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{{Short description|Electric bass}}
]
{{Infobox Guitar model
|title=Fender Bass VI
|image=]
|manufacturer=]
|period=1961–1975, 1995–1998, 2006–2008, 2013–present
|bodytype=Solid
|necktype=Bolt-on
|scale=30"
|woodbody=]
|woodneck=Quartersawn ], C-shaped
|woodfingerboard=]
|bridge=Vintage-style "floating" ] with tremolo lock button
|pickups=3 single coil, originally Strat style, Custom Jaguar from 1963
|colors=3-Tone Sunburst
}}


The '''Fender Bass VI''', originally known as the '''Fender VI''', is a six-string ] by ]. The '''Fender Bass VI''', originally known as the '''Fender VI''', is a six-string ] made by ]. The instrument is tuned an ] below a standard ]. It is thus similar to an electrified, single-course version of the ], an acoustic 12-string bass guitar from Mexico, or an electric ]'''.


==Model history== ==Design concept and history==
The Fender VI was released in 1961, and followed the concept of the ] 6-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E-E, an octave below the spanish guitar. Its other ancestor was the ], with which it shared many styling and technical details. Its body and electrics so closely matched those of the ], released the following year, that in all but name the Fender VI was the first model of the Jaguar line released. The Fender VI was released in 1961 and followed the concept of the ] six-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E1 to E3, an ] below the Spanish guitar. The Bass VI was closely related to the ], with which it shared styling and technical details, notably the ]. The VI had an offset body similar but not identical to that of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar.


It departed from the concept of the ] not only in having six strings, but also in having a shorter scale and thinner strings. It departed from the concept of the ] in having six strings, a shorter scale and thinner strings, and a mechanical vibrato arm. The Bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four-string Precision Bass and its derivatives did. The model was discontinued in 1975.
]


===Reissue===
The original issue had similar body, electrics and ] to the Jaguar (released in 1958), but three pickups as opposed to two for the Jaguar. The third pickup was accommodated by using three pickup on-off switches rather than the more conventional three-position switch. Later a fourth bass cut (''strangle'') switch was added.
From 1995 through 1998, ] produced a vintage reissue featuring the 1963 model's Jaguar-style pickups and electronics.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/the-bass-vi-part-guitar-part-bass-all-epic | title=The Bass VI: Part Guitar. Part Bass. All Epic }}</ref>


The ] reissued a similar model from 2006 through 2008.<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fender.com/articles/gear/the-bass-vi-part-guitar-part-bass-all-epic | title=The Bass VI: Part Guitar. Part Bass. All Epic }}</ref>
Like the Jaguar, the Fender VI had a pronounced curve for such a wide fingerboard, which made them all tricky instruments to set up without buzzes, and required some adjustment of playing technique. The electrics and extra strings were ideal for a soloist, but in the 1960s few electric bass players played solos. The close string spacing and light strings might have made guitarists more comfortable, but were an annoyance to string bass players.


In 2013, Fender released a Bass VI model as part of its Pawn Shop series. In line with the series' purpose to reconfigure classic Fender designs, this version of the Bass VI has a ]-type humbucking bridge pickup and a ]-style five-position pickup selector, as opposed to separate switches.<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.fender.com/series/pawn-shop/pawn-shop-bass-vi/ |title=Pawn Shop™ Bass VI |website=Fender.com |access-date=April 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20130113011820/http://www.fender.com/series/pawn-shop/pawn-shop-bass-vi/ |archive-date=January 13, 2013}}</ref> There are three available colors: brown sunburst with a tortoiseshell pickguard, black with a tortoiseshell pickguard, and candy-apple red with a white pickguard and painted headstock.
For whatever reason, the Bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four string Precision Bass and its derivatives did, even among ] and ] bands for which its tone colours would have seemed ideal.


