Below is a video by Janek Gwizdala published a few months back on what it’s like to pick up and play a proper 6-string bass. And “proper” means one that has been set up correctly with an appropriate string set of the correct thicknesses, string saddles with correctly set height, a neck that has had its relief set correctly, and so on.<\/p>\n
In the video, you will see Janek genuinely enjoying his experimentation with the 6…<\/p>\n
…and that’s the whole point of owning a 6-string bass. The 6 is able to do things that would otherwise be difficult or simply not possible on the 4. But even so, there’s a point in the video where Janek says, “Real bass time for all the purists out there” and grabs a 4-string, so even he knows there will always be the 4-string-or-nothing bass player crowd. <\/p>\n
At the 10-minute mark, it’s also mentioned in the video that for many 4-string players, playing a 6 can go outside of bass player’s comfort zone. True? Yes, absolutely. <\/p>\n
The best argument for the 6-string however is that if as a 4-string player you’re feeling too “boxed in”, so to speak, the 6 with its extra low B and extra high C (standard tuning for 6 is generally considered to be B-E-A-D-G-C) could be just the thing you’re looking for.<\/p>\n
The market seems to think so. While there have been high-end boutique 6-string basses for some time, there are now mass production versions available for under $500 USD, and that’s a fairly recent thing to happen.<\/p>\n
We, of course, have a good selection of 6-string bass pickups<\/a> ad 6-string bass bridges<\/a> to choose from when you’re ready to upgrade your 6-string.<\/p>\n Check out the video below and let us know what you think of the 6-string bass by posting a comment or two.<\/p>\n