That's very cool, I started on the bass at 13, and didn't touch a 6 string for the first 6 years, now I'm addicted to 6 string one of these basses would be fascinating to mess with.
Honestly, one of these as a primary instrument would be one way to stand out as a bassist. It'd be a great use in a three-piece band, or any other scenario where there's only one other guitarist. Maybe you could double up the low-end with Moog Taurus style pedals or pitch-shifting pedals (i.e. shimmer reverb but an octave below). You could probably get decent bottom end if you plugged this into a Dual Rectifier (or did the Chris Squire thing of using both bass and guitar amps).
Uhhhm. Not for me. I got enough trouble with 6 strings on a guitar and 4 on bass. But that doesn't mean I didn't find this enjoyable to watch and listen to. I can see where it would inspire some pretty creative stuff.
Is there anything different about the pickups for these bass 6es? I imagine guitar pickups are optimized for guitar frequencies -- are these pickups optimized for lower frequencies or do regular pickups pickup the whole spectrum?
I'd never come across the model until I watched the Beatles 'Get Back' doco with John Lennon covering bass parts on one when Paul swapped to guitar. Was very curious, but had no idea Harley Benton made one... maybe it's time to import one...
Great video, super entertaining. Love paradigm shifting explorations. Guitarbass looks super fun and interesting. How do you think it would sound coming out of a guitar amp? (Egnater Tweaker 15 and 1x12 Cab)
They can get over it I use a pick too, but can slap and do fingerstyle as well... I have a fender bass 6 it's fun to play but like you said a challenge. I got mine second hand I seen in a store for not to bad a price so I snagged.
Nice. I got a SubZero Rouge on blackfriday Sale. Got sick of my 8 strings and wanted something bigger than a 27". Shame there is a lack of 7 and 8's in 30" scale range. Literally just ordered a custom 7 string 30" jazzmaster style neck and body to put my own together!
I play more the Cure/Joy Division/New Order/My Bloody Valentine/Cocteau Twins side of things, but it is fair to say it is quite the Djent-tleman 😝😝😝😝 Thank you, thank you!!
i feel like a normal guitars strings are too close together and the neck isnt wide enough, but a bass doesnt sound so good to play powerchords on. would a bassguitar fix those issues?
This is really a BARITONE, with a 30" scale length, like the JA Baritone , the Gretsch 5260, The SubZero and many others. Changing the stock string set to a .014 to.065 baritone set, will get you down to G ,and to go the full octave, simply sub the Low E with a .080 or heavier ...
A bass VI really isn't a baritone although you could change the nut and put baritone strings on it and tune to the bari range if you choose to. The Gretsch baritone is unusual as it is the longest baritone I have seen coming in at 29.75", most baritones are 26-27" The Gretsch inspite of its nearly bass six scale length is intended as a baritone and comes set up properly for 14-72 strings which on the higher strings is definitely baritone range but the lower ones are on the heavier side of baritone. The Gretsch is intended to be tuned B-B. The bass VI is a 30" scale instrument to E an octave below a standard guitar low E and is set up for strings that are 24-85 or 26-95, sometimes players put an even heavier low E on so the string is less floppy at that full octave down from guitar tuning that the bass VI is tuned to.
Great review man. It reminds me of a guitar Joe Perry plays which is I think a 6 strong bass. ? Have you heard the song by Ted Nugent called " Little Miss Dangerous" ? It doesn't get enough love, or that album doesn't and he plays a 12 string bass on that song and it rocks ♥️🤘🤘. I love that album and I think it's when he first started playing PRS guitars too. ♥️🤘♥️ Great stuff. Great idea. I used to jam with a guy that loved the California cruise music I called it with loads of reverb and clean time and some delay. Be safe and well my down under friend ♥️🤘♥️
Great inspiring playing . Thank you for a excellent demo of bass vi. Love that . I thank Jesus for you as all good gifts come from above the father of lights .
A bass VI is tuned E-E a full octave lower than a standard guitar. Think of it like a four string short scale bass but with an "extra" high B and E strings. The low strings on a bass VI are like light gauge bass strings while the high E is like a standard guitar D string.