I glanced through the wiki article and see that the Bass VI was apparently used on some Beatles tracks (Back in the USSR, Let it Be) where I don't hear anything low necessarily. Still sounds like regular bass and guitars to me.

Seems like the Bass VI is essentially a six string bass, usually tuned like a guitar, but sounding an octave lower. So it covers bass note territory, while getting up into the lower register of guitar territory.

Do you have quintessential examples of Bass VI and Baritone (YT vids appreciated)?

I see some listed on wiki but as I said, I don't really hear that there are any melodies that "cross" the bass/guitar region - so they might as well have played on either bass or guitar - whereas something like "Rock Lobster" by the B-52s seems to have to be something tuned down to, up to, or in C (Baritone?).

P.S. I've been watching Man from UNCLE re-runs and something low is used in that soundtrack quite a bit.

Last edited: Jan 24, 2016 12:48:52

Check this out: http://www.offsetguitars.com/forums/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=16288

The Cure used Bass VI quite a bit on their 80's recordings. Much of the melody on the Disintegration album was carried on a Bass VI.

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I have a squire bass vi, which after a pro set up and a better bridge, is a true pleasure to play. It is a weird animal in that it stretches from guitar to bass and back. I would say it's more guitar than bass but it is bass enough I (the bass player) routinely rely upon it as my back up should my P bass die mid set. I play in a three piece psychedelic surf band which allows for a lot of different approaches - more latitude than you might have playing in a six piece. You are limited only by your imagination. I routinely play it in about half a dozen tunes. In addition to the tunes listed above, you can find a bass vi on Aerosmith's Draw the Line and Back in the Saddle. Glen Campbell used one to perfect effect on Wichita Lineman.Two notes of caution, unless you play it bass cut mode only, you may want to give serious thought to your amp/speaker set up as the low's can be damaging to the wrong speaker set up AND (in the same vein) if you are a guitar player already playing with a regular bassist, you may find that you create sonic pooh together if you are not thoughtful, observant, and cooperative. That said, I LOOOOOVE mine and you can't have it!
Good luck!

mj

mj
bent playing for benter results
Do not attempt to adjust your TV set.
https://www.facebook.com/Bass-VI-Explorers-Club-179437279151035/
https://www.facebook.com/Lost-Planet-Shamen-366987463657230/

Thus might Bee interesting die Three OP:
http://www.squier-talk.com/threads/any-bass-vi-users-here.82243/#post-388418
Loads of sample videos and my personal view o on the VI there.

Is the bolo (is that what it is?) to dampen the strings behind the bridge?

I assumed all the strings would be wound, are they?

The scale is shorter, no? So that means the guages would actually be smaller than bass - but is the D string like the same size as a standard E string - so strings 3, 2, and 1 are approximately in size E, A, and D strings respectively (tuned to D, G, E)?

montereyjack66 wrote:

Last edited: Jan 25, 2016 16:05:31

stevel wrote:

Thanks so far everyone.

Still, I don't really hear it in, say, The Cure, or Back in the Saddle - and I just always assumed Cream was a Bass Bass.

However, I learned "Just Like Heaven" by The Cure and while usually in 1 guitar bands you play the strummy chords and the melody line, I did notice a low part in there that's just dyads on the 5th and 6th strings. The singer/rhythm player in the band looked at me like I was crazy when I played it and the keyboard player had to tell them that that part was in fact there in the recording (I was a fill in). I guess since so many people don't notice it, and don't play it, it sounded wrong to her. SO I didn't play it

But that would in fact sit squarely in the "low guitar, high bass" category of notes...

I compose a bit and I was thinking about a piece for Viola but honestly, except for the lower 5th on the instrument, it's really not different than Violin (sure there's tonal differences, etc.). So I was kinda like, "what's the point". I think that's probably what happened with Bass VI and Baritone - and even Tenor guitars. Regular Bass and Guitar (especially two guitars) really cover all the range we need.

It would be cool to have a "guitar quartet" of Bass, Bass VI, Baritone. and Guitar, but really, 2 basses and 2 guitars could probably cover what you needed, and be much more readily available...

