The Most Underrated Guitar Ever 

As a bass player, I agree that the most underrated guitar is, indeed, a bass.

Nice rendition of Witchita Lineman. One of my favorites!

Robert Smith of the Cure uses it like a lead instrument - Pictures of You, Lullaby etc. but you can go back as far as Faith in 81 when he started using them. He even ended up with a signature Schechter Bass VI inspired guitar. And i think High is the only billboard 100 song to feature TWO bass VI's playing at the same time. :) Also check out the Church Priest=Aura - Steve Kilbey recorded all the bass on that album with a Bass VI.

If I remember correctly, the riff on “Back in the Saddle” is played by Joe Perry on a Fender Bass VI. The lead guitar is all Brad Whitford whereas Tom Hamilton, who usually plays bass in Aerosmith, is on rhythm guitar.

The bassist from Quicksand plays a Bass VI live *the whole set). I believe the their latest album is all Bass VI. Also, Failure uses a Bass VI. One song live they both play one. Others, it's Bass and Bass VI played. Might be used more than we think.

Cool stuff. I bought the Squire version of this Bass VI. It was a lot of fun until old age killed my left hand. Nice tribute to Glenn Campbell and the Wrecking Crew.

Turned 57 last week - picked up my first 6-string in 1979 and have been making noise of and on ever since… and this is the first I have ever heard of the Bass VI!!! Amazing - thanks for the eye-opener. We never quite stop learning in this world… great stuff Thanks

This is one of the finest videos you've ever made. I went into this video somewhat understanding what a "Fender Six" was (I saw it on the "Get Back" documentery) but you really showcased why the Fender Six exists as a hybrid between a traditional bass and a baratone that can do the "guitar" thing. The music and playing were superb. Now I want to go out and buy one. Really appreciated this video.

I have been enjoying mine for many years, heck Jack Bruce played it with Cream in the beginning and, of course, the Beatles used it a lot😊

Robert Smith with The Cure has done some amazing things with a Bass vi

Bass VI and the UB-2 are some of my favorite instruments. Such a cool and unique sound from the too, gotta love lipstick pickups.

I’ve had three of these, including a Custom Shop that I’ve kept. Absolutely fantastic, and I do think they are so under utilized including for heavier music

That Wichita Lineman at the beginning was BEAUTIFUL!!!

Been on my short list to add to my stable in the studio - great video Rhett!

Love this. But $1300 for made in Mexico. Ouch. I remember getting my first strat, squire, MIM, for $180! (1993)

I myself could see this possibly working in a live scenario as a two piece band: one Bass VI player and a drummer, playing basslines to a looper and lead lines up high with the bass cut switch. Interesting side note: Gibson apparently made a six string bass many many years ago called the EB-6, apparently it’s become quite rare!!

I bought the Squier Version about a year ago and it's been fun as hell. It was extremely wonky out of the box but I spent some time with it, added a Mastery Bridge (fits perfectly) and got a proper setup at my local shop. I'm a songwriter tracking my own stuff at home and it fits that niche perfectly. It's almost too easy to track out a decent bass part for a demo. I've found that a heavy wool felt pick actually works well to bridge that divide between fingerstyle and pick playing... it dulls the attack, but the pick makes it easier to get into the tighter string spacing.

I think this intro was the most interesting music I've ever heard you play on your channel. Very nice.

I love your second song you did. It really emphasizes that “creaky, rocking ship at sea” feeling/sound I associate with it, that’s well on display in a lot of The Cure’s use of the Bass VI (I don’t know if that makes sense to anyone but me, but it makes me think of sailing in a wood ship). So excited for mine I just ordered to arrive in the mail!

Bass player and Fender VI enthusiast reporting in: Can confirm that this is indeed the most underrated instrument in the electric guitar/bass family (and I agree that it lives in its own category). Whenever I show up to a writing or a jam session with my Fender VI people are pretty blown away by it. The bass sound is fat and heavy because of the shorter scale. The chord voicings are surprisingly rich and full. The melodic capabilities are wholly unique and beautiful. 10/10 recommend.

That version of lineman is fire 🔥😍👏🏻 So well done!

Couldn't agree more. I build 'em. Parts are a beetch to find, but if ya look under the right rocks they can be found. Each build is pretty damn unique for that reason

I love my BassVI, but I came to realize it is much more useful, at least to me strung up B to B with baritone strings. My absolute favorite baritone sound!

fascinating, would like to hear a whole album with this guitar as the main instrument.

I’m definitely getting a Bass VI soon. Played a Squier and it was floored. I’m a fan of Bass, Baritone and Guitar so I need one in my collection.

