Fender Bass VI
Encyclopedia
The Fender Bass VI, originally known as the Fender VI, is a six-string electric bass
or Scale Baritone Guitar by Fender.
The Fender VI was released in 1961, and followed the concept of the Danelectro
6-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E-E, an octave
below the Spanish guitar. Its other ancestor was the Fender Jazzmaster
, with which it shared many styling and technical details. Its body and electronics so closely matched those of the Fender Jaguar
, released the following year, that in all but name the Fender VI was a precursor to that model.
It departed from the concept of the Fender Precision Bass
not only in having six strings, but also in having a shorter scale and thinner strings.
The original issue had similar body, electronics and whammy bar to the Jaguar (released in 1962), but three pickups as opposed to the two of the Jaguar. The third pickup was accommodated by using three pickup on-off switches rather than the more conventional three-position switch. Later a fourth bass cut (strangle) switch was added.
Like all other Fenders of the time, the Fender VI had a 7.25" fingerboard radius, which made them all tricky instruments to set up without buzzing, and required some adjustment of playing technique. The electronics and extra strings were ideal for a soloist, but in the 1960s few electric bass players played solos. The close string spacing and light strings might have made guitarists more comfortable, but were an annoyance to string bass players.
In the late 1960s some artists used heavy guitar strings with resp. length and tuned the Bass VI to a baritone guitar from 'B to b' or 'A to a'. With this 'down and dirty' sound the Fender VI enriched 'Indo-Rock' bands with their unique Rock & Roll sound. One of those players was Reggy Tielman from the 'Tielman Brothers'.
For whatever reason, the Bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four string Precision Bass and its derivatives did, even among surf music
and country and western bands for which its tone colours would have seemed ideal.
The original Fender VI, along with the Jaguar, the Jazzmaster and the Electric XII, was given a bound fretboard with rectangular block inlays in 1967 - followed by a thicker black CBS-style headstock decal and polyester finishes instead of nitrocellulose lacquer in 1968 - before being discontinued in 1975.
In 2006, the Fender Custom Shop
released a faithful recreation of the original Bass VI made in the early 1960s, featuring three single-coil pickups and identical electronics. This guitar was previously available as a '62 vintage reissue model made by Fender Japan in 1995.
(later renamed "Jaguar Bass VI Custom"), which is more or less a combination of the Bass VI and the Fender Jaguar
. The Jaguar Baritone Custom uses the same string gauges and tuning as the Bass VI, but differs in that it has a Jaguar-shaped body, two pickups with Jaguar-style switching options, a fixed bridge, and a shorter 28.5" scale length.
was the "floating" type with a locking device. This mechanism was developed for the Fender Jazzmaster
, and also used on the Fender Jaguar
. It was more elaborate than the synchronised tremolo of the earlier Fender Stratocaster
, and was claimed by Fender to be superior, but it failed to achieve the same popularity. Unlike the synchronised tremolo, it was rarely copied by other makers, and disappeared from the Fender catalogue with the withdrawal of the Jaguar line in the 1970s. It has since appeared mainly on Fender reissues.
of Cream
, Graham Maby
, and Robert Smith
of The Cure
. John Entwistle
of The Who
played one briefly in the early 1960s. Eric Haydock
of The Hollies
is another famous Fender Bass VI user.
Tortoise
bass player Doug McCombs
uses the Bass VI extensively, especially on his solo/side project Brokeback
. He is quoted as saying, "Brokeback wouldn't exist without the Fender six-string bass. I consider myself a bass player, and though I have dabbled with slide instruments (lap steel and dobro) I was never really interested in moving into the higher register until I became aware of this instrument and its perfect blend of twang and low tone. I began planning this album years before I could even afford to purchase one. It may seem ridiculous to give so much credit to the instrument, but most of these melodies practically wrote themselves, and they were exactly what I wanted to hear."
Don Ciccone used a Bass VI to record the "Who Loves You" album for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, as well as live in a few tours.
A Fender Bass VI can also be seen on the Beatles' videos for "Hey Jude
", "Let It Be
", and "The Long and Winding Road
". It was played by either George Harrison
or John Lennon
("Hey Jude
", "Helter Skelter", "Back In The USSR
", "Let It Be", "The Long and Winding Road
") when bassist Paul McCartney
played piano or guitar. It was also used by Harrison and Lennon on the band's last-recorded album, Abbey Road.
Peter Green
made extensive use of the Fender Bass VI as a solo instrument during his live performances of "The Green Manalishi" with Fleetwood Mac
from 1969–1970, and also as a session musician with Duster Bennett (aka "Peter Blue") and Peter Bardens, among others.