Also in 2013, ] released a Bass VI as part of the Vintage Modified series. This model was similar to the traditional Bass VI design with four switches (on/off for each pickup and a "strangle" (low-cut filter) switch) and a Jaguar-style control plate. It featured a synthetic bone nut, rosewood fingerboard until 2018, medium jumbo frets, chrome hardware, alnico custom single-coil Jaguar pickups with claw, and continued the trend set by the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguars and Jazzmasters of having a non-locking tremolo plate. It was available in three-color sunburst finish with 4-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, Olympic White with a brown tortoiseshell pickguard, and black with a white three-ply pickguard.
The original Fender VI, along with the Jaguar and Jazzmaster, was discontinued in 1975.


In 2019, Squier released its Classic Vibe Bass VI, available in three-color sunburst and black, both with tortoiseshell pickguard. It has a slightly wider width at the nut than the Vintage Modified Bass VI (1.685" vs. 1.65"). The nut was upgraded to bone and the Indian laurel fretboard is equipped with narrow, tall frets. The pickup specs were changed to Fender-designed alnico single-coil pickups while retaining classic Jaguar claw shielding rings and the hardware was switched to nickel. The logo was also changed, from black to gold with black outline. Most of the other remaining features are similar to the Vintage Modified model.
In 2006, Fender reissued the original Bass VI as a custom-shop model. Based on the early-60s VI model, it has three single-coil pickups and identical electronics.


In 2023, Fender released a Bass VI model under the Vintera II series. Unlike the Pawn Shop version, the Vintera II 60s Bass VI is built to resemble the traditional 60s Bass VI with Alder body, Maple neck with Rosewood fretboard. The Vintera II 60s Bass VI is available in Fiesta Red & Lake Placid Blue.
===Related Instruments===

In 2004, Fender issued the ''']''' (later renamed "Jaguar Bass VI Custom"), which is more or less a combination of the Bass VI and the ]. The Jaguar Baritone Custom uses the same string gauges and tuning as the Bass VI, but differs in that it has a Jaguar-shaped body, two pickups with Jaguar-style switching options, a fixed bridge, no whammy and a shorter 28.5" scale length.


==Specifications== ==Specifications==
⚫ ]
Like other Fenders of the time, the Fender VI had a 7.25-inch fingerboard radius. The Fender VI, along with the ], the ] and the ], was given a cream/white-bound fretboard with rectangular pearloid block inlays in 1967, followed by a thicker black CBS-style headstock decal and polyester finishes instead of nitrocellulose lacquer in 1968. In 1970, as with the other Fender basses in production at the time (excluding the ]), the Bass VI was also offered with a black-bound Maple neck with black rectangular block inlays.
⚫ * Solid body (alder) fretted electric bass guitar, six strings in six courses tuned E-A-D-G-B-E an octave below the standard guitar tuning. The Bass VI reads in treble Clef but it sounds 2 Octaves lower than written.
⚫ * Scale length 30" / 762&nbsp;mm (''as opposed to 34" / 864&nbsp;mm for the Jazz and Precision basses'') for the U.S. versions, 30.3" for the Japanese versions.
⚫ * Curved fingerboard (rosewood), radius 7.25" / 184&nbsp;mm, 21 frets
⚫ * Standard strings .100 .080 .065 .044 .034 .024&nbsp;inches, Fender Nickel Wound, P/N 073–5350–000.
⚫ * Fender floating bridge and ]/]-style ].
* (1961–1975 and in select reissues) Fender Mute
]


===Electronics===
⚫ ]
The original-issue Bass VI had three Jaguar-style single coil pickups (with the Magnetic Field Accumulators used on the Jaguar guitar-pickups), controlled by a panel of four slider switches (rather than the conventional three-position switch): three individual pickup on/off switches, plus the Jaguar-type 'low-frequency-attenuating' (high-pass) filter.
]
⚫ * Solid body (alder) fretted electric bass guitar, 6 strings in 6 courses tuned E-A-D-G-B-E an octave below the normal guitar tuning.


