Fender Pawn Shop Bass VI

- Mexican Manufacturing
- Bridge: "vintage" floating vibrato
- Handle C
- 21 frets
- 2 micros "special design hot jaguar" in the neck and middle, and a humbucker in the bridge jaguar
- 5-way switch type strat, volume, tone

UTILIZATION

The handle is thick enough to have something in his hands, but it's still playable without difficulty, one is faced with a feeling "vintage" far modern kind Shecter standarts (I tried this before buying low in comparison with ultra Shecter vi, I'll come back later.)

The vibrato is rather limited, it is not facing a classic vibrato (probably because of pulling the strings?), It remains light at the end.

Access to acute ... well that's what the 21 frets. It works, but it's not the most comfortable place of the handle!

As for the sound settings, it's pretty immediate with the 5-way switch (but also more limited than the original bass vi whose style jaguar panel enables each micro regardless, here it is the combination type strat: Sleeveless / manche-middle/middle/middle-chevalet/chevalet only)

Importantly, the factory setting is as often (trop. ..) in fender: horrible. Too bad, because competitors like Schecter, Cort, Ibanez, offer instruments, plant, give the feeling of leaving home luthier. If the sound was not really a cut above the competition in this model, I would definitely party with Shecter ...

SOUNDS

So there. How it sounds?

Personally, this is right what I was looking for several years, as guitarist and bassist (and never really had a preference in time for one or the other): a bass that sounds like a Strat . Or stratum, which sounds like a bass. Finally ...

It is a perfect crossover between the two instruments, which shot out of the closed category "guitar" or "low". Two utilities like this:

- Swiss army knife for the mobile musician (or lack of space) I am: for models, no need to lug my guitar and bass, it's all about EQ and compression. Depending on what we doing behind, it can be one, the other or both ...
- The opportunity to forge a unique sound as rather distant from current standards in terms of bass and guitar

The downside, in my opinion: it requires the target gear behind depending on what you want to do.

Personally (and I already see happen insults haha), I made the choice at the moment (budget issue, and practice) of Line6 TonePort, I have for many years, and the double chain effect on Podfarm software allows me to coexist in a sound all sitting down (single preamp with a little compression and eq) and a fairly snapping sound (amp vox-type effect on the second string, compression, eq ... ) which may enhance the effects (distortion, reverb, chorus ...) - all on the second microphone position (neck-middle) for a funky sound stratoïde on casseroles higher strings pulling on his Jazzbass on the lower chords.

After that, it should certainly work also for those with the budget to have two chains of physical amplification ... But it is not my case.

With this principle, I happen to not make a lot of sounds: from funky to pick (something I toke for quite some time, and sounds better than any lower than I could have), the rock / filthy (slight distortion) or the most current metal (heavy distortion and noise gate in the ass, it sounds like a 7/8 strings ... I have no comparison with a real instrument in this range, other than that I could hear the metalcore & Co., who have never been, but it sounds terrible in any case with this guitar ...).

It seems to me that without a little work behind the sculpture, it can be fun to play and listen, but without immediate interest ... then it turns out in fact actually be going anywhere for a little one to exhibit a little inventiveness.

OVERALL OPINION

A little less than a month that I am stupid, I discover every day new uses, it is a real driver for the composition on my side.

I tried a Schecter Ultra vi compared (exactly the same price), which seemed to me the most interesting paper: lesser known compared to fender (so more effort on quality, which is confirmed in perfect setting the DUT), jaguar control panel (a micro switch) with the possibility in addition to split each pickup is a humbucker (ie single / double, plus many more combinations of microphones .. . it actually possible!), a bit more unusual jaws of the instrument ... And heard some demos here and there on the net.

Ben and A / B, a neutral amp, the Shecter suffers from a lack of BIG potato and personality in relation to the fender, hotter and with more character. I did not hesitate long before returning with a small pawn shop, so I really was calibrated originally on the Shecter ... I would have tried the hellcat (which itself is a faithful replica of the bass vi, unlike the ultra vi which is "better"), but the store had not.

In short, it is an instrument that is worth seeing, I'd much my main instrument if the alternative rock band in which I'm not playing bass in drop C (on bass vi E holds up after setting, but it's more difficult to drop D. .. there are no games with ropes pulling higher, except at LaBella, control only in the U.S. ...). For cons, I intend to only use it on an indie project softer, complementing tones TR808 type, etc. ..

I do not think he really needs to come with preconceptions about this guitar, but be guided by what it can do ...