Fender Bass VI Owned and used by Elliott Sharp Electric 6-String Bass Guitar (1969)
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Item # 10181
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Fender Bass VI Owned and used by Elliott Sharp Model Electric 6-String Bass Guitar (1969), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 272410, sunburst polyester finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, original black tolex hard shell case.
This instrument is a relative rarity -- a 1969 Fender Bass VI . Considered a classic late period "Beatle" instrument, this one has its own unique provenance, having been for some years a gigging and (mostly) recording instrument of amazingly prolific New York guitarist/composer Elliott Sharp, used on a number of his projects.
Although moderately popular in the early 1960s, by later in the decade the Bass VI was built in at best miniscule numbers. It was still featured in the Fender catalogs but was headed for discontinuation a few years later. The Fender VI never caught on in a major way despite being a very well-engineered and useful instrument -- as six-string basses go! This CBS-era example is actually much rarer than the early-'60s models.
The bound, block-marker neck is dated to February 1969, the pots are stamped for the 42nd week of 1966, The finish on the neck is the new heavier poly first used around this time; the body is finished in a typical "transitional" sunburst seen around 1968-9 before the even heavier "thick-skin" Polyester finishes of the '70's were applied. The neck binding on this bass has numerous small shrinkage cracks but is not crumbling or flaking away.
The pickups and electronics are the type used since 1963, Jaguar style with the magnetic "claw" fitting underneath and simple and effective on/off switching for each. The fourth "strangle" switch cuts lows to allow for a more guitar-like tonality in any pickup setting. The 3-layer tortoise plastic pickguard is the material used from 1965 up into the '70s. The bridge and trem system are the same as mid-'60s models, with the solid block saddles adopted in 1964.
Later-production Bass VIs like this one are rare. CBS/Fender, through their UK distributor Arbiter, provided the Beatles with a pile of gear in 1968; a Bass VI practically identical to this one was part of the lot. Paul often played piano on later tracking sessions; both George and John can be seen and heard on the guitar-like Bass VI up through the end of the band. George played the bass for the famous David Frost Show "Hey Jude" performance and John used it on several "Let it Be" tracks where the band played live.
This 1969 VI is a great-sounding and playing six-string bass with an amazingly wide range of tones from its three pickups. It has been in Elliott sharp's arsenal for decades and used extensively on quote a number of his projects including albums by Mofungo, God Is My Co-Pilot, various soundtracks and improvising sessions. Specific examples are:
Semantics: Bone Of Contention (SST 1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0d-Yd08aUw&ab_channel=cheekycheese
Semantics (Rift 1986, Reissue on Klanggalerie 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR0iMZKFRnM&t=8s&ab_channel=Tito%27sRedHotRips
Carbon: Fractal (Dossier 1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWx-OPzIflc&ab_channel=NameLess
Chansons du Crepuscule - Helene Breschand & Elliott Sharp - (Public Eyesore 2015)- "The Cuckoo"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0y30u28BLw&ab_channel=H%C3%A9l%C3%A8neBreschand-Topic
Aube - Chansons du Crepuscule (zOaR 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjD0vKiYj9g&ab_channel=VariousArtists-Topic
Datacide (Enemy); Tocsin (Enemy):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MY_X-Nw8bE&ab_channel=mebear88
Blackburst (Victo) w/ Zeena Parkins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUGff5_i0ME&ab_channel=ZeenaParkins-Topic
Overall length is 44 3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
Overall this is a relatively clean and all original instrument showing some typical play wear but no major finish loss. The one notable defect is the binding along the sides of the neck has numerous cracks and signs of outgassing into the areas around. The fairly heavy Poly finish has held it together and none of the binding is crumbling off the instrument; it remains intact and there are no playing issues, but this condition is quite noticeable.
The body shows some smaller dings and dents to the finish, with small worn-away spots in several areas and some noticeable buckle wear on the back. All hardware is original and quite well-preserved with some minor corrosion to the bridge saddles. The bridge cover have gone missing but the trem arm and mute are still intact, though the foam on the latter has hardened into the consistency of ancient chewing gum. The original frets have been crowned down a bit and show some subsequent wear but the bass plays fine. It retains Elliott Sharp's setup and has a great growly sound strung in E-E tuning with roundwound strings. The original Fender HSC is included. Overall Very Good + Condition.
