Bass VI Appreciation Society (and other short scale 6 string basses of a similar concept)

[Baloney Balderdash]

So this is a thread dedicated to flashing and discussing short scale 6 string basses similar to the Fender Bass VI, that is 30" 6 string basses, meant to be tuned in E standard tuning, like a guitar, just 1 octave lower, and with a relatively narrow string spacing that is closer to that of a guitar as well (baritone guitars and regular 6 string basses tuned to D standard tuning or higher are acceptable too). 

 

 

After having eyed various incarnations of the Bass VI concept for years, I recently decided to pull the trigger on a Harley Benton GuitarBass, which is strongly inspired by the Fender Bass VI/Squier VI, but with a fixed bridge and much flatter fretboard radius (which I personally happens to prefer), and which turned out to be absolutely astonishing value for the money.

 

I very quickly fell deeply in love with it and it has become my main instrument of choice.

 

I do however tune it in F# standard tuning, that is 2 half steps above regular E standard tuning, as in: F#1 - B1 - E2 - A2 - C#3 - F#3, strung with custom made Newtone roundwound nickle plated hex steel core strings, gauge: .080 - .060 - .045 - .034 - .027 - .020.

 

Which I use as the main instrument, beside drums/percussion and vocals, for my stoner/doom rock project "all I nil", that I am currently working on, run through an always on TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini to add an 1 octave above signal, for an effect somewhat similar to that of an 8 string bass/12 string guitar, and I am planning to use for my dark drone/ambient project "Fjernsind" too, and am pondering also possibly using it in place of a guitar for my alternative folk project "...and for such a long time".

 

This is how it looks:

 

And you can read more about it here:

UPDATED photo :

Edited September 26, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash
!!!UPDATE!!!

[crazycloud]

I have an SRC6 and use it to noodle on and to play with some friends who are basically acoustic. I think it complements better than more traditional basses.

 

PS: I bollocks up with my earlier comment. Reading on my phone means I miss things sometimes.

Edited May 30, 2022 by crazycloud

[Baloney Balderdash]

3 hours ago, crazycloud said:

I have an SRC6 and use it to noodle on and to play with some friends who are basically acoustic. I think it complements better than more traditional basses.

 

PS: I bollocks up with my earlier comment. Reading on my phone means I miss things sometimes.

 

I regret missing out on the Ibanez SRC6.

 

I did eye it and pondered on getting one at some time back when they were still in production, but even though I was very intrigued by the concept I just wasn't entirely sure weather it also would be for me in actual practice.

 

Now that I got a similar instrument I can say that it definitely very much is.

 

For someone who originally started out on guitar, which I still play once in a while on the sideline, and whenever needed for the music that I create, though I did switch to bass as my main instrument of choice after only a couple of years initially on guitar, it really does seem like the ideal instrument for me.

 

Best of both worlds you could say, though I am sure for some it will be worst of both worlds.

 

And speaking of noodling, I named my Harley Benton GuitarBass yesterday  : 

 

(and no, I didn't tape the logo over because of the fact that it's a Harley Benton, in fact I actually even quite liked the look of it, better and more discrete looking than many higher end brands, but I tend to remove or tape over the brand names, regardless of whatever status, prejudices e.t.c it might or might not be associated with for some people,  on most of my instruments and amps, simply because I find the concept of paying for the questionable privilege of getting the "honor" to humbly being allowed to do free advertising for a company not alone rather strange, but frankly quite inappropriate too, big corporate company's territorial urine marks on my gear, no thanks, even worse on clothes though  (that is as far as mass produced gear goes, had I owned an artfully crafted unique custom instrument made by an independent luthier it would of course be an entirely different matter, beside their signature marks, if any, are usually more discrete as well)). 

 

 

PS: I didn't read your initial reply, but seems like it wasn't meant to be anyway, so all good.

Edited May 30, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[crazycloud]

My original reply was about there being no SRC6 in the tags list, being all drama queen about it in fun, then realising my mistake and deleting.