I've had the Squier version since it was released. One of the most versatile instruments I own. Double a bass line an octave up, double a guitar line an octave down, use it as a bass, and use it as is for melodies that require a "different sound". It's not a one trick pony for sure.

I’m a bass player who was called upon to play guitar for a special event. I played some chords, but mostly played lead guitar parts…but I used my fingers instead of a pic. I also played bass on some songs and had to switch back and forth. Wish I would have had a BassVI at that time. Mine arrived in the mail today. 😉

Man, Witchita Lineman gets me. What a great song. Great job showing off a few of Glen's lines here.

Fender 24-100 Gauge Strings would make it sound amazing

Great Vid Rhett. I never knew this instrument existed before this vid. As you stated I’ve heard it in many songs with no idea it was a bass vi and in an actual bass. Keep this type of vids coming.🤘

I bought the Fender pawn shop version with different pickups in 2014 and LOVE it! I really like the humbucking pickup in the bridge but I think the bass cut switch would be a nice addition.

VI here, a mid 90s MIJ in sunburst, & it's a lovely thing. I changed the bridge (a common mod) to even out the radius a bit, & found a set of black tapewounds. magical.

Bill Laswell plays a Bass VI! It gives a lot of extra range to his free-jazz rock noise jams

Damn Rhett, I wish my dad was still around to hear your playing. My taste in music is 100% his doing, and your playing would have had him floored. Thanks for helping bring him back for just a minute.

The musical arrangements are by far your best! 😊

Really loved the vibes of these jams, great tones and playing! Want me one of these!!

Just picked up a Squier version of this on Friday. It's the secret sauce on so many tracks. Cheers Rhett!!

Definitely try this with both round and flat wound strings (La Bella strings for these are awesome), totally different feel and tone, so pick the one you like.

One of the most interest instrument overviews I've seen out of dozens on YT. Well done.

Mike Rutherford used a microfret six string bass (bass vi but not fender) on the lamb lies down on broadway and a custom VI on a trick of the tail, my favorite use of it is “Back in NYC” live where he takes advantage of the higher strings to double the guitar/synth arpeggio.

I own the Squier Classic vibe version. It is a great tool for me as a guitarist when I play bass. I can get the low end without changing my technique much. It sounds killer in a trio with a small drumset and an acoustic guitar.

That cover of Wichita lineman is killer! One of the best songs out there! Im excited too see the rest of this video now.

I have had the hots for a Bass VI for about 4 years now! I was trying desperately to find the "Pawn Shop" version of one. I even tried to work with a well known company out of Puyallup , WA. to design a body and neck pocket so I could build my own custom version of one. They would not accommodate. Pity! 🤔So I set it aside. So glad Fender is at least releasing this version! (if you build it, they will come). I will struggle to get one of these but I must have one! Thank you for doing this review. This expression of tone deserves it's sonic space beyond a short life in decades past! Keep Doing That Voodoo That You Do! 👊

Got my VII Bass VI and I love it. The roland JC-120 is the perfect guitar amp for it

Cool! I’ve always wanted one, but when I lived in vintage guitar world, approximately 25 years ago (maybe a little more), you could still find beaten up ‘67 or ‘68 Telecasters with Bigsbys for the equivalent of, give or take, 1500 dollars in today’s value. Because nobody at the time was really interested in them I guess. But I remember one of the vintage guitar dealers having no less than 5 beautiful looking Bass VI’s. One of them was in Sherwood Green Metallic and another one in Candy Apple Red. Anyway, the cheapest one was twice the price of the aforementioned Telecasters. A couple of years ago Fender started to make these cheap versions and I immediately saw my chance of buying one of those. Just a Squier. I wasn’t going to spend crazy amounts of money for an instrument you barely use. Unfortunately it never happened. I still want one, but my wish list is long and priorities shift every day. 😳

The music you produced in this video is my favorite you've produced so far. Very cool.

This is my first time hearing the Bass VI, I really like its vibe and tone. Also, I've been going through Sweetwater for years, I'll have to remember to use your link the next time I buy from there

I played a white squire one at guitar center. when i was in highschool. I was blowm away and i had choice between that and 5 string jazz bass i chose the five string. I regret that every single day, but i am about to buy the fiesta red one and i am beyond excited for that.

I'd call the Fender VI a Bass Baritone Guitar like the term used for a voice Bass Baritone. The 4th switch which engages a .0033 uf capacitor (similar to the Rickenbacker capacitor on the 4003 bridge pup .0047uf) is effectively a High Pass Filter, I'd try a .1uf capacitor as John Entwistle said he couldn't get enough bass out of it and the .1uf cap is used in P basses so I think it would darken the sound subtly when engaged.

The vintera ii series I think is better overall than one just cause it had some cooler things in it. Like the 70s mustang

I've worked on several of these for customers and they are certainly unique. Great video!

