Must be a chilly day in hell

[velvetkevorkian]

Squier are releasing a full scale Jazz 6 string https://www.fender.com/en-GB/squier-electric-basses/jazz-bass/affinity-series-jazz-bass-vi/0378671565.html

 

At least it makes use of all that headstock real estate?

[MichaelDean]

That link is already dead! Clearly wasn't meant to go live yet. 

 

They did a 7 string squier strat years ago. Strange things do happen...

 

[borntohang]

They're really driving the price point down on these - there was also an Active 5 and 4 string with blocks & binding neck and 2 band EQ. On the six string side there was an affinity Jaguar for £279 which looked pretty neat.

[velvetkevorkian]

38 minutes ago, MichaelDean said:

That link is already dead! Clearly wasn't meant to go live yet. 

 

They did a 7 string squier strat years ago. Strange things do happen...

 

The golden age of graphic design

[tauzero]

2 hours ago, MichaelDean said:

That link is already dead! Clearly wasn't meant to go live yet. 

 

It's working now.

[NancyJohnson]

Headstock is a munter.

[Pea Turgh]

Lightweight tuners?  Graphite rods?  On an Affinity?  And for £320?!!

[AndyTravis]

🧐

[neepheid]

1 hour ago, NancyJohnson said:

Headstock is a munter.

 

I get the feeling it would be easier and quicker to list the headstocks you do like...

[M@23]

Cool 🙂 be nice to see a passive 5 string P bass, please. 

[Hellzero]

13 hours ago, velvetkevorkian said:

Squier are releasing a full scale Jazz 6 string https://www.fender.com/en-GB/squier-electric-basses/jazz-bass/affinity-series-jazz-bass-vi/0378671565.html

 

At least it makes use of all that headstock real estate?

Only took them 50 years, even if there's been a few failed attempts... I might even buy one.

[Newfoundfreedom]

Pretty reasonable price too. Unusually for Fender. 

[NancyJohnson]

7 hours ago, neepheid said:

 

I get the feeling it would be easier and quicker to list the headstocks you do like...

 

The fundamental issue with Fender is that they're too headstrong and they're stuck with a headstock design that doesn't look pretty with the incorporation of additional tuners.

 

Other manufacturers don't seem to be too hindered/constricted by sticking to the same shape headstock across their ranges; off the top of my head, Ibanez.

 

I love the Spector headstock.  You could (possibly) put that on anything.

 

 

[Delberthot]

I'm trying to work out why they've done this. I thought that the affinity range especially was geared towards those just starting out with the goal of them progressing onto a full fat fender version but Fender don't do a 6 string bass.

 

Unless of course they're just trying the market to gauge whether or not a 6 string bass will sell before releasing a Fender version.

 

I have absolutely no need for one but it won't stop me hovering over the "buy" button at some point.

[neepheid]

But you get people "just starting out" on 6 string, and are there many inexpensive FAAFO options?

[Hellzero]

Fender had the Steve Bailey 6 strings in fretless and fretted version a long time ago and before that they designed a prototype version of the Roscoe Beck for the man himself...

[Cairobill]

Intriiiiiiggggggguing

 

[Hellzero]

And the one off (two, in fact) Tye Zamora Fender 6 that was even for sale here: 

[LeftyJ]

Came here to say this 

I was just looking up the story on that bass and stumbled upon a story by someone who claimed to be a friend of Tye, who says it never evolved past the two or three prototypes (one was a fretless apparently) because the involved Fender custom shop Master Builder got caught with porn on his work computer and was subsequently fired (?). 

 

There were also the Fender Heartfield DR-6 and DR-6C (the latter is a neck-through version) which have a reasonably goodlooking 3+3 headstock - though one could argue they're not true Fenders. 

 

Edited July 2, 2024 by LeftyJ

[velvetkevorkian]

29 minutes ago, Delberthot said:

Unless of course they're just trying the market to gauge whether or not a 6 string bass will sell before releasing a Fender version.

That would be my (entirely uninformed) guess.

 

26 minutes ago, neepheid said:

But you get people "just starting out" on 6 string, and are there many inexpensive FAAFO options?

There are plenty of cheap 6 strings, but not traditionally styled ones, and not ones that are Fender-adjacent which still counts for a lot of people.

[Pea Turgh]

I would like to try 6 at some point.  This seems like a good option to try it out.

 

Would be tempted to take a hacksaw to the headstock though…

 

Edited July 2, 2024 by Pea Turgh

[Schnozzalee]

I've only just gotten over the 'crocodile burp' of a 5 string B.

 

I'd recommend the Cort A6, which can't be much more. I played one for years, just because it was great bass, but I'd rarely play chordal stuff (unless at home).

 

There was a cracking player in Cardiff on here that used a Cort Curbow 6 in the restaurants around the bay. Can't remember his name 🤔 

[Hellzero]

2 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

Came here to say this 

I was just looking up the story on that bass and stumbled upon a story by someone who claimed to be a friend of Tye, who says it never evolved past the two or three prototypes (one was a fretless apparently) because the involved Fender custom shop Master Builder got caught with porn on his work computer and was subsequently fired (?). 

🤦🫣🤣🤣🤣🤣

 

2 hours ago, LeftyJ said:

There were also the Fender Heartfield DR-6 and DR-6C (the latter is a neck-through version) which have a reasonably good looking 3+3 headstock - though one could argue they're not true Fenders. 

 

 

The Heartfield line was made by Fuji Gen Gakki in Japan from 1989 to 1994 to produce the Fender niche models designed in the USA or Japan and some guitars or basses even wear the Heartfield by Fender logo à la Squier.

 

So, true Fender? It's up to you!

[Baloney Balderdash]

No info about the string spacing.

 

Hoping it is 16mm.

 

[Cairobill]

@Baloney Balderdash it says 17mm in the specs

Edited July 2, 2024 by Cairobill