Noel Redding
used one when he played with The Jimi Hendrix Experience
.
Robert Smith
from The Cure
uses a Fender Bass VI in writing many Cure albums, Disintegration for example.
Mark Hoppus
from Blink-182
and +44
used two on the writing and recording of Blink 182 and during live shows.
Roy Babbington
used a Fender Bass VI exclusively during his tenure with Soft Machine
(1973–1976), often coupled with a fuzz box and wah-wah pedal while soloing. Recordings can be heard on the Softs' albums Seven
, BBC Radio 1971-1974, Bundles
, Softs
and Rubber Riff.
John Frusciante
owns a sunburst Fender Bass VI and he can be heard playing it on The Empyrean
track "Dark/Light". His Red Hot Chili Peppers
replacement, Josh Klinghoffer
plays a Fender VI on "Happiness Loves Company", off of I'm With You
.
Dan Auerbach
of The Black Keys
plays a Bass VI on the Attack & Release
track "All You Ever Wanted".
Rick Danko
of The Band
made use of a white Bass VI while backing Ronnie Hawkins
in The Hawks, though by the time the Hawks were with Bob Dylan
, Danko had switched to a Fender Jazz Bass
.
Steve Kilbey
, the singer/bassist from Australian band The Church
has been using the Bass VI on many recordings, as early as the 1983/84 Remote Luxury and Persia EPs.
During the guitar collection scene of This is Spinal Tap
, Nigel Tufnel
's extremely special guitar is actually an original sea foam green Fender Bass VI that has never been played and still has the price tag on it. Nigel does not even like anyone looking at it. In reality, only two sea foam green Bass VIs of this vintage exist.
Brian Molko
and Stefan Olsdal
of Placebo
were inspired to buy Fender Bass VIs with Molko commenting, "Playing the Fender VI is like playing two instruments in one, it can be treated as a guitar and as a bass. When Stefan is playing lead parts on the Fender Bass VI, he's also using his feet to play a bassline with Taurus pedals. I think if Stefan were an octopus, he'd be playing even more instruments."
Joe Perry
of Aerosmith
uses one on "Back in the Saddle
" from the album Rocks
.
Jet Harris
of The Shadows
used a Fender Bass VI during the recording of "Diamonds" in 1963, and also used this bass live on the Wembley
Musical Express.
Luther Perkins
, Johnny Cash
's first guitarist, who played it on "Happy To Be With You". This guitar is currently being shown at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum.
Peter Kimberley of UK rock band Bachdenkel
, who played it both on live gigs and on studio albums.
Johnny Marr
's Bass VI was used on The Cribs
' 2009 album Ignore The Ignorant
, notably on "Save Your Secrets". Ryan Jarman
plays it during their live shows.
Paul Abrahams
bassist for Australian Indie Pop band The Reels
played live and recorded with this bass on 'The Reels' and 'Quasimodo's Dream' Albums from 1978-1982. The Reels were support to The Cure
during their 1979 tour of Australia. The bass can be seen in many of The Reels early film clips, it was sprayed painted black, tremolo arm and bridge cover (mute) removed.
Guitarist Slash
used a VI sparingly on Use Your Illusion
, most notably on "Right Next Door To Hell" and "Breakdown".
Glen Campbell
used a Fender Bass VI (borrowed from fellow Wrecking Crew
musician Carol Kaye
to play the solo heard on his songs "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston".
Producer Mike McCarthy talks about using the Fender Bass VI on records in a Dec 2007 Mix Magazine article.
Musician Stephen Drozd purchased a Fender VI at Southside Guitars in Brooklyn in December of 2011.
Hank The Knife and The jets
Bass guitar
The bass guitar is a stringed instrument played primarily with the fingers or thumb , or by using a pick....
or Scale Baritone Guitar by Fender.
The Fender VI was released in 1961, and followed the concept of the Danelectro
Danelectro
Danelectro is an American manufacturer of musical instruments and accessories, specializing in rock instruments such as guitars, bass guitars, amplifiers and effects units.-History:...
6-string bass released in 1956, having six strings tuned E-E, an octave
Octave
In music, an octave is the interval between one musical pitch and another with half or double its frequency. The octave relationship is a natural phenomenon that has been referred to as the "basic miracle of music", the use of which is "common in most musical systems"...
below the Spanish guitar. Its other ancestor was the Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
, with which it shared many styling and technical details. Its body and electronics so closely matched those of the Fender Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
, released the following year, that in all but name the Fender VI was a precursor to that model.