When the ] was released in 1962, it used the Jazzmaster body with its unusual lead/rhythm electrics and the floating tremolo, but with a short scale-length neck, the Bass VI switch panel and two unique "toothed" pickups. Having only two pickups to control, the Jaguar's third slider switch served as a bass cut (also known as "strangle") switch.
⚫ * Scale length 30” / 762 mm (''as opposed to 34” / 864 mm for the Jazz and Precision basses'')
] using the Bass VI while in ]]]

In 1963, the Bass VI electronics were revised to incorporate some features from the Jaguar, with the adoption of toothed pickups and the addition of a fourth slider switch to provide bass-cut. This remained the setup of the Bass VI throughout its remaining 12 years of continuous production.<ref name=mr>{{cite web |url=http://www.musicradar.com/news/bass/the-history-of-the-fender-bass-vi-541018 |title=The history of the Fender Bass VI |last=Newell |first=Roger |date=April 24, 2012 |website=] |access-date=November 14, 2013}}</ref>
⚫ * Curved fingerboard (rosewood), radius 7.25” / 184 mm, 21 frets

⚫ * Standard strings .095 .075 .055 .045 .035 .025 inches, Fender stainless steel, P/N 073-5350-000.

⚫ * Fender floating ].

===Electrics===

All passive electrics, with three single pole magnetic pickups. There were two different types of pickups used on different models: Early models had three Stratocaster type pickups which were mounted in special chrome rings and were controled with three slider switches. Later, Jaguar type pickups were used, and a bass-cut switch was added to the controls.


Electronics mentioned above were all passive electronics.
* Three pickup on/off slider switches. * Three pickup on/off slider switches.
* Tone control slider switch (bass cutoff, also known as "strangle") (not on very early models). * Tone control slider switch (bass cut-off, or "strangle") (not on very early models).
* Volume control potentiometer. * Volume control ].
* Tone control (treble cutoff) potentiometer. * Tone control (treble cut-off) potentiometer.


===Tremolo arm=== ==Reviews==
] and ] of ] play Fender Bass VIs, with Molko saying, "Playing the Fender VI is like playing two instruments in one, it can be treated as a guitar and as a bass."<ref name="Guitar Player (04/99)">{{cite magazine |url=http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/archive/guitarcandy.htm |title=Ear Candy |last=Swenson |first=Kyle |date=April 1999 |magazine=] |via=PlaceboWorld |access-date=April 3, 2018 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20031210133646/http://www.placeboworld.co.uk/archive/guitarcandy.htm |archive-date=December 10, 2003}}</ref>


