Six string basses - old style

[ilan]

Six-string basses were not always the wide-neck 35" beasts that a lot of us like so much and make wonderful music with. The first ones (Danelectro, Hofner, Fender) were 30" scale instruments, tuned EADGBE. Those instruments once had a place in popular music, as tic-tac basses doubling the upright part, or simply as an extended-range bass (Jack Bruce). But somewhere along the road they vanished, and it seems that today, "serious" bass players will not touch those guitar-like instruments.

 

Sure, they have obvious disadvantages - they are almost impossible to play fingerstyle, the short scale - but what about the advantages? it's almost like two basses in one - a standard-tuned four-string AND a piccolo. The top four strings (DGBE) are only 1 1/2 step below a piccolo bass. You can play chords easily. And, of course, the whammy bar.

 

Does anyone else here like those basses? What are your experiences with them? How do you deal with people refusing to believe it's not a guitar? Your favorite lines? Tunings?

[Ed Friedland]

I briefly had a Jerry Jones Longhorn 6. It was cool, but I felt like I'd probably never get to use it so I sold it. When I'm independently wealthy and don't have to concern myself with practicality, I will get another one because they sound great. My favorite use of the 6 is on David Lindley's CD "El Rayo X", there's a track called "Your Old Lady" where he plays what I believe is a Fender Bass VI. It's very cool!

[ilan]

Yes! Lindley's playing on this one is soooo cool :-) Tried it on the Dano and the Fender VI - it was definitely NOT played on a Dano: I agree it sounds more like the bridge PU of a Fender VI.