Intonation trick! When you're looking at the bridge (lowest string towards you) you "follow the arrow" on your tuner so if your tuner shows the note is sharp it will usually show to the right of the "in tune mark" and THAT'S the direction you need the saddle to go :)
Vintage Fender Bass VI's came with a wider bridge that allowed for the extra intonation adjustments. The Squiers all use a standard Mustang/Jaguar bridge. Staytrem makes a wider bridge.
7:51 We were right that 100 Gauge Low E String from the 24-100 Gauge set is much Bigger than the old 84 Gauge string that Fender used to use years ago, it also sounds Bassier.
Nice bass, glad you got it sorted out. The views will come but there’s a lot of competition out there for our time. I do really enjoy yours so I hope you can find the time to keep doing them at least once a week.
Yep, loads of people doing great vids on TH-cam. I enjoy making them and I really appreciate the regular viewers like yourself! I'm going to keep doing them at least once a week.....more when possible!
First time viewer. The cut back to the previous video is cool that you posted and curated it, but frankly the sound sample was in the "don't bother" category. Look forward to discovering more videos from you
I was the one who suggested those new updated 24-100 gauge Bass VI Strings (basically a Bass VI Version of a Light Top Heavy Bottom set or Balanced Light set) because the Heavier Bottom end might help enhance the sound, & it did the trick.
Did Fender originally intend heavier bottoms to be used? 'Cause I can't see why it take them decades to come out with a solution to a defect by design, of their own creation. That would be negligence, but it wouldn't be the first time a major American brand puts out defective products decade after decade.
Upgrading the bridge helps. There’s a manufacturer out there who makes a much beefier bridge for bass vi. Forgot the name. Google bass vi bridge upgrade and you’ll see it.
I had a more or less similar, but inverse issue on my regular 5-string bass. The low B was feeling kinda dead and did not ring out at all, and was difficult to intonate. I changed to a lighter gauge, and all of a sudden it sounded just right again. So if you do have some issues with your bass of any kind, sometimes a gauge change might do the trick.
Certainly about the cheapest option of all those available.....the new bridges for the bass iv were quite expensive....considering the guitar wasn't that much to begin with!!
Hi T. I stumbled on this quite by accident. Sweet tune at the end. You got some innate funk. Cool to hear all those parts coming out of one instrument.
Got a La Bella Bass VI string set for mine and never looked back. IMHO the best string set you can get for a VI. A bit expensive, but worth every penny...
After trying both the Fender and La Bellas, I can honestly say that the cost different isn't worth it unless you're chasing down those flatwound attributes. Love having options though.
Your videos on the Squier Bass VI are must-watch for someone contemplating buying one. First of all, you know what to do with one, and play very well. I kept finding metal guys bashing away in drop-c and that's not what I wanted one for. I wanted it for exactly what you're doing with it. Especially the Glen Campbell style in your other video. Many people don't seem to grasp how to use them, and just criticize them as not being good at anything. And you found a simple way of resolving intonation issue too. Thanks very much, I see you have a lot of videos I'm interested in too so you've got another sub.
Thanks....it was satisfying to sort it out so simply.....got one of my viewers to thank again for the suggestion.....I learn a lot doing this....you've really helped me out several times!!
I read a Sweetwater review that advised removing the saddle plate and reinstalling it backwards so the adjustable screws face the pickups It gives just enough room to work out the intonation on the E string.
I bought a set from stringjoy for my bass vi and it’s amazing the difference a proper fitting set of strings does overall. I like them but wouldn’t mind trying a set of flat wounds at some point
Thank you, greatly done! Super useful video and cool music piece. I was afraid you'll (me) need to make wide a nut slot for thicker string. I bought them even before a bass itself :). Surprisingly i'm waiting for so long for this instrument, because it is backordered everywhere.
Nice grooves ! Bought that same Bass VI second handed, the previous owner already installed that .24-.100 set on it, and even blocked the moving bridged with tiny plastic tubes to make sure the intonation doesn't move to much. Can"t use the trem bar but at least it's stable. Small question for you, did you change the action height a lot after going to .100 ?
