The Fender Bass VI, which was first called the Fender VI, is a six-string electric bass guitar created by Fender. The instrument is tuned one octave lower than a standard electric guitar.

Design concept and history

The Fender VI was introduced in 1961 and was inspired by the Danelectro six-string bass from 1956. It had six strings tuned to E1 to E3, which is one octave lower than a Spanish guitar. The Bass VI shared design and technical features with the Fender Jaguar, including the Fender floating tremolo. Its body had an offset shape, similar but not exactly the same as the Jazzmaster and Jaguar.

Unlike the Fender Precision Bass, the Bass VI had six strings, a shorter scale length, thinner strings, and a mechanical vibrato arm. It was not as popular as the four-string Precision Bass and its similar models. The Bass VI was discontinued in 1975.

From 1995 to 1998, Fender Japan made a vintage reissue of the 1963 model, including Jaguar-style pickups and electronics. The Fender Custom Shop produced a similar version from 2006 to 2008.

In 2013, Fender released a Bass VI as part of its Pawn Shop series. This version had a Jazzmaster-style humbucking bridge pickup and a Stratocaster-style five-position pickup selector instead of separate switches. It was available in three colors: brown sunburst with a tortoiseshell pickguard, black with a tortoiseshell pickguard, and candy-apple red with a white pickguard and painted headstock.

Also in 2013, Squier released a Bass VI in its Vintage Modified series. This model had four switches (on/off for each pickup and a low-cut filter switch), a Jaguar-style control plate, a synthetic bone nut, a rosewood fingerboard (until 2018), medium jumbo frets, chrome hardware, and alnico custom single-coil Jaguar pickups with claw shielding. It had a non-locking tremolo plate and was available in three-color sunburst with a tortoiseshell pickguard, Olympic White with a brown tortoiseshell pickguard, and black with a white three-ply pickguard.

In 2019, Squier released the Classic Vibe Bass VI, available in three-color sunburst and black, both with tortoiseshell pickguards. It had a slightly wider nut (1.685" compared to 1.65" on the Vintage Modified model), an upgraded bone nut, an Indian laurel fretboard with narrow, tall frets, Fender-designed alnico single-coil pickups, classic Jaguar claw shielding rings, and nickel hardware. The logo was changed to gold with a black outline. Most other features were similar to the Vintage Modified model.

In 2023, Fender released a Bass VI under the Vintera II series. This model was designed to look like the original 1960s Bass VI, with an Alder body, Maple neck, and Rosewood fretboard. It was available in Fiesta Red and Lake Placid Blue.

Specifications

The Fender VI had a fingerboard with a curve of 7.25 inches. In 1967, the Fender VI, along with the Jaguar, Jazzmaster, and Electric XII, was given a fretboard with a cream/white border and rectangular pearloid block inlays. In 1968, these models received a thicker black CBS-style headstock decal and polyester finishes instead of nitrocellulose lacquer. In 1970, the Bass VI was also offered with a black-bound maple neck and black rectangular block inlays, similar to other Fender basses at the time (except the Precision Bass).

• Solid body (alder) electric bass guitar with six strings tuned an octave lower than standard guitar tuning (E-A-D-G-B-E). The Bass VI is written in the treble clef but sounds two octaves lower than written.
• Scale length: 30 inches (762 mm) for U.S. versions, 30.3 inches for Japanese versions (compared to 34 inches/864 mm for the Jazz and Precision basses).
• Curved fingerboard (rosewood) with a radius of 7.25 inches (184 mm) and 21 frets.
• Standard strings: .100, .080, .065, .044, .034, .024 inches (Fender Nickel Wound, P/N 073–5350–000).
• Fender floating bridge and Fender Jaguar/Jazzmaster-style tremolo arm.
• (1961–1975 and in select reissues) Fender Mute.

The original Bass VI had three Jaguar-style single coil pickups (with Magnetic Field Accumulators used on the Jaguar guitar pickups). These were controlled by a panel with three (later four) slider switches: three individual pickup on/off switches and, starting in late 1962, a Jaguar-style "low-frequency-attenuating" (high-pass) filter.

When the Fender Jaguar was released in 1962, it used the Jazzmaster body, its unique lead/rhythm electrics, and the floating tremolo, but with a shorter scale-length neck, the Bass VI switch panel, and two unique "toothed" pickups. The Jaguar’s third slider switch controlled bass cut (also called "strangle").

In 1963, the Bass VI’s electronics were updated to include toothed pickups and a fourth slider switch for bass cut. This setup remained unchanged for the Bass VI’s remaining 12 years of continuous production. All electronics described above were passive.

• Three pickup on/off slider switches.
• Tone control slider switch (bass cut-off, or "strangle") (not on very early models).
• Volume control potentiometer.
• Tone control (treble cut-off) potentiometer.

Reviews

Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal of Placebo play Fender Bass VIs. According to Brian Molko, "Playing the Fender VI is as if they are playing two different instruments at the same time; it can be used to play both guitar and bass music."

Notable users and appearances

• Roy Babbington, Soft Machine
• The Beatles: George Harrison and John Lennon, on tracks where bassist Paul McCartney plays either piano or guitar on The White Album, Abbey Road, and Let It Be
• Jack Bruce, Cream
• Henk Bruysten, Hank the Knife and the Jets
• Glen Campbell
• Rick Danko, The Hawks, The Band
• John Entwistle, The Who
• John Frusciante, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Graham Gouldman, 10cc
• Josh Klinghoffer, Red Hot Chili Peppers
• Peter Green (Fleetwood Mac) – for example, a live version of "The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown)" on Live In Boston
• Robin Guthrie, Cocteau Twins
• Jet Harris. Harris was likely the first musician in Great Britain/Europe who owned a Bass VI.
• Eric Haydock, The Hollies
• John Paul Jones
• Steve Kilbey, The Church
• Doug McCombs, Tortoise, Brokeback
• Joe Perry, Aerosmith. Perry famously used a Bass VI to record Aerosmith's Back in the Saddle on the Rocks album.
• Placebo, Stefan Olsdal and Brian Molko
• Noel Redding, The Jimi Hendrix Experience.
• Gustavo Santaolalla: The music of the 2013 video game The Last of Us. Santaolalla scored the themes of the protagonist Joel with the instrument.
• Robert Smith, The Cure
• The Tielman Brothers, Reggy Tielman and Robby Latuperisa. The Tielman Brothers were likely the first band on the European mainland to use the instrument.
• Nigel Tufnel (played by Christopher Guest), in the film This Is Spinal Tap, owns a Fender Bass VI which he refuses to play, or even allow others to look at
• Ted Nugent
• Roy Wood, The Move.