Tell me about fender/ squier bass VI please

[police squad]

I'm thinking about a bass vi for a bit of fun.

What are the thoughts of the BC  massive.

Cheers mart

[Jono Bolton]

I had the Classic Vibe Bass VI. It was decently made and I really liked the pickups in it, but ultimately I didn't use it much, and the string spacing at the nut was far too narrow for me to play comfortably so I sold it at the end of last year.

 

[Cat Burrito]

My Bass VI journey started with a Burns SSJ that was good fun. Although I bought it for a studio project where a Glen Campbell type line was required, that song was quickly shelved. It sat in storage for a year until finding new life playing 80s Goth type stuff. Seeing bands like The Cure using them, reignited my interest.

 

I upgraded to The Squier ltd edition purple one and it immediately felt better. The string spacing is obviously different to a regular bass but I approach it as a different instrument. The finish is excellent, the tuners are stable and the frets / hardware all well finished. The one little gripe is that the tremolo very occasionally rattles on the lower notes BUT this doesn’t do that through the amp.

 

I think a lot of people buy these for projects, only to sell them on so there are plenty of second hand bargains to be had with a bit of investigation.

 

Here's my colour coordinated picture I have previously shared (featuring the old boy in the tuxedo suit). 

 

[BigRedX]

As some who plays Bass VIs exclusively with one of my bands, these are my thoughts:

 

The neck is narrow. In fact of all the Bass VIs I have played or obtained specifications for (and it's a lot of them) the Squier has the narrowest neck of them all. Mine was one one of the first batch, bought almost 8 years ago, and I believe the more recent examples have a slightly wider neck by a couple of mm. However it is still very narrow and consequently the string spacing is very tight at the nut, and the thicker bass strings don't help. Think 70s Stratocaster, but with thicker strings and you'll get an idea of how narrow the neck is.

 

Like a lot of people my Squier Bass VI was bought on a whim and when it was very cheap, and it was largely unused for several years until the guitarist left one of the bands I play with and we decided to continue with no guitar player and me using the Bass VI instead. As a consequence of this I embarked on the mission to find something with a wider neck and therefore more playable for me. There's a multi-page thread about this which I can have a look for if you think it might be useful. The upshot of this is that the Squier was initially replaced with a Burns Barracuda, and more recently an Eastwood Hooky. Since it isn't even my back-up bass now I've been thinking of selling mine, but haven't got my act together to list it.

 

The other main issue is that the supplied strings are bit on the light side for bass players, which means unless you play with a very light touch you'll find the E and A strings far too compliant and floppy. The good news is that there are at least two manufacturers making heavier strings that are more bassist-friendly - LaBella and Newtone. However I found that fitting the heavier strings while improving the feel of the E and A, the increased tension rendered the vibrato mechanism almost useless. Some users have also reported intonation problems after fitting a heavier low E string.

 

On the plus side it looks and sounds great. If you can get on with the tight string spacing at the nut and the supplied light strings, then it's a great instrument. For me the compromises with the strings and the vibrato bridge plus the tight spacing meant that I've had to look elsewhere for a suitable Bass VI, but it did get me started and realised that the Bass VI concept would work for me and my band. Just not the Squier model.

Edited April 18 by BigRedX

[Cosmo Valdemar]

I adore mine, it nails that beautifully twangy/clicky 60s muted bass sound. If you buy new, factor in a set up with some heavier strings, the factory ones are too light to be effective as bass strings.

 

I don't use it in my current band but it's one of my favourite messing around at home basses. It's just such a fun instrument.

 

 

[Dankology]

I love mine - bought on a whim, mega cheap, a few years back and use it for two or three songs at every gig.

 

It was one of the lesser Squier variants and I had to change the bridge and significantly shim the neck but it's more or less right now. Especially with the Newtone Bass VI strings set on it.

 

I don't think it would ever pass as a proper bass and I wouldn't want to play a whole gig on one but for our gtr/bass/drums three piece it covers a lot of sonic territory and gives a bit of variety.

 

I'd probably swap it for a different colour though - everything looks better than white.

 

 

[Sibob]

What I’d be interested to know, without derailing the thread, is how it compares to the Harley Benton Bass VI.

 

Si

[Cato]

I love mine.

 

Aside from what other have said, because it works both as a bass and a baritone guitar it's pretty much the perfect instrument for messing about with a looper pedal if that's your thing.

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

I have one of the Andertons exclusive Lake Placid Blue Classic Vibe ones. I've not really had any real cause to use it in anger so far, but its great fun to mess about on. The strings that come with it aren't up to much, and the low E was way too floppy so I put on a (not cheap) set of LaBella Bass VI flats which are a great improvement.

 

One thing I would change if I could would be to have some way of locking the vibrato.

[BigRedX]

11 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

One thing I would change if I could would be to have some way of locking the vibrato.

 

As recommended, I shimmed the neck which increases the break angle over the bridge and this combined with the increased tension of LaBella round wound Bass VI strings was enough to render the vibrato mechanism inoperable.

Edited April 18 by BigRedX

[Cat Burrito]

13 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

The strings that come with it aren't up to much, and the low E was way too floppy so I put on a (not cheap) set of LaBella Bass VI flats which are a great improvement.

I did exactly the same. Definitely takes it into more bass territory. 