 

WRT logos, I'm the same. I hate products with the brand all over it like I'm a free billboard, unless I think that product is particularly awesome, which is very rare.

 

Looking forward to a few weeks from now when I get some time post move to set up mine again with the Kaliums I want (means drilling the bridge slightly) and fitting the EMGs, probably a J/DC set. I mainly fingerpick on it like a guitar and they're just such lovely little instruments and fun to play. There's a guitar teacher literally a few houses from my new place and I'm getting lessons to improve my playing on this; apart from some campfire strumming I haven't really improved my guitar skills since I was a teen and a decent player.

[crazycloud]

Another in this class that should be considered is the OLP MM5. Basically an Asian made (no idea where) Musicman Silhouette for a fraction of the cost. I had one and foolishly sold it (~100 quid) on a whim in about '07 and haven't seen another since. 29 5/8 scale and passive but otherwise sort of feels like the SRC6, accounting for 15y of shoddy memory. I'd have this again over any Bass VI style with a trem. It sounded good as I recall.

 

Same again with a maple board (purely aesthetics) would be luvverly.

 

PS: Not mine, image from a completed Reverb sale.

 

Edited May 31, 2022 by crazycloud

[mr4stringz]

Revelation RJT60B.

 

Loads of fun.

[mononick]

I love Bass Vi instruments! 

Here’s my Electrical Guitar Company Standard 30” scale Baritone/bass VI tuned to E standard with high gain single coils. It’s an incredible instrument! I use it in a 2 piece bass and drum project mainly but I’d love to use it as my main bass in a more conventional line up! 
I use Newtone Axion strings with a custom length.

I also have a Squier VI with a staytrem bridge and aluminium scratch plate. It’s the bass that made me fall in love with vi’s! 

 

[BigRedX]

That EGC Bass Vi looks lovely!

 

If you don't mind me asking what is the string spacing at the nut and bridge?

 

Also how are you getting on with the pickups in the "guitar" positions rather than the "bass" ones?

[mononick]

36 minutes ago, BigRedX said:

That EGC Bass Vi looks lovely!

 

If you don't mind me asking what is the string spacing at the nut and bridge?

 

Also how are you getting on with the pickups in the "guitar" positions rather than the "bass" ones?

Ah thank you! 
tue nut width is 45mm and the spacing between the low E and A is 6mm and between the B and e is closer to 7mm. My ruler at hand doesn’t have smaller increments! 
 

At the bridge the spacing  between low E and A is 8mm and just above 10mm between B and e. I find it really comfortable. 
 

The pickup positions sounds great! The bridge is really bitey and aggressive without being brittle and the neck is full and nasty without being woolly. I tend to favour the bridge pickup with some low end added in from an EQ pedal that I sometimes disengage to emulate the strangle switch from a fender style VI. 
The clean sounds are really clear and chimey and piano like with both pickups selected. It’s a unique sounding beast!

[binky_bass]

30.5" ACG Short Scale 6. An exceptionally good little beast, makes playing chord shapes beautifully easy. 

 

[Maude]

DHL brought me a pressie today. 

 

 

Not had a chance to really get to grips with it yet, but just a quick run through of Dreams Never End was enough to tell me my Squier VI will be up for sale in the not too distant. 

 

New bass day to follow later in the week once I've had a real play. 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Maude

[Baloney Balderdash]

56 minutes ago, Maude said:

DHL brought me a pressie today. 

 

 

Not had a chance to really get to grips with it yet, but just a quick run through of Dreams Never End was enough to tell me my Squier VI will be up for sale in the not to distant. 

 

New bass day to follow later in the week once I've had a real play. 

 

Awesome!

 

Congratulations. 

 

Wish i could afford one.

