Fender Bass VI

John Frusciante uses a Fender Bass VI, according to [this "Premier Guitar" interview](http://www.premierguitar.com/articles/20428-john-frusciante-war-and-peace?page=3): "'Is one of those subtle guitar parts on “Fanfare” a bass?' "I play a Fender Bass VI on that song—and a Strat, I think. The Bass VI is a bass that feels like a guitar. The strings aren’t wide apart, and it has a guitar-like sound compared to a bass. You can play open chords—anything you can play on guitar sounds nice on it."

At 2:23 and throughout this video you can see Jack playing a Fender Bass VI.

At 0:10 in [this video](http://teamcoco.com/video/incubus-05-19-15), Mike Einziger can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI.

Auerbach states that he and Patrick Carney used a Fender Bass VI while recording their album, at 0:40 in this video.

At 3:41 into this Rig Rundown of Flea of Red Hot Chili Peppers, Tracy Robar (Flea's tech) shows the shell pink Fender Bass VI, which he says is played by Josh Klinghoffer on [“Happiness Loves Company”](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uQZtM8kH9uE), through Flea's rig (while Flea plays piano). One detail about the guitar is a string mute, which Tracy Robar says they don't use. From Fender [Guitarchive](http://www2.fender.com/experience/guitarchive/the-bass-vi/): > **John Frusciante and Josh Klinghoffer.** Red Hot Chili Peppers guitarists past and present, Frusciante and Klinghoffer both have Bass VIs. Frusciante plays his early-’60s three-switch model on “Dark/Light” and “Central” from 2009 solo album The Empyrean. Klinghoffer plays his on “Happiness Loves Company” from 2011 Chili Peppers album I’m With You.

You can find Joe Perry playing a Fender Bass VI during "Back in the Saddle" at the first song.

Johnny mentions his Fender Bass VI on his [website](http://www.johnny-marr.com/guitarchestra-2/fender-bass-six): "My Fender Bass Six, or Baritone Guitar. I used it on “Helpline Operator” by The The. It’s tuned to A D G B E A.”[Gary Jarman](https://equipboard.com/pros/gary-jarman) played it on Stick To Yr Guns from Ignore The Ignorant by [The Cribs](https://equipboard.com/band/the-cribs) and [Ryan Jarman](https://equipboard.com/pros/ryan-jarman) played it on Save Your Secrets.”

Clapton's Bass VI can be seen behind him at 2:00 of this clip.

The Guns N’ Roses guitarist played a Bass VI on “Right Next Door to Hell” from 1991 album Use Your Illusion I.

From the Gear section of Robbie Robertson's official site (original link [here](http://robbie-robertson.com/gear/test-32/)): > This was the exact model and color that both Robbie and [Rick Danko](https://equipboard.com/pros/rick-danko) played when they first joined Ronnie Hawkins and The Hawks. He also lists another on his website, a red 1964 Fender VI Bass, as seen [here](http://robbie-robertson.com/gear/test-31/).

“David has a 1963 Fender Bass VI. It’s strung relatively light for a baritone. But it’s still a 30-inch scale, so I thought I’d get him a new one made. I wanted it to be more like a guitar, shorter scale, but it also had to have a vibrato on it. I talked to Fender, and they made two."

George Harrison can be seen playing the Fender Bass VI most clearly at 5:50 in this TV performance of "Hey Jude."

In this photo, James share his pedalboard, also we can see a stand with all the guitars he use in his home studio. Clearly we can see there a Fender VI.

At 0:40 in this video, Dan Auerbach states that Patrick Carney and himself used a Bass VI while recording their album.

In this photo, a young John Paul Jones can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI. According to [Getty Images](http://www.gettyimages.com/detail/news-photo/bassist-and-keyboard-player-john-paul-jones-on-stage-with-news-photo/544865531), here is the origin of the photo. > Session musician and future member of Led Zeppelin John Paul Jones holds a Fender Bass VI guitar in a London recording studio circa 1965.