It departed from the concept of the Fender Precision Bass
Fender Precision Bass
The Fender Precision Bass is an electric bass.Designed by Leo Fender as a prototype in 1950 and brought to market in 1951, the Precision was the first electric bass to earn widespread attention and use. A revolutionary instrument for the time, the Precision Bass has made an immeasurable impact on...
not only in having six strings, but also in having a shorter scale and thinner strings.
The original issue had similar body, electronics and whammy bar to the Jaguar (released in 1962), but three pickups as opposed to the two of the Jaguar. The third pickup was accommodated by using three pickup on-off switches rather than the more conventional three-position switch. Later a fourth bass cut (strangle) switch was added.
Like all other Fenders of the time, the Fender VI had a 7.25" fingerboard radius, which made them all tricky instruments to set up without buzzing, and required some adjustment of playing technique. The electronics and extra strings were ideal for a soloist, but in the 1960s few electric bass players played solos. The close string spacing and light strings might have made guitarists more comfortable, but were an annoyance to string bass players.
In the late 1960s some artists used heavy guitar strings with resp. length and tuned the Bass VI to a baritone guitar from 'B to b' or 'A to a'. With this 'down and dirty' sound the Fender VI enriched 'Indo-Rock' bands with their unique Rock & Roll sound. One of those players was Reggy Tielman from the 'Tielman Brothers'.
For whatever reason, the Bass VI never caught on to the extent that the four string Precision Bass and its derivatives did, even among surf music
Surf music
Surf music is a genre of popular music associated with surf culture, particularly as found in Orange County and other areas of Southern California. It was particularly popular between 1961 and 1965, has subsequently been revived and was highly influential on subsequent rock music...
and country and western bands for which its tone colours would have seemed ideal.
The original Fender VI, along with the Jaguar, the Jazzmaster and the Electric XII, was given a bound fretboard with rectangular block inlays in 1967 - followed by a thicker black CBS-style headstock decal and polyester finishes instead of nitrocellulose lacquer in 1968 - before being discontinued in 1975.
In 2006, the Fender Custom Shop
Fender Custom Shop
The Fender Custom Shop is a division of Fender Musical Instruments, housed within their headquarters complex in Corona, Riverside County, California. The Fender Custom Shop primarily exists to compete with smaller companies and independent luthiers that, in turn, build products reminiscent of those...
released a faithful recreation of the original Bass VI made in the early 1960s, featuring three single-coil pickups and identical electronics. This guitar was previously available as a '62 vintage reissue model made by Fender Japan in 1995.
Related Instruments
In 2004, Fender issued the Fender Jaguar Baritone CustomFender Jaguar Baritone Custom
Not to be confused with the Fender Jaguar Bass or the Fender Jaguar Baritone Special HH.Fender's Jaguar Baritone Custom electric guitar, also known as Fender Jaguar Bass VI Custom is more or less a combination of the Fender Jaguar electric guitar and the Fender Bass VI electric bass guitar: Its...
(later renamed "Jaguar Bass VI Custom"), which is more or less a combination of the Bass VI and the Fender Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
. The Jaguar Baritone Custom uses the same string gauges and tuning as the Bass VI, but differs in that it has a Jaguar-shaped body, two pickups with Jaguar-style switching options, a fixed bridge, and a shorter 28.5" scale length.
Specifications
- Solid body (alder) fretted electric bass guitar, 6 strings in 6 courses tuned E-A-D-G-B-E an octave below the normal guitar tuning.
- Scale length 30” / 762 mm (as opposed to 34” / 864 mm for the Jazz and Precision basses) for the US versions, 30,3" for the Japanese versions.
- Curved fingerboard (rosewood), radius 7.25” / 184 mm, 21 frets
- Standard strings .095 .075 .055 .045 .035 .025 inches, Fender stainless steel, P/N 073-5350-000.
- Fender floating tremolo armTremolo armA whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
.
Electronics
All passive electronics, with three single pole magnetic pickups. There were two different types of pickups used on different models: Early models had three Stratocaster type pickups which were mounted in special chrome rings and were controlled with three slider switches. Later, Jaguar type pickups were used, and a bass-cut switch was added to the controls.- Three pickup on/off slider switches.
- Tone control slider switch (bass cutoff, also known as "strangle") (not on very early models).
- Volume control potentiometer.
- Tone control (treble cutoff) potentiometer.
