Budget bass vi options

[PaulFenderJazz]

I’m thinking of getting a bass vi, for adding some extra body to the sound on some of the tracks in our 3 piece. I’d probably only use it for a couple of numbers, plus I’m still working out how best to use the instrument. Hence I’m looking for a low risk (therefore cheap!) option that’s still giggable. Looks like there are 3 options at the budget end, Squier, Revelation and Harley Benton. Has anyone had any real world experience of these? In particular the HB as it’s such a cheap way of dipping a toe in the water.

 

cheers!

[BrunoBass]

No, but I like the idea. I’ll be following the thread.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I owned a Squier Bass VI briefly. A great little bass but the nut seemed to be made of nougat so that needed replacing. The stock strings are a bit nasty but that's to be expected.

A lot of people say the bridge isn't up to the job and deserves an upgrade to the Staytrem.

 

[White Cloud]

Maximise your options by going used; this opens up instruments like G&L Tributes, Ibanez's and Sires etc.

[Cosmo Valdemar]

10 minutes ago, White Cloud said:

Maximise your options by going used; this opens up instruments like G&L Tributes, Ibanez's and Sires etc.

Do Sire make version of the Bass VI?

[PaulFenderJazz]

4 hours ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Do Sire make version of the Bass VI?

Do any of those companies do a bass vi? I’ve not seen any posted?

[Cosmo Valdemar]

2 minutes ago, PaulFenderJazz said:

Do any of those companies do a bass vi? I’ve not seen any posted?

Ibanez have done something similar I think. Not sure about G&L.

[PaulFenderJazz]

2 minutes ago, Cosmo Valdemar said:

Ibanez have done something similar I think. Not sure about G&L.

Sure, just found the Ibby, it’s the SRC 6. Looking into G&L now; but I don’t think any of these used would be as cheap as the HB or Revelation, as the Ibby is £500 new....

[Maude]

I have a Squier and yes it need heftier strings. I've not had issues with the nut but I don't use it a lot and the bridge was fixed by putting a plastic sleeve over the fixing posts to stop it rocking. I shimmed the neck to increase the break angle. All but the strings is fixable for free. 

I'd wager from experience of their others products that the HB will be on par with the Squier, possibly need a little tinkering, possibly not. Given Thomanns return policy I'd just buy it and see what it's like, if by any chance it isn't up to the job you can send it back. 

[PaulFenderJazz]

9 hours ago, Maude said:

I have a Squier and yes it need heftier strings. I've not had issues with the nut but I don't use it a lot and the bridge was fixed by putting a plastic sleeve over the fixing posts to stop it rocking. I shimmed the neck to increase the break angle. All but the strings is fixable for free. 

I'd wager from experience of their others products that the HB will be on par with the Squier, possibly need a little tinkering, possibly not. Given Thomanns return policy I'd just buy it and see what it's like, if by any chance it isn't up to the job you can send it back. 

Thanks for the feedback: based on Cosmo Valdemar and White Cloud input on this again, the Ibanez SRC6 and the Squier look front runners, for around the 350 mark, or the HB as a super cheap trial for the concept

[Frank Blank]

18 minutes ago, PaulFenderJazz said:

Thanks for the feedback: based on Cosmo Valdemar and White Cloud input on this again, the Ibanez SRC6 and the Squier look front runners, for around the 350 mark, or the HB as a super cheap trial for the concept

Just be aware of the narrow string spacing on the SRC6. You are welcome to try mine before you make your mind up.

[PaulFenderJazz]

8 minutes ago, Frank Blank said:

Just be aware of the narrow string spacing on the SRC6. You are welcome to try mine before you make your mind up.

Thanks for that, I tried out the Revelation so I’m au fait with the string spacing on bass 6s, plus I used to play classic guitar and regular electric back in the day, so i’m prepared for both pick and finger style on narrow string spacing 😀

[Frank Blank]

Just now, PaulFenderJazz said:

Thanks for that, I tried out the Revelation so I’m au fait with the string spacing on bass 6s, plus I used to play classic guitar and regular electric back in the day, so i’m prepared for both pick and finger style on narrow string spacing 😀

Cool beans. 

[Al Krow]

10 hours ago, Maude said:

I have a Squier and yes it need heftier strings. I've not had issues with the nut but I don't use it a lot and the bridge was fixed by putting a plastic sleeve over the fixing posts to stop it rocking. I shimmed the neck to increase the break angle. All but the strings is fixable for free. 

I'd wager from experience of their others products that the HB will be on par with the Squier, possibly need a little tinkering, possibly not. Given Thomanns return policy I'd just buy it and see what it's like, if by any chance it isn't up to the job you can send it back. 

What replacement strings are you using on your Squier? 

[Maude]

I got LaBella rounds, everyone goes for their flatwound set but I still wanted that brightness so went for rounds. I just made up a set from individual strings on their website, cheaper than buying a prebuilt set and you can obviously choose a beefier bottom end to counter the slack low E string. 

[Jack]

I have no experience with the Bass VI clone, but the Harley Benton that I own is brilliant and I've never seen a bad word written about any of their basses. If I had to take a punt and buy unplayed it'd be on that.