"There’s a couple of tracks that I play guitar on and there’s a few when I played a [Fender] Bass VI."

In this photo, Bell can be seen with a Fender Bass VI.

Harris' official site states that he owned a Fender Bass VI.

The U.K. electric blues great and Fleetwood Mac founder often used a Bass VI onstage during Mac performances circa 1969-1970 (i.e., live versions of “The Green Manalishi,” “Tutti Frutti” and others). He also played it on recording sessions for Duster Bennett, Peter Bardens and others.

On [this page](http://www.jackbruce.com/2008/Gear/gear.htm) of Jack Bruce's official site, it says, "Though trained on the upright bass, Jack Bruce took a liking early on to small, short-scale electric basses. One of his first was the Fender Bass VI, a 6-string bass tuned EADGBE like a guitar, but one octave lower."

John Lennon used a Fender XI bass on "Helter Skelter"

Danko played a Bass VI before switching to conventional bass guitar models. This was of course well before the 1968 formation of The Band.

In this photo, Redding can be seen with a Fender Bass VI.

The Who bassist briefly experimented with the Bass VI around 1964-1965, playing it at several live performances (a photo shows him onstage with a Bass VI at an April 16, 1965, Who set at London’s Goldhawk Social Club).

In this video *Mark hoppus - a day in life*, Mark Hoppus goes through some of his bass guitars. From 2:02 to 2:25 he talks about his 1963 Fender Bass VI in a white finish: > "…this one is really cool. This is a 6-string bass. It’s a Fender Bass VI it was made in 1963. They only made them for a few years and they only made between 700-1000 of these. It’s built like a guitar but it’s an octave lower. [The Beatles](https://equipboard.com/band/the-beatles) and [The Cure](https://equipboard.com/band/the-cure) use this a lot. A lot of what you think is guitar on Cure records I found out is actually this Bass VI and that’s why it sounds so spooky and weird." Also, in this performance of [Blink 182 playing I Miss You live in Minneapolis](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CzAGX-A3oek), at the 0:52 mark, Hoppus can be seen using a blue Fender Bass VI.

"There’s my 6-string bass Strat from the Fender Custom Shop that’s like a Stratocaster, but it’s an octave lower."

You can see Graham's bass Vi at 1:17:42, it's white with custom made red stickers.

At 1:26 in this KEXP performance by Divine Fits, Daniel can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI.

In this photo, which comes from Austin City Limits concert in 2015, Fender Bass VI is visible played by Kristjansson.

Bamonte played a Bass VI extensively during his stint with the Cure from 1990 to 2005.

Perhaps no band has put the Bass VI to more use in the modern era than the Cure. Periodically in-and-out guitarist Thompson occasionally played it.

In this Instagram photo from Zucconi, he shows this bass that he received from Fender.

In March 2015, Gavin Bennett, of the Bad Suns posted this photo of a Fender VI. This photo was selected as proof because it is easily confused with Fender Jazzmasters and older versions of the VI. In other photos you can see that it has a hum-bucking bridge pickup and a 5-way selector indicating that it is a Pawnshop Series 6-string bass.

Lindsey used a 6-String Fender Bass on the Tusk Tour for songs like "What Makes You Think You're The One" & "The Ledge"

Sources conflict over whether the baritone guitar sound heard on Campbell hits “Wichita Lineman” and “Galveston” (1968 and 1969, respectively) is a Bass VI, but Campbell did use a Bass VI in at least one televised performance of the former.

James plays a Bass VI in this performance of 'Nothing to Hide'.

Vega can be seen at the beginning of this performance playing a white Fender Bass VI.

Haydock often favored a Bass VI; he’s seen playing an early three-switch model in 1963 U.K. film It’s All Over Town as the Hollies perform “Now’s the Time.”

"I’ve had my ’66 Bass VI for 20 years, and have used it on recordings, but I don’t really play it live."

