It is perhaps my first time with a Bass VI, however like the opposite Fender Vintera fashions, I’m impressed.

This 12 months has been the primary time I’ve actually ventured into prolonged vary devices. Earlier this 12 months, I had a killer expertise with a Pure Salem Urge guitar on UG, and now I’ve been fortunate sufficient to get my fingers on one thing else. That is the brand new Fender Vintera II Bass VI. It’s half bass, half guitar.

It might have six strings which might be all tuned to E to E like a guitar, however it’s a bass for positive. The strings are shut collectively, so it feels very comfy and acquainted to a guitarist like myself. However with a 30″ scale size and thick gauge strings, you end up in uncharted waters with a Bass VI.

You’ll discover three single coil pickups, nearly Jaguar-like, and 4 switches. These change every pickup on or off, and the fourth is bass increase of types. It’s not a posh instrument by any means, however it’s undeniably quirky.

Right here’s the demo, the place I plug the Bass VI into my Ruby and Dream amp sims from Common Audio and run it by some pedals. Specifically, you’ll hear the Heather Brown Spirit In The Sky, EHX Reminiscence Man Deluxe Nano, and Shotmaker Devices Heroine.

That is an unmistakably enjoyable guitar, and most significantly, the QA/QC from Fender appears to be again on monitor. Not solely did this guitar present up in good form, however I’ve heard usually nice issues about different Vintera II merchandise so far.

The Vintera II Bass VI is sonically particular. It’s not fairly a baritone, however not fairly a bass, and taking part in bass chords is supremely simpler than regular. I can see why Mark Hoppus of Blink-182 usually used this to double his bass components on their untitled album. The Bass VI fills in a novel area, and kind of blends in with the guitar and bass components round it. It’s arduous to clarify, however it provides an general depth that’s arduous to get from both instrument.

For those who’re caught in a rut or lacking one thing on a recording, it is a nice weapon to have round. It forces you to suppose exterior the field, as a result of when you’re a guitarist, the chords and pentatonic patterns aren’t fairly as straightforward to fall again on. Likewise for bassists, there’s much more melodic potential from the additional strings, and having them bodily nearer collectively invitations extra upstrokes and selecting patterns.

On this Bass VI, the fretwork and neck was excellent. Vintera sequence stuff at all times has that barely worn in vibe, as they clearly are leaning into traditional classic Fender right here. And so they appeared to have nailed it on this one.