The Unique Guitar Blog July 2020
Although known as The Fender Six String Bass, Fender actually named this guitar, The Fender VI. In the late 1950’s, the Danelectro Company developed the first six string bass guitar called the model UB2. Many recordings during the late 1950’s through the 1960’s featured this Danelectro six string bass, used a choose with the high end accentuated. The sound was refered to as Tic-Tac, and the tic-tac bass was a new arsenal to add a particular sound to recorded popular music. Some players strung these basses with extra large guitar strings and tuned down a fifth to obtain a baritone guitar sound. Duane Eddy specific in this sound and he utilized a Danelectro instrument. In 1961, Leo Fender believed he could create a better device. Fender designers used a body pattern similar to a Fender Jazzmaster, nevertheless the upper horn had even more of a curve. The 1st model employed three one pole passive pickups with metal pickup bands and three single throw switches to turn each on or off. The neck had a 30” scale and a 7.25” radius. By bass standards, the neck was extremely slim.
The guitar was equipped with a Fender Floating Tremolo that acquired a long arm. The flexible bridge was included with a removable Chromed cover. Your body included a big pickguard and an insight, master volume and tone control that were mounted on a chrome plate. Leo Fender intended this to become a bass guitar tuned an octave below regular guitar pitch. The wound first string in the established had a .025” size. Because the strings were wound, the tone was quite different from that of a guitar. The close proximity of the strings and the narrow throat didn't win any compliment from many bass players, although a few did use it in performances. Notably Jack Bruce, John Entwhistle, Robert Stiles of the Hollies and Rick Huxley of the Dave Clark Five. Robert Smith of The Remedy and additional such as for example Glen Campbell used it as a lead instrument. The Fender VI was an excellent crossover instrument for guitarists. Harrison and Lennon both utilized it on their recordings.
It is simple to play chords on this instrument and the short scale helps guitarists that are used to guitar necks instead of bass necks. The tremolo bar on this instrument didn't win many supporters and did not receive much use. Though well designed, the Fender VI was not at all popular. From its inception to its demise, significantly less than 800 products were manufactured. 1963 brought about a transformation in the instruments design when a “strangle” change was added to the lower horn. This condenser boosted or cut the bass frequency to help provide that Tic-Tac audio or a deeper bass sound. A foam rubber muffler became area of the guitars tools and was located just above the bridge. A flick of a spring-loaded switch pressed the rubber mute against the strings. A modification to the pickups also came into being. The metal rings were gone and the pickups resembled those found on a Fender Jaguar, even though VI still came with three pickups. The capacitor/condenser change carried over from the Jaguar design.
Although Mr. Fender designed for this instrument to be a genuine bass, many guitarists set it up as a baritone guitar and tuned it from A to A or B to B, using extra weighty guitar strings. In 1964, a plastic pickguard changed the celluloid one. A bound neck became standard devices in 1965. In past due1966, block inlays were added. In 1968 the headstock logo design with printed with dark ink instead of gold ink. Additionally a polyester spray-on finish off, replaced the nitrocellulose surface finish.1975 brought about the discontinuation of the Fender VI. During Fender’s transition years, all manufacturing shifted to Japan. In 1996, a ’62 reissue of the Fender VI was offered. One of many downfalls of the Fender VI was price. A Stratocaster marketed for $239 and a Precision bass sold for about the same amount. Nevertheless, click this over here now was coming in at $400. Although Fender instrument was considerably superior to the Danelectro six-string bass, the Danelectro model, priced at significantly less than $150 in 1961, was popular. Guitarists noticed this as a part instrument and weren't willing to spend the extra cash. There were several distinctions in this guitar. Your body acquired a Jaguar form. It came with only two pickups with Jaguar switching choices and the neck level was 28.5”. The bridge was fixed rather than having a tremolo. In 2006, the Fender Custom Shop offered a reproduction of the initial 1961 Bass VI featuring three single-coil pickups and similar electronics. At present, Fender no longer supplies the Fender VI.
This was the year that Fender released the Mustang. Fender also came out with a Fender thin-line Guitar that was originally known as the known as Acoustic Electric and was later on dubbed The Coronado. In 1965 Fender also arrived with several models of acoustic guitars including The Kingman, The Concert, The Newporter and The Shenandoah. Fender was providing its usual collection of bass guitars; The Accuracy and The Jazz Bass. However 1965 was also the first 12 months for the short scale Fender Mustang bass. One of the best guitars of 1965 was the Fender XII. This was Fender's answer to the Rickenbacker 12 string electric. Among the features that made this guitar popular especially with the professionals was its variable bridge which kept your guitar in ideal tune. In addition, it had an extremely interesting pickup switching consumer electronics. All Fender amplifiers, by this year, acquired the control panel in the front on a black encounter panel and amp options ranged from the Champ to the Dual Showman. Fender's biggest rival in the guitar market was Gibson.
