What are the pros and cons of 6 string basses?

ICBM

Funkfingers said:

The easier it is to play a song almost entirely at one fret position, the less "shape" it has to help me commit to memory. (I can't sight read. So, shoot me.) 

For me, the moves that are necessary to get around the fingerboard on a four string bass guitar make the music more enjoyable to play.

That’s exactly how I feel too. Admittedly my band mostly plays pretty basic garage-punk type music with simple basslines, but there are at least a couple of songs where I play the whole thing on only the E string, and several more where I only use the bottom two, but I often play as high up as the twelfth fret on both.

Creed_Clicks

Ideal for those LOW notes on those radio friendly early 90s pop songs.

ICBM

Creed_Clicks said:

Ideal for those LOW notes on those radio friendly early 90s pop songs.

You only need a 5 for that. Or a 4 and an octaver .

CarbonCopy

ICBM said:

Funkfingers said:

The easier it is to play a song almost entirely at one fret position, the less "shape" it has to help me commit to memory. (I can't sight read. So, shoot me.) 

For me, the moves that are necessary to get around the fingerboard on a four string bass guitar make the music more enjoyable to play.

That’s exactly how I feel too. Admittedly my band mostly plays pretty basic garage-punk type music with simple basslines, but there are at least a couple of songs where I play the whole thing on only the E string, and several more where I only use the bottom two, but I often play as high up as the twelfth fret on both.

Therein lies the difference! I'm not sight reading exactly, but I have created bass scores which I am reading from at gigs. Whilst I would usually try to memorise songs, I had to learn about 120 songs last year (across different bands) and there was no way I could remember them all!

None of the bands gig very frequently, so even if I did memorise them, I would be constantly relearning them before the next gig. With written charts, I don't need to which means I'm not spending so much time practicing instead of writing and recording which I prefer more.

Having that extra high string means less jumping around when some unexpected high notes crop up because I've not remembered a position change.

That being said, it's not every song that would benefit from the high string. I'm just trying to convince myself that I 'need' to buy a 6 string headless multiscale bass...which I absolutely don't! I'm patiently waiting for a used one to show up somewhere so that it won't be a huge financial loss when I inevitably sell it.

LionAquaLooper

Aside from the 6th string - does the multiscale aspect of it also benefit you?  Because that's the only other thing that's unique about the Ibanez EHB.  If multiscale benefits you then think what other basses offer multiscale 6s in that price range.  Not Dingwalls, that's for sure.  So best to buy the Ibanez because maybe you won't get those features cheaper elsewhere (other than used).  *I'll stand corrected if there are other brands that do multiscale 6s in that price range though.

If multiscale isn't a game changer then I'm pretty sure you can find cheaper standard scale 6 strings that are more plentiful in the used market.  

CarbonCopy

LionAquaLooper said:

Aside from the 6th string - does the multiscale aspect of it also benefit you?  Because that's the only other thing that's unique about the Ibanez EHB.  If multiscale benefits you then think what other basses offer multiscale 6s in that price range.  Not Dingwalls, that's for sure.  So best to buy the Ibanez because maybe you won't get those features cheaper elsewhere (other than used).  *I'll stand corrected if there are other brands that do multiscale 6s in that price range though.

If multiscale isn't a game changer then I'm pretty sure you can find cheaper standard scale 6 strings that are more plentiful in the used market.  

I like the idea of multiscale, mainly for tonal reasons. Non flubby low strings, yet still has a warm sound on the thinner strings. It's not essential though.

As for that being the only other thing that's unique about the Ibanez, there is one more thing which I've mentioned before: the weight. I have looked at other 6 string basses in that price range and below, but the ones where weight is disclosed are quite heavy. The Ibanez is extremely light.

Secret_Sam

I'm not brave enough to try a multi scale 6, but every Ibanez I have played has played really well, whatever the price range. 

Schnozz

Weight.

I played a 6 for years but I didn't sell my 4, just to give my shoulder a break.

If you mean something like a Cort Curbow then there's no negatives really.

CarbonCopy

Schnozz said:

Weight.

I played a 6 for years but I didn't sell my 4, just to give my shoulder a break.

If you mean something like a Cort Curbow then there's no negatives really.

Or the Ibanez EHB1506MS which is under 8lb.

p90fool

Pros; you can play music to annoy people on it
Cons; you will will fail every audition you take it to

LionAquaLooper

How come you're dead set on the EHB1506MS when the EHB1006MS is much cheaper? Its still virtually the same lightweight 6 string headless multiscale bass. 

Musical_Mystery_Tour

Pros: The Beatles used one quite a lot. Cons: John Lennon played it fairly badly on The Long and Winding Road.

Bork

My six is up for sale at the moment.  I played it live once and discovered it was very difficult to hear the C string on stage.  It clashes too much with guitar and keys so concluded it's probably best suited for power trios or other situations where the mix isn't too crowded.  I could have restrung it F# B E A D G but I play fives almost exclusively now apart from an old Alembic and even older Musicman.

I also had Graphtec piezo saddles and acoustic/hexpander electronics installed so I could control a synth module for recording purposes but the latency on the B string was too much and it seemed a waste to keep it just for widdling on the upper strings when a guitar might be more responsive.

CarbonCopy

LionAquaLooper said:

How come you're dead set on the EHB1506MS when the EHB1006MS is much cheaper? Its still virtually the same lightweight 6 string headless multiscale bass. 

I'm not dead set on that model. If the cheaper one was available used somewhere, I would consider it. The 1506 is my preference though as I have played one and liked it, and the 1006 allegedly has inferior sounding pickups. It would be annoying to buy the cheaper one and not like the pickups, then sell it on to buy the 1506.

CarbonCopy

Musical_Mystery_Tour said:

Pros: The Beatles used one quite a lot. Cons: John Lennon played it fairly badly on The Long and Winding Road.

That's a different type of 6 string bass to what I'm after as explained in the original post. I.e. it's more of a guitar tuned an octave lower than a dedicated bass guitar tuned from B to C. It's very difficult to play finger style on a bass VI for me as the strings are too close together.

CarbonCopy

p90fool said:

Pros; you can play music to annoy people on it
Cons; you will will fail every audition you take it to

I'm in too many bands anyway, so the con is more of a pro!