Tremolo arm
The tremolo armTremolo arm
A whammy bar, tremolo arm/bar, or vibrato arm/bar is a component of a guitar, used to add vibrato to the sound by changing the tension of the strings, typically at the bridge or tailpiece...
was the "floating" type with a locking device. This mechanism was developed for the Fender Jazzmaster
Fender Jazzmaster
The Fender Jazzmaster is an electric guitar designed as an upmarket sibling to the Fender Stratocaster. First introduced at the 1958 NAMM Show, it was initially marketed at jazz guitarists, but found favor among surf rock guitarists in the early 1960s...
, and also used on the Fender Jaguar
Fender Jaguar
The Fender Jaguar is an electric guitar introduced in 1962. A descendant of the Jazzmaster, the Jaguar quickly caught on in the emerging Surf music scene...
. It was more elaborate than the synchronised tremolo of the earlier Fender Stratocaster
Fender Stratocaster
The Fender Stratocaster, often referred to as "Strat", is a model of electric guitar designed by Leo Fender, George Fullerton, and Freddie Tavares in 1954, and manufactured continuously by the Fender Musical Instruments Corporation to the present. It is a double-cutaway guitar, with an extended top...
, and was claimed by Fender to be superior, but it failed to achieve the same popularity. Unlike the synchronised tremolo, it was rarely copied by other makers, and disappeared from the Fender catalogue with the withdrawal of the Jaguar line in the 1970s. It has since appeared mainly on Fender reissues.
Players
The most famous exponents remain bassists Jack BruceJack Bruce
John Symon Asher "Jack" Bruce is a Scottish musician and songwriter, respected as a founding member of the British psychedelic rock power trio, Cream, for a solo career that spans several decades, and for his participation in several well-known musical ensembles...
of Cream
Cream (band)
Cream were a 1960s British rock supergroup consisting of bassist/vocalist Jack Bruce, guitarist/vocalist Eric Clapton, and drummer Ginger Baker...
, Graham Maby
Graham Maby
Graham Maby , is a bass guitar player. He has recorded and toured with Joe Jackson since his first album, appearing on most of Jackson's albums and tours. He has continued to record and tour with Jackson even while working with other artists.In the early '90s he toured with Graham Parker, Garland...
, and Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
of The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
. John Entwistle
John Entwistle
John Alec Entwistle was an English bass guitarist, songwriter, singer, horn player, and film and record producer who was best known as the bass player for the rock band The Who. His aggressive lead sound influenced many rock bass players...
of The Who
The Who
The Who are an English rock band formed in 1964 by Roger Daltrey , Pete Townshend , John Entwistle and Keith Moon . They became known for energetic live performances which often included instrument destruction...
played one briefly in the early 1960s. Eric Haydock
Eric Haydock
Eric Haydock was the original bass guitarist with The Hollies from December 1962 until 1966. Although considered a great bassist, he was replaced in 1966 by Bernie Calvert, after disputes related to the conduct of the band's managers.-External links:*...
of The Hollies
The Hollies
The Hollies are an English pop and rock group, formed in Manchester in the early 1960s, though most of the band members are from throughout East Lancashire. Known for their distinctive vocal harmony style, they became one of the leading British groups of the 1960s and 1970s...
is another famous Fender Bass VI user.
Tortoise
Tortoise
Tortoises are a family of land-dwelling reptiles of the order of turtles . Like their marine cousins, the sea turtles, tortoises are shielded from predators by a shell. The top part of the shell is the carapace, the underside is the plastron, and the two are connected by the bridge. The tortoise...
bass player Doug McCombs
Doug McCombs
Douglas McCombs plays bass and guitar with the instrumental rock band Tortoise and leads the instrumental band Brokeback. He is also the longtime bassist for the rock band Eleventh Dream Day.-References:...
uses the Bass VI extensively, especially on his solo/side project Brokeback
Brokeback (band)
Brokeback is a project of Doug McCombs, bassist of Tortoise and Eleventh Dream Day.- Featured artists :* Rob Mazurek* Noel Kupersmith* Mary Hansen * James McNew * Chad Taylor...
. He is quoted as saying, "Brokeback wouldn't exist without the Fender six-string bass. I consider myself a bass player, and though I have dabbled with slide instruments (lap steel and dobro) I was never really interested in moving into the higher register until I became aware of this instrument and its perfect blend of twang and low tone. I began planning this album years before I could even afford to purchase one. It may seem ridiculous to give so much credit to the instrument, but most of these melodies practically wrote themselves, and they were exactly what I wanted to hear."
