I also vote for the bass vi kit! I have wanted one since the first time I saw "This is Spinal Tap"
"This guitar can never be played. Don't even LOOK at it"
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I also vote for the bass vi kit! I have wanted one since the first time I saw "This is Spinal Tap"
"This guitar can never be played. Don't even LOOK at it"
I owned a Squier Bass VI and the Pawn Shop model both back in 2013, and they were different... the quier had a thinner neck, less to really grab onto for me, and it made me like the Pawn Shop neck more. The bridge humbucker in the Pawn Shop model was also a crazy sound through my Bass Muff pedal. The locking vibrato on the Pawn Shop made me more comfortable using it over the non-locking Squier vibrato. The bass cut toggle on the Squier was incredibly useful though, and the Pawn Shop not having it was a letdown. Easy enough mod to add though, if you're handy with a soldering iron.
If PBG made a Bass VI kit, I'd want the following factors: one solid pickguard (no metal parts, which would reduce production cost), a hardtail bridge instead of a vibrato (maybe a Tune-o-matic with a little extra distance between the tailpiece and bridge), and a trio of mini humbuckers instead of the usual Strat pickups so we can get that hum cancelling jangle that plays better with high gain. Maybe a set of four
I have one more project after my current one before I get to the SG 3/4 scale bass I want to customize to be a Bass VI, but Fender style "offset" designs seem to balance better than an SG bass does, so a PBG bass VI would be a welcome addition to the family... Just less JGA-1, and more JZA-1 vibes. The JGA-1 is just ugly.
been eyeing off a Gretch baritone, haven't been able to find a Bass 6 to try
I had the Gretsch baritone and sold it and got a Squier Bass VI instead. To me the Gretsch was more of an instrument for a guitarist than a bass player - although I'm not exactly sure what I mean by that other than I never felt entirely comfortable with it! I'm just so happy with the Squier one as it's very comfortable and easy to play, and I guess I can't help myself when it comes to offset Fender shapes...Quote:
Originally Posted by Dedman
I liked the Gretsch baritone/bass VI, but I didn't like how the electronics weren't very flexible. No room in the cavities to add switches or anything. Plus, it was a little neck-heavy while standing.
On the other hand, if we could repurpose a GR-1SF or an ESB-4SC body with a 30" scale neck... maybe it would be better balanced than the long baritone neck alongside the smaller plywood Gretsch Jet body. Plus, it's easier to add control holes to hollow bodies than a solid body with a small cavity.
I have been working with the factory on this, but we need to settle on a scale length... 27" or 30"
Sorry, we can't do both.
Thoughts?
30" for me
The 30" allows you to tune baritone or octave down, whereas a 27" would be baritone only wouldn't it?
Pretty much, Fender and others have the properly gauged sets for the 30" scale bassQuote:
Originally Posted by Chuck
30" for me thanks!
30". Save the 27" for baritone conversions (which are cool too, but thats really a different animal I think).
Definitely 30" scale. Also be aware that Squier VI bridge can be an intonation nightmare. There's an aftermarket bridge by Staytrem which apparently works miracles, but is pretty pricey.
Here's a link that offers suggested solutions.
http://www.instructables.com/id/Fend...ing-and-inton/
seen them with Bigsby's too
Wire as a series 2 VI with the strangle switch and you have the bass and the bari in one.Quote:
Originally Posted by Rev
All bass's are a bari if you don't venture below B on the A or E strings and a 5 string tuned E - B would give you the same thing as the deep five on the VI with the wider string spacing.
The Fender VI basically has Strat string spacing so quite a challenge to slap and tickle
Slap is possible with a bit of practice, and it does take some right hand adjustment. I'll post a video later of my experiments with it...Quote:
Originally Posted by dave.king1
30" gets my vote! Trying to get E-E Bass VI tuning on a 27 scale instrument is a pain in the neck. BUT! Don't forget that Fender/Squier makes a Jazzmaster Baritone model now that's 30" scale that is tuned in baritone tuning. It's all about string gauges to fit the scale.
Also, as much as a Bigsby would be cool, they can be tuning stability nightmares, which isn't something you really want on a bass. I vote hardtail Bass VI.
I found this link for a European importer of what I suspect is a Chinese built Bass VI. It has the specs detailed and a price of €198 as a pricing reference.
https://m.thomann.de/gb/harley_bento...age_series.htm
Oh, and for those that missed it on my facebook page- some shonky slap bass on a Bass VI!😂😂
https://m.facebook.com/story.php?sto...4&id=708560123
VI is for pick El not slapping or spanking ;)
Yes I think my attempt proves that irrefutably!😁
Get down funky tonight, Yeah.
I totally agree, but what of pickups? I think the VI uses weird proprietary strat-esque pickups, and I don't know if you can just... find them.
