Fender Bass VI Electric 6-String Bass Guitar (1962)

Fender  Bass VI Electric 6-String Bass Guitar  (1962)
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Item # 7624
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Fender Bass VI Model Electric 6-String Bass Guitar (1962), made in Fullerton, California, serial # 76581, sunburst lacquer finish, alder body, maple neck with rosewood fingerboard, black tolex hard shell case.

The "Fender VI" 6-string Bass (and that is its original official name, though it is universally called the "Bass VI" today) was the company's big instrument unveiling at the July 1961 NAMM show, but over the next few years never quite lived up to the sales department's expectations. Despite being a very well-engineered and useful creation (as 6-string basses go), the Bass VI was very expensive and somewhat complex for a specialty instrument, and Danelectro had pretty much already created and conquered that market niche.

This is one of the better preserved early-model Pre-CBS Fender Bass VI's we have ever seen, with some wear but no alterations. The neck date is May 62 and the pots are dated to the 18th week of that year. These first-year Fender VI's are fairly rare-by the next year the Stratocaster-styled pickups with chrome surrounds as used on this bass were replaced with Jaguar units, giving the VI a slightly brighter if more focused tone, and a fourth "strangle" switch added to the wiring rig. Other typical period features for 1962 are the blended 3-color sunburst, clay-dot rosewood fingerboard and tortoise-celluloid pickguard, which appears especially light on this example.

This is a great sounding and playing Six-String Bass with an amazingly wide range of tones from its three pickups, and a vibrato arm to play with, if you dare. A superb example of one of our favorite instruments...and a dead ringer for the one Jack Bruce played with the Graham Bond Organisation and early period Cream. It is currently strung in Baritone tuning, B-B but can easily be returned to bass E-E tuning if desired.
 
Overall length is 44 3/4 in. (113.7 cm.), 14 1/4 in. (36.2 cm.) wide at lower bout, and 1 1/2 in. (3.8 cm.) in depth, measured at side of rim. Scale length is 30 in. (762 mm.). Width of nut is 1 9/16 in. (40 mm.). All orinal with some light wear-currently set up with light gague strings in Baritone B-B tuning. Includes a modern Fender style bass case. Excellent - Condition.