' date='Aug 19 2011, 06:16 AM']I own a 4 string fretless and a 5 string but I want to extend my range and also play stanley clarke/ victor wooten pieces in the ADGC tuning. What would be a good quality 6 string bass to invest in?[/quote]

I'd say it's between a Yamaha TRB and the Ibanez SR 506. For me the Yamaha probably has the edge in terms of sound and versatility, but it's a darn sight heavier and the wide-string spacing has its pros and cons. The Ibanez is possibly what you might call more playable.

Both are going for around £600 here:

[url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/Product_list.cfm?Cat_ID=1&type=Bass%20Guitar&Strings=6"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/Product_list...r&Strings=6[/url]

[Doddy]

[quote name='Blondino' post='1345359' date='Aug 19 2011, 12:51 PM'][url="http://www.thebassgallery.com/Product_list.cfm?Cat_ID=1&type=Bass%20Guitar&Strings=6"]http://www.thebassgallery.com/Product_list...r&Strings=6[/url][/quote]

Ohhhh.....I like that Peavey Tim Landers model.

[d-basser]

Keep and eye on ebay, 6 strings don't seem to go for anywhere near as much as their 4 and 5 string cousins. I got my 6 string Dingwall ABI on ebay a few years back, mint condition, for only slightly more than you are budgeting and they are over £2400 new!

[uncle psychosis]

[quote name='d-basser' post='1345398' date='Aug 19 2011, 01:12 PM']Keep and eye on ebay, 6 strings don't seem to go for anywhere near as much as their 4 and 5 string cousins.[/quote]

[size=4]Whisper it...but....[/size][size=1]..its because 6 strings are rubbish[/size]

[size=4]All opinions are my own, yadda yadda yadda...[/size]

[d-basser]

Keep sharing them, it is those opinions that keep them niche and cheap for me

[charic]

[quote name='d-basser' post='1345398' date='Aug 19 2011, 01:12 PM']Keep and eye on ebay, 6 strings don't seem to go for anywhere near as much as their 4 and 5 string cousins. I got my 6 string Dingwall ABI on ebay a few years back, mint condition, for only slightly more than you are budgeting and they are over £2400 new![/quote]

[d-basser]

[quote name='charic' post='1345440' date='Aug 19 2011, 01:51 PM'][/quote]

Yup, sitting up till the middle of the night to bid on weird basses pays off.

[Chris2112]

[quote name='Doddy' post='1345368' date='Aug 19 2011, 12:56 PM']Ohhhh.....I like that Peavey Tim Landers model.[/quote]

Yep...you don't see many of those around! The pickup configuration was never right for me though.

[charic]

[quote name='d-basser' post='1345527' date='Aug 19 2011, 03:07 PM']Yup, sitting up till the middle of the night to bid on weird basses pays off.[/quote]

Fair do's will definately remember that.

Maybe the fanned frets are putting people off...

[charic]

[quote name='Johnston' post='1345548' date='Aug 19 2011, 03:21 PM']Get[s] Firefox[/s] Chrome and the snipe it ad on [/quote]

Fixed

[purpleblob]

[quote name='Chris2112' post='1345053' date='Aug 19 2011, 07:44 AM']Yamaha TRB is always what comes to mind when I think of a good six string on a budget. I believe there is also a 6 string Spector on the boards at the moment for not much more, which will be an incredible bass.[/quote]

Those Yamaha's are probably one of the best value 6 string basses out there. I tried one back in the days of the Bass Centre at Wapping and was amazed at how light and how easy to play they were. Fantastic sound as well - and no I don't have one for sale

Edited August 19, 2011 by purpleblob

[Dad3353]

I have a 6-string 'Douglas' fretless' active; it cost under 200€ delivered from US to France. Excellent value for money, imho, and definitely not a 'cheap' instrument.

[Mog]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='1345287' date='Aug 19 2011, 11:48 AM']I bought a "brice" 6 string from Rondo Music years ago for £150ish and I still love it. My main bass was a schecter 6 string (until a couple of months ago) but they are more like £500 I think.[/quote]

Picked up a Brice 6 string for €70 notes SH. Stuck a Glockenklang pre-amp in it and couldnt be happier. Doesnt sit so well on the knee but its perfectly balanced on the shoulder. Well worth looking at IMO. Definitely comparable to the SR300 line from Ibby. Slightly wider string spacing but nothing a solid week of scales didnt sort out.

[biro]

as far as i am concerned, and being a proud peavey tim landers six owner (mine's one of the early 1991 models, trans brown finish - one of the most useless finishes on ever conceived: however transparent, is still brown and definitely looks blackey to me), I am bound to say something about this bass. If you find one of them used on ebay, just get it. It's just one of the best basses I've ever played, and I ended up selling many other and more espensive basses because of it being the only bass I would play.

this said, £ 600 IMO is more than enough to get a great sixer, and I guess that any yamaha trb or Ibanez BTB (I happened to try the new 676 model recently, and I found it absolutely gorgeous to look at in person, and extremely nice to play. also, it's really, really lightweight) would fit your needs.

Anyhow, if this is your first six string bass, yous should definitely try some models in order to understand thoroughly some of your needs: first of all neck width and scale length. It could just be me, but I tend to feel uncomfortable with longer scales (35+) on a sixer, even if I have rather Sasquatch-like hands. Oddly enough, this did not apply to the above-cited Ibanez BTB, whereas I've found the Yamaha 1006 a troublesome fellow.

I also have to stipulate with the very cheap bass theory. Sometimes, and without any justification, some extremely inexpensive basses play are almost as awesome as their much more pricey brethren. I got a 200 euros worth HS sequoia fretless 6 on ebay years ago, and it still has one of the best low Bs I've ever heard.

To sum it up, try some basses, and find what you like. Then, pretty much any bass within that price range is going to fit your needs beautifully as far as finish, electronics and fretwork. Just pay attention to some details about the "size" of the bass: a bas you're not comfortable with can be a nasty beast to cope with.

[biro]

[quote name='Dad3353' post='1346046' date='Aug 20 2011, 08:14 AM']I have a 6-string 'Douglas' fretless' active; it cost under 200€ delivered from US to France. Excellent value for money, imho, and definitely not a 'cheap' instrument.[/quote]


[quote name='Mog' post='1347696' date='Aug 22 2011, 02:25 AM']Picked up a Brice 6 string for €70 notes SH. Stuck a Glockenklang pre-amp in it and couldnt be happier. Doesnt sit so well on the knee but its perfectly balanced on the shoulder. Well worth looking at IMO. Definitely comparable to the SR300 line from Ibby. Slightly wider string spacing but nothing a solid week of scales didnt sort out.[/quote]

hey fellas, do you have any sample/video of these two? In the mid term I will probably be spending a lot of time in the US, and having an inexpensive yet playable bass there wouldn't be bad. thanks in advance!