Edited July 8, 2019 by Jack

[Dem Jolie-blues]

Hi,  i use a Musicman Silhouette 6,  its just a more expensive version of what your looking for, over two grand new i believe, but as a guitar an octave down, its actually guitar sized, the Squier is huge and heavy by comparison, the musicman can be re=strung for baritone, how much you wanting to pay ?, besides as little as poss  !

[Al Krow]

25 minutes ago, Maude said:

I got LaBella rounds, everyone goes for their flatwound set but I still wanted that brightness so went for rounds. I just made up a set from individual strings on their website, cheaper than buying a prebuilt set and you can obviously choose a beefier bottom end to counter the slack low E string. 

Thanks - like you I'll be sticking to rounds on my recently acquired Squier Bass VI, rather than switching to flats. I've become a recent convert to D'Addario EXL nickels for my 5 strings and will maybe give them a try out here too.

Does anyone know off hand what the guages of the stock strings provided on the Squier are? Seems to me that the cheapest solution might simply be to replace the low E string with something with a thicker guage!  

[Al Krow]

8 minutes ago, Dem Jolie-blues said:

...the Squier is huge and heavy by comparison

Yes it is! It's a normal bass size, which it didn't need to be given the shorter scale. Weighs in at a not inconsiderable 10.3 lbs on my scales.

 

Edited July 8, 2019 by Al Krow

[Dem Jolie-blues]

I had one, moved it on after trying the Silhouette6, same scale, but getting flatwounds for it was expensive

[Al Krow]

1 minute ago, Dem Jolie-blues said:

I had one, moved it on after trying the Silhouette6, same scale, but getting flatwounds for it was expensive

It's all relative. You spent £2k on your bass, so I make that price differential to a Squier about 200 years' worth of potential savings on slightly cheaper strings!

But you've almost certainly got a much nicer bass to play (and more comfortable to wear) though for the rest of the 21st century...😂

[BigRedX]

On 07/07/2019 at 07:32, PaulFenderJazz said:

I’m thinking of getting a bass vi, for adding some extra body to the sound on some of the tracks in our 3 piece. I’d probably only use it for a couple of numbers, plus I’m still working out how best to use the instrument. Hence I’m looking for a low risk (therefore cheap!) option that’s still giggable. Looks like there are 3 options at the budget end, Squier, Revelation and Harley Benton. Has anyone had any real world experience of these? In particular the HB as it’s such a cheap way of dipping a toe in the water.

I'm using a Bass VI exclusively for one of the bands I play with. I have a Squier Bass VI and a Burns Barracuda. TBH I don't like the Squier very much as I find the string spacing on the neck far too narrow. Whoever thought it was good a idea to take a neck that is already narrow by electric guitar standards and fit even chunkier string to it was obviously not thinking straight - even my 6 string electric guitars have a wider neck than the Squier Bass VI. 

I started a whole thread about my quest for a more suitable Bass VI for my needs here where most of the alternatives have been discussed.

And having said that the Squier's string spacing at the nut is too narrow, the Burns has better neck string spacing, but is less good at the bridge (compared with the Squier). IMO the problem with most of the these instruments is that they are essentially guitars with long necks shoe-horned on to give a 30" scale length.

Out of all the Bass VIs I've tried the Burns Barracuda is the one that places the least number of restrictions upon my playing style, but everyone is different so you really need to try each bass and make up your own mind. Personally having played both, I'd pick the Revelation over the Squier, they are fairly similar, but the Relation has more usable tonal variations and slightly more space between the strings which makes it (for me) a bit easier to play.

All of these budget Bass VIs come with strings that are really too light for the average bass player. It is less noticeable on the Burns because it has a different style bridge, but all will benefit from changing the strings to either LaBellas (flat or round wound), or Newtone Axion Bass VI Round wound stings ( my personal choice).

[BigRedX]

4 hours ago, PaulFenderJazz said:

Thanks for that, I tried out the Revelation so I’m au fait with the string spacing on bass 6s, plus I used to play classic guitar and regular electric back in the day, so i’m prepared for both pick and finger style on narrow string spacing 😀

If I could find a Bass VI with a neck as wide as that of a typical Classical Guitar, I'd be a happy chap. The Squier Bass VI is definitely in narrow 70s Strat neck territory. Also be aware many of the Bass Vis available for some reason have the outer strings positioned quite far in from the neck edges compared with most guitars and basses, so the nut widths given can make the string spacing at the neck seem more generous than it really is.

[BigRedX]

2 hours ago, Al Krow said:

Thanks - like you I'll be sticking to rounds on my recently acquired Squier Bass VI, rather than switching to flats. I've become a recent convert to D'Addario EXL nickels for my 5 strings and will maybe give them a try out here too.

Does anyone know off hand what the guages of the stock strings provided on the Squier are? Seems to me that the cheapest solution might simply be to replace the low E string with something with a thicker guage!  

The stock strings for all budget Bass VIs IME are based on the typical fender Bass VI string gauges - 84 - 24. 

Most people seem to be much better off with the heavier gauge strings from LaBella which are 95 - 26. Personally I like the Newtone Axion Bass VI strings (only round wound) which are lighter at the top and heavier at the bottom - 100 - 24.

[Al Krow]

Cheers BRX - those alternatives from LaBella and Newtone look good.