Gorgeous Guitars

[klothos]

The original six string basses from the 60's were basically guitars tuned an octave down, ie they were meant to be tuned EADGBE. But they have such a short scale length, usually around 30", the tone you get isn't as rich or full as a conventional bass guitar (which has a longer scale length), hence not many people used the instruments as basses.

Now, in the mid 70's, a jazz bassist named Anthony Jackson came up with the idea of having a "contrabass" built, which is tuned BEADGC, and that's how a lot of bassists have their instruments tuned.

And now, you've got guys playing basses that go even further below that, some have a F# string below the low B, for instance, which strikes me as kinda pointless, because at a certain point, the actual note is going to become difficult to discern.

I also saw a 6-string bass guitar in a pawn shop recently, and it was beautiful, but I don't play bass, and the extra strings threw me off for sure. Are the strings on a 6 string bass the same as guitar just octaves lower?

GuitarGeek answered most of this......Although intended for the bass role, it should be noted that most early 6-String Basses with standard tuning were used in the role of Baritone Guitars.... a true Baritone Guitar's tuning is A D G C E A, which can be confusing to guitarists with standard tuning. The early six-string basses from Danelectro and Fender all had standard guitar E A D G B E tuning, only one octave down and was easier for players to wrap their heads around. This is why many early 6 String Basses are used in Baritone Guitar fashion

Bassist Jimmy Johnson was the first bass player to use the modern 5-String bass tuning B E A D G and commissioned Alembic to build him one in the 70s.....The 5-String caught on and, eventually, jazz players wanted more. Commonly called "Extended Range Basses", 6-strings with 5-String tuning and a high "C" added, also began to make mass production appearances in the 80s ( IMHO, one of the finest 6 String basses manufactured in production line form was Peavey's TL-6 and I never knew why it wasn't more p[opular for six string players)

Since then, companies like Conklin are noted for 7-, 8- (individual), 9-, and 10-String models. Most tunings are from the B-E-A-D-G 5-String and keep going up in 4ths ( next strings going higher are "C" for a 6-String, "F" for 7 String, "Bb" for 8-String and so on

As GuitarGeek pointed out, occasionally, a low F# is put on below the low B for some players. This isnt so that the bass player can play those notes that low as the resolution of the note and the articulation wont be present: The reason for this string is so that players (particularly, sight readers) that may be playing in a high position up the neck and want to keep their hand in a solitary position - in this way, they can reach low notes usually only attainable in the lower frets of the B and E string but keeping their fretting hand in one position up the neck

[Zeuhlmate]

Sveinung Hovensjø used a Fender Bass VI on the early Terje Rypdal albums.
What a sound!

[GuitarGeek]

Bassist Jimmy Johnson was the first bass player to use the modern 5-String bass tuning B E A D G and commissioned Alembic to build him one in the 70s.....The 5-String caught on and, eventually, jazz players wanted more. Commonly called "Extended Range Basses", 6-strings with 5-String tuning and a high "C" added, also began to make mass production appearances in the 80s ( IMHO, one of the finest 6 String basses manufactured in production line form was Peavey's TL-6 and I never knew why it wasn't more p[opular for six string players)

I didn't know about Jimmy Johnson using the 5 string in the 70's (actually, didn't Fender make a Bass V in the 60's, during the same time they were making the Bass VI?). Anthony Jackson tells the story that he started off playing by emulating jazz organists, who of course played bass on the bass pedals of their organs. He said they often times played stuff that went beyond the range of the regular 4 string bass, so that's why he developed the six string contrabass (as he calls it). I think he said he had his first instrument built in the mid 70's, as well, but never played it in public because the scale was ridiculously long (something like 40", in a bid to emulate dead spots on the neck), and would have required him to hold the bass like an upright instrument.

[klothos]

I didn't know about Jimmy Johnson using the 5 string in the 70's (actually, didn't Fender make a Bass V in the 60's, during the same time they were making the Bass VI?).

yes...it looked somewhat like a Mustang and was tuned E A D G C. It only had about 14 or 15 frets, too: it got all the notes of a standard four-string in a smaller package....