This instrument is a relative rarity -- a 1969 Fender Bass VI . Considered a classic late period "Beatle" instrument, this one has its own unique provenance, having been for some years a gigging and (mostly) recording instrument of amazingly prolific New York guitarist/composer Elliott Sharp, used on a number of his projects.
Although moderately popular in the early 1960s, by later in the decade the Bass VI was built in at best miniscule numbers. It was still featured in the Fender catalogs but was headed for discontinuation a few years later. The Fender VI never caught on in a major way despite being a very well-engineered and useful instrument -- as six-string basses go! This CBS-era example is actually much rarer than the early-'60s models.
The bound, block-marker neck is dated to February 1969, the pots are stamped for the 42nd week of 1966, The finish on the neck is the new heavier poly first used around this time; the body is finished in a typical "transitional" sunburst seen around 1968-9 before the even heavier "thick-skin" Polyester finishes of the '70's were applied. The neck binding on this bass has numerous small shrinkage cracks but is not crumbling or flaking away.
The pickups and electronics are the type used since 1963, Jaguar style with the magnetic "claw" fitting underneath and simple and effective on/off switching for each. The fourth "strangle" switch cuts lows to allow for a more guitar-like tonality in any pickup setting. The 3-layer tortoise plastic pickguard is the material used from 1965 up into the '70s. The bridge and trem system are the same as mid-'60s models, with the solid block saddles adopted in 1964.
Later-production Bass VIs like this one are rare. CBS/Fender, through their UK distributor Arbiter, provided the Beatles with a pile of gear in 1968; a Bass VI practically identical to this one was part of the lot. Paul often played piano on later tracking sessions; both George and John can be seen and heard on the guitar-like Bass VI up through the end of the band. George played the bass for the famous David Frost Show "Hey Jude" performance and John used it on several "Let it Be" tracks where the band played live.
This 1969 VI is a great-sounding and playing six-string bass with an amazingly wide range of tones from its three pickups. It has been in Elliott sharp's arsenal for decades and used extensively on quote a number of his projects including albums by Mofungo, God Is My Co-Pilot, various soundtracks and improvising sessions. Specific examples are:
Semantics: Bone Of Contention (SST 1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=P0d-Yd08aUw&ab_channel=cheekycheese
Semantics (Rift 1986, Reissue on Klanggalerie 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CR0iMZKFRnM&t=8s&ab_channel=Tito%27sRedHotRips
Carbon: Fractal (Dossier 1987)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wWx-OPzIflc&ab_channel=NameLess
Chansons du Crepuscule - Helene Breschand & Elliott Sharp - (Public Eyesore 2015)- "The Cuckoo"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=p0y30u28BLw&ab_channel=H%C3%A9l%C3%A8neBreschand-Topic
Aube - Chansons du Crepuscule (zOaR 2021)
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mjD0vKiYj9g&ab_channel=VariousArtists-Topic
Datacide (Enemy); Tocsin (Enemy):
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7MY_X-Nw8bE&ab_channel=mebear88
Blackburst (Victo) w/ Zeena Parkins:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dUGff5_i0ME&ab_channel=ZeenaParkins-Topic
Overall length is 44 3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), 14 in. (35.6 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 5/8 in. (4.1 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 1/2 in. (38 mm.).
Overall this is a relatively clean and all original instrument showing some typical play wear but no major finish loss. The one notable defect is the binding along the sides of the neck has numerous cracks and signs of outgassing into the areas around. The fairly heavy Poly finish has held it together and none of the binding is crumbling off the instrument; it remains intact and there are no playing issues, but this condition is quite noticeable.
The body shows some smaller dings and dents to the finish, with small worn-away spots in several areas and some noticeable buckle wear on the back. All hardware is original and quite well-preserved with some minor corrosion to the bridge saddles. The bridge cover have gone missing but the trem arm and mute are still intact, though the foam on the latter has hardened into the consistency of ancient chewing gum. The original frets have been crowned down a bit and show some subsequent wear but the bass plays fine. It retains Elliott Sharp's setup and has a great growly sound strung in E-E tuning with roundwound strings. The original Fender HSC is included. Overall Very Good + Condition.