Fender Bass VI Baritone

mine is a fairly new one... not sure what year exactly but i'm guessing from the 90's. You can get a nice blend of tones if you play around with it and it really is worth spending a while doing this. It's a dynamic instrument and versatile... the neck is great too.
The bridge is solid and sturdy BUT i do find that the B string on mine breaks fairly often. That is most probably because i use it more as a guitar and it isn't built for aggressive strumming. Also, the strings can be difficult to find sometimes. Don't pay more than ??15 for them though. Some places like to charge you LOADS more as its a specialist thing, but you can find them cheap if you look hard enough.

i've been playing around getting the best set-up for mine and here, after a lot of time spent trying different thigns, is what i use now:
HH 1C100-s twin combo - this is better if you're playing in a guitar style rather than bass. But if you do want to use it for more chordal styles then this is a great amp. don't use some new valve state or something, it will sounds poor. You need to get a decent and unique sounding amp to match the instrument or you're just wasting potential.
Boss Blues-driver - by far the best overdrive sound for a baritone. Don't use an out and out distrotion pedal as you'll just get a muddy sound, you'll lose all sense of clarity.
Line 6 Delay unit - it sounds great through this. really.

and that's it. you don't need to dress it up with much else as it sounds so good by itself.

The sound is incredibly rich and goes well playing with another guitar or bass. ideally, if you're in a band, use all three instruments and then you'll get the richest, deepest tone possible.

And lastly... this thing really does sound amazing when you turn it up loud and overdrive the amp. When an amp starts crunching you get the full potential of it. when played quietly i think some of the tone is lost.

Mine was an ex-studio but the action was fine when i got it... i've just had it re-done and now its even better than before.
I can't say anything bad about this, it's beautiful to look at, listen and play. the best thing i've ever bought without a doubt.

Fender's are pretty sturdy instruments. I've got a jazz bass too and neither have given me any problems... i don't take the greatest care with my instruments. I've even got a squire from the 90's and that's still playing great.
You can chuck it about a bit too... it's not a delicate guitar by any means. the body is reassuring weigthy... not too heavy but it's solid feeling.

never used it.

i've had mine now for about two years. I spent about 4 years deciding whether i should get one and waiting for one to come avalible at a decent price. I don't know what i'd do if it got stolen or broke beyond repair... they're kinda pricey but i'd have to get a new one. but if you're thinking abuot getting one then my advice would be to stop thinking abuot it and just do it. I've never meet anyone that's regretted buying one.

2007 Custom Shop Reissue, complete with all the tags, strap, etc, hav'nt even peeled the plastic off the scratchplate yet!
I was lucky to get it, as they seem to be hardly ever produced at the moment.
Whammy bar and Mute all work a treat, it is a lovely thing.

I loved the Jet Harris and Tony Meehan singles in the early sixties, then the jack Bruce early Cream recordings, and have always wanted to get that baritone sound, and be able to play guitar runs on a Bass. And it sounds wonderful, even on low volune through a ProReverb.

Action seems a little low, but I will play with that when I get my breath back! Everything else seems A1 right out of the box

I have faith in Fender durability, and do not anticipate any problems.

Never had to use it, but I am assured by Soho Soundhouse that they are great.

Been playing since 1957, and this is the miost delightful Fender I have. And that includes a Tele, two Strats, and a couple of Squiers.
I would replace it, if I couldf find one, they are rare in UK.

I just received mine not too long ago. It's a 2007 Custom Shop version. I would have liked to see the block inlays as they were in the 60's version. The features are incredible. It has the 4 toggles, one volume and tone, and a tremelo bar which I haven't used as of yet.

I've never had one of these before so it takes some getting used to.

The action was perfect. No issues with that or with the details or finish.

I think the Fender basses are made very well. They can stand up to the worst beating.

I've never had to contact Fender support.

I've been playing for a long time, I also own several other basses, thie Bass VI doesn't compare to my other 4 stringed basses.

