The Fender Bass VI can be an enigmatic instrument. Upon first picking one up, it is hard to know exactly what to do with it. It can surely fill the role of a traditional bass very easily, yet depending on how it's played, the amp it's plugged into, and which pickups are selected, it can also sound a whole lot like a standard six-string guitar. It is certainly not confined to either one of these roles, however. When played by a skilled musician who understands its full capabilities, the Bass VI is an entirely unique instrument with a voice all its own. Strum a chord or pick a few low notes with the bridge pickup selected, and one is rewarded with a sound that is both deep and deeply twangy. Use the in-between pickup positions and even simple dyads can imply the weight and richness of a full chord. Melodic lines played with fuzz or distortion can take on a girth that a standard guitar cannot effectively mimic.
Despite its remarkable flexibility and singular voice, the Fender Bass VI has never achieved anywhere near the popularity of Fender's other game-changing creations, such as the Precision Bass, Stratocaster, Telecaster, and the VI's close relatives, the Jazzmaster and Jaguar. Originally introduced in 1961 and discontinued in 1975, the Bass VI was designed as a direct competitor to Danelectro's UB-2 six-string bass guitar, which had achieved some popularity among studio musicians for recording so-called "tic-tac" bass lines. These were lines recorded on electric six-string bass that doubled the lines laid down by the stand-up acoustic bass, adding punch, attack, and definition to the rhythm section. Leo Fender's instrument improved upon the Dano design with more sophisticated pickup options, more robust construction, a floating vibrato system, and an extra half-inch in scale length, which improves string tension and tonal response.
In recent years the Bass VI has made a huge comeback. Players like Robert Smith of the Cure have done a lot to keep it in the public eye, and the recent surge of interest in extended range instruments has also done much to bolster its reputation. Fender itself has waited until somewhat recently to capitalize on this interest in a serious way, releasing several variations of the Bass VI over the last few years. A handful of other companies have also produced their own versions of this underdog of the guitar world, updating this classic six-string bass design with modern pickups, electronics, and ergonomics. This is a refreshing development indeed, as Bass VI fans of earlier eras haven't had many options beyond hunting down a vintage instrument, which was often a difficult and expensive proposition. Here are a few of our favorite reissues and modern variations on the Bass VI design.
Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI
From Fender itself comes the Pawn Shop Bass VI, an affordable instrument that captures the feel and spirit of the original, but expands its tonal palette and usability with some carefully considered features. The idea behind the Pawn Shop series is "guitars that never were but should have been," and thus far the concept has yielded some very interesting creations. The main element that sets the Pawn Shop Bass VI apart from a straight-up vintage reissue is the pickup configuration. It is outfitted with a pair of Hot Jaguar single-coils in the neck and middle positions, while the bridge pickup is a JZHB humbucking Jazzmaster-style transducer. This allows the Pawn Shop VI to get noticeably meaner than its vintage-styled counterparts, generating some seriously fat, nasty growl in the bridge position. The electronics have also been drastically simplified, making this VI much easier to dial in, and streamlining its appearance.
Schecter Robert Smith Ultracure VI
There has been no more prominent and visible modern Bass VI proponent than Robert Smith of The Cure. Smith began using the instrument on record with The Cure's 1981 album Faith, and it has been a stock element of the band's sound ever since. In fact, current Cure guitarist Reeves Gabrels has stated that he believes the Bass VI to be the one essential instrument that makes The Cure sound like The Cure. It is somewhat curious then that Smith's signature model VI is not a Fender at all, but a Schecter, the Robert Smith Ultracure VI. This wide-bodied axe shares the same styling as his signature Schecter Ultracure guitar, but with a maple fretboard, a trio of Seymour Duncan Jaguar pickups, a 3-way selector switch, and standard Bass VI scale length and specs. Smith has stated that it was designed to play and sound as close to his Disintegration-era Fender as possible, and it reportedly delivers on all counts.
Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI
The Fender Bass VI has long been a favorite of surf and spaghetti western-style instrumental bands, both for its incredible flexibility and its inherently twangy personality. Plug one into a cranked Dual Showman with the reverb turned up and you'll immediately grasp the reason for this popularity. Thus, it makes sense that Eastwood, a company that has made its reputation from producing exciting, affordable variants of oddball vintage guitars, thought to combine the Bass VI concept with that other surf rock stalwart, the Mosrite. The result is the Sidejack Bass VI, a six-string bass that can handily hold down the low-end if necessary, but can also snarl and bark like any guitar outfitted with a similarly sweet pair of vintage-voiced P-90s. A lot of modern Bass VI variants are designed with hardtail bridges for increased tuning stability, but Eastwood's comes with a very solid Jazzmaster style vibrato with a roller bridge. These features make the Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI one seriously formidable surf machine.
Ibanez SRC6 Crossover 6‑String Electric Bass
One of the more distinctly modern variations on the Bass VI concept is the Ibanez SRC6. This unique instrument looks a whole lot like many of Ibanez's contemporary bass designs, with a highly contoured mahogany body, five-piece jatoba-bubinga neck, 24 frets, black hardware, and a pair of EMG 35Hz passive pickups, but its shorter 30-inch scale, narrower string spacing, and lighter gauge strings give away its true identity. This is simply a VI unlike any other. Its range of features, which also includes a custom three-band EQ circuit, gives the SRC6 unprecedented flexibility to conjure up anything from a deep, punchy modern bass sound, to some very dynamic distorted guitar tones. It's perfect for the player that frequently switches between bass and guitar duties, and its thoroughly contemporary electronics and hardware give it a modern feel and sound that separates it from the retro-styled offerings that otherwise dominate this market.
Electrical Guitar Company Custom 30" Scale Baritone/Bass VI
Pensacola, Florida's Electrical Guitar Company makes some of the most popular, coveted custom instruments on the scene right now. Though some of its guitars and basses feature wood or acrylic bodies, it is most well know for instruments that are built entirely of aluminum, a fact which lends them a uniquely singing resonance, wide frequency response, and supreme clarity, as well as a very distinctive feel and appearance. As one might suspect, these qualities are ideal for a Bass VI. EGC doesn't appear to have a standard production Bass VI model in its current lineup, but it has a wide range of standard guitar models that are readily available to be ordered as 30-inch scale baritones, set up for whatever the customer's preferred string gauge and tuning. The company can also fashion just about any wild design that a customer an imagine. I have seen a number of gorgeous EGC 30-inch scale Bass VI designs, as well as 32-inch scale versions that provide an even tighter, more responsive low E string.