 

I am though actually very happy with my Harley Benton GuitarBass, just wish it would have had a few mm wider nut (it's just exactly manageable, at least with the gauge .080 F#1 as the lowest thickest string, if one is mindful when fretting at the first few frets, but I think if I were to tune it to regular E1 standard tuning, needing a gauge .090 string for that to keep the same tension, it would start to get very problematic, luckily though for my specific application F# is better suited).

 

Now by the way tuned from G standard tuning down to, as mentioned in above paragraph, F# standard tuning, and I think it'll stay there.

 

 

Edited August 22, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[Maude]

The HB one looks like a stonkingly good deal. But like most other bass vi's I feel it's a bass vi for guitarists. The Eastwood feels like a bass vi for bassists, even though I've only played for a short while. 

The HB one tuned as a baritone is probably fun though. 

 

I'd been on the lookout for a second hand one but they just don't seem to to come up. I'd almost resigned to ordering a new when I managed to do a deal on this one. It's one of the Hacienda ones, not what I wanted really as they are more of a collectable and I want a player, but it was cheaper than a new 'standard' one so I went for it. 

It feels so much better than the Squier to play, to me anyway. 

 

 

 

[Musicman666]

On 31/05/2022 at 09:51, crazycloud said:

Another in this class that should be considered is the OLP MM5. Basically an Asian made (no idea where) Musicman Silhouette for a fraction of the cost. I had one and foolishly sold it (~100 quid) on a whim in about '07 and haven't seen another since. 29 5/8 scale and passive but otherwise sort of feels like the SRC6, accounting for 15y of shoddy memory. I'd have this again over any Bass VI style with a trem. It sounded good as I recall.

 

Same again with a maple board (purely aesthetics) would be luvverly.

 

PS: Not mine, image from a completed Reverb sale.

 

i have the actual musicman silhouette bass e- e and i'm really really impressed with it, not only can you do all the regular bass vi stuff on it but it has a great slap tone and action, great for tapping too...very versatile, the pickups seem well attuned to a wide range of styles ...i have had it for a hell of a long time but i'm still in awe of it.

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 29/05/2022 at 06:59, Baloney Balderdash said:

So this is a thread dedicated to flashing and discussing short scale 6 string basses similar to the Fender Bass VI, that is 30" 6 string basses, meant to be tuned in E standard tuning, like a guitar, just 1 octave lower, and with a relatively narrow string spacing that is closer to that of a guitar as well (baritone guitars and regular 6 string basses tuned to D standard tuning or higher are acceptable too). 

 

 

After having eyed various incarnations of the Bass VI concept for years, I recently decided to pull the trigger on a Harley Benton GuitarBass, which is strongly inspired by the Fender Bass VI/Squier VI, but with a fixed bridge and much flatter fretboard radius (which I personally happens to prefer), and which turned out to be absolutely astonishing value for the money.

 

I very quickly fell deeply in love with it and it has become my main instrument of choice.

 

I do however tune it in G standard tuning, that is 3 half steps above regular E standard tuning, as in: G1 - C2 - F2 - A#2 - D3 - G3, strung with regular D'Addario XL roundwound nickle plated hex steel core strings, gauge: .080 - .060 - .045 - .034 - .026 - .018 (plain string).

 

Which I use as the main instrument, beside drums/percussion and vocals, for my stoner/doom rock project "all I nil", that I am currently working on, run though an always on TC Electronic Sub'N'Up Mini to add an 1 octave above signal, as well as I am planing to use for my dark drone/ambient project "Fjernsind" too, and am pondering also possibly using it in place of a guitar for my alternative folk project "...and for such a long time".

 

This is how it looks:

 

And you can read more about it here:

 

 

As I explained a few posts up I recently chose to tune it down from the G standard tuning I previously had it tuned it in one more half step down to F# standard tuning.

 

Also since I posted the OP I had a custom set of string wound from Newtone, being roundwaound nickle plated hex steel core guitar stings of the gauges .080 - .060  - .045 - .034 - .027 - .020, which I still use for the F# standard tuning (that si 10 steps bellow regular guitar E2 standard tuning, or 2 half steps above regular bass E1 standard tuning).