From a page on Fender's website, "FENDER GUITARCHIVE: THE BASS VI": > The Dandy Warhols guitarist has a 1962 Bass VI that he puts to use once in a while. Original page can be found [here](http://www2.fender.com/experience/guitarchive/the-bass-vi/). This guitar was also used for "Godless", live in [Dour Festival, Belgium](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=un8xupz0kMk), at a performance which happened on July 16, 2006.

Drozd can be seen in this photo playing a Fender Bass VI.

Ritchie can be seen in this photo playing a Fender Bass VI.

In this Instagram photo, Skiba shared the photo of blue Fender Bass VI.

"I've got a Fender six-string bass and the neck is too thin to be able to really use it to its fullest."

"Time to put the flats on this. The only six string bass allowed in my house."

"At one point he bought a Bass 6 and Mick Harvey went absolutely spare and told him it was to be gotten rid of immediately..."

In this interview with Guitar Player Magazine from Robin Guthrie's official [website](http://www.robinguthrie.com/interviews/guitar-player.php), he mentions that he's "got two olympic white '62 Fender VI" baritone guitars.

Gabrels can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI in this photo.

Robert Smith can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI in this picture. Also, Robert can be seen playing a Fender VI at :34s of [this live performance of "Pictures of You"](http://youtu.be/aNBJ1rBAlN8). Second Fender Bass VI, in white colour was also the guitar he used back in 1980's and 1990's, with him playing "Pictures Of You" on that bass. This bass looks like Squier Vintage Modified Bass VI, but it is a Fender, based on the headstock. [This photo](http://www.wikicure.com/tikiwiki/show_image.php?id=3028), and [this photo](http://www.wikicure.com/tikiwiki/show_image.php?id=3032) are confirming his use of white Fender Bass VI.

Dead Kennedy’s bassist Geoffrey “Klaus Flouride” Lyall sometimes used a blue Bass VI.

In this [interview from the October 2004 issue of *Bass Player* magazine](http://www.picturesofyou.us/04/04-10-bassplayer-simon-interview.htm), Simon says that he played the Bass VI on "There Is No If..." from the Cure's album *Bloodflowers.*

In this photo, Steve Kilbey can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI.

Molko can be seen in this photo playing a Fender Bass VI onstage.

In the "Last of us" making of Gustavo record with a Fender bass VI

He uses the Fender VI Baritone with 2 strings tuned to E and E

This is a 6 string bass tuned one octave lower than a guitar.  Johnny played this instrument during Hunter S. Thompson's cannon blast ceremony in 2005.

In March 2015, Gavin Bennett, of the Bad Suns posted this photo of a Fender VI. This photo was selected as proof because it is easily confused with Fender Jazzmasters and older versions of the VI. In other photos you can see that it has a hum-bucking bridge pickup and a 5-way selector indicating that it is a Pawnshop Series 6-string bass.

The longtime Johnny Cash sideman reportedly played a Bass VI on “Happy to Be With You” from 1966 Cash album Happiness is You.

In the beloved “guitar collection” scene in 1984 rock “mockumentary” This Is Spinal Tap, Tufnel (Christopher Guest) shows filmmaker Marty DiBergi (Rob Reiner) several of his most cherished guitars. One of the instruments is so special to Tufnel that he’s never even played it; indeed, it still has the price “tagger” attached to it. Tufnel admonishes DiBergi not to touch it, point at it or even look at it. And while viewers get barely a glimpse of the instrument during the scene, Tufnel’s prized instrument is in fact a Bass VI in a rare Sea Foam Green finish.

In this Instagram video we can see Jared playing this bass

In this image, Babbington can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI.

Davies can be seen playing a Fender Bass VI in this photo.

In this 2009 Manchester gig, Olsdal is visible playing candy red Fender Bass VI.

"I was amazed when I picked up this instrument that I’d never seen before, and when I plugged it in I heard a lot of weird potential in it. At the time I was getting into a lot of different twang-y sounds: surf music, Ennio Morricone soundtracks, and other guitar-centric music. I’d already been exploring a more melodic side of the bass, and then I discovered this instrument that would allow me to get even more into that."