Intonation is a perpetual bummer.... my Tele, with its three brass whatsts is permanently out (but I'd never swap them for six whatsits); after replacing the strings my Strat is correctly tuneable for a week or two but then the intonation requires indefinite tweaking. Ditto my SG, which seems out after a few hours of playing. Wish I knew why....
The tele is always a compromise. Guitars are always out of tune, you can sweeten tunings using that tuner on normal guitar too which will help.....not normally a prob live but recording it's a constant struggle!!
I've put the red one (A) on the fifth string following the color code, but it looks the same as the first string that came originally installed. Is the color code on the bag correct?
Are we talking about the Vintage Modified Bass VI or the most recent Classic Vibes Bass VI. Everybody says that the Vintage Modified had the intonation problem but I have read that it is solved in the Classic Vibes version
Yes I think so....I confused myself with the gauges not being a bass player so I wasn't clear.....but I replaced the 6th string (the low E)....which I think is the .100!!
Curious, can you throw on a guitar neck onto that body, without introducing intonation issues and without having to reposition the bridge? I like the Jaguar/jazzmaster body, but with a 3 PU Strat style configuration but with the jaguar type selector switches such as what this has.
@@iamtjwalker it's more complicated than that. The positioning of the frets depends on the correct bridge placement. Either you move the bridge to accomodate the frets on an after market neck or you move all the frets, essentially custom make a neck with the pertinent fret job, to accomodate the bridge, otherwise the intonation will be off. I guess the inbetween solution is to take a preexisting neck with a length that would work and just redo the the frits, which would entail cutting new fret slots and filling the old ones in or removing the entire fretboard and starting afresh. Sounds like a project.
@@iamtjwalker maybe, but I hate the hacket job I've seen when routing for a new PU. I think the insides should look so presentable that you could use a transparent pickguard. Ultimately, I think it might be easier to buy a Kurbain offset inspired guitar, and dump the overwound humbuckers for some flexible humbuckers with coil splitting to get the Stratty 2 and 4 positions, as well as the Tele neck and bridge sound. The great thing with 2 flexible humbuckers would be that you'd be able to get 2 hum cancelling voicings for the tele sound, which I don't think Fender necessarily offers. Of course the Stratty 2 and 4 voicings necessitates going into parallel mode, but a PAF sound requires series, so that would have to be built in. Through in out and in of phase settings and you've got something much more flexible than any commercially produced guitar, even Brian May's guitars. You could through in a rotary switch for shits and giggles. Of course, you could do this on the cheap with single coils of my construction of choosing side by side. This would be my goto rather than buying overpriced humbuckers that probably don't do a believable single coil sound, as most are known for failing at. Edit: There's a pull and push boost knob that some current Japanese guitar has. Not sure how it works but something like that would be interesting to add too.
@@iamtjwalker hold on! I see what you did there. A jazz master's PU cavities might allow for easier routing out for either two humbuckers or two pairs of single coils. They'll have to increase depth so it might not look like a hacket job, after all, but still ... a Kurbain offset might be easier to do all these mods, stance it would avoid woodworking. Jazz masters have a shorter scale length though, so that's some to consider. Thanks for the idea. There might be some special jazzmaster stacked PUs. I think there is. If they're flexible enough I should be able to do all this stuff with routing anything.
For mine, reversing the bridge, shimming the neck, raising up the whole bridge, while lowering each individual saddle solved it for me. I also use 106 gauge strings. Along with lowering the pickups, removes any weird warble.
These bass vi’s have the same scale length as many 4 string basses. Eg Hofner and some Gibsons. They will often have 100” or even 105” gauge low E. Nothing funnier than watching a guitar player trying to play a bass. 😂 ps. The strings are way too close together for this to be a usable bass . It’s really a guitarists toy.
Intonation trick! When you're looking at the bridge (lowest string towards you) you "follow the arrow" on your tuner so if your tuner shows the note is sharp it will usually show to the right of the "in tune mark" and THAT'S the direction you need the saddle to go :)
Ah, that's a handy tip!
The whole process is pretty intuitive by itself. It stands to reason that if the string is going sharp it needs to be longer.
