6 string basses

[Kiwi]

I was just having a plonk on the Spector 6 this evening and comparing it to the Smith 6 that I used to own. Both basses had strong and weak points. I was thinking that there are certain basses that have good and bad points depending on the genre but I'm not aware that I've ever seen strong opinions about great 6 string basses expressed here. Does anyone feel like putting a case forward for a 6 string they've tried and liked?

[6stringbassist]

Ah, a topic very close to my heart, 6 string basses.

I'm currently onto my 5th one, they've all been Sei's made by Martin Petersen, except for one Modulus.

I have played many others, including Smiths, Fodera, Status and Roscoe to name a few.

This is the only one made for me, and it's basically all the good points from the others put into one bass, and it is really fantastic, the balance is perfect, as is the neck profile, I can and do play for mant hours at a time with no discomfort.

As with any bass though, someone else may hate it, it's mine though, and to me is perfect, and I would never sell it.

[Kiwi]

OK, I liked (and still liked) my Smith 6 which is now owned by Platypus because it had a very warm tone and very mellow top end. The neck was just a bit too wide for me at the dusty end. Plus it also had a growly upper mids but it was quite scooped. I like the Spector because its not scooped but its a pretty aggressive instrument nevertheless. I'm hoping the headless Shuker coming will be a combination of both. What I'd love to be able to do eventually is play unaccompanied so I've been looking for an instrument that is quite easy on the ear.

I've had a go on graphite necked Status and Modulus basses (quite hard sounding), a Fodera Imperial (nice but expensive) and a wooden necked Status Energy (not bad but it sounded a little honky), an old Shuker 6 in almost all mahogany at last years SE Bassbash, my old Alembic Elan that I bought from Ped (dark sounding and damn heavy) and a few other basses in shops that weren't that memorable.

[7string]

I had a Yamaha TRB6 II which I bought when they first came out.

It played great and had a good sound so I hardly had to touch the eq or the blend controls at all. The wide string spacing took a little getting used to, but as it was the only 6 string that I could actually afford, I didn't have any choice! I had it for a number of years, but sold it to get a 7 string. Good instrument though and great value for money.

[Josh]

Prior to getting my 635 I had only minor 6 string experience, I had borrowed a Dean Edge 6 string for a brief while and got use to it quite quickly but at that time I was young so I was more imrpessed by the fact I had another string to "Solo" with. And then not too far on I had a brief go on a Thumb BO 6 string fretless, needless to say it wasn't for long at all, and then that was it.

I was a bit apprehensive to buying the 635, but having gone from a 4 string to a 5 string in the space of a month, and feeling 100% comfortable with it as opposed to past experiences with 5's, and narrowing it down to the quality of the bass is what made the transition so easy, I decided to go for it.

And since having it for almost 2 weeks now, I can happily say I've adapted to it as I hoped I would. The bass really does play itself, the neck is a handful but I'm comfortable with it, the string spacing is perfect for me, it balances well, the action is just right, it is perfect for me in every way. The tone is pure Andrew Gouche and thats all I want.

I'd happily have another one.

[Kiwi]

did you try many other 6 string basses before you decided to go with MTD or did you decide to get a 6 version of the 5 you already liked?

[Josh]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='300981' date='Oct 7 2008, 02:22 AM']did you try many other 6 string basses before you decided to go with MTD or did you decide to get a 6 version of the 5 you already liked?[/quote]

The latter, but I'm also finding myself favouring the 635 over the 535 lately.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Good wide string spacing, a thin neck (thumb to fingers) & a three band preamp. Nice woods too!

In addition, I mentioned the nice woods as with such a wood-intensive 'ironing board' of a bass, you want the bass relying on the wood more than the electronics. Ie., try comparing a TRB-6 to the newer TRB 1006 & you'll hear what I mean

Edited October 7, 2008 by OutToPlayJazz

[Kiwi]

does that mean you aren't so worried about the sound?

[cheddatom]

[quote name='OutToPlayJazz' post='301087' date='Oct 7 2008, 10:15 AM']Good wide string spacing, a thin neck (thumb to fingers) & a three band preamp. Nice woods too![/quote]

Surely for a thin neck you need thin/tight string spacing?

I have a "Brice" bass that I got from rondo music on ebay about 6/7 years ago. I wanted a low B to add to my band's sound, and I figured I might as well get the high C just in case. I had played one Schecter 6 string in a shop before and liked it, and being young and stupid I figured all 6 strings must be the same. Anyway, the Brice I have is a nice bass, very nice to play, good tone. I have flat on it at the moment just to try it and it feels very good. I suppose it has "wide string spacing" but I wouldn't know the exact details.

I saw another Schecter on Ebay about 2 years ago, I think they have RRP of £700ish and this one was £350 because it's a factory second. I couldn't resist! So these are my only two basses now, and I really like them both. To be honest, they both feel just as nice to play, but the schecter looks, and sounds a lot better. I'm sure the "build quality" is far better etc, but those kinds of details don't bother me.

