Jimryan Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 Evening all, First up wasn't sure whether this belonged in here, bass guitars, accessories and misc or repairs and tech so feel free to move as appropriate. Recently I treated myself to a Squier VM Bass VI and love it. It's a great bass and I'm starting to think I may even be able to incorporate it into a band that I've just joined. The more I use it though, the more I think about how I can mod it and it got me thinking as to whether any other bass vi owners have modded theirs. So far all I've done with mine is change the strings (which seems to be standard practice with these) for a set of Rotosound custom gauge (24, 30, 38, 47, 78, 100), fit straplocks and change the knobs from the stock black plastic to chrome barrel knobs. Now I know one of the most common mods is the stay-trem bridges which I'd like to get hold of and I also really like the idea of the Jaguar bridge mute assembly. What interests me is changing the tuners, adding a de tuner (if I can find out which one will fit, if one does) and possibly swapping out the pickups (was thinking either Seymour Duncan Quarter pounders or the vintage jag ones). So, what have you guys done with yours and/or what would you like to do? Not that it's that exciting, but here's what I've done so far... [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpskw0ymnie.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpskw0ymnie.jpg[/IMG][/URL] [URL=http://s1258.photobucket.com/user/jimryan88/media/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpscgurnrmd.jpg.html][IMG]http://i1258.photobucket.com/albums/ii527/jimryan88/Mobile%20Uploads/image_zpscgurnrmd.jpg[/IMG][/URL] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
blue Posted July 27, 2015 Share Posted July 27, 2015 I like the idea of the bass VI. I think and especially for the pick style of rock play I employ it could really kick arse. I am not sure my idea and the bass VI would work with my current band. And since that band is significant source of income I'll have to sit on it for a while. Blue Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cosmo Valdemar Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Heavy flats are a must on these IMHO. I also intended to get a new nut on mine as the stock one seemed to be carved from chewing gum, but I sold it before I had the chance. I still think about getting another one all the time though, such cool basses! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I have just got hold of one of those Harley Benton seven strings which I play with a pick. I actually find it easier to play than a guitar. Guess I am used to the wider spacing and bigger strings. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 i've got one of these, i wouldn't use it for a standard band situation, but its fun to record with. that said, im not in love with it, and would trade it in if something else came up Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
urbanx Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 What's the most common tuning people use on these then? E-E? or something silly starting in B? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bilbo Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Most common is BEADGC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roland Rock Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='Bilbo' timestamp='1438081694' post='2831419'] Most common is BEADGC. [/quote] That would be common for a normal six string bass, but the Bass VI would normally be EADGBE an octave lower than guitar Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='urbanx' timestamp='1438081514' post='2831417'] What's the most common tuning people use on these then? E-E? or something silly starting in B? [/quote] Bass VI common tuning is EADGBE one octave below normal guitar tuning. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1438031495' post='2831116'] ... thinking as to whether any other bass vi owners have modded theirs ... [/quote] On my black Squier VI, I have modded: Fender locking tremolo Staytrem bridge Black pearl pickguard Black pickup covers Black tip for tremolo arm New headstock string guides Black and chrome Q-Parts knobs Schaller straplocks and of course La Bella flatwound strings. Also, the neck almost certainly will need a shim in order to get a reasonable break angle at the bridge. Edited July 28, 2015 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) [quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1438031495' post='2831116'] ... the stay-trem bridges which I'd like to get hold of and I also really like the idea of the Jaguar bridge mute assembly ... [/quote] If you want to fit a Jaguar mute then you will need the narrower Jaguar Staytrem. I believe the Jaguar mute will not work with the wider BassVI Staytrem. [quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1438031495' post='2831116'] ... What interests me is changing the tuners, adding a de tuner (if I can find out which one will fit, if one does) ... [/quote] I don't know about that. [quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1438031495' post='2831116'] ... and possibly swapping out the pickups (was thinking either Seymour Duncan Quarter pounders or the vintage jag ones). [/quote] If I was going to change the pickups it would probably be Curtis Novak. Edited July 28, 2015 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jimryan Posted July 28, 2015 Author Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1438084648' post='2831467'] [/quote] Wow! That's nice. Don't know that about the stay-trem/mute sizes, so thank you. Where did you get your locking trem and scratchplate from? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='Jimryan' timestamp='1438085450' post='2831479'] Wow! That's nice. Don't know that about the stay-trem/mute sizes, so thank you. Where did you get your locking trem and scratchplate from? [/quote] Pickguard from this guy ... [url="http://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/Fender-Squier-VM-Bass-VI-Pickguard-3-ply-Black-/221832352253?pt=LH_DefaultDomain_0&hash=item33a63d11fd"]http://www.ebay.co.u...=item33a63d11fd[/url] The locking trem is ordinary Jaguar reissue, fits fine. This thread at Offset Guitars is a mine of information ... [url="http://offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=71490&sid=ad14bdcaa49b0ecbc80a54673fa1a154"]http://offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=71490&sid=ad14bdcaa49b0ecbc80a54673fa1a154[/url] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