Don Ciccone used a Bass VI to record the "Who Loves You" album for Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons, as well as live in a few tours.
A Fender Bass VI can also be seen on the Beatles' videos for "Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
", "Let It Be
Let It Be (song)
"Let It Be" is a song by The Beatles, released in March 1970 as a single, and as the title track of their album Let It Be. It was written by Paul McCartney, but credited to Lennon–McCartney. It was their final single before McCartney announced his departure from the band...
", and "The Long and Winding Road
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
". It was played by either George Harrison
George Harrison
George Harrison, MBE was an English musician, guitarist, singer-songwriter, actor and film producer who achieved international fame as lead guitarist of The Beatles. Often referred to as "the quiet Beatle", Harrison became over time an admirer of Indian mysticism, and introduced it to the other...
or John Lennon
John Lennon
John Winston Lennon, MBE was an English musician and singer-songwriter who rose to worldwide fame as one of the founding members of The Beatles, one of the most commercially successful and critically acclaimed acts in the history of popular music...
("Hey Jude
Hey Jude
"Hey Jude" is a song by the English rock band The Beatles, written by Paul McCartney and credited to Lennon–McCartney. The ballad evolved from "Hey Jules", a song widely accepted as being written to comfort John Lennon's son, Julian, during his parents' divorce—although this explanation is not...
", "Helter Skelter", "Back In The USSR
Back in the USSR
"Back in the U.S.S.R." is a 1968 song by The Beatles which opens the double-disc album The Beatles, also known as The White Album. It segues into the next song on the album, "Dear Prudence"...
", "Let It Be", "The Long and Winding Road
The Long and Winding Road
"The Long and Winding Road" is a ballad written by Paul McCartney that originally appeared on The Beatles' album Let It Be. It became The Beatles' 20th and last number-one song in the United States on 23 May 1970, and was the last single released by the quartet...
") when bassist Paul McCartney
Paul McCartney
Sir James Paul McCartney, MBE, Hon RAM, FRCM is an English musician, singer-songwriter and composer. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings , McCartney is listed in Guinness World Records as the "most successful musician and composer in popular music history", with 60 gold discs and sales of 100...
played piano or guitar. It was also used by Harrison and Lennon on the band's last-recorded album, Abbey Road.
Peter Green
Peter Green (musician)
Peter Green is a British blues-rock guitarist and the founder of the band Fleetwood Mac...
made extensive use of the Fender Bass VI as a solo instrument during his live performances of "The Green Manalishi" with Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac
Fleetwood Mac are a British–American rock band formed in 1967 in London.The only original member present in the band is its eponymous drummer, Mick Fleetwood...
from 1969–1970, and also as a session musician with Duster Bennett (aka "Peter Blue") and Peter Bardens, among others.
Noel Redding
Noel Redding
Noel Redding was an English rock and roll guitarist best known as the bassist for The Jimi Hendrix Experience.-Biography:...
used one when he played with The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience
The Jimi Hendrix Experience were an English-American psychedelic rock band that formed in London in October 1966. Comprising eponymous singer-songwriter and guitarist Jimi Hendrix, bassist and backing vocalist Noel Redding and drummer Mitch Mitchell, the band was active until June 1969, in which...
.
Robert Smith
Robert Smith (musician)
Robert James Smith is an English musician. He is the lead singer, guitar player and principal songwriter of the rock band The Cure, and its only constant member since its founding in 1976...
from The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
uses a Fender Bass VI in writing many Cure albums, Disintegration for example.
Mark Hoppus
Mark Hoppus
Mark Allan Hoppus is an American musician, record producer, and television host. He is the bass guitarist and one of the two lead vocalists of the pop punk band Blink-182, as well as the bass guitarist and lead vocalist of the alternative rock band +44. He is a co-founder of both bands...
from Blink-182
Blink-182
Blink-182 is an American rock band consisting of vocalist and bass guitarist Mark Hoppus, vocalist and guitarist Tom DeLonge, and drummer Travis Barker. They have sold over 27 million albums worldwide since forming in Poway, California in 1992...
and +44
+44 (band)
+44 was an alternative rock band formed by Blink-182 members Mark Hoppus and Travis Barker...
used two on the writing and recording of Blink 182 and during live shows.
Roy Babbington
Roy Babbington
Roy Babbington is a rock and jazz bassist. He became well known for being a member of the Canterbury scene progressive rock/jazz fusion band Soft Machine.-Biography:...
used a Fender Bass VI exclusively during his tenure with Soft Machine
Soft Machine
Soft Machine were an English rock band from Canterbury, named after the book The Soft Machine by William S. Burroughs. They were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene, and helped pioneer the progressive rock genre...
