Squier brings you the welcome return of a long-vanished Fender classic in the deeply satisfying form of the Vintage Modified Bass VI six-string bass that delivers excellent low end. Although it's called a six-string bass it has the feel of a baritone guitar without the extended neck. The strings aren't extra thick so it's a great transition from guitar. The original model of 1961-1975 has provided distinctively voiced low end for everyone from the Beatles to the Black Keys, Cream to the Cure, and many others.
The Vintage Modified Bass VI delivers authentically vintage-style look and tone, with a few modern touches such as a comfortable "modern C" neck profile and 9.5" fingerboard radius (the originals were 7.25"), and three custom Jaguar single-coil pickups with notched "claw" shielding rings (reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup).
Other features include the model's classic 30" scale (standard tuning one octave lower than a guitar), maple neck, bound rosewood fingerboard with 21 medium jumbo frets and pearloid block inlays, four two-position slider switches (on/off switch for each pickup and one bass-cut "strangle" tone circuit switch), tortoiseshell pickguard (three-ply white-black-white on Black model), two black plastic control knobs (master volume, master tone), and vintage-style six-saddle bridge with non-locking floating vibrato.
Basswood body
Gloss polyurethane body finish
Maple neck
Gloss polyurethane neck finish
Modern "C" shape neck
30" Scale
Rosewood fingerboard
21 Medium jumbo frets
Synthetic bone string nut
Pearloid block position inlays
4-Bolt Squier neck plate
Custom Jaguar Single-Coil bridge pickup with claw
Custom Jaguar Single-Coil reverse-wound/reverse-polarity middle pickup with claw
Custom Jaguar Single-Coil neck pickup with claw
Master Volume and Master Tone controls
3-On/Off slide switches (one for each pickup)
SSS pickup configuration
2-Position slide switch for bass-cut "Strangle" circuit
6-Saddle vintage-style bridge with non-locking floating vibrato
Chrome hardware finish
Vintage-style tuning machines
3-Ply white pickguard
Black plastic control knobs
NPS strings, .025 to .095 Tuned E to E (1 Octave Down)
White bound fingerboard with white pearloid block position inlays
Add some vintage sound to your setup today!
SPECIFICATIONS
Vintage Modified Bass VI
Fingerboard Radius: 9.5" (241 mm)
Nut Width: 1.650" (42 mm)
Custom Guitar's Friend Gold Coverage
Gold Coverage goes above and beyond the manufacturer's warranty to protect your gear from unexpected breakdowns, accidental damage from handling
and failures. This plan covers your product for one, two, three or up to five years from your date of purchase, costs just pennies per day and gives you a
complete "no-worry" solution for protecting your investment.
Gold Coverage Includes:
Unexpected and unintentional spills, drops and cracks
Normal wear and tear
Power surges
Dust, internal heat and humidity
Other plan features include:
For products over $200, No Lemon Policy applies. If it fails for the same defect 3 times, it is replaced on the 4th breakdown. (Does not apply to failures due to drops, spills, and cracks)
For products under $200 experiencing the above failures, a Custom Guitar's Friend gift card will be issued for the full price of the product + tax.
Shipping fees covered if required for repair or replacement
Plans are transferable in the event merchandise is sold
Plans are renewable on new gear
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Term for New Gear begins on date of purchase but does not replace the store return policy or manufacturer coverage.
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First off, absolutely zero issues with the playability or sound of the instrument. My 'burst VI rocked out of the box. It does all the stupid VI tricks you could want, providing you're not expecting to ludicrously drop tune it with light strings.
Vibrato is limited, but that's not the fault of Squier or Fender, bass just doesn't lend itself to lots of bar silliness due to frequency range alone. It's much more of an accent than a vehicle for histronics.
Low-end is similar to a Jazz Bass. You realistically won't find P Bass territory here, but that's again, AOK. It's what the instrument does. The higher registers are very, very pleasant and guitar-like, and it lends to a feeling of literally being the missing link between electric bass and guitar.