==Notable users and appearances==
The ] was the "floating" type with a locking device. This mechanism was developed for the ], and also used on the ]. It was more elaborate than the ''synchronised tremolo'' of the earlier ], and was claimed by Fender to be superior, but it failed to achieve the same popularity. Unlike the synchronised tremolo, it was rarely copied by other makers, and disappeared from the Fender catalogue with the withdrawal of the Jaguar line in the 1970s. It has since appeared mainly on Fender reissues.
* ]: ] and ], on tracks where bassist ] plays either piano or guitar on '']'', '']'' and '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/the-beatles-let-it-be-gear |title=The Gear Behind the Beatles' 'Let It Be' |last=Scapelliti |first=Christopher |date=2021 |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=8 May 2023 |quote=1960s Fender VI bass}}</ref>
* ]<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guitarplayer.com/gear/watch-glen-campbell-take-a-rare-fender-vi-solo-in-this-1968-tv-appearance |title=Watch Glen Campbell Take a Rare Fender VI Solo... |last=Brakes |first=Rod |date=2022 |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=8 May 2023 |quote=}}</ref>
* ]: ], ], ], ] and ] have all played six-string bass throughout The Cure history<ref>{{cite web | url=https://www.fender.com/articles/fender-performances/12-incredible-bass-vi-performances | title=12 Incredible Bass VI Performances }}</ref>
* ] (]) - for example, live version of "]" on '']''<ref>{{cite web |url=https://guitar.com/guides/essential-guide/peter-green-best-guitar-solos-songs-moments/ |title=Peter Green's 20 greatest guitar moments |last=Bailey |first=Owen |date=2020 |website=guitar.com |publisher=] |access-date=8 May 2023 |quote=The Green Manalishi ... featured Green on a Fender VI six-string bass}}</ref>
* ] (through his career with ])<ref>{{cite web |url=https://www.guitarworld.com/features/jet-harris-was-britains-first-bass-guitar-player-the-first-to-own-a-fender-precision-and-its-first-rocknroll-hellraiser-too |title=Jet Harris was Britain's first bass guitar player... |last=Poak |first=Tom |date=2023 |website=] |publisher=] |access-date=8 May 2023 |quote=1960s Fender VI bass}}</ref>
* ] (])<ref>{{Cite book |title=Testimony |first=Robbie |last=Robertson |year=2016 |at=Chapter One |location=London |publisher=William Heinemann |isbn=978-1-78515-106-4}}</ref>
* ] (played by ]), in the film '']'', owns a Fender Bass VI which he refuses to play, or even allow others to look at<ref>{{cite web |title=Excerpt from Guitar World April 1992 issue |url=http://www.spinaltap.com/articles/guitarworld3.html |website=SpinalTap.com |access-date=February 1, 2017 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20140530204834/http://www.spinaltap.com/articles/guitarworld3.html |archive-date=May 30, 2014}}</ref>
*]: The ] of the 2013 video game '']''. Santaolalla scored the themes of the protagonist ] with the instrument.<ref name="GuardianArticle">{{cite web |url=https://www.theguardian.com/games/article/2024/jul/12/the-last-of-us-score-music-gustavo-santaolalla |title=The Last of Us has three main characters: Ellie, Joel and Gustavo Santaolalla's music |last=Peppiatt |first=Dom |work=] |date=July 12, 2024 |access-date=August 13, 2024 |archiveurl=https://web.archive.org/web/20240717145438/www.theguardian.com/games/article/2024/jul/12/the-last-of-us-score-music-gustavo-santaolalla |archivedate=July 17, 2024 |url-status=live }}</ref>


==Players== ==Literature==
* {{Cite book |first=Peter |last=Bertges |title=The Fender Reference |publisher=Bomots |location=Saarbrücken |year=2007 |isbn=978-3-939316-38-1}}
The most famous exponent remains legendary bassist ] of ]. ] of ] also played one briefly in the early '60's.


==References==
A Fender VI can also be seen on ]' videos for "Hey Jude", "Let it Be", and "The Long and Winding Road". It was played by both George Harrison ("Hey Jude"- though ] played bass on the single version) and John Lennon ("Let It Be", "The Long and Winding Road") when the band's bass player, McCartney, played piano.
{{Reflist}}

] made extensive use of the Fender VI as a solo instrument during his live performances of 'The Green Manalishi' with ] from 1969-1970, and also as a session musician with Duster Bennett (AKA 'Peter Blue') and Peter Bardens, among others.

Years later, the Fender VI was embraced by ] from ]. Originally a guitarist, Smith uses the Fender VI as a lead instrument, playing phrases and even chords on it. The Fender VI can be heard on songs such as "Pictures of You" and "Lullaby".

It was also used by ] of the band ], as a lead instrument (visible in the concert video "Getting Away With It" on the songs "Someone's Got It In For Me," "Getting Away With It," and "Vervacious"), and ] of ] as a regular bass.
] from ] also used a Fender VI on their untitled CD.
During the infamous "Dont' touch it" scene of ] Nigel's extremely special guitar is actually an original foam green Fender VI.

It is the only bass John 5 plays on his solo works(though guest musicians often play their own).


==External links== ==External links==
* - Manufacturer's official site. * – Manufacturer's official site.

* of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar lines, including the Fender VI.

*, showing their 1957 model six-string bass.


{{Fender guitars}}
* - An online community and information source.


