Dammit. One is never enough, is it?

[p90jr]

I hemmed and hawed for a long time over Bass VI choices, and one of the ones I was interested in got discontinued. I ended up taking a risk on the latest version (third rev!) of Schecter's Hellcat VI and am quite pleased. Great pickups, good feel and sound, and excellent workmanship.

 

The Squier was my backup choice if it didn't work out; the most recent Fender model didn't hit all the right buttons for me.

 

I think of the Bass VI a more of a low-tuned Baritone Guitar than as a traditional Bass Guitar role.

 

I got an Antigua Squier Baritone Jazzmaster a couple of years ago on clearance for $250... and then a guy I play guitar for had a new song he'd just recorded with a baritone guitar solo (which he achieved by just tuning down a guitar for recording) and said "I guess just play it a normal guitar pitch... unless you have a baritone guitar laying around," which I was able to say "oh, yeah... I do." That particular model and finish is apparently now super popular with "Djent Metal" (an ideophonic term for the palm-muted power chords they use) bands so the resale value has soared for them.

 

I play bass in a friend's Elvis cover band sometimes, and the Bass VI will come in handy for some of that material, like "The Devil In Disguise"... of if I do more Beatles' White Album, Abbey Road, Let It Be shows... or Cure or New Order cover stuff... of just for recording or as an idea-generator.

 

I always thought Jack Bruce just used a Bass VI for lip sync TV things only, but I find that if you play it with your fingers it does sound like a normal bass, with a pick it gets distinctly twangy, though. It's been fun to goof around with, so far.

[Mark Schmieder]

I wanted one of those Bari JM's; they are hard to come by. My next Bari might be the just-revised hardtail version of the Gretsch Jet. I owned the older Bigsby version but this one is made better, is semi-hollow vs. solid, different pickups, and the hardtail design makes it sound way different even from the new version of the Bigsby model. It's one of the few longer-scale baritones on the market.