Jimmy Johnson's request was for a standard long scale four-string bass with an extra .130 low B string for a B E A D G tuning: the modern five string standard tuning.

[Sputnik]

Sputnik: That's a nice Taylor, is it nylon string? I saw a Baby Taylor in a pawn shop recently, reasonably priced, though not acoustic/electric. Do you amplify your guitar?

Thanks! It is a steel string guitar. There is a microphone in the guitar, but no pre-amp, which is fine with me. I'd prefer not to have knobs on my acoustic. The jack runs through the back strap pin.

I've never played the Baby Taylor, but my friend is considering getting one for his daughter to learn on.

Someone left that guitar out in the sun, I think it melted a little. Hope it still works.

Har har har.

[Bake 1]

magnum.jpgmagnum 2.jpgDCP_0934.jpg
I guess gorgeous may be a little subjective...always thought these looked cool, dunno if they're good basses or not.

[klothos]

magnum.jpgmagnum 2.jpgDCP_0934.jpg
I guess gorgeous may be a little subjective...always thought these looked cool, dunno if they're good basses or not.

Im not sure about that Magnum but I used to have the Magnum II with the active EQ in my collection at one time. Depends on many factors, your playing style, and what you think sounds "good".

With fresh strings, most basses sound good and the Magnum II was no exception, but not for everything. Its horrible for slap bass: both for tone (due to the positioning of the pickups) and because the neck pickup is right in the way - the string keeps smacking the pickup for a loud metallic "smack" and the pickup doesnt allow the clearance for finger curl under the string for the pop

With Finger style, by cutting "muddy" frequencies (on the amp or mixing board as well as the onboard preamp) between 50hz and (especially) 250hz, - trying to stay as flat as possible - it can get a near Alembic sound (somewhere between 70s Alembic basses and Peavey T-40 basses) . I do not play with a pick but I imagine its pick sound is decent, too. I also prefer roundwound "piano string" tone but I can see how using flatwounds and proper EQing technique I could have gotten a decent punchy fundamental type of sound out of it, too (a la John Deacon or Kelly Groucutt, the latter who did play a Magnum II later in his career) out of the Magnum II

the bridge PU can be soloed and, by keeping mids and lows as flat as possible and rolling off highs, it does a decent nasally "faux fretless" for Jaco-esque sounds.....However, the neck PU soloed is a toneless mud turd and hard to dial in anything good here ( there is a technique called "fake upright" in which the neck PU soloed, the player uses the side of the thumb and a palm mute to emulate an upright. The Magnum II can do this but is not the best bass for it -- that sound works way better when that pickup is mounted toward the middle of the bass.

Its biggest negative is weight: it is very heavy. It also wasnt balanced and was the neckdive king.....it was these two reasons were the primary reasons I got rid of my Magnum II.....

[Mikhael]

Interesting! I don't know about the figured wood not being sturdy; it's usually maple, which is a pretty strong wood (why am I hearing Beavis and Butthead giggling in my head?).

From what I understand, most figured maple is the softer big leaf maple - not the rock maple usually used for necks. But for whatever reason, the rock maple is denser, heavier, hard to dent, and more stable. Birdseye maple is the only figured wood I know of to generally come from hard (rock) maple. The flame and quilted figures are generally soft maple.

Soft maple isn't THAT much softer than hard maple, but it is a bit. You can generally dent soft maple with a fingernail, which is much harder to do with rock maple.

[Sputnik]

From what I understand, most figured maple is the softer big leaf maple - not the rock maple usually used for necks. But for whatever reason, the rock maple is denser, heavier, hard to dent, and more stable. Birdseye maple is the only figured wood I know of to generally come from hard (rock) maple. The flame and quilted figures are generally soft maple.

Soft maple isn't THAT much softer than hard maple, but it is a bit. You can generally dent soft maple with a fingernail, which is much harder to do with rock maple.

This was my experience as well. I had two Music Man guitars in the early 1990s, a Sting Ray bass and a Silhouette guitar. Both had curly maple necks, and I had nothing but trouble with them going out of intonation with humidity changes. I've never had this kind of problem with standard rock maple, even in exactly the same environment.