Well, you can use the Bass VI as a bass without any problems. Change the strings to a set of La Bella flatwound strings made especially for the Bass VI. You'll be amazed how good this sound. Another trick is to take the bass cut swtich out and rewire so it acts as series switch for the neck + middle and the middle + bridge pu or all 3 pu's in serries. Really killer bas tones...

Damn dude, That solo in the intro was fire. Thanks.

I sold my Dano baritone, not because I didn't like it but because I rarely played it. The guy who bought it from me is going to use it for recording. It is in better hands now. Awesome guitar and sound.

That intro song is without a doubt the most 60-70s Spaghetti Western B-film vibe ever created by someone under the age of 80. Well done.

I was today years old when I learned about the Bass VI. What a trip! Great vid, Rhett.

Great version of Witchita Lineman! The video is already worth watching just for this

We just got a Dunable Bass VI and it sounds lovely. Chorus loves Bass VI's too! It really gets you playing outside the box which is fun.

These are absolutely stellar guitars. I have a Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI, a Squier Classic Vibe Bass VI, and a Squier Baritone Jazzmaster. They all have been my mainstay for so long, that they have become synonymous with me. Ask anyone who even knows who I am, and they will describe one of those three guitars. That is how much I love and adore them. I do treat them as baritones, not basses. They way I see them, they are a 30" Jaguar, and the Baritone Jazzmaster is exactly that, a 30" Jazzmaster. Once you see that, you start playing them the same way you would a Jaguar or Jazzmaster. If you can get your hands on one, I HIGHLY suggest them.

I love these kinds of videos when you do them. The other day I was in a guitar center in Des Moines and they had a ‘75 Takamine 12 string that sounded freaking amazing and the gal behind the counter and I were talking about your Takamine video. Cheers man!

Finally you got one ! I use one as a serious production tool, it turned out to be very useful on my "neo-surf-recordings" i did 2 years ago! For fattening up melodies in the low register + a mandoguitar in the high register, or as a solo instrument or doubling the bass etc...... The history of electric 6-string basses or The Bass VI started in the fifties with danelectro. Fender came later in the 60ies (to get a piece of the cake) ! These instruments were used to get the typical sound of doubling (classical) upright-basses in the recording process which lead to the "Adi-Eislinger click-bass" in the 60ies used extensively on "easy listening music" ( Bert Kaempfert Orchestra) and movie themes and in surf and early popmusic.

The first one to use a Fender Bass Vl as a solo instrument was Terence "Jet" Harris, the original bass player with the Shadows. In 1962 he recorded the Main Title Theme from The Man With The Golden Arm, Diamonds, Scarlet O'Hara, Applejack and Besame Mucho, with Diamonds reaching #1, Scarlet O'Hara #2 and Applejack #4 in the UK charts in 1963. I remember vividly the first time I heard The Man With The Golden arm - the sound and Jet's performance blew my mind. Geez, I must be old... In 2010, Harris was presented with a special award from the US Fender guitar company for his services to their company in effectively launching their bass guitar in the UK in 1960. Harris died in 2011.

What an amazing groove to wake up to. Lineman gave me goosebumps.

Don't forget about Robert Smith of the Cure. He uses the Bass 6 on a lot of songs.

I'm primarily a bassist playing a Jag bass, but I occasionally play a standard tenor Jag. So, of course, I have a Bass VI as well. I think you're right on the money with your analysis. I always have an identity crisis when I play it and I've been trying to crack to the code for a while. What it comes down to is that it's not really good as a conventional bass or a guitar. What is does well is work as an easier to play bass for a guitarist, a bright sounding pick bass for those Carol Kaye-inspired licks, it does the tic tac Country sound well, it's convenient for adding some double stops to a bass line, and probably most of all, it's works as a baritone lead instrument with the low cut on. However, I think I still prefer the sound of a Dan-o. Not to mention, it will be more comfortable for a guitarist to play an instrument with a standard Baritone scale. I also owned a Squire Baritone Jazzmaster awhile ago and thought that one sounded much better than this one. Mixed feelings on this one.

I have cousins who are in a gigging band. They do about a venue a week with multiple shows in a row based in Indiana and the range about one state in each direction. For the most part, they are fairly traditional. Every once in a while they will use a off the wall instrument like a Theremin in one of their originals. I was at one of their practices just checking them out and I noticed the bass player had one of these Bass Six guys on his rack. I pulled it out and noodled around on it. Very versatile and very odd feel. Your description of half bass, half guitar is spot on. He had his tuned in a split. The bottom three were tuned lower and the top three were higher. So while he wasn't doing low end work, he could hit some notes in the rhythm guitar range. Very cool concept

I have my 6strings 30inch scale baritone guitar ! And I felt in love that instrument ! I mostly play Djent kind riffs but I can play major or minor chords or just jump into guitar solo. Super usefull instrument. I am planning make my new songs with this baritone guitar. Lead part is my 4way Tele, rhythm part is my baritone. I spend great time with my new song making.

