Six String Madness

[therealting]

5 out of the first 6 in the For Sale forum at the minute - are six strings more popular than ever, or are more people getting rid of them than ever?

😬

I started on a sixer (TRB Mk I, still have it), and am still as comfortable on one as anything else. Particularly like them for sight reading, playing chords, and solos.

[Hellzero]

6 out 7, now...

Edited January 14, 2020 by Hellzero

[edwn]

I'd guess about half of these are people who want to sell their 6 and get a nicer one, and the other half are having a spring clearout having enjoyed their trial of a 6 (as everyone should do) but found that it's not for them.

I have previously monitored the retailers for their ratio of available 6s and it seems as low today as normal:

                guitarguitar: 10 6ers, 95 5ers and 337 4s ... (2% 6ers)

               bassdirect: 21 6ers, 101 5ers and 139 ...  (8% 6ers)

             the gallery   12, 152,  315        (2.5% 6ers)

 

So varying from 2% to 8% of available basses at those three outlets. Thus we would expect only one in 12 ads on basschat to be 6ers ...

Or we could say that the more advanced the forum, the more 6ers there are ... 😁

 

[Newfoundfreedom]

I'm actually currently in the market for 6 string, but they're all way too rich for my blood. 

[CamdenRob]

2 hours ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

I'm actually currently in the market for 6 string, but they're all way too rich for my blood. 

Keep an eye out for a used Yamaha TRB or a Spector Legend if you’re not looking to spend to much... Great basses both for not a lot 🙂 ... Some of the higher end Ibanez stuff (good value used) as well if you don’t mind a tighter string spacing.

[therealting]

@edwnInteresting - I wonder what the percentages are on 5s these days. 

[Newfoundfreedom]

30 minutes ago, CamdenRob said:

Keep an eye out for a used Yamaha TRB or a Spector Legend if you’re not looking to spend to much... Great basses both for not a lot 🙂 ... Some of the higher end Ibanez stuff (good value used) as well if you don’t mind a tighter string spacing.

Cheers. I'm actually waiting for this to come back in stock. A lot of bass for little money. 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_bz_6000_nt.htm

[CamdenRob]

22 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

Cheers. I'm actually waiting for this to come back in stock. A lot of bass for little money. 

https://www.thomann.de/gb/harley_benton_bz_6000_nt.htm

That does look like a lot of bass for not a lot... 😍

[edwn]

@therealting Overall from 3 shops and 1182 instruments for sale both new and secondhand (a statistically useful sample size) we get: (drumroll)

4 string basses          67%

5 string basses         29%

6 string basses          4%

.... So it goes without saying that 6 string players are cooler than 96% of the bassplaying population, just sayin' .... 😎

[Newfoundfreedom]

13 minutes ago, edwn said:

@therealting Overall from 3 shops and 1182 instruments for sale both new and secondhand (a statistically useful sample size) we get: (drumroll)

4 string basses          67%

5 string basses         29%

6 string basses          4%

.... So it goes without saying that 6 string players are cooler than 96% of the bassplaying population, just sayin' .... 😎

7 string bass?

Nah, those guys have just gone too far! 😂

[Hellzero]

What about 8 ?

[edwn]

I'm afraid that, statistically speaking, you 7 and 8 string folks are in 'the margin of error' -- a whopping 0.25% ... but you knew that already I think ... ☺️

[CamdenRob]

Must be a higher percentage of sixers among boutique basses I would have thought? There look to be more sixers than not on the The Fodera, Ken Smith and MTD Instagram feeds.

[edwn]

@CamdenRob is right about Fodera -- I just counted 43 out of 445 newborns as 6ers -- that's 9.7%

Dingwalls at Bass direct who have more than anyone, are 7 out of 35 i.e. a genuinely whopping 20%

Interested in Ken Smith numbers as they invented the 6 string of course ... any way to count those?

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by edwn

[Hellzero]

38 sixers for sale on BassChat right now !!!

[Newfoundfreedom]

On 14/01/2020 at 23:52, Hellzero said:

38 sixers for sale on BassChat right now !!!

Really? You don't say. 😂

Edited January 15, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom

[Hellzero]

Copy/paste is very fast, you know.

Aren't you looking for one ?

[edwn]

@Hellzero nice bump for all the 6ers. Everyone should try one out sometime; Oteil says so so it must be true ...

 

Edited January 14, 2020 by edwn

[Skybone]

I noticed when I was looking through the For Sale section earlier, that most of the instruments on the first two pages were mainly 5 or 6 strings. There seemed to be more 6's than 5's, very few 4 string basses though.

[Newfoundfreedom]

The problem with 6 strings is, they're mostly at the boutique end of the market, and ridiculously expensive. There's very little second hand stuff at the budget end for people like me who  just want to dip their toe into the water and try out a 6er. 

Edited January 15, 2020 by Newfoundfreedom

[therealting]

@Newfoundfreedom There was a cheap BTB project put up a few days ago, not sure if still there?

[Newfoundfreedom]

Just now, therealting said:

@Newfoundfreedom There was a cheap BTB project put up a few days ago, not sure if still there?

Indeed, and very tempting it is too. As I commented on the thread. In fact I think I'd happily have a punt on it as the only problems seem to be minor electrical, which is an easy fix. Sadly no shipping offered so it's a no go. 

[therealting]

@Newfoundfreedom They do come up from time to time, and the budget options are getting better and better these days. My TRB6 is still a killer bass a good 20 years after my dad bought it for me. 

[Rich]

3 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

The problem with 6 strings is, they're mostly at the boutique end of the market, and ridiculously expensive. There's very little second hand stuff at the budget end for people like me who  just want to dip their toe into the water and try out a 6er. 

Good toe-dippers do crop up, you just have to be in the right place at the right time. My sixer is a fairly tatty Ibanez BTB406 that I picked up pre-loved/abused on fleabay for £100. Neck is fine, plays well and sounds great, it's just the aesthetics that have taken a kicking and obviously put off other potential buyers.

[lownote]

21 minutes ago, Newfoundfreedom said:

The problem with 6 strings is, they're mostly at the boutique end of the market, and ridiculously expensive. There's very little second hand stuff at the budget end for people like me who  just want to dip their toe into the water and try out a 6er. 

Not entirely true.  The Hohner VI B Bass handles great, is neck through, can be good wood, it's well made and is reasonably small and light and rarely sells for more than £250.  I was about to put mine up wot cost me £195, but if there's a glut I'll wait.  

Edited January 15, 2020 by lownote12