I do have a problem with my backup Mexican Jazz bass being susceptible to humidity changes, though not such small ones as the Music Man guitars reacted to. But this is a less expensive guitar and probably not as good a cut of wood. None of my other basses have this problem. I can't say for sure it was the curly maple, but it seemed very likely.

I also have a neck through body Tobias five string fretless bass that has a laminated composite neck of mahogany and maple. It is super stable. I've never adjusted the intonation and it rarely goes out of tune unless I'm a bit overzealous when playing it. And it is not an expensive model Tobias, this was one of the Korean ones they produced about 10-12 years ago and sold for like $600. It's been a remarkably durable instrument, and my experience with the through body/laminated construction on this bass has been great.

Bill

[Bake 1]

Im not sure about that Magnum but I used to have the Magnum II with the active EQ in my collection at one time. Depends on many factors, your playing style, and what you think sounds "good".

With fresh strings, most basses sound good and the Magnum II was no exception, but not for everything. Its horrible for slap bass: both for tone (due to the positioning of the pickups) and because the neck pickup is right in the way - the string keeps smacking the pickup for a loud metallic "smack" and the pickup doesnt allow the clearance for finger curl under the string for the pop

With Finger style, by cutting "muddy" frequencies (on the amp or mixing board as well as the onboard preamp) between 50hz and (especially) 250hz, - trying to stay as flat as possible - it can get a near Alembic sound (somewhere between 70s Alembic basses and Peavey T-40 basses) . I do not play with a pick but I imagine its pick sound is decent, too. I also prefer roundwound "piano string" tone but I can see how using flatwounds and proper EQing technique I could have gotten a decent punchy fundamental type of sound out of it, too (a la John Deacon or Kelly Groucutt, the latter who did play a Magnum II later in his career) out of the Magnum II

the bridge PU can be soloed and, by keeping mids and lows as flat as possible and rolling off highs, it does a decent nasally "faux fretless" for Jaco-esque sounds.....However, the neck PU soloed is a toneless mud turd and hard to dial in anything good here ( there is a technique called "fake upright" in which the neck PU soloed, the player uses the side of the thumb and a palm mute to emulate an upright. The Magnum II can do this but is not the best bass for it -- that sound works way better when that pickup is mounted toward the middle of the bass.

Its biggest negative is weight: it is very heavy. It also wasnt balanced and was the neckdive king.....it was these two reasons were the primary reasons I got rid of my Magnum II.....

...Thanks for the well informed review! I guess if you happen to think they look cool ignorance is bliss.

[Mikhael]

This was my experience as well. I had two Music Man guitars in the early 1990s, a Sting Ray bass and a Silhouette guitar. Both had curly maple necks, and I had nothing but trouble with them going out of intonation with humidity changes. I've never had this kind of problem with standard rock maple, even in exactly the same environment.

I do have a problem with my backup Mexican Jazz bass being susceptible to humidity changes, though not such small ones as the Music Man guitars reacted to. But this is a less expensive guitar and probably not as good a cut of wood. None of my other basses have this problem. I can't say for sure it was the curly maple, but it seemed very likely.

I also have a neck through body Tobias five string fretless bass that has a laminated composite neck of mahogany and maple. It is super stable. I've never adjusted the intonation and it rarely goes out of tune unless I'm a bit overzealous when playing it. And it is not an expensive model Tobias, this was one of the Korean ones they produced about 10-12 years ago and sold for like $600. It's been a remarkably durable instrument, and my experience with the through body/laminated construction on this bass has been great.

Bill

I've noticed that some people are very picky about the grain in their neck; flatsawn, quartersawn, etc. It stands to reason, at least to me, that if the grain is going crazy all over the place, it would affect not only the strngth of the wood, but the tone (filtering effect of the wood). This could be what I'm hearing. It's a shame, since I appreciate the eye-candy of a great piece of flamed/quilted maple. It's so deep, you can look into it like a 3-D picture.

A friend of mine has a Kubicki Factor bass, whose neck is made from a LOT of laminations, probably 30-50? Anyway, it is rock stable, and sounds very nice. Would it sound that good on a guitar? I don't know; guitar and bass can be two very different beasts when talking about the desired tone. But it worked for that bass.