Bass vi alternative... bass iv

[dezb1]

5 hours ago, EliasMooseblaster said:

I was looking speculatively at those the other day - I think Gear4Music might be a little confused as to what a Baritone Guitar actually is...

(...it's particularly confusing as they stock another model which looks like it might actually be a bari, at least as we know them)

Aye, they have a baritone tele with a 27" scale length - I came to the same conclusion as you they don't know the difference between a bass vi and a baritone... this is definitely a bass vi.

[BigRedX]

35 minutes ago, dezb1 said:

I'll get a measurement later tonight.

Fantastic, thanks!

32 minutes ago, dezb1 said:

Aye, they have a baritone tele with a 27" scale length - I came to the same conclusion as you they don't know the difference between a bass vi and a baritone... this is definitely a bass vi.

As I said in a previous post IMO it's a combination of strings fitted and pickup type and placement that makes an instrument either an A-tuned Baritone or a Bass VI. This one is an oddity since it appears to have Bass VI strings but Baritone style pickups and placement.

[dezb1]

What I will point out is the strings that come on it are the heaviest set that'll fit any heavier won't fit through the Ferrule for the low E without modification. The dadarrio set that's on it sounds / feels good to me but I don't have anything to compare it to.

Edited September 26, 2019 by dezb1

[dezb1]

String spacing e to e using my son's banged up rule as I couldn't find my own:

Nut 34mm
Bridge 52mm
 

[BigRedX]

17 hours ago, dezb1 said:

What I will point out is the strings that come on it are the heaviest set that'll fit any heavier won't fit through the Ferrule for the low E without modification. The dadarrio set that's on it sounds / feels good to me but I don't have anything to compare it to.

If it's this set most people with Bass VIs find the E and A strings a bit too slack (I certainly did on my Squier Bass VI). When you restring have a look at either LaBella or Newtone Axions.

[BigRedX]

7 hours ago, dezb1 said:

String spacing e to e using my son's banged up rule as I couldn't find my own:

Nut 34mm
Bridge 52mm
 

Thanks. Too narrow at the nut for me to take a punt on.

[dezb1]

Just to be clear the over all nut width is 42mm.

What's the spacing on the Squier?

[BigRedX]

1 hour ago, dezb1 said:

Just to be clear the over all nut width is 42mm.

What's the spacing on the Squier?

On mine the nut width is 40mm and the distance from the centre of the low E to that of the high E is 35mm. According to the latest specifications on the Fender web site the nut width is now 42mm although I haven't been able to confirm this from an actual instrument, and no string spacing figure is given.

What I have found from trying lots of Bass VIs is that the strings tend to be set in quite a way from the edges of the neck compared with most of the guitars and basses I play. Whether this is because I am comparing a factory mass-produced instrument like the Squier and Burns with the rest of my guitars and basses which are all custom/luthier built, or if that is just that standard for Bass VIs, I don't know.

At the bridge on the Squier it is 55mm between the E string centres.

 

[dezb1]

Some sound clips from my first session playing the beast

http://bestnetworx.com/uploader/files/138/bass 6 demo.mp3

 

 

[Maude]

Sounds good but it's annoying me now, what is that first tune? 😁

It sounds like Echo and the Bunnymen or The Jesus and Mary Chain but I just can't place it, or is it your own? 

[dezb1]

First and third tunes are just stuff I made up while playing (may or may not be other folks songs)... second was a hopefully recognisable attempt at the Stone roses.

[Maude]

1 minute ago, dezb1 said:

First and third tunes are just stuff I made up while playing (may or may not be other folks songs)... second was a hopefully recognisable attempt at the Stone roses.

That's why I can't place it 😁 sounds good though. The last tone is very Pixies-esque.

 

[Cato]

Sounds particularly good in the higher register.

[dezb1]

It does it's still to be set up the intonation is off on the low E and A string, hopefully that'll sort the low end our a bit.

Edited September 29, 2019 by dezb1

[BigRedX]

Here’s the debut single from Hurtsfall using the Burns Barracuda:

 

[dezb1]

Been waiting till I was back in my studio to listen, the barracuda sounds awesome in that really like the high lines - did you use the Burns for the low bass parts too? 

[BigRedX]

11 hours ago, dezb1 said:

Been waiting till I was back in my studio to listen, the barracuda sounds awesome in that really like the high lines - did you use the Burns for the low bass parts too? 

Yes everything that isn't vocals, keyboards or drums was done on the Barracuda. There are some overdubs in the middle section where I'm doing both high and low register parts simultaneously. We compromise with some extra keyboard bass at those points when we do the song live.

[dezb1]

I had a look at a couple of your live videos pretty cool stuff.