(Referring to the fretted pitch when compared to the harmonic) if it’s sharp, it’s short. If it’s flat, it’s far
Great job the 100 gauge fixed my squire vi as well …now it sounds great!
Good to hear! I'm glad it worked....was a cheap solution!
Vintage Fender Bass VI's came with a wider bridge that allowed for the extra intonation adjustments. The Squiers all use a standard Mustang/Jaguar bridge. Staytrem makes a wider bridge.
Really nice jam at the end! Great demonstration of what can be done wth this.
Thank you, really appreciate that!
Love that tune at the end. Awesome, really well done! Thanks.
Glad you like it! Thank you!
7:51 We were right that 100 Gauge Low E String from the 24-100 Gauge set is much Bigger than the old 84 Gauge string that Fender used to use years ago, it also sounds Bassier.
And is in tune!
@@iamtjwalker Fender addressed the Floppy Low E String problem on the Bass VI by bumping up the Gauges of the 3 lowest strings.
Nice bass, glad you got it sorted out. The views will come but there’s a lot of competition out there for our time. I do really enjoy yours so I hope you can find the time to keep doing them at least once a week.
Yep, loads of people doing great vids on TH-cam. I enjoy making them and I really appreciate the regular viewers like yourself! I'm going to keep doing them at least once a week.....more when possible!
@@iamtjwalker Thanks mate. You should add a tip jar so we can buy you a coffee/beer every now and then.
First time viewer. The cut back to the previous video is cool that you posted and curated it, but frankly the sound sample was in the "don't bother" category. Look forward to discovering more videos from you
I was the one who suggested those new updated 24-100 gauge Bass VI Strings (basically a Bass VI Version of a Light Top Heavy Bottom set or Balanced Light set) because the Heavier Bottom end might help enhance the sound, & it did the trick.
Yes, I mentioned you at 52 seconds! Thank you, it worked!!
@@iamtjwalker Right on, the heavier bottom end on the 3 lowest strings means that this entire string set is easier to intonate and get in tune.
@@iamtjwalker Fender did an amazing job updating their Bass VI string set so that the intonation is better
@@iamtjwalker Locking tuners would be another cool upgrade.
Did Fender originally intend heavier bottoms to be used? 'Cause I can't see why it take them decades to come out with a solution to a defect by design, of their own creation. That would be negligence, but it wouldn't be the first time a major American brand puts out defective products decade after decade.
Upgrading the bridge helps. There’s a manufacturer out there who makes a much beefier bridge for bass vi. Forgot the name. Google bass vi bridge upgrade and you’ll see it.
Yes I've heard that....if I start using it more I might explore that option!
@michaellotz1811 - Staytrem is the company. They offer a “Wide Bridge For Bass VI - 9.5” radius; 52 mm or 55 mm E to E spacing.” 100 British pounds
I have that exact Bass VI. I guess I gotta get those strings haha. The song you did at the end was great!!! Such a nasty, funky groove.
Maybe just buy the bottom string.....saying that, the whole set wasn't that expensive.....especially with the 2 year warranty!!
I had a more or less similar, but inverse issue on my regular 5-string bass. The low B was feeling kinda dead and did not ring out at all, and was difficult to intonate. I changed to a lighter gauge, and all of a sudden it sounded just right again. So if you do have some issues with your bass of any kind, sometimes a gauge change might do the trick.
Certainly about the cheapest option of all those available.....the new bridges for the bass iv were quite expensive....considering the guitar wasn't that much to begin with!!
Yes, I’ve heard this in many videos about the bass VI. Just get a heavier gauge low E and you’re all sorted.
Yes, worked for me....certainly cheaper than buying a new bridge!
Hi T. I stumbled on this quite by accident. Sweet tune at the end. You got some innate funk. Cool to hear all those parts coming out of one instrument.
Thanks, glad you like it!!
Got a La Bella Bass VI string set for mine and never looked back. IMHO the best string set you can get for a VI. A bit expensive, but worth every penny...
I'll check them out....I don't use it very often so it'll be a while before I need another set I think but I'll check them when I do.
After trying both the Fender and La Bellas, I can honestly say that the cost different isn't worth it unless you're chasing down those flatwound attributes. Love having options though.
