Ayns
Wholenote
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Post by Ayns on Jun 17, 2020 11:59:24 GMT -5
I've recently had a crazy hankering to buy a Bass VI, primarily for recording purposes, (if I ever get around to it) 
I know that Harrison and Lennon both played a Bass VI, mainly on the White Album sessions.
I did a quick search here, but no results, so...….
Has anyone got one, played one, have any opinions/ advice?
Thanks in advance. |
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Post by windmill on Jun 17, 2020 17:49:49 GMT -5
You could always get a Squier VI. There has been a couple of models released in the last few years. The string spacing makes playing with your fingers a bit more difficult.  |
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Ayns
Wholenote
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Post by Ayns on Jun 18, 2020 5:00:18 GMT -5
Thanks windmill, that looks great.
Do you play single notes like a bass, or strum it like a guitar?
Is it up to the task of providing bass lines on recordings?
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Post by windmill on Jun 18, 2020 18:11:26 GMT -5
The Squier VI is best for single note work, the lower 4 strings sre a short scale bass but with closer string spacing. Partial chords on the upper strings work well. Strumming six string chords gives just a muddy blur, appreggios can sound good. Can't answer about the recording sorry. HTH  |
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huck
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Post by huck on Jun 18, 2020 20:24:55 GMT -5
I've got a Squier VM. I'm assuming it's pretty close to the current CV model, but I haven't actually played a CV, so I could be wrong. It works just fine as a short-scale bass. Yes, the string spacing is tight, but I can play it finger style, though I usually use a pick. Cowboy chords don't work so well, though using the strangle switch makes them a bit better. Barre chords up the neck sound fine. If I play chords, I play triads up the neck. The VM nuts are kinda crappy, and the strings they ship with are far too light to make the low E usable. Kalium sells sets for it. I got a set with a 98 E, and everything works fine. Intonation of the E and A can be tricky. I had to cut a bit of the spring to get the saddle to move back far enough to work. I also put some copper sleeves in the bridge post holes to stabilize things -- I don't use the trem at all. Anyhow, it's cool to have around, and the oly white one looks gorgeous. I haven't really done much with it, though when I have taken it to play with other folks as a bass, it does the trick. Here's a video of me playing mine a couple of weeks ago: www.facebook.com/kevinrexroat/videos/10218353685858897/It's straight into a Blues Jr. When I play it as a bass, I run it through a bass amp. |
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Ayns
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Post by Ayns on Jun 19, 2020 5:27:06 GMT -5
Thanks guys. I've bid on a Squier VI on eB*y. There's also a that's been owned by a "name" musician going for just over £300. There's also a VM for £400, a MIJ for £2.5k ! and an original 1963 for £9k. As I say, this is a bit of a whim, but with 30+ guitars already, I've just been thinking about getting something "different". I doubt I will ever use it for playing "out" with the band or for open mics, but will probably use it for "noodling about" or recording. My only bass is a Squier Precision that I've had for about 15 years, and it's perfectly adequate, but I'm not a bassist, and I think short scale may be better for my tiny non-bass-player hands. Also, the fact that George and John played one adds to the temptation. |
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Ayns
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Post by Ayns on Jun 19, 2020 5:30:45 GMT -5
Nice Elvis cover Kevin, btw. |
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Ayns
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Post by Ayns on Jul 5, 2020 17:48:54 GMT -5
Ok, I've just bought a used Squier VM Bass VI in sunburst, it should arrive sometime this week. I'm really looking forward to getting it I was reading an FDP thread from a few years ago last night, and it seems ReverendRob has one and Mfitz was also after one. ;-) |
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Post by windmill on Jul 5, 2020 18:04:32 GMT -5
Look forward to hearing what you think of it
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Post by Mfitz804 on Jul 5, 2020 22:19:20 GMT -5
Ok, I've just bought a used Squier VM Bass VI in sunburst, it should arrive sometime this week. I'm really looking forward to getting it I was reading an FDP thread from a few years ago last night, and it seems ReverendRob has one and Mfitz was also after one. ;-) Rob does have one. I myself never took the plunge. At the time I was just pretty much looking to get into something different. |
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Post by reverendrob on Jul 7, 2020 0:24:38 GMT -5
I love mine, only have ever changed the volume knobs (standard Speed Knobs, that I put on everything) and a guitar synth pickup - pro tip, you want the GK-3 for GUITAR, not Bass, because of the string spacing. Doing it was an unprecedented gamble that Roland themselves had never tried, but it works wonders.
I have Labella stainless on the thing, and while it doesn't quite have the punch of a P-Bass (in the standard 'not guitar synth' setting), it has pretty much knocked my Jazz bass into retirement, as it does EVERYTHING the Jazz did and more.
My only recommendation: get a solid color.
I have a burst, because at the time I was offered one of the trade show ones and had one in hand because of that six months before the rest of the world, and was deathly afraid they wouldn't come to market or I'd miss out. I really wanted an Oly White or black one. I still do, but will make that one a fretless if I pull the trigger.
Ignore the "need a mastery bridge" internet silliness. It will intonate just fine if you know how to set up an offset - it is good enough for the VERY bitchy guitar synth pickup (which on bass is doubly so!).
The strangle switch is your friend, plus bi-amping - run it into a bass or full-frequency amp AND a guitar amp, and magic happens.
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Ayns
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Post by Ayns on Jul 8, 2020 6:59:26 GMT -5
Thanks Rob, that's good information.
I'm expecting mine to arrive in the next couple of days. I went for sunburst as that was the only one on eBay, although just before I bought mine an Olympic White (first I've seen) with case came up, but it sold within about five minutes.
To be honest, I could probably have got by with a short scale bass, but I fancied something different.
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Ayns
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Post by Ayns on Jul 10, 2020 11:05:58 GMT -5
Bass VI arrived this morning, and so far.... I'm loving it It's used, but looks like brand new. In fact the strings feel so new, I think it's hardly been played. Out of the box, the build quality, finish and fit are excellent, better than I even expected. Action is nice and low, and the string spacing is fine for a guitarist like me. The 30" scale is an improvement on my 34" Precision bass, but still a fair stretch for my tiny guitarist hands I haven't plugged it in yet, but I've had great fun messing about with it, and even wrote a couple of new riffs with it straight out of the box Now for the bad news - the notoriously poor intonation on the low E was so bad, it was almost a semitone sharp at he the 12th fret  . As I said, the strings felt brand new, so I stretched the low E and this appears to have helped quite a lot (Does that make sense?). Anyway, I think it's something I can easily play around. I'm not sure if I'll use chords/ top 2 strings that much, but even if I just use it as a "short scale" bass for recording, I think it's an unbelievable bargain at £300. 90's MIJ models are selling for £2k+, and 60's originals are going for £8k :0 |
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. As I said, the strings felt brand new, so I stretched the low E and this appears to have helped quite a lot (Does that make sense?). Anyway, I think it's something I can easily play around.