 

No issues with the lower tension caused by this, in fact I like it even better, and I am pretty certain I will keep this instrument in F#1 standard tuning.

 

Since I also replaced the original stock wires on the middle pickup for a shielded wire, while cutting the connection to the other pickups, and pulled out the stock pots as well, replaced for an EMG solderless system and pots, though only connecting the Volume pot, it's 250kOhm, matching up to the original stock 500kOhm Volume + 500kOhm Tone pot, as I didn't use the other pickups or the tone control anyway, using a pair of transparent and black lampshade knobs for the two pots.

 

As well as I applied a Jack Skellington (character from Tim Burton's animated puppet movie "The Nightmare Before Christmas") skull sticker, as well as I applied a cut to shape piece of respectively red and green electrical tape (also known as insulating tape) on top of the two new pot knobs.

 

 

Here is a picture I shot, reflecting all those changes (including more artistic PhotoShop shenanigans in the background):

Edited August 24, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[msb]

I got the Bass VI bug , and then picked up a Gretsch baritone because I was having too much fun.

Just the regular CV Squier , at first I found the strings too floppy but put on the heavier Fender VI set and have no complaints , pleasantly surprised by the build quality at the price.

[grenadillabama]

Could a Bass VI owner tell me that this bass is bassy enough ? Would I be asked to bump up the 40 hZ eq ?The smallest short scale E string I use is a 95 on a Hofner . Can a Basss VI take a 95 (or 90) E string . I do like baritone gtrs like the one on Witchata Lineman. 

[Maude]

21 minutes ago, grenadillabama said:

Could a Bass VI owner tell me that this bass is bassy enough ? Would I be asked to bump up the 40 hZ eq ?The smallest short scale E string I use is a 95 on a Hofner . Can a Basss VI take a 95 (or 90) E string . I do like baritone gtrs like the one on Witchata Lineman. 

 

A low E on a bass VI is the same note as a low E on a regular bass, so yes it's bassy enough. But it does have a slightly guitar like quality to it, so maybe not as solid sounding, possibly. But that all depends on playing style, EQ, amp and cab as well. 

 

The Eastwood Hooky 6 strings are 30,40,50,60,85,105. 

The Squier strings are considerably lighter and, in my view, not suitable for the job. I put a heavier custom set of LaBella round wounds on mine and it's loads better. I think the low E was a 95. 

Robert Smith of The Cure is/was a user of the Fender Bass VI, but on Primary, which has two regular bass sounds, he used a Precision as even he admits that the low strings on the VI just aren't up to the job. 

They're great for higher up stuff. 

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Maude

[msb]

I find the overall sound thinner than a standard four string bass , and it certainly suits some playing styles , but it will not replace a bass for me. 
People were complaining that the Bass VI strings were too light and floppy , and as it turned out … Fender listened . They now make a set that goes from .024 to .100 . I immediately threw a set on mine and found a huge improvement.

I believe Campbell used a Dano VI that belonged to Carol Kaye for that solo , although I’ve seen clips of him doing the song and playing a FenderVI. But who knows , that’s just stuff I’ve read online.

[Baloney Balderdash]

1 hour ago, grenadillabama said:

Could a Bass VI owner tell me that this bass is bassy enough ? Would I be asked to bump up the 40 hZ eq ?The smallest short scale E string I use is a 95 on a Hofner . Can a Basss VI take a 95 (or 90) E string . I do like baritone gtrs like the one on Witchata Lineman. 

I wouldn't go thicker than gauge .095 for the low E on a Bass VI giving the tight string spacing, since it is going to effectively get tighter the thicker strings you use, then again I do prefer a gauge .095 low E string set of strings on regular 4 string short scale basses as well anyway, which the Bass VI happens to be, just with 2 more strings and much tighter string spacing.