(I'd love one, considering legit Fender ones go for like, $10k used)
They were a Jaguar pickup from 1963, I think the claws were supposed to provide some sort of direction/containment of the magnetic field.
( I let my 1964 VI go for $360.00 back in 1975 when it was just an old guitar )
fatcat, I recently picked up a used Squire Bass VI for under $500 and have to say it's very nice. So if Pitbulls factory can't do it there is alternative.
Wandering around the web last night and saw plenty of new Squier ones for around $700 on the eastern seaboard of this land downunder. Should be plenty in North America and most likely way cheaper than what we have to pay.Quote:
Originally Posted by Dedman
The Squier Modified Bass VIs are currently £408 in Andertons, which would make them around Aus$650. So Aus$700 isn't too big a price hike compared to the UK. US main dealer sites list them for around US$450/Aus$570, but it's hard to know what you'd actually pay for one because of different sales taxes that get added on to that price depending upon the State you're in.
Plus a bit more for shipping as you would know from importing PBG kits.
I was just thinking about what you'd pay locally. Shipping from abroad obviously puts the cost up considerably, but at least import duty/tax is minimal in Australia for lower-cost items. In the UK we'd pay an extra 23% on the item cost + shipping cost for non EU items (and that's likely to change in a few years :( ).
Wow, we only have 10% GST (VAT in your country) plus a few other variable tariff calculations.
Seriously looked at importing a Ric 4003 about 15 months ago from Japan where costs were not too bad but ended up buying one from Melbourne instead. Strangely enough if the goods being imported are under AUD $1,000 it is not so bad and from memory I think that is the trigger point for GST being applied. That may have changed as the Government is seeking to grab as much tax revenue as possible and probably closed that loophole. If not already done, won't take them much longer to get around to it.
I looked fairly recently and there was no import charges under £1000. A good recognition of Australia's relatively isolated location. Still, as you say, the threshold could quite easily drop tomorrow (and I bet it hasn't risen with inflation).
I thought the GST on imports below $1000 was now applied
Doesn’t yet appear so, I recently imported a new replacement Flender neck from the USA went through customs with no GST or other duty applied....Quote:
Originally Posted by dave.king1
Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Depends on where maybe it originates from. I bought in a guitar from England which cost me $1100 AUD and I then got hit with a $279 so called tax when it reached Sydney and they would not release it until the tax was paid. I know 10% GST on 1100 is not 279 so I do not know what it was but that is what I had to pay. I queried it and was told it was tax and it was charged by the company that delivered it which I think was DHL. But seeing as it was a special guitar that I could not get here it was still cheap for what I got but I did not expect the charge.
the freight companies charge a "collection" fee
You need to remember that at $1000 and above you also have to pay 5% duty, then 10% GST on top of that for (total of the item + duty + transport cost). And then of course there is the 'handling change' for filling in the tax forms for the Government.
So 5% of $1100 is $55 in duty. Let's say shipping was declared at $100. You then have to pay 10% of (item+duty+shipping cost), which is ($1100+$55+$100), which is 10% of $1255, which is $125.50.
So the total duty + GST is now $180.50, not $110. Obviously if shipping was a lot more than $100 because of extra insurance, then the GST value goes up. But it looks like DHL charged you quite a hefty processing fee in that total.
All up the $1100 was with postage included so it is just 10% of the 1100 and it would be divided between the supplier of the guitar and the courier so at the worst if it is 10% GST plus the other 5% duty, which I have been informed is on everything now that comes in Australia as the $1000 has been removed as the limit, it should have been another $165 which is 15% of $1100. When I asked what the price was for I was told it was to cover the tax as I had already paid the total for transportation and insurance as quoted. If I have to pay the tax then I have no problem as the suppliers, like Harvey Norman, here are delusional that by adding 10% will force us to pay their overpriced amounts. I mainly try to buy from Europe or Singapore as the postage is quicker and cheaper than if I buy here or America but sometimes if I want something I just have to buy from where ever I can get what I want but I try and limit what I get here as the prices are too high and Australia Post is an over priced joke. It takes the same time to get an article from Sydney as it does to get an article from Singapore and it has to go through customs which is another joke.
I had a CD posted from Japan on Friday, and a small package posted from Brisbane also on Friday. the CD arrived on Tuesday, the package from Bris on Wednesday. I could track the package via Japan post all the way to my door, , the same tracking number in Aus post says its still in Japan.
Aus post, the best 1/2 arsed service there is.
In theory it should be possible to arrange and pay the duty + tax yourself to avoid having to pay the exorbitant courier/postal handling charges. But how easy this would be in practice is another matter.
We have some Bass VI "Inspired" kits due in November.
Honestly, I'm not sure what we are going to receive, but there is a new guy at the Factory who is throwing some weight around and seems to be on our side, so I am hopeful it is something you guys (and I) will like.
Fantastic news! I'll be very excited to see what they come up with...