| Revision as of 05:18, 26 December 2005 editAndrewa (talk | contribs)Administrators61,996 edits external link← Previous edit | Revision as of 08:56, 27 December 2005 edit undoAndrewa (talk | contribs)Administrators61,996 edits refactorNext edit → | ||
| Line 1: | Line 1: | ||
| ] | ] | ||
| The '''Fender VI''' or '''Bass VI''' is a six-string ] by ]. | |||
| The '''Fender VI''' or '''Bass VI''' was a six-string ] developed by ] in 1961 as Fender's take on ]'s 1956 concept. In essence, it was a ] tuned down an ], featuring a floating ]. Unlike normal 4-string bass guitars, the strings on the Fender VI are thinner (like a guitar) and thus do not give as deep a bass sound as 4-string basses. It wss a specialist-type instrument and never proved popular as bassists shunned its tightly spaced strings versus a four-string bass. However legendary bassist ] of ] used one, giving it some fame. ] of ] also played one briefly in the early '60's. | |||
| ==Model history== | |||
| The 1961 Fender VI was based on the ], but with three pickups. Actually, as the Jaguar was only released on 1962, it could even be said that the Jaguar was based on the Fender VI! The three pickups were accomodated by three pickup on-off switches, and a bass cut switch was soon added, then making four switches on the lower switch plate. The body was otherwise closely modelled on the Jaguar. There was no bridge mute, but the ] was retained, making the Fender VI one of very few bass guitars to have one. Jack Bruce had the whammy bar removed from his, and sometime in the 1960s it was removed from the production Fender VI, giving better tuning stability. | |||
| 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. It was in turn the basis of the ], released the following year. | |||
| ⚫ | 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. 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 Saul Davies of the band James, as a lead instrument. It can be seen in the concert video "Getting Away With It" on the song "Someone's Got It In For Me". ] from ] also used a Fender VI on their untitled CD. | ||
| It departed from the concept of the ] not only in having six strings, but also in having a shorter scale and thinner strings. | |||
| The original issue had similar body, electrics and ] to the Jazzmaster (released in 1958), but three pickups as opposed to two for the Jazzmaster. The third pickup was accomodated by using three pickup on-off switches rather than the more conventional three-position switch. Later a fourth bass cut switch was added. Following the example of ], the whammy bar was removed sometime in the 1960s, giving better tuning stability. | |||
| Like the Jaguar, the VI had a pronounced curve on the fingerboard, which made them tricky instrument s 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 days that 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. | |||
| 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, especially the early models with a whammy bar, a feature unique in the history of electric bass. | |||
| The original Fender VI, along with the rest of the Jaguar line, was discontinued in 1975. | The original Fender VI, along with the rest of the Jaguar line, was discontinued in 1975. | ||
| In 2005, a new Fender VI was released as the '''Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom'''. The Baritone Custom is made in Japan, and has two pickups and no |
In 2005, a new Fender VI was released as the '''Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom'''. The Baritone Custom is made in Japan, and has two pickups and no whammy bar, but is otherwise a Fender VI both in appearance and specification. | ||
| ==Players== | |||
| The most famous exponent remains legendary bassist ] of ]. ] of ] also played one briefly in the early '60's. | |||
| ⚫ | 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. 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 Saul Davies of the band James, as a lead instrument. It can be seen in the concert video "Getting Away With It" on the song "Someone's Got It In For Me". ] from ] also used a Fender VI on their untitled CD. | ||
| ==External links== | ==External links== | ||
| Line 15: | Line 29: | ||
| * of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar lines, including the Fender VI. | * of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar lines, including the Fender VI. | ||
| *, showing their 1957 model bass VI. | |||
| {{musical-instrument-stub}} | |||
| ] | ] | ||
Revision as of 08:56, 27 December 2005
The Fender VI or Bass VI is a six-string electric bass by Fender.
Model history
The Fender VI was released in 1961, and followed the concept of the Danelectro 6-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E-E, an octave below the spanish guitar. Its other ancestor was the Fender Jazzmaster, with which it shared many styling and technical details. It was in turn the basis of the Fender Jaguar, released the following year.
It departed from the concept of the Fender Precision Bass not only in having six strings, but also in having a shorter scale and thinner strings.
The original issue had similar body, electrics and whammy bar to the Jazzmaster (released in 1958), but three pickups as opposed to two for the Jazzmaster. The third pickup was accomodated by using three pickup on-off switches rather than the more conventional three-position switch. Later a fourth bass cut switch was added. Following the example of Jack Bruce, the whammy bar was removed sometime in the 1960s, giving better tuning stability.
Like the Jaguar, the VI had a pronounced curve on the fingerboard, which made them tricky instrument s 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 days that 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.
For whatever reason, the bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four string precision bass and its derivatives did, even among surf music and country and western bands for which its tone colours would have seemed ideal, especially the early models with a whammy bar, a feature unique in the history of electric bass.
The original Fender VI, along with the rest of the Jaguar line, was discontinued in 1975.
In 2005, a new Fender VI was released as the Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom. The Baritone Custom is made in Japan, and has two pickups and no whammy bar, but is otherwise a Fender VI both in appearance and specification.
Players
The most famous exponent remains legendary bassist Jack Bruce of Cream. John Entwistle of The Who also played one briefly in the early '60's.
A Fender VI can also be seen on Beatles' videos for "Hey Jude", "Let it Be", and "The Long and Winding Road". It was played by both George Harrison ("Hey Jude"- though Paul McCartney 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. Years later, the Fender VI was embraced by Robert Smith from The Cure. 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 Saul Davies of the band James, as a lead instrument. It can be seen in the concert video "Getting Away With It" on the song "Someone's Got It In For Me". Mark Hoppus from blink-182 also used a Fender VI on their untitled CD.
External links
- History of the Jazzmaster and Jaguar lines, including the Fender VI.
- Unofficial Danelectro page, showing their 1957 model bass VI.