Don't expect this to be anything other than what it is: a grand thing to experiment with and find sonic choices with. I doubt I'd want it as my sole guitar or bass, but it's a grand thing on its own.
The only real negative I can say is while it's a nice cheap sunburst, the fact is that it's still a cheap sunburst, and cheap sunbursts, well, look cheap. In a perfect world I'd like to see more color choices/matching headstock, but I understand this is a niche instrument as is and the 'boring three' of SB/white/black were what I expected to see.
If you've ever wanted a VI, grab one while they're around - I missed the boat on "inexpensive" MIJ reissues in the mid-90s and was kicking myself since I turned one down for what would be considered a steal today. These play well and sound good.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.I had one of the original Bass VI's years ago. I sold it when I got an offer for it that was in the thousands. This one sounds and plays every bit as good as the original. It offers a sound that is unlike any other guitar, even a baritone.
Great for leads, "clicky bass" (with flatwounds), surf, blues, and everything in between.
This is a great reissue, unlike the tube amps that look the same as vintage amps on the outside, but inside there is no resemblance.
I had to wait 2 months to get it but it was well worth it. Now I will customize the wiring (as I always do) to get more sounds but look exactly the same cosmetically.
The price is fantastic! I don't care where it was made, they did a great job.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.Had it for 2 weeks. Took all of that to get it dialed in! Comes with strings set up for a baritone. THROW the low 4 AWAY!!!!! I got a set of D'addario flat wounds. Starting at .095 and used the big 3. Bought a set of fender flats and used the small G. Wanted to keep the smallest E possible. Flats are A MUST!!!! The fender set is your best buy for a straight set. Unfortunately the D'addario scale length for the E was too long! DONT even ask what I had to do!
All that said, the flats remove the fret buzz and tone down the tinny ringing. Leaving the B and hi E is working for now. The rocking bridge is really something until you get these strings on, intonate them, and get minimum height set. At this point i can rock the bridge from front to back max limits, sliding back and forth on the strings and the tuning and intonation remain the same! NO WAY, RIGHT!!!!! NOT KIDDING!!!! There IS a magic setting!
I am a 5 string player. I live mostly above fret 5. Think like that and play some barr E and A chords on this thing! WOW!!! Blow you away! Try open D and A above 12th fret letting open strings ring full low! This thing will give you a drop D effect for all keys just by playing barr chords! It really requires playing with a pick! A little palm mute on the fat boys really pops with power! Best accessory is the David Eden World Tour Direct Box!!!!! Cannot begin to tell you how much improvement this box makes to absolutely ANY instrument! Pretty much eliminates the need for palm muting. I have a bunch of tube amps and i am actually playing thru the Dave Eden box and a CHEAP Johnson Reptone 30 with this thing. Turn it up and play light with lots of headroom. WOW!!!! You would swear you can smell the 7027's smokin' in the V4B. Talk about HUGE sound!
This Jag, in sunburst, looks like an old fender, and Feels like one too! I had to adjust the neck a little, the bridge a lot, and filed the frets over the body bolts. Lots of guitars need that eventually anyhow. I am writing songs especially for this sound. You should see peoples heads turn and mouths shut when i start pickin a bassline lick and play into barr chords!
It won't take the place of my regular five string,( could in a pinch! ) but what it does do is so cool! Sooooo CHEAP!!! Try one!!!!
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.Very nice build and quality, plays and sound great after my set up. The nut was a little rough, but I cleaned that up.
Very nice for the amount spent.
You need this instrument.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.I never expected this bass to be amazing right out of the box, though I did find it quite playable from the beginning. Also, it is not worthy to mention that I thought about returning it since Fender did a horrible job of boxing and packaging it up. If you find major problems with it, don't hesitate to return it!