1990's MIJ Reissue. Sunburst with Red Tortise Shell Pickguard. 4 Pick up switches, floating tremolo. Very unique guitar/bass/baritone! You wont be able to get this sound with any other baritone guitar! For years I wanted that Cure sound but didn't want to spend the cash on a Bass VI. I finally broke down and got one and I will never regret it! Worth every penny!!!

AMAZING! The first practice I used it, my band was forever changed for the better. I would never play in a band without one now! Very rich dark sad sound...soooo beautiful.

I guess these 1990's reissues are a bit thinner sounding than the originals but I am using it more as a guitar than a bass. One of the reasons I wanted a reissue, I don't need super low end. Perfect for my bands sound!

The Action is amazing. I am a guitar player and I had no problems transitioning over to this Baritone. I had to strengthen my fingers a bit. I play Fender Jazzmasters so the body shape is very similar. Finish is beautiful, nice rich color.

Holds up well. Very powerful cuts through all the other instruments. Very well made very durable. Very well built Japanese reissue, These were made well. Top quality.

I have 3 Fenders and I've never had one problem with any of them.

If you love The Cure, New Order, The Chameleons, Cocteau Twins, you must own this guitar. It will get you those sounds with very little effort. It can be very heavy, or very beautiful depending on how you use it. Very versitile. One of the best purchases I have ever made!

Fender Bass VI - 1962
21 Frets
Solid body
Volume, Tone, 3 switches for pickup selection
Passive electronics
Maple and Adler, I think
Sunburst
Jazzmaster style body
Individual adjustments on all strings. Whole bridge moves up & down
1.5" wide neck at nut, thin profile - very comfortable
Hard shell case, tremolo handle, bridge cover, Fender strap

I've used this as a bass on many hundreds of demos and as a tic tac
bass on many of my personal recordings as well and as a regular bass.

Not noisy at all - passive.
Rich, full and bright sound - capable of them all
It can sound like a guitar or a bass or a tic tac bass - very
versitile. I love it when it "drones" with echo.

I love everything about the bass VI except for the original flat
wound strings with .095 6th string.

Guitar was set up well. I fine tuned it for lower action.
Pickups were fine.
No flaws found. Very good for the first year on the market.
I did re-adjust the neck after installing round wound strings.
Mine did have fingerprints from handling in Manny's showroom by
interested customers. Manny's could have polished it up before
shipping it to me.

This instrument has been wonderful. No problems at all.
It has lasted 44 years without failure of any kind.
I highly recomend the l962 Fender Bass VI bass guitar.
They are getting rather expensive now, so the Jaguar Custom Bass VI
might be an option @ $699 + - .

I don't remember ever recieving a warranty card.
I've never had to contact Fender about the Bass VI

I've been playing guitar, bass and keyboards since l957.
I own a MCI equipped 24 track recording studio "Studio by the Pond".
If it were stolen, I'd be heartbroken. I'd want another one for sure.
I love the sound, the ease of playing, the versitility of styles,
the looks and the balance and comfort when playing sitting down or
standing. It has been used for recording 95% of the time.

I replaced the original flat wound strings with round wound strings
obtained at Show Bud Steel Guitar in Nashville. This was in l968.
Those strings still sound great. Sizes: .076,.064,.046,.036,.030,.020.
Tuned - E - E one octave below guitar. I highly recomend this
string setup - it's a whole new instrument set up this way.

I had a "Silvertone" 4 string bass that I converted to a 6 string bass
guitar. It sounded quite good - and then I saw the Bass VI and went
nuts trying to obtain one. My Dad found one at Manny's NYC.

I think that "phase" switches on 2 of the 3 pickups would allow many
new combinations of sounds. I modified my 57 Strat in l964 with
phase switches on pickups 1 & 2 and added a switch to connect # 3
to # 1. I think I was the first to make the selector 5 position.
I added an 11 position rotary switch with 11 different capacitors
for the tone control. It was a very unusual sounding strat which
could sound like it had a Gibson Vari tone installed. Of course,
I ruined the value of it by modifying it and installing a new neck
in l964. But, it was a great recording guitar. Last time I saw it,
someone in central Fla had purchased it from a store in Sanford.
Duane Allman may have owned it for a while. I'd love to get it back.