The Beatles 'secret weapon' they used one when they were mixing it up with their roles. Lennon wanted to play bass on a few tracks and liked the idea of playing a bass that felt like a 6 string guitar.

somewhat unrelated but that spring verb on the bass sounds so good. Wouldn’t normally expect to hear bass going through reverb but it works great with that sound

My often-faulty memory has dredged up the memory of black-and-white photo from looooong ago, with Jack Bruce sitting on steps outside some building with the Bass VI, during Cream's heyday. I could be misremembering but I believe he was singing (

Can’t wait for that two-rock review!!!!

Rhett, showing a relic'd butterscotch Tele in a video about any other guitar is counterproductive. Now I want Tele #4

Great video. I've loved the VI since my HS days in the 80s...thank you Robert Smith! 😁😁

Fun bit of trivia. The guitar in Spinal Tap that Nigel won't let anyone touch with the price tag still on it is a Bass VI.

one of the cutest reviews I have ever watched:) your ideas are brilliant.

After checking out this awesome presentation I ask who does not want a bass vi

The first thing I think of when it comes to that instrument is Glenn Campbell and then you played one of his songs. Sounding good.

My take: the .84-.24 gauge strings are more twangy "baritone" guitar sounding. The .95-.26 gauge strings and especially the flatwounds is way more "BASS"

I've been playing bass for a couple of years, but recently, I've been enjoying playing acoustic guitar a lot. I really like how the acoustic guitar feels, even more than the standard bass. So, I'm thinking about getting a bass VI to use in my band. Do you think that's a good enough reason to get a bass VI?

Thanks Rhett. Wonderful cover of Wichita Lineman. I have a Squire Bass VI and enjoy finding new sounds on it. Peace

The Bass VI (and other instruments in its class) are my favorites. Are the strings too close? Yeah. Are the pickups too noisy? Yeah. Would it be better with a fixed bridge? Yeah. But those toggles, and that sound... it makes my scalp relax in ways regular guitar and bass can't.

I have a Squire Bass VI - love it, have a lot of fun in the band with it. It’s great for adding some twangy bits sitting between our bassist and the other guitar player.

To add to the examples already mentioned, the Norwegian singer AURORA had had Bass VI players in her band for several years, too 🙂

That Glenn Campbell in the beginning was a vibe

Sometimes I skip the jam at the beginning (not just this channel, either) but your cover of Wichita Lineman was exquisite. Well done.

I just got the Squire version. Love it. So fun to play and it sparks new ideas. AND it was under $500 new.

Hell yes, Glenn Campbell. Has Rhett ever done a 12 string guitar episode? Man could shred on those.

Love me a bass VI! I don’t know if they’re necessarily underrated so much as that they’re mostly a tool of studio musicians. Like a baritone, because you can’t really use one on a whole gig, they don’t get brought out so much live. Even when there’s a song that could use it, with everyone fighting for sonic space it can be tricky to make it work in a dense band.

Block inlays and burst, and my classic vibe would have been on reverb before we got to the brilliant Glen Campbell playing, ah well, will keep waiting for a Fender badged repro of Lennon / Macca one! Nice vid

I am 100% getting this exact color asap. I’ve always missed them before.

It's about time Fender released this. Nice vid and demo. I'm just surprised no mention of possibly its most well-known use for doubling acoustic bass for that Nashville tic-tac bass.

I believe The Beatles used Flatwound Strings on their Bass VI. That was probably how they originally shipped from the factory.

Weird that he didn’t mention The Cure. Talking about The Cure gear is talking about Bass VI. This instrument has been used in every single The Cure album.

Roy Babbington played a Fender Bass VI when he was the full-time bass player for Soft Machine, on albums 7 and later (73-78), when Soft Machine was a jazz fusion band.

got my sub from that tasty tele solo, phrasing is out of this world

I’ve always wanted something like this. I’ve never taken to the bass and the idea of the different tuning on the baritone doesn’t appeal to me. I really want to try one of these out. Thanks for the video!

That intro song is amazing.

I bought the Squier Bass VI a while back. Very cool.

That reminds me of Mary Spender’s Vigier guitar with the bass pickup in it although not quite as robust in features as the Fender.

I love my squier version, would love to get the real deal someday. As a guitarist, the size and neck makes transitioning into the bass realm so much easier. I can tear it up on my VI way better than my actual 5-string bass.