(1973–1976), often coupled with a fuzz box and wah-wah pedal while soloing. Recordings can be heard on the Softs' albums Seven
Seven (Soft Machine album)
Seven is a 1973 album by the British progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene...
, BBC Radio 1971-1974, Bundles
Bundles (album)
Bundles is a 1975 album by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine.On Bundles, only keyboardist and founding member Mike Ratledge is left of the early Soft Machine line-ups...
, Softs
Softs
For softs as commodities, see Commodities.Softs is a 1976 album by the British psychedelic, progressive rock and jazz/fusion band Soft Machine who were one of the central bands in the Canterbury scene....
and Rubber Riff.
John Frusciante
John Frusciante
John Anthony Frusciante is an American guitarist, singer, songwriter, record and film producer. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers, with whom he had been for a number of years and recorded five studio albums...
owns a sunburst Fender Bass VI and he can be heard playing it on The Empyrean
The Empyrean
The Empyrean is the tenth solo album by John Frusciante, released worldwide on January 20, 2009 through Record Collection. Frusciante does not plan on a following tour, as he instead wants to focus on writing and recording. The Empyrean peaked at number 151 on the US Billboard 200 as well as number...
track "Dark/Light". His Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers
Red Hot Chili Peppers is an American rock band, formed in Los Angeles in 1983. The group's musical style primarily consists of rock with an emphasis on funk, as well as elements from other genres such as punk, hip hop and psychedelic rock...
replacement, Josh Klinghoffer
Josh Klinghoffer
Joshua Adam "Josh" Klinghoffer is an American multi-instrumentalist, who is best known as the current guitarist for the rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. Klinghoffer replaced his friend and frequent collaborator John Frusciante, who left the band in 2009.Klinghoffer also fronts Dot Hacker, and was...
plays a Fender VI on "Happiness Loves Company", off of I'm With You
I'm with You (album)
I'm with You is the tenth studio album by American rock band Red Hot Chili Peppers. The album was released by Warner Bros. Records on August 26, 2011 in several countries and on August 29 in the US, a day earlier than originally planned...
.
Dan Auerbach
Dan Auerbach
Daniel Quine Auerbach is an American musician. A multi-instrumentalist, he is best known as the guitarist and vocalist for The Black Keys, a blues rock band from Akron, Ohio. He is married to Stephanie Gonis, with whom he has a daughter, Sadie Little Auerbach, born in 2008.- Childhood and early...
of The Black Keys
The Black Keys
The Black Keys are an American rock duo consisting of vocalist/guitarist Dan Auerbach and drummer/producer Patrick Carney. The band was formed in Akron, Ohio, in 2001. As of October 2011, the band has sold over 2 million albums in the U.S....
plays a Bass VI on the Attack & Release
Attack & Release
- Notes :* "Things Ain't Like They Used to Be" features a duet between Dan Auerbach and then 17-year-old bluegrass/country singer Jessica Lea Mayfield.* "Strange Times" is featured in the 2008 video game Grand Theft Auto IV as well as NASCAR 09....
track "All You Ever Wanted".
Rick Danko
Rick Danko
Richard Clare "Rick" Danko was a Canadian musician and singer, best known as a member of The Band.-Early years :...
of The Band
The Band
The Band was an acclaimed and influential roots rock group. The original group consisted of Rick Danko , Garth Hudson , Richard Manuel , and Robbie Robertson , and Levon Helm...
made use of a white Bass VI while backing Ronnie Hawkins
Ronnie Hawkins
Ronald "Ronnie" Hawkins is a Juno Award-winning rockabilly musician whose career has spanned more than half a century. Though his career began in Arkansas, USA, where he'd been born and raised, it was in Ontario, Canada where he found success and settled for most of his life...
in The Hawks, though by the time the Hawks were with Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan
Bob Dylan is an American singer-songwriter, musician, poet, film director and painter. He has been a major and profoundly influential figure in popular music and culture for five decades. Much of his most celebrated work dates from the 1960s when he was an informal chronicler and a seemingly...
, Danko had switched to a Fender Jazz Bass
Jazz bass
Jazz bass is the use of the double bass, or in some genres bass guitar, to improvise accompaniment and solos in a jazz or jazz fusion style. The double bass began being used in jazz in the 1890s, to supply the low-pitched walking basslines which outlined the harmony of the music...
.