wingnutkj Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 I've added the Staytrem bridge to mine, and have ordered a couple of sets of Kalium (formerly Circle K) strings, which I'll hopefully get in a few weeks time (I've had them sent to a friend in the states who is coming over for a visit soon). Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Roger2611 Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='RockfordStone' timestamp='1438079791' post='2831393'] i've got one of these, i wouldn't use it for a standard band situation, but its fun to record with. that said, im not in love with it, and would trade it in if something else came up [/quote] Totally agree, mine just hangs on the wall whilst I try and work out exactly what I can use it for, I did a recording with it recently and it sat in the mix ok but it was more a case of getting use out of it rather than the track really needing it...so anyone want to enlighten us as to how to get the best out of the thing? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1438104914' post='2831709'] Totally agree, mine just hangs on the wall whilst I try and work out exactly what I can use it for, I did a recording with it recently and it sat in the mix ok but it was more a case of getting use out of it rather than the track really needing it...so anyone want to enlighten us as to how to get the best out of the thing? [/quote] If you're interested in whether a Bass VI can do normal bass duties ... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/252406-fendersquier-bass-vi-instead-of-a-regular-bass"]http://basschat.co.uk/topic/252406-fendersquier-bass-vi-instead-of-a-regular-bass[/url] ... but it's just another instrument in its own right too. Good for melodic soloing, surf type sounds, tictac bass, etc etc; works well with tremolo, reverb, chorus, and other similar effects. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 [quote name='Roger2611' timestamp='1438104914' post='2831709'] ... how to get the best out of the thing? [/quote] Here's Ed Friedland showing what the Eastwood version of a VI can do .... [media]http://youtu.be/mqaotuJ9ZiQ[/media] Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EliasMooseblaster Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 At the risk of derailing the thread with a potentially stupid question: could one string these with lighter strings and turn it into one of these elusive baritone guitars one occasionally hears about? I.e., stringing it BEADF#B (or even ADGCEA, I guess), but with the longer scale length giving better tension that one might get by doing the same to a normal six-string guitar? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
EssentialTension Posted July 28, 2015 Share Posted July 28, 2015 (edited) [quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1438113011' post='2831806'] At the risk of derailing the thread with a potentially stupid question: could one string these with lighter strings and turn it into one of these elusive baritone guitars one occasionally hears about? I.e., stringing it BEADF#B (or even ADGCEA, I guess), but with the longer scale length giving better tension that one might get by doing the same to a normal six-string guitar? [/quote] If you chose the right gauges then A-A or B-B tuning are both possible. A-A would roughly mean moving all strings over one and finding an appropriate high A string Edited July 28, 2015 by EssentialTension Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
RockfordStone Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 [quote name='EssentialTension' timestamp='1438110035' post='2831768'] If you're interested in whether a Bass VI can do normal bass duties ... [url="http://basschat.co.uk/topic/252406-fendersquier-bass-vi-instead-of-a-regular-bass"]http://basschat.co.u...-a-regular-bass[/url] ... but it's just another instrument in its own right too. Good for melodic soloing, surf type sounds, tictac bass, etc etc; works well with tremolo, reverb, chorus, and other similar effects. [/quote] i use mine more to add some depth to guitar parts in my recordings, rather than using it as a bass. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bassman Steve Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) Jimmy Vaughan makes great use of these. Search Spotify for Ron Levy's Wild Kingdom - a scratch band featuring a bunch of people (Kim Wilson, Ronnie Earl etc). There is some wild 6 string bass playing on that. The track Chicken Fried Snake is a good starter - that's how to use the tremolo bar!! Edited July 29, 2015 by Bassman Steve Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
uncle psychosis Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 (edited) [quote name='EliasMooseblaster' timestamp='1438113011' post='2831806'] At the risk of derailing the thread with a potentially stupid question: could one string these with lighter strings and turn it into one of these elusive baritone guitars one occasionally hears about? I.e., stringing it BEADF#B (or even ADGCEA, I guess), but with the longer scale length giving better tension that one might get by doing the same to a normal six-string guitar? [/quote] You could definitely do that and I'm sure quite a few people have. My baritone guitar has a 28" scale length and the squier bass VI has 30" so they're pretty close really. I think the hardest part would be making sure your baritone strings were long enough. I use Elixir Nanoweb baritone strings and I'm not sure they would be quite long enough to fit on a tuners-in-line 30" instrument like the Bass VI. If I ever buy a Bass VI I'll almost certainly do this (I think I'd find a "Baritone" VI more useful than a "Bass" VI). Edited July 29, 2015 by uncle psychosis Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Ruiner Posted July 29, 2015 Share Posted July 29, 2015 The Squier jazzmaster baritone (antigua) is 30" scale length (same necks as the Squier VI's) and that comes tuned A-A as standard. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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