The Fender Bass VI l964 Reissue looks like a good instrument, however
the cost seems very high. The Jaguar Custom Bass VI also looks good.
I think that both instruments would benefit by installing the strings
I've mentioned.

I almost sold my Bass VI this week for $4,000. Glad I came to my
senses and kept it. I've owned it since I was 20 and now I'm 64 !

I'm happy to discuss this with you via email - - Lee Hazen

I have already submitted on this bass and have a coment which may help others. I see that some have a problem in adjusting the bridge saddles for correct intonation due to the limited travel of the saddle before the spring fully compresses. This spring limits the difference in saddle position between top and bottom strings to much less than the width of the bridge. The answer to increasing this difference is simple: the saddle is not symmetrical but is bored about halfway through from one side to accept the spring. So if the spring is full compressed yet you need more travel then slacken the string, remove the screw, spring, and saddle; reverse the saddle so the spring disappears partway inside the saddle, then replace on the bridge. Now you can adjust it so the saddle moves back right up against the flage on the bridge. Of course, if you need adjustment in the other direction to shorten the string then reverse the above procedure else you'll have a rattling loose spring. Now you will be able to use the full width of the bridge to adjust your intonation. If your saddles are not bored halfway to take the spring (my Bass VI is '66) then this is a simple DIY job which will not show because the bridge flanges hide this.
Bassix of Bishops Waltham UK

1966 original build: USA. 4 slide switches for the 3 PUs + bass cut rather than earlier 3 switches, jaguar style PUs, jag/jazz tremolo unit (NB. arm is push-fit and not threaded as another reviewer expected it to be). Complete with mute under the bridge, and bridge ocver. Not a single mark on the neck - no dents scrapes or disfiguring marks. Block fret markers. I originally restrung with Rotosound superwounds (core only goes over bridge) but they were a pig to get intonation correct. Body is sunburst with some mear marks at strap buttons and belt buckle scratching. All the gadgets work well - the mute (good for double bass), the tremolo - it works perfectly without losing tune, the tuners although guitar sized work fine, probably because of the lower string tensions as compared to a 34inch scale. Leo did us all a great service by building this.

Tone is totally dominated by the string type. Original Fender 700 series flatfounds are just that: flat. Throw them away. The current Fender set (25/35/45/55/75/95) of roundwounds is better, and cheap enough (18GBP). The superwounds I first used were good but suffered from a tonal difference across the bootom 4/top2 boundary. The switching and on-board controls are good: smooth and no scratching. The range of tone from the 3 PUs is great.

Bough secondhand from Guitar Trader in NY state in 1980 for 650USD. It was in good shape and complete. Nothing missing nor corroded. All controls working quietly. The solidity of the construction is the best part - no neck movement under any stresses. Action is even across and along the fretboard, and the adjustment at the bridge covers all my needs, although it was nearly at the end of its travel when using the Superwounds, because it's only the string core that goes over the saddle.

Solid, heavy, robust. Truss rod adjustment only needed, and only maybe then, when changing strings. The finish is still good, but with some wear at the corners. I'd like to refinish it with modern materials but it really isn't worth the loss of value.

Just after I bought it I wrote to Fender and they sent me the owner's booklet and some details about the 700 string set: like they're by Squier and not available (1981)!
They've been excellent about a Showman amp I use for this Bass VI: sending circuit schematics and replacement parts.
The one part I do want I cannot get: the correct case; this was listed in their 2003 SPA catalog but by the time I spotted it they'd discontinued it.

PLaying since '66. Have Fender Jazz Bass and a Hofner Violin bass. Each has it's advantages and limitations. Main disadvantage of the Bass VI, like other Fenders is the weight. The neck width at the nut could be 1/8 - 1/4 inch more but string spacing is just about OK. Everything else is excellent. My big big piece of advice is that now several string suppliers produce sets to suit: Experiment - they vary a lot - don't accept that it's the bass that's got poor tone - it hasn't - keep moving!

