an unsung offset.....the Bass V.....with no "I"

DB · Post by DB » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:00 pm

I"ve always thought these looked kinda cool in a dorky kinda way, but what's up with 15 frets? I know the money is in the first position, but why the high C then? I've owned a 6 string fretless, and the high C was real nice around the 12th. Certainly couldn't do many Jaco licks on this.

But then again, for the right price...

DB

FireAarro · Post by **FireAarro** » Sat Dec 16, 2006 5:39 pm

It has about the same range as a Jazz bass or so, but it's easier to use the high notes on a fifth string rather than moving your hand all the way up, it gets pretty hard to reach the notes up in the higher registers.

DB · Post by DB » Sat Dec 16, 2006 6:26 pm

FireAarro wrote: It has about the same range as a Jazz bass or so, but it's easier to use the high notes on a fifth string rather than moving your hand all the way up, it gets pretty hard to reach the notes up in the higher registers.

Yeah, my issue would be access to the upper reaches of the fingerboard. The tonal quality of the notes up there is just different than the same note in a different lower position. Still a pretty cool instrument though, and it IS an offset. I do wonder what prompted Leo to go with the shortened fingerboard though - probably the idea that all the money is made in the first position. This was obviously prior to Jaco coaxing out notes between the 12th and higher reaches.

DB

FIREBOT · Post by **FIREBOT** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:15 am

The one I had was in a white "old refin" that looked like hell, but on the plus side it was a maple-capped board with black binding and blocks. I had it pro refinished to black. It looked hot, and played pretty cool, but just as it became ready to go, the band broke up. I never tried it in battle. I ended up swapping it even for a friend's 72 Telecaster Thinline in black. Another interesting thing is the ahstrays are both specific to the instrument. The bridge one looks like just a P-Bass one with an F, but it in fact is way bigger... like a soup bowl. The neck one looks like a Jazz version, but once again... uh oh... too small. If these are missing, you are SOL.

FIREBOT · Post by **FIREBOT** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:19 am

Someone's got to find a picture with one of these right next to a P or a J for scale.

FIREBOT · Post by **FIREBOT** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:35 am

Here is one with a Bass VI...

Who would win in a fight? I know who...

Maggieo · Post by **Maggieo** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:44 am

FIREBOT wrote: Here is one with a Bass VI...

Who would win in a fight? I know who...

A one-pickup Jazz Bass?!?!?! (Oh, that's the Bass V on the left. Never mind.)

bassVIst · Post by **bassVIst** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 8:48 am

they are massive...
i've handled a few that came through CME over the years...
i really wanted one
but apparently not enough

probably the case for many

StevenO · Post by **StevenO** » Sun Dec 17, 2006 10:54 am

I wouldn't mind having one.
There was a lpb or a sonic blue(I think?) bass v at a store here in toronto. I think it was being sold for 4500.

jrkirkish · Post by **jrkirkish** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 12:28 am

fullerplast wrote:
I totally don't buy the "cut-down-for-Swinger-bodies" story
Me either. I always thought Swingers were cut from Musicmaster bodies...

Sorry to tell you this, but Swingers were made from bass V bodies. I should know; I have a Swinger.

What gives it away is that in addition to neck pickup, there is routing for a split pickup under the 'guard. It's a really wierid rout. It's a rout for a split pickup, much liek a musicmaster bass. however the space routed for the pickup is weird. One side of the pickup has three poles, the other side only has two.

Not only that, but If I were to take the finish off my swinger (no way in hell I would ever do that) I would see a filled in hole for the ground wire between the Bass V bridge and the other controls.

Trust me, Swingers were made from leftover Bass Vs.

Fall reverb · Post by **Fall reverb** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 2:51 am

DB wrote: I do wonder what prompted Leo to go with the shortened fingerboard though - probably the idea that all the money is made in the first position. This was obviously prior to Jaco coaxing out notes between the 12th and higher reaches.
DB

Leo Fender was not involved in the development and production of the 'Bass V';
According to a quote from Richard R. Smith's wonderful "Fender - The Sound Heard 'round the World" (although this publication is pretty hard to find - it was limited to 1500 copies when it was published in 1996 - if you can find an example I'd like to suggest to buy it, as it contains plenty of great info & pics of (rare/prototype) offsets as well!) Leo Fender was very surprised to learn in the 80's that his former company had actually made a 5-string bass in the 60's after it had been taken over by CBS, showing how quickly he had detached himself from the goings-on at the then CBS-run Fender company...

Post by **fullerplast** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:08 am

Sorry to tell you this,

Don't be sorry!

Thanks for the info...

Post by **zhivago** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 4:21 am

Fall reverb wrote:
Leo Fender was not involved in the development and production of the 'Bass V';
According to a quote from Richard R. Smith's wonderful "Fender - The Sound Heard 'round the World" (although this publication is pretty hard to find - it was limited to 1500 copies when it was published in 1996 - if you can find an example I'd like to suggest to buy it, as it contains plenty of great info & pics of (rare/prototype) offsets as well!) Leo Fender was very surprised to learn in the 80's that his former company had actually made a 5-string bass in the 60's after it had been taken over by CBS, showing how quickly he had detached himself from the goings-on at the then CBS-run Fender company...

poor Bass V......that kinda makes me want one a bit more....kinda like taking a stranded orphan out of the rainy streets and giving it a nice home and nice food to eat....

John Taverna · Post by **John Taverna** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:07 am

poor thing, that's unfair

bassVIst · Post by **bassVIst** » Mon Dec 18, 2006 8:31 pm

jrkirkish wrote:
fullerplast wrote:
I totally don't buy the "cut-down-for-Swinger-bodies" story
Me either. I always thought Swingers were cut from Musicmaster bodies... ???

Sorry to tell you this, but Swingers were made from bass V bodies. I should know; I have a Swinger.

What gives it away is that in addition to neck pickup, there is routing for a split pickup under the 'guard. It's a really wierid rout. It's a rout for a split pickup, much liek a musicmaster bass. however the space routed for the pickup is weird. One side of the pickup has three poles, the other side only has two.

Not only that, but If I were to take the finish off my swinger (no way in hell I would ever do that) I would see a filled in hole for the ground wire between the Bass V bridge and the other controls.

Trust me, Swingers were made from leftover Bass Vs.

cool

what about the neck pocket?
they would have to had filled it and routed a new one...
VI's have strat/guitar sized heel/pockets
but a V has a huge heel/pocket, maybe even bigger than a P or J

OffsetGuitars.com

an unsung offset.....the Bass V.....with no "I"

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