Steve Kilbey
Steve Kilbey
Steven John Kilbey is the lead singer-songwriter and bass guitarist for The Church, an Australian rock band. He is also a music producer, poet, and painter....
, the singer/bassist from Australian band The Church
The Church (band)
The Church is an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1980. Initially associated with new wave and the neo-psychedelic sound of the mid 1980s, their music later became more reminiscent of progressive rock, featuring long instrumental jams and complex guitar interplay...
has been using the Bass VI on many recordings, as early as the 1983/84 Remote Luxury and Persia EPs.
During the guitar collection scene of This is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap
This Is Spinal Tap is an American 1984 rock musical mockumentary directed by Rob Reiner about the fictional heavy metal band Spinal Tap...
, Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel
Nigel Tufnel was the lead guitarist of the rock band Spinal Tap featured in the 1984 mockumentary film This Is Spinal Tap. He was played by actor Christopher Guest.-Character biography:...
's extremely special guitar is actually an original sea foam green Fender Bass VI that has never been played and still has the price tag on it. Nigel does not even like anyone looking at it. In reality, only two sea foam green Bass VIs of this vintage exist.
Brian Molko
Brian Molko
Brian Molko is a songwriter, lead vocalist, and guitarist of the band Placebo. He is known in particular for his high-pitched vocals, androgynous appearance, and unique, Sonic Youth-influenced guitar style and tuning.-Early life:Born to an American father of French-Italian heritage and a Scottish...
and Stefan Olsdal
Stefan Olsdal
Stefan Olsdal is the bassist/guitarist of the alternative rock band Placebo and is part of the electronic dance/DJ and remix act Hotel Persona.-Biography:...
of Placebo
Placebo (band)
Placebo are a British rock band from London, England, formed in 1994 by singer and guitarist Brian Molko and bass guitarist Stefan Olsdal. The band was joined by drummer Robert Schultzberg, who was later replaced by Steve Hewitt after conflicts with Molko. Hewitt left the band in October 2007 and...
were inspired to buy Fender Bass VIs with Molko commenting, "Playing the Fender VI is like playing two instruments in one, it can be treated as a guitar and as a bass. When Stefan is playing lead parts on the Fender Bass VI, he's also using his feet to play a bassline with Taurus pedals. I think if Stefan were an octopus, he'd be playing even more instruments."
Joe Perry
Joe Perry (musician)
Anthony Joseph "Joe" Perry is the lead guitarist, backing and occasional lead vocalist, and contributing songwriter for the rock band Aerosmith. He is influenced by many rock artists especially The Rolling Stones and The Beatles...
of Aerosmith
Aerosmith
Aerosmith is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and "America's Greatest Rock and Roll Band". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues, and has inspired many...
uses one on "Back in the Saddle
Back in the Saddle
"Back in the Saddle" is a song by American hard rock band Aerosmith. It was written by Steven Tyler and Joe Perry. It is the first song on Aerosmith's pinnacle hard rock album Rocks released in 1976. The song was released as the third single from the album in 1977...
" from the album Rocks
Rocks (album)
Rocks is the fourth album by American rock band Aerosmith, released May 3, 1976. Allmusic described Rocks as having "captured Aerosmith at their most raw and rocking". Rocks also ranked #176 on Rolling Stones list of the 500 Greatest Albums of All Time...
.
Jet Harris
Jet Harris
Jet Harris, MBE was an English musician. He was the bass guitarist of The Shadows until April 1962, and had subsequent success as a soloist and as a duo with the drummer Tony Meehan....
of The Shadows
The Shadows
The Shadows are a British pop group with a total of 69 UK hit-charted singles: 35 as 'The Shadows' and 34 as 'Cliff Richard and the Shadows', from the 1950s to the 2000s. Cliff Richard in casual conversation with the British rock press frequently refers to the Shadows by their nickname: 'The Shads'...
used a Fender Bass VI during the recording of "Diamonds" in 1963, and also used this bass live on the Wembley
Wembley
Wembley is an area of northwest London, England, and part of the London Borough of Brent. It is home to the famous Wembley Stadium and Wembley Arena...
Musical Express.
Luther Perkins
Luther Perkins
Luther Monroe Perkins was an American country music guitarist and a member of the Tennessee Three, the backup band for singer Johnny Cash. Perkins was an iconic figure in what would become known as rockabilly music...
, Johnny Cash
Johnny Cash
John R. "Johnny" Cash was an American singer-songwriter, actor, and author, who has been called one of the most influential musicians of the 20th century...