The only other 6 string i've ever seen in stoke was a tobias, which I really didn't like. The neck was too thin and the action too low and it sounded too "barky".

[Bigwan]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='301108' date='Oct 7 2008, 10:48 AM']Surely for a thin neck you need thin/tight string spacing?[/quote]

He means thin front to back (depth not width)

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Bigwan' post='301115' date='Oct 7 2008, 11:00 AM']He means thin front to back (depth not width)[/quote]

Ahh - misinterpretation due to my poor technique of having my thumb over the top instead of up the back of the neck.

[Bigwan]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='301121' date='Oct 7 2008, 11:07 AM']Ahh - misinterpretation due to my poor technique of having my thumb over the top instead of up the back of the neck.[/quote]

You couldn't do that on my 6 string. Aircraft carrier comes to mind, but I love it!

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Bigwan' post='301145' date='Oct 7 2008, 11:37 AM']You couldn't do that on my 6 string. Aircraft carrier comes to mind, but I love it![/quote]

I bet you I could! Mine are pretty wide and I have no problem playing a note on the B with my left thumb, and on the E with my 1st finger. I was starting to question myself while I visualised it, but I know I can do that as I used to do it in a song to alternate between a low 5th on the B, and a "power chord" in drop D.

[Kiwi]

My custom Shuker will have string spacing around 17mm. I prefer narrow string spacing it seems although its not as easy to pop. I can pop on the Spector without too much trouble.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Crazykiwi' post='301158' date='Oct 7 2008, 11:51 AM']My custom Shuker will have string spacing around 17mm. I prefer narrow string spacing it seems although its not as easy to pop. I can pop on the Spector without too much trouble.[/quote]

How is that measured? From the centre of one string to the next is 17mm?

[eude]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='301164' date='Oct 7 2008, 11:58 AM']How is that measured? From the centre of one string to the next is 17mm?[/quote]

I think it's usually measured from centre to centre, but Jon, and many others I believe, adjust the spacing a little taking into account the physical string width too, so 17mm spacing is the average rather than the exact spacing.

I went for 17mm on my 6 string too, I don't find it all that tight to be honest, I was playing a 5 string Thumb Bass before I got it, which had 16.5 mm spacing, I think, might have even been 16mm, either way, it seemed a lot tighter somehow.

Cheers,
Eude

[guyl]

I have a Conklin Sidewinder 7. One of the best features is the evenness of tone all across the fingerboard. For example, E on the 12th fret of the E string sounds the same as E on the 2nd fret of the D string.

Overall it makes the full range sound like the same bass. Nothing worse than a 6 that sounds likes a great 4-string with "afterthought" extra strings added that sound like they're being played on a completely different instrument.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='eude' post='301170' date='Oct 7 2008, 12:07 PM']I think it's usually measured from centre to centre.............[/quote]

Thanks. I might measure mine tonight to see if mine's tight or wide. I always thought it was wide, but 17mm seems like a big gap to me!

[Doddy]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='301108' date='Oct 7 2008, 10:48 AM']The only other 6 string i've ever seen in stoke was a tobias, which I really didn't like.[/quote]

There are at least another couple of 6 strings in Stoke

I've got an Ibanez BTB 6 and a '91 Tobias Standard.
The Ibanez is nice,with a wide but relatively slim neck,35" scale. It's a good quality,decently priced bass.I use it with a Roland V-bass.
The Tobias is great. Tighter string spacing than the BTB,34"scale and has the asymetric neck profile,so it's really comfy to play. Really smooth sounding throughout the entire range,thanks to the Bartolini's.

[Kiwi]

[quote name='cheddatom' post='301183' date='Oct 7 2008, 12:15 PM']Thanks. I might measure mine tonight to see if mine's tight or wide. I always thought it was wide, but 17mm seems like a big gap to me![/quote]
As Eude says, its measured centre to centre. I asked Jon for 17mm to be the tightest spacing at the C and G string and for the remainder of the strings to be adjusted for gauge as they get thicker. Its one of the other advantages of having a bass with mono rail bridge units. Alembics have string spacing of 16.5mm and thats pretty narrow, something like a Yammie TRB has spacing around 18 or 19mm IIRC.

[OutToPlayJazz]

Yes, the TRB-6 is usually 18mm. Weird how that one millimeter feels so different compared to a bass with 19mm spacing!

[Kiwi]

yeah its freaky but over the course of 6 strings, an extra mm can make a difference I guess! I really like the Alembic spacing BTW, less stretch required but it didn't work on the Elan I owned. The B and E strings were definitely too close together.

[cheddatom]

[quote name='Doddy' post='301655' date='Oct 7 2008, 07:40 PM']There are at least another couple of 6 strings in Stoke [/quote]

Where? The schecter I played in Rythm house, and the Tobias was in academy of sound. I've not been up to hanley recently. Is there anywhere else? I know route 66 went bust.

[Herr Fixxxer]

I had the Ibanez SR506, with Bart pickups and electronics, great woods, gorgeous full sound, bargain for the price.