 

The Bass VI will sound like a regular short scale bass with single coil pickups, as that is what it is, the stock low E string is useless though, no idea what they were thinking when they thought up a gauge .084 string would be enough for a low E on a 30" scale instrument, but then again you should expect to change swap the strings on a new instrument as the first thing anyway.

 

 

Edited August 24, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[grenadillabama]

Baloney, the tight spacing is less trouble for pick players ? I use a pick on a 8 string bass and would probably use a pick on a Bass vi. Maybe a 100 E would sound the most "solid" like a piano. It would pull that tremelo toward the neck some. There must be a good strong spring in that whammy.

[Baloney Balderdash]

17 hours ago, grenadillabama said:

Baloney, the tight spacing is less trouble for pick players ? I use a pick on a 8 string bass and would probably use a pick on a Bass vi. Maybe a 100 E would sound the most "solid" like a piano. It would pull that tremelo toward the neck some. There must be a good strong spring in that whammy.

I am not interested in a .100 string, a gauge .095 low E string is what I normally use both on regular 34" scale basses, and for short 30" scale basses like this, and actually a thinner gauge string will give you a richer harmonic content and will sound more piano like than a thicker gauge string, thicker strings are stiffer, and especially so with the shorter vibrating length of a short scale bass, which prohibit the strings ability to vibrate freely, which again kills both harmonic content and sustain, so thicker gauge is the completely wrong direction to go if piano like tones is what you are after, thicker strings are for thumpy and thuddy tones.

 

In any case I am not interested in tuning my Harley Benton GuitarBass in E standard tuning either, the F# standard tuning, 2 half steps above, it is in now fits perfectly for my specific application.

 

And actually if I were to tuner it in E standard tuning I would personally even use a just gauge .090 string for the low E.

 

The relatively lower string tension is only an issue if you apply too much force when picking and uses too thick picks, you shouldn't expect to play a different instrument, a short 30" scale bass in this case, exactly the same way, as you would a regular 34" scale bass in this case, without adjusting to the realities of that instrument, the shorter scale and lower string tension is really no issue at all, and has never been a real issue, the real issue is people's unwillingness to adjust their technique accordingly to the actual instrument they play.

 

Also I do use a pick, and it is not the string spacing towards the bridge and the right picking hand that is a problem, it is fretting the strings with the left hand near if you don't want to mute the strings above or bellow the fretted note that is an issue, and trust me, a gauge .100 string would be an issue with the tight string spacing near the nut.

 

I am actually perfectly fine with the string spacing for my picking hand, and really the tight string spacing as far as goes for fretting only causes issues close to the nut where the neck width is narrowest and therefor the string spacing tighter (and not really an issue for me personally after I have gotten used to it and with the just gauge .080 string I use for the low F#).

 

Further more I think it is kind of missing the point with this kind of instrument to try to make it sound exactly like a regular bass, if you want a regular bass then get one instead of a Bass VI type instrument.

 

Also the Harley Benton GuitarBass got a fixed TOM style bridge, not a tremolo system bridge like the Squier or Fender Bass VI, in fact really being closer to being a clone of the Shecter Hellcat than the Bass VI.

 

Edited September 5, 2022 by Baloney Balderdash

[BigRedX]

There are lots of different ways to play the Bass VI, and some them will require it to sound like a bass guitar at least some of the time.

 

I use mine with minimalist post-punk/goth band Hurtsfall and some of what I play is "standard" bass guitar and other times it much more in the guitar range and tone. As someone who also plays guitar, I've found that the necks on most Bass VIs are far too narrow for me. I would consider them narrow on a standard guitar and the wider/heavier bass stings only compound this problem. 

[crazycloud]

On 24/08/2022 at 22:02, grenadillabama said:

I do like baritone gtrs like the one on Witchata Lineman. 

I thought that was a Bass VI.

[grenadillabama]

Thanks , I will start saving up for a Bass VI . There is a  purple one coming in at Chicago Music Exchange soon .