[dezb1]

Also probably old news but: there's somegreat bass vi going on on this album

 

 

Edited October 4, 2019 by dezb1

[Pinball]

Hi, just thought I would chip in here. I'm using my Vi alternatives all the time at the moment. I am lucky enougjn to have two.

The Sidejack sounds and plays really well. It has grea build quality. This one has a custom pickuard and upgraded pickups so is not origonal. I recently heard a Sidejack baritone usd live so would be confident that they are good instruments. 

I also have a Barracuda, that I like very much in every respect. The electronics are stock.

I have had a Fender Vi in the past and really didn't get on with it so sent it back for a refund.

I am happy with both of these. I have them tuned like a guitar E to E. I can pick out chords on the higher strings and play the lover 4 strings like a standard 4 string. They souond great as both and take on a life and style of their own when palm muted. They always get noticed when I play them out.

. I am recoding at the moment and can confirm that they are bot are great sounding instruments and very versitile. I can't understand why they aren't more popular. Out of the two I prefer to play the Burns live, as the balence suits me better and I don't need the trem.

 

 

 

[BigRedX]

@Pinball I take it from your description that your Burns Barracuda is the hard-tail version? If so could you measure the string spacing at the bridge?

I have the latest version which has gone back to having the vibrato mechanism, and the bridge spacing is painfully tight, as it appears to use the standard Burns Rezo-Tube vibrato rather than one specifically designed for a Bass VI. It's a pity because the neck is by far the best for width of all the bass VIs I have tried. Overall it is better than the Squier which has IMO a narrow neck even by guitar standards let alone a Bass VI but far more sensible string spacing at the bridge which might look like a standard Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge but is actually wider.

I like the idea of the vibrato on these instruments, but the reality is that once you string them with LaBella or Axion bass VI strings, the increased tension, renders the mechanism inoperable. So it's a compromise between having a workable vibrato or a decent tension on the E and A strings to get a proper bass sound out of them.

[Pinball]

1 hour ago, BigRedX said:

@Pinball I take it from your description that your Burns Barracuda is the hard-tail version? If so could you measure the string spacing at the bridge?

I have the latest version which has gone back to having the vibrato mechanism, and the bridge spacing is painfully tight, as it appears to use the standard Burns Rezo-Tube vibrato rather than one specifically designed for a Bass VI. It's a pity because the neck is by far the best for width of all the bass VIs I have tried. Overall it is better than the Squier which has IMO a narrow neck even by guitar standards let alone a Bass VI but far more sensible string spacing at the bridge which might look like a standard Jazzmaster/Jaguar bridge but is actually wider.

I like the idea of the vibrato on these instruments, but the reality is that once you string them with LaBella or Axion bass VI strings, the increased tension, renders the mechanism inoperable. So it's a compromise between having a workable vibrato or a decent tension on the E and A strings to get a proper bass sound out of them.

According to my trusty steel ruler the strings are about 11MM. The Burns has a MIK sticker on it. It is very well made IMHO. I'll put some pictures below. I'm going to have to sell one of these at some point but am enjoying them at the moment. I definately have a place for a Vi both live and in recordings.

When playing them I imagine that I like the Sidejack more but then when I listen to them recorded I can't hear the difference. Both have that cool growl that you get with baritones.

 

Note: I'm not sure why the camera flash picked up the "panel like" finish on the front of the Burns as it doesn't look like that in real life.

 

 

[BigRedX]

6 minutes ago, Pinball said:

According to my trusty steel ruler the strings are about 11MM. The Burns has a MIK sticker on it. It is very well made IMHO. I'll put some pictures below. I'm going to have to sell one of these at some point but am enjoying them at the moment. I definately have a place for a Vi both live and in recordings.

That's interesting. So the overall width between the low E and high E at the bridge is about 55mm? That's very much like the Squier, and IMO quite comfortable. My vibrato-equipped Barracuda is only 50mm E-E and it's definitely on the tight side for me. 

What pickups are on yours - they look like Tri-Sonics?

Here's mine:

As you can see it's quite different even though they are supposed to be the same instrument!

[Pinball]

15 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

That's interesting. So the overall width between the low E and high E at the bridge is about 55mm? That's very much like the Squier, and IMO quite comfortable. My vibrato-equipped Barracuda is only 50mm E-E and it's definitely on the tight side for me. 

What pickups are on yours - they look like Tri-Sonics?

Here's mine:

As you can see it's quite different even though they are supposed to be the same instrument!

Across all of the strings it measure 53mm, so there is a difference.

A couple of mm can make a big difference in terms of feel. I prefer a wider necked acoustic guitars with a nut of 44mm plus and stuggle to finger pick cleanly with anything less.

I love playing these. I play with a pick and finger pick it haha. The sidejack mush be around the same dimensions as they both feel the same to me.