] ]
]
]

Latest revision as of 05:45, 2 January 2025

Electric bass
Fender Bass VI
ManufacturerFender
Period1961–1975, 1995–1998, 2006–2008, 2013–present
Construction
Body typeSolid
Neck jointBolt-on
Scale30"
Woods
BodyAlder
NeckQuartersawn Maple, C-shaped
FretboardRosewood
Hardware
BridgeVintage-style "floating" tremolo with tremolo lock button
Pickup(s)3 single coil, originally Strat style, Custom Jaguar from 1963
Colors available
3-Tone Sunburst

The Fender Bass VI, originally known as the Fender VI, is a six-string electric bass guitar made by Fender. The instrument is tuned an octave below a standard electric guitar. It is thus similar to an electrified, single-course version of the bajo sexto, an acoustic 12-string bass guitar from Mexico, or an electric contrabass guitar.

Design concept and history

The Fender VI was released in 1961 and followed the concept of the Danelectro six-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E1 to E3, an octave below the Spanish guitar. The Bass VI was closely related to the Fender Jaguar, with which it shared styling and technical details, notably the Fender floating tremolo. The VI had an offset body similar but not identical to that of the Jazzmaster/Jaguar.

It departed from the concept of the Fender Precision Bass in having six strings, a shorter scale and thinner strings, and a mechanical vibrato arm. The Bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four-string Precision Bass and its derivatives did. The model was discontinued in 1975.

Reissue

From 1995 through 1998, Fender Japan produced a vintage reissue featuring the 1963 model's Jaguar-style pickups and electronics.

The Fender Custom Shop reissued a similar model from 2006 through 2008.

In 2013, Fender released a Bass VI model as part of its Pawn Shop series. In line with the series' purpose to reconfigure classic Fender designs, this version of the Bass VI has a Jazzmaster-type humbucking bridge pickup and a Stratocaster-style five-position pickup selector, as opposed to separate switches. There are three available colors: brown sunburst with a tortoiseshell pickguard, black with a tortoiseshell pickguard, and candy-apple red with a white pickguard and painted headstock.

Also in 2013, Squier released a Bass VI as part of the Vintage Modified series. This model was similar to the traditional Bass VI design with four switches (on/off for each pickup and a "strangle" (low-cut filter) switch) and a Jaguar-style control plate. It featured a synthetic bone nut, rosewood fingerboard until 2018, medium jumbo frets, chrome hardware, alnico custom single-coil Jaguar pickups with claw, and continued the trend set by the Squier Vintage Modified Jaguars and Jazzmasters of having a non-locking tremolo plate. It was available in three-color sunburst finish with 4-ply tortoiseshell pickguard, Olympic White with a brown tortoiseshell pickguard, and black with a white three-ply pickguard.

In 2019, Squier released its Classic Vibe Bass VI, available in three-color sunburst and black, both with tortoiseshell pickguard. It has a slightly wider width at the nut than the Vintage Modified Bass VI (1.685" vs. 1.65"). The nut was upgraded to bone and the Indian laurel fretboard is equipped with narrow, tall frets. The pickup specs were changed to Fender-designed alnico single-coil pickups while retaining classic Jaguar claw shielding rings and the hardware was switched to nickel. The logo was also changed, from black to gold with black outline. Most of the other remaining features are similar to the Vintage Modified model.

In 2023, Fender released a Bass VI model under the Vintera II series. Unlike the Pawn Shop version, the Vintera II 60s Bass VI is built to resemble the traditional 60s Bass VI with Alder body, Maple neck with Rosewood fretboard. The Vintera II 60s Bass VI is available in Fiesta Red & Lake Placid Blue.

Specifications

Fender Bass VI string set.

Like other Fenders of the time, the Fender VI had a 7.25-inch fingerboard radius. The Fender VI, along with the Jaguar, the Jazzmaster and the Electric XII, was given a cream/white-bound fretboard with rectangular pearloid block inlays in 1967, followed by a thicker black CBS-style headstock decal and polyester finishes instead of nitrocellulose lacquer in 1968. In 1970, as with the other Fender basses in production at the time (excluding the Precision Bass), the Bass VI was also offered with a black-bound Maple neck with black rectangular block inlays.