I had been after one of these guitars for many years so when the call came from a shop in London that one was in I jumped a train down there and bought it. It's either a 1996 or 1997. It really is in excellent condition and I was very happy with my purchase.

I have only had the bass for a short time so I havn't had it in a rehersal room to put it through a large amplifier. The sound at home is amazing though. The pick-up selection is wide and varied. It has been remarked to me that if played like a bass it sounds like one but if played like a guitar it sounds like one of those to.

The action on my guitar was low to medium which made the simpiler guitar chords easy but some of the more tricky ones are more of an effort. There is no thread on my tremelo arm so I will have to replace that. Apart from the small ding near the jack plug the finish was perfect.

As I have said I have only had the guitar a short time and it hasn't fired a shot in anger yet, but I'm really looking forward to gigging with it. The hardware is of the usual Fender standard and you just know that it's going to go on an on. As it's such a specialist guitar I won't be playing it on every song so I don't forsee much wear and tear.

As I bought this second hand I haven't had any dealings with Fender but all of my other basses are Fender and I have never had any problems with them in the past.

I have been playing for over 20 years and own several basses. I have a Fender Jazz Bass and a Jazz V Deluxe (Mexico) plus a Precision Bass and a Precision Bass fretless. I also play a De Armond Ashbory and I have a Fender Stratocaster kicking about the house. If the guitar got stolen I wouldn't hesitate to buy another one. What I love about the bass is that they are so unusual and the first time I go gigging with it I'm expecting some funny looks. What I hate is the fact that it took me about 3 or 4 years to get my hands on one but I suppose if everybody had one then it wouldn't be so much fun. How can you pick a favourite feature when dealing with a bass such as this but if I had to pick one well it's got to be the tremelo arm......bombs away. The one question that I have asked again and again is. Is this a six six string bass or a baritone guitar? Nobody has given me a satisfactory answer.

1964 sunburst Bass VI--bought it at a music store used, 1973. Had original hardshell case. This was a well used instrument when I bought it with beltbuckle scrapes to back and chips to the edges. Like all similar vintage Fender sunbursts, the finish was not very durable.

I bought it because Jack Bruce used one and I played in a rock trio where I played a lot of solos. It worked well with Fender Showman and Ampeg V4B heads. The pickups were dry sounding, even the neck pickup. I sometimes ran it with a bass booster to get a sound more consistent with full size Fenders. The mid and bridge pickups provided a bright sound. Unless boosted,it wasn't very punchy

I don't know what the previous owner(s) had done--other than changing strings I did no other adjusting. The Fender Kluson tuning pegs were adequate, but it could have used something more specific for bass

Typical Fender--it will last a long time. It had typical problems with the sunburst finish.

Swapped it for a Stratocaster, as I had a Jazz bass and a 50's Danelectro Silvertone bass. Due to its rarity, I wish I had kept it.
The sound was too different to use as an only instrument

Mine is a 1996 reissue. It is tobacco sunburst, 22-frets, 4 position pickup selector. The neck is fatter than a regular s-string and thinner than thaqt of a bass. I also have the tremolo for it.

The definitive Cure sound. Although this is the reissue and has a more mid-rangey sound than the original predecessors and is half the wieght. I love the sound though. This guitar has a sound all its own just listen to the Cure's "Picture's of You" New Order's "Bizarre Love Triangle" to mention a couple. It tends to be a bit noisy though, I am going to re-wire the pickups, maybe add more copper and a better chasis ground. This sounds great to me through a chorus and a delay but not a good as the original.

The guitar is adjusted OK. I have a lot of trouble with the intonation of the strings. The springs have maximum compression on them and a couple strings could stand to be lengthened even more if they could be. The action is good. A little awkward to play at first, but after playing one for about 7 years now, it feels like home.

This guitar is very dependable. I was taking this with me to clubs when I was 16 years old and still lasts.

I should have found out about the intonation and the differences between the reissue and the original. I want to try out the Bamonte 6 string bass by Aria. A lot of the faults from the Fender were ironed out and from the last Cure tour, it sounds just like the fender. I would definately want to get another, this is one of my favorite guitars and signature to my style.