Your videos on the Squier Bass VI are must-watch for someone contemplating buying one. First of all, you know what to do with one, and play very well. I kept finding metal guys bashing away in drop-c and that's not what I wanted one for. I wanted it for exactly what you're doing with it. Especially the Glen Campbell style in your other video. Many people don't seem to grasp how to use them, and just criticize them as not being good at anything. And you found a simple way of resolving intonation issue too. Thanks very much, I see you have a lot of videos I'm interested in too so you've got another sub.
Thank you, glad you enjoyed the vid…..and thanks for the sub!!
Very nice tune. Good problem solving.
Thanks....it was satisfying to sort it out so simply.....got one of my viewers to thank again for the suggestion.....I learn a lot doing this....you've really helped me out several times!!
I read a Sweetwater review that advised removing the saddle plate and reinstalling it backwards so the adjustable screws face the pickups It gives just enough room to work out the intonation on the E string.
The bigger string sorts the problem.....easier than moving the saddle plate.....I expect that works too though!
I bought a set from stringjoy for my bass vi and it’s amazing the difference a proper fitting set of strings does overall. I like them but wouldn’t mind trying a set of flat wounds at some point
I'll check them out. I've actually done a couple of bass gigs on it since I changed the strings....seems to work!
This was helpful. Thanks. Liked and subscribed.
Awesome, thank you!
Thank you, greatly done! Super useful video and cool music piece. I was afraid you'll (me) need to make wide a nut slot for thicker string. I bought them even before a bass itself :). Surprisingly i'm waiting for so long for this instrument, because it is backordered everywhere.
I didn't widen the nut, the nut isn't really very low anyway so I didn't notice much difference!
Came for the Gauge stayed for the playing… decent Sir!
Ha! Thanks!
Try the same gauge (but higher tension) D’addario set. Works just as well if anyone was wondering.
Thanks for the tip....I'll try that next time!
Nice grooves ! Bought that same Bass VI second handed, the previous owner already installed that .24-.100 set on it, and even blocked the moving bridged with tiny plastic tubes to make sure the intonation doesn't move to much. Can"t use the trem bar but at least it's stable.
Small question for you, did you change the action height a lot after going to .100 ?
I didn't need to change the action....it's not very low so it was ok.
Thanks for the video. How did you end up addressing the buzzing in the low E after you put on the new string?
Intonation is a perpetual bummer.... my Tele, with its three brass whatsts is permanently out (but I'd never swap them for six whatsits); after replacing the strings my Strat is correctly tuneable for a week or two but then the intonation requires indefinite tweaking. Ditto my SG, which seems out after a few hours of playing. Wish I knew why....
The tele is always a compromise. Guitars are always out of tune, you can sweeten tunings using that tuner on normal guitar too which will help.....not normally a prob live but recording it's a constant struggle!!
Nice Starsky & Hutch vibes there Tom 😋
Ha yes! Can't beat a bit of 70s funk! Just need the big chunky cardigan now!
I've put the red one (A) on the fifth string following the color code, but it looks the same as the first string that came originally installed. Is the color code on the bag correct?
Are we talking about the Vintage Modified Bass VI or the most recent Classic Vibes Bass VI. Everybody says that the Vintage Modified had the intonation problem but I have read that it is solved in the Classic Vibes version
It's the Classic Vibes....had to look it up. It might be solved now....I bought mine a while ago....about the date of this video.
I just got my CV Bass VI...no intonation issues at all. Still could use heavier gauge strings though so things aren't so floppy.@@iamtjwalker
We got the funk!
Ha! Yes.
Get either the new bass VI tremolo (vibrato) and the new bridge for it or try a mastery bridge and trem or any combination of those parts.
I'll check them out.....changing for a bigger string has sorted the issue though.
Hello mate, as far as I understood, you replaced the string with the .100 one from the pack, correct?
Yes I think so....I confused myself with the gauges not being a bass player so I wasn't clear.....but I replaced the 6th string (the low E)....which I think is the .100!!
@@iamtjwalker Cheers
Curious, can you throw on a guitar neck onto that body, without introducing intonation issues and without having to reposition the bridge?