  • Solid body (alder) fretted electric bass guitar, six strings in six courses tuned E-A-D-G-B-E an octave below the standard guitar tuning. The Bass VI reads in treble Clef but it sounds 2 Octaves lower than written.
  • Scale length 30" / 762 mm (as opposed to 34" / 864 mm for the Jazz and Precision basses) for the U.S. versions, 30.3" for the Japanese versions.
  • Curved fingerboard (rosewood), radius 7.25" / 184 mm, 21 frets
  • Standard strings .100 .080 .065 .044 .034 .024 inches, Fender Nickel Wound, P/N 073–5350–000.
  • Fender floating bridge and Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster-style tremolo arm.
  • (1961–1975 and in select reissues) Fender Mute
Bass VI Headstock

Electronics

The original-issue Bass VI had three Jaguar-style single coil pickups (with the Magnetic Field Accumulators used on the Jaguar guitar-pickups), controlled by a panel of four slider switches (rather than the conventional three-position switch): three individual pickup on/off switches, plus the Jaguar-type 'low-frequency-attenuating' (high-pass) filter.

When the Fender Jaguar was released in 1962, it used the Jazzmaster body with its unusual lead/rhythm electrics and the floating tremolo, but with a short scale-length neck, the Bass VI switch panel and two unique "toothed" pickups. Having only two pickups to control, the Jaguar's third slider switch served as a bass cut (also known as "strangle") switch.

Peter Green using the Bass VI while in Fleetwood Mac

In 1963, the Bass VI electronics were revised to incorporate some features from the Jaguar, with the adoption of toothed pickups and the addition of a fourth slider switch to provide bass-cut. This remained the setup of the Bass VI throughout its remaining 12 years of continuous production.

Electronics mentioned above were all passive electronics.

  • Three pickup on/off slider switches.
  • Tone control slider switch (bass cut-off, or "strangle") (not on very early models).
  • Volume control potentiometer.
  • Tone control (treble cut-off) potentiometer.

Reviews

Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal of Placebo play Fender Bass VIs, with Molko saying, "Playing the Fender VI is like playing two instruments in one, it can be treated as a guitar and as a bass."

Notable users and appearances

Literature

References

  1. "The Bass VI: Part Guitar. Part Bass. All Epic".
  2. "The Bass VI: Part Guitar. Part Bass. All Epic".
  3. "Pawn Shop™ Bass VI". Fender.com. Archived from the original on January 13, 2013. Retrieved April 3, 2018.
  4. Newell, Roger (April 24, 2012). "The history of the Fender Bass VI". MusicRadar. Retrieved November 14, 2013.
  5. Swenson, Kyle (April 1999). "Ear Candy". Guitar Player. Archived from the original on December 10, 2003. Retrieved April 3, 2018 – via PlaceboWorld.
  6. Scapelliti, Christopher (2021). "The Gear Behind the Beatles' 'Let It Be'". Guitar Player. Future US. Retrieved 8 May 2023. 1960s Fender VI bass
  7. Brakes, Rod (2022). "Watch Glen Campbell Take a Rare Fender VI Solo..." Guitar Player. Future US. Retrieved 8 May 2023.
  8. "12 Incredible Bass VI Performances".
  9. Bailey, Owen (2020). "Peter Green's 20 greatest guitar moments". guitar.com. NME. Retrieved 8 May 2023. The Green Manalishi ... featured Green on a Fender VI six-string bass
  10. Poak, Tom (2023). "Jet Harris was Britain's first bass guitar player..." Guitar World. Future US. Retrieved 8 May 2023. 1960s Fender VI bass
  11. Robertson, Robbie (2016). Testimony. London: William Heinemann. Chapter One. ISBN 978-1-78515-106-4.
  12. "Excerpt from Guitar World April 1992 issue". SpinalTap.com. Archived from the original on May 30, 2014. Retrieved February 1, 2017.
  13. Peppiatt, Dom (July 12, 2024). "The Last of Us has three main characters: Ellie, Joel and Gustavo Santaolalla's music". The Guardian. Archived from the original on July 17, 2024. Retrieved August 13, 2024.

External links

  • Fender – Manufacturer's official site.
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