Long story short, I believe that the Squier version of the reissued Fender Bass VI is more loyal to the original and like I said earlier, never expected it to be in a condition where I can take it right out of the box and take it to a show without a few adjustments. Luckily this bass wasn't that expensive to begin with and I believe that with a professional set up, new pick ups, and a new set of strings, this bass will be amazing.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.Considering that until recently the only way to get a vintage-spec Bass VI was to pay 10 times this amount for a Fender Custom Shop version, this beauty is a home run even with some flaws. This is one of Fender's most distinctive and versatile instruments, at a price anyone can afford, and that makes it a winner. Get one!
Here are the things to be aware of:
Craftsmanship is surprisingly good, but not perfect. The frets and inlays are smooth and neat, but mine did come with a loose screw rattling around inside it. The setup it came with was poor. And due to the narrow stock bridge channel, intonating the low E string is essentially impossible.
All of these things can be addressed, however. After a professional setup and installing a 3rd-party "wide" channel bridge, the thing is an absolute dream and still a bargain after that investment.
The way I see it, this instrument in stock condition is worth twice what I paid for it, just because it brings a hard-to-find instrument into my hands. With the subsequent investments I made, to me it's now worth *three* times the total amount I've sunk into it. My advice is to assume you will be spending extra for setup and a new bridge, because the return on investment will exceed what you spend.
As-is, it's one of those instruments that demonstrates that Squier's manufacturing has reached new heights of quality. With the upgrades, it's one of those instruments that makes you think "Why buy Fender when I can turn a cheap Squier into this dreamy instrument?"
Seriously, go for it. Regard the instrument as a baseline to be modded and customized to perfection, and you will be pleased with the end result.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.Opened and found a beautiful instrument that played pretty well before set up. All finishes were good with the exception of a slightly noticeable marking on the lower body(mine is white). BUT, this instrument is so well made otherwise, it's not worth complaining about. I performed a slight neck adjustment that was easy to perform. Neck finger board action is great.
Tone is where instrument really shines. It has three pickups and with the combinations, the sounds are varied and complex. There is a forth switch which changes the bass dynamics keeping the tones brighter for a very haunting sound. I'm primarily a guitar player that uses drop "D" for tune choices. This new guitar gives me all the other creative choices I wished for further expanding my playing options. The only complaint I have is the Fender bass case that was recommended by MF that I purchased that can not be used with this guitar as it had a molded interior that prevents the guitar from fitting inside at all. MF needs to know their product better before making such a recommendation. I am confident MF will get me the proper hard shell case for it since Fender is now advertising one specifically for it. The Fender item # is 0068076000.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.big e will not tune
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.I have had two of these for a year now. The craftsmanship is surprisingly very comparable to my early eighties Fender Precision bass.
These have done very well in the studio... very quiet electronics
Action on mine is extremely low with little to no fret buzz... I am using La'bella Bass VI strings. BIG difference in how this instrument plays as opposed to the original factory strings.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
.I had a hankering for a new toy, and while I did not need another bass (haha of course I did), I bought one of these without every playing one. I was a little leery of the whole Squier Made in Indonesia brand, but with no hassle returns, I figured it was a worth a chance. Anyway, I'm very impressed with the quality and fit/finish of the bass. It's fun and easy to play, so I will definitely keep it.
Here's a few observations:
Another poster mentioned the Custom Guitar's Gear Deluxe Bass Case Black Item #: 540946000001000, so I bought it here. The upper bass bout needed to be shoved down a bit the first time, but now it fits perfectly.
Fret buzz - yes it definitely had nasty buzzes on the low E and A even after raising the action a bit. Saw lots of posts about putting LaBella 767-6F flats on it, but I wasn't ready to shell out extra for them. The standard strings are 24-84, and way too thin. I bought a set of D'Addario EXL160S - Short Scale 4-string, medium gauge - 50-105. I put these on and left the original B and high E and it plays much better. A little buzz on the low E, but very minor. They also make a light gauge (45-100) and are probably good too.
Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI Black
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