's first guitarist, who played it on "Happy To Be With You". This guitar is currently being shown at the Country Music Hall Of Fame and Museum.
Peter Kimberley of UK rock band Bachdenkel
Bachdenkel
Bachdenkel were an English rock group which came to life in and around the King's Heath area of Birmingham in the late 1960s, evolving out of a combo called "U No Who"....
, who played it both on live gigs and on studio albums.
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr
Johnny Marr is an English musician and songwriter. Marr rose to fame in the 1980s as the guitarist in The Smiths, with whom he formed a prolific songwriting partnership with Morrissey. Marr has been a member of Electronic, The The, and Modest Mouse...
's Bass VI was used on The Cribs
The Cribs
The Cribs are an English three-piece indie rock band from Wakefield, West Yorkshire. The band consists of twins Gary and Ryan Jarman and their younger brother Ross Jarman. They were subsequently joined by ex-The Smiths and Modest Mouse guitarist Johnny Marr who was made a formal member of the group...
' 2009 album Ignore The Ignorant
Ignore the Ignorant
Ignore the Ignorant is the fourth studio album by the British band The Cribs. The album was released in the United Kingdom on 7 September 2009 via Wichita Recordings, following the release of the first single "Cheat on Me" on 31 August...
, notably on "Save Your Secrets". Ryan Jarman
Ryan Jarman
Ryan James Jarman is the guitarist and vocalist with English rock band The Cribs.-The Cribs:Ryan formed The Cribs in the early 2000s with his identical twin brother Gary and younger brother Ross....
plays it during their live shows.
Paul Abrahams
Paul Abrahams (musician)
Paul Abrahams is an Australian musician and bass player for The Reels-Biography:Abrahams joined The Reels in 1978 and recorded 2 Albums and 1 EP between 1979-1981...
bassist for Australian Indie Pop band The Reels
The Reels
The Reels is an Australian rock/indie pop group which formed in Dubbo, New South Wales in 1976 and initially disbanded in 1991, they eventually reformed in 2007. Their 1981 song, "Quasimodo's Dream", was voted one of the Top 10 Australian songs of all time by a 100-member panel from Australasian...
played live and recorded with this bass on 'The Reels' and 'Quasimodo's Dream' Albums from 1978-1982. The Reels were support to The Cure
The Cure
The Cure are an English rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
during their 1979 tour of Australia. The bass can be seen in many of The Reels early film clips, it was sprayed painted black, tremolo arm and bridge cover (mute) removed.
Guitarist Slash
Slash (musician)
Saul Hudson , known by his stage name Slash, is a British-American musician and songwriter. He is best known as the former lead guitarist of the American hard rock band Guns N' Roses, with whom he achieved worldwide success in the late 1980s and early 1990s. During his later years with Guns N'...
used a VI sparingly on Use Your Illusion
Use Your Illusion
Use Your Illusion is a Guns N' Roses compilation album that is mixed from the Use Your Illusion I and II albums. It has only been released in the United States, consisting entirely of songs without profanity . However, not all songs without profanity were chosen to appear on this compilation...
, most notably on "Right Next Door To Hell" and "Breakdown".
Glen Campbell
Glen Campbell
Glen Travis Campbell is an American country music singer, guitarist, television host and occasional actor. He is best known for a series of hits in the 1960s and 1970s, as well as for hosting a variety show called The Glen Campbell Goodtime Hour on CBS television.During his 50 years in show...
used a Fender Bass VI (borrowed from fellow Wrecking Crew
The Wrecking Crew (music)
The Wrecking Crew was a nickname coined by the drummer Hal Blaine after the fact for a group of session musicians in Los Angeles, California, who earned wide acclaim in the 1960s. They backed dozens of popular singers, and were one of the most successful "groups" of studio musicians in music history...
musician Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye
Carol Kaye is an American musician, best known as one of the most prolific and widely heard bass guitarists in history, playing on an estimated 10,000 recording sessions in a 55 year career....
to play the solo heard on his songs "Wichita Lineman" and "Galveston".
Producer Mike McCarthy talks about using the Fender Bass VI on records in a Dec 2007 Mix Magazine article.
Musician Stephen Drozd purchased a Fender VI at Southside Guitars in Brooklyn in December of 2011.
Literature
- Peter Bertges: The Fender Reference; Bomots, Saarbrücken 2007, ISBN 978-3-939316-38-1
Hank The Knife and The jets
External links
- Fender - Manufacturer's official site.
- bassvi.org - The Fender Bass VI Forum