[BigRedX]

The Newtone Axion Bass VI set is just a touch heavier and considerably cheaper than the LaBellas.

[Baloney Balderdash]

On 17/04/2024 at 20:17, Cato said:

I love mine.

 

Aside from what other have said, because it works both as a bass and a baritone guitar it's pretty much the perfect instrument for messing about with a looper pedal if that's your thing.

This is more or less how I use my 5 string 28.6" scale Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass, tuned to G standard tuning, that is 3 half steps above the 5 upper strings of a 6 string bass in regular B standard tuning, using individually bought single Elixir Nanoweb coated nickel-plated hex core roundwound guitar strings of the gauges G : .080 . - C : .062 - F : .046 - A# : .036 - D# : .026.  

 

Even if I do own the Harley Benton GuitarBass, which is their take on the Bass VI concept, but with fixed bridge and much flatter, 14", fretboard radius, which I personally prefer.

 

However although it does sound amazing, and had basically absolutely perfectly leveled frets from stock, heck even the nu slots being cut at absolutely perfect height, I find the extremely narrow string spacing, that it shares with the Fender/Squier Bass VI, painful (also it weight's about a ton, and while the pickups does sound amazing they are quite noisy).

 

The 45mm nut width, and that for just 5 strings, and 16.5mm strings spacing at the bridge of the 5 string Mikro Bass is much more manageable, and pretty much perfect for me, and personally I don't really miss the missing string compared to a real Bass VI, in fact I find it easier to navigate on (and like my Harley Benton GuitarBass it had perfectly leveled frets right from stock, and the 2 stock J pickups actually sounds pretty amazing, though just using the stock bridge J pickup, wired directly to the output jack socket. And unlike the GuitarBass is actually surprisingly quiet, even if being a single single coil pickup).

 

I would love having installed a D Tuner tuning mechanism on the upper 2 strings though, to be able to mimic that upper guitar/Bass VI B and E interval at the flick of a lever, and likely will have that done at some point in the future.

 

I wouldn't mind having a tremolo system installed either, but that will have to remain a dream as that would end up way too expensive for me to ever justify the relatively novelty it would be, unless I win the lottery or something.

 

On 17/04/2024 at 19:52, Sibob said:

What I’d be interested to know, without derailing the thread, is how it compares to the Harley Benton Bass VI.

 

Si

I suppose above might answer some of that question, though I never played a Fender/Squier Bass VI to compare.

 

 

My Harley Benton GuitarBass :

 

 

My 5 string Ibanez GSRM25 Mikro Bass :

 

Edited Saturday at 21:28 by Baloney Balderdash

[rmorris]

Check out the Revelation RJT-60B.

[EllCurrell95]

They're very fun, I've used to use mine live for a couple of tracks and people were always interested in it. 

Edited April 20 by Cat Burrito

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

On 18/04/2024 at 07:16, BigRedX said:

 

As recommended, I shimmed the neck which increases the break angle over the bridge and this combined with the increased tension of LaBella round wound Bass VI strings was enough to render the vibrato mechanism inoperable.

Just shimmed mine and the change in geometry after raising the bridge has definitely improved playability, and got rid of an annoying buzz where the Low E string was vibrating against the head of the nut it passes over at the tailpiece.

 

Without the wiggle stick in place, the tuning seems to be stable so far, but I think I still need to prevent the bridge from rocking in its thimble — some kind of collar around the legs should sort it — anyone who's done this, what did you use and how is it working out?

[MartinB]

If you're in the market for a VI, there is rumoured to be a 🤩 silver sparkle ✨ one on the way later this year

 

[Owen]

30 minutes ago, MartinB said:

If you're in the market for a VI, there is rumoured to be a 🤩 silver sparkle ✨ one on the way later this year

 

Oooooft! I might struggle to stop myself. 

[police squad]

49 minutes ago, Owen said:

Oooooft! I might struggle to stop myself. 

Me too lol

Don't like the antiga one they've released. Dont like blocks on maple 

[Dankology]

17 hours ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Just shimmed mine and the change in geometry after raising the bridge has definitely improved playability, and got rid of an annoying buzz where the Low E string was vibrating against the head of the nut it passes over at the tailpiece.

 

Without the wiggle stick in place, the tuning seems to be stable so far, but I think I still need to prevent the bridge from rocking in its thimble — some kind of collar around the legs should sort it — anyone who's done this, what did you use and how is it working out?

I think I got a couple of brass collars in with my staytrem that work really well.

 

If you can't find some tubing to cut to size I bet plumber's tape would do it.

[Owen]

I hope this thread will alert me to when I need to spend my money for sparkle!

[Jean-Luc Pickguard]

Oh My! that sparkle one looks fantastic

[Owen]

6 minutes ago, Jean-Luc Pickguard said:

Oh My! that sparkle one looks fantastic

We are all so astonishingly shallow. One hint of glitter and our tails are wagging like small dogs waiting to run after a ball. I love it.

[rmorris]

I love the idea and look of the Bass VI and copies of but I can't see the tight string spacing at the nut with beefy strings working for me.

Maybe just as well as have run out of bass space 🤣

[Owen]

https://www.pennemusic.com/squier-by-fender-limited-edition-classic-vibe-bass-vi-silver-sparkle/