In many ways, you are spot on. The VI is a somewhat specialty instrument that can be applied to many situations but probably not to all situations. Beyond novelty bits, it's an instrument that can fill in for other instruments to a degree or it can occupy a certain sonic role if designed carefully. It can also cause a lot of sonic mishmosh if used haphazardly.

What it does do quite well is it encourages you to think outside the "this is what the bass does and this is what the guitars are going to do" box. You are almost to forced to think about the music holistically and in it's entirety. Good things can come from that.

mj

mj
bent playing for benter results
Do not attempt to adjust your TV set.
https://www.facebook.com/Bass-VI-Explorers-Club-179437279151035/
https://www.facebook.com/Lost-Planet-Shamen-366987463657230/

Nice. I think this is a great example of "it could have been guitar" - but you make use of the lower range at the end of the phrase (drastically!)

May I ask, what is the amp used for the initial guitar melody - it it pure amp, or did you go direct, or did you use any drive, etc?

CrazyAces wrote:

I used a Squier Bass VI on this at 00:54

https://surfguitar101.com/downloads/details/678/

I keep round wounds on mine so that I can use it for baritone parts more effectively. I use it for bass parts when writing but usually not for recording.
I find it more versatile than a regular Baritone.
It's a great instrument.

Cheers,
Jeff

stevel wrote:

Nice. I think this is a great example of "it could have been guitar" - but you make use of the lower range at the end of the phrase (drastically!)

May I ask, what is the amp used for the initial guitar melody - it it pure amp, or did you go direct, or did you use any drive, etc?

Signal chain for all guitars and Bass VI on this tune was guitar into Fender Reverb tank into a Quilter 101 Mini head through a Warehouse ET90 speaker, mic'd with a Shure SM57, no direct signal.
The sound of the lead/melody guitar got a little too percussive sounding in the mastering stage due to some cheap compression and inexperience with the mastering program. The bass player in our band is a pro mastering engineer and I think I'm going to have him re-master the song to get rid of that.

I'm glad you picked up on that "it could be a guitar" thing until the end of the phrase. That was my intent. Kind of a "where is he going with this?"
thing, lower, lower....

Here's another use of the Bass VI. On this tune for last year's comp I bring the Bass VI in the second verse as an arrangement embellishment to double and strengthen the melody.

https://surfguitar101.com/downloads/details/635/

Cheers,
Jeff

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
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stevel wrote:

Ok, I hate to use profanity, but this is effing brilliant. Luscious.

Thanks so much. It was a fun experience.

And you know what, my classical training should have made me think about that - ah, double the melody an octave lower with the "middle" instrument (like a viola might double a violin in a quartet or cello doubles violin in orchestra, even though they cross ranges).

Yes, while I never formally studied Classical I've always been a "student" of arrangement since I was very young. I often hear my songs in my head played by larger ensembles, not just Surf instrumentation.
The Bass VI was also added for "weight" on the introductory lines in each phrase to give the song some "swing" when Rev's lighter, floating answer phrases come in. Similar to use of male and female voice in Opera.
I'm stoked you appreciate this stuff!

I really like the production on this track.

Thanks, credit goes to all involved.

What's the guitar tone on this one? It's gorgeous.

Thanks again. It's a '66 Teisco "Monkeygrip" and I'm pretty sure it was played through my Princeton Reverb with some delay from a TC Electronics Nova Repeater, mic'd with a Nady Ribbon mic or Shure SM57.

I don't remember what Rev Hank used.

It sounds like there's a delay on it - especially around :20 gets kind of that warbly thing - is that the tremolo vibrato against the echo repeat of the first, unvibratoed note? That's kind of like what happens with Hank Marvin's stuff, who this tone reminds me of.

Yes, without trying to sound like Hank it's the vibe I was after.

I like how those fills later come in and interplay with the main lines - kind of like how the electric piano "answers" the guitar line in Pipeline. Very, very tasty.

That's Rev Hank there from Urban Surf Kings.
It was a real pleasure to work with such talented players.

Glad you like it!
These are just examples of how I've used the Bass VI. I'm sure there are many, many other examples both vintage and new.
Thanks again for listening

Cheers,
Jeff

http://www.facebook.com/CrazyAcesMusic
http://www.youtube.com/user/crazyacesrock
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