I like the Jaguar/jazzmaster body, but with a 3 PU Strat style configuration but with the jaguar type selector switches such as what this has.
I’m not sure, depends if the bolts match I guess!!
@@iamtjwalker it's more complicated than that. The positioning of the frets depends on the correct bridge placement.
Either you move the bridge to accomodate the frets on an after market neck or you move all the frets, essentially custom make a neck with the pertinent fret job, to accomodate the bridge, otherwise the intonation will be off.
I guess the inbetween solution is to take a preexisting neck with a length that would work and just redo the the frits, which would entail cutting new fret slots and filling the old ones in or removing the entire fretboard and starting afresh.
Sounds like a project.
@@boxerfencer Sounds like it would be easier to change the pickups on a jazz master!!
@@iamtjwalker maybe, but I hate the hacket job I've seen when routing for a new PU. I think the insides should look so presentable that you could use a transparent pickguard.
Ultimately, I think it might be easier to buy a Kurbain offset inspired guitar, and dump the overwound humbuckers for some flexible humbuckers with coil splitting to get the Stratty 2 and 4 positions, as well as the Tele neck and bridge sound.
The great thing with 2 flexible humbuckers would be that you'd be able to get 2 hum cancelling voicings for the tele sound, which I don't think Fender necessarily offers.
Of course the Stratty 2 and 4 voicings necessitates going into parallel mode, but a PAF sound requires series, so that would have to be built in.
Through in out and in of phase settings and you've got something much more flexible than any commercially produced guitar, even Brian May's guitars.
You could through in a rotary switch for shits and giggles.
Of course, you could do this on the cheap with single coils of my construction of choosing side by side. This would be my goto rather than buying overpriced humbuckers that probably don't do a believable single coil sound, as most are known for failing at.
Edit: There's a pull and push boost knob that some current Japanese guitar has. Not sure how it works but something like that would be interesting to add too.
@@iamtjwalker hold on! I see what you did there. A jazz master's PU cavities might allow for easier routing out for either two humbuckers or two pairs of single coils.
They'll have to increase depth so it might not look like a hacket job, after all, but still ... a Kurbain offset might be easier to do all these mods, stance it would avoid woodworking.
Jazz masters have a shorter scale length though, so that's some to consider.
Thanks for the idea.
There might be some special jazzmaster stacked PUs. I think there is. If they're flexible enough I should be able to do all this stuff with routing anything.
Hi is that a q-tron for the lead line?
It's the filter thing in Guitar Rig.....so a similar I think!
@@iamtjwalker wow a plugin i'm suprised!
Always changecall strings for even wear abd tone.
Would you use a bass amp or a guitar amp with one of these?
Does these ones fit in a Harley Benton GuitarBass?
I don’t know, sorry
Have you broken string yet and sent it back under the purchased warranty?
Good point....you've reminded me....better get doing some serious slap bass to get that string broken.....then dig out that extended warranty!!
For mine, reversing the bridge, shimming the neck, raising up the whole bridge, while lowering each individual saddle solved it for me.
I also use 106 gauge strings. Along with lowering the pickups, removes any weird warble.
Mine seems to be ok with the heavier string. I'm sure I could get it better......it's on my to do list!!
On a Bass vi, it's not bloody likely that you'll break any string!
True…..i have seen bass players break strings though….not very often i have to admit!
Thanks for sharin’!
God bless ya!
SOLI DEO GLORIA
(To The Glory of God Alone)
Father, Son & Holy Spirit
-Ronnie
Hope it was useful
Buzzing frets much????? 🤷♂️
No but the action is quite hight.
Just get flats. This instrument works best with flatwounds.
They seem to be the string of choice....I'll wait until these are worn out then get some!!
These bass vi’s have the same scale length as many 4 string basses. Eg Hofner and some Gibsons. They will often have 100” or even 105” gauge low E. Nothing funnier than watching a guitar player trying to play a bass. 😂 ps. The strings are way too close together for this to be a usable bass . It’s really a guitarists toy.
you could take out 11 min off this video.
Yes I'm sure you could.
@@iamtjwalker I enjoyed the whole thing. But then again I have an attention span longer than a gnat too. 😄
Stop saying eXetera! It's et cetera.