Vintage-correct Bass VI Tribute with Classic 7.25-inch Radius
Half bass, half guitar, and all classic Fender — the Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic is a masterfully crafted tribute to Fender’s wild ’60s-era 6-string hybrid bass/guitar creation. From John Lennon to Jack Bruce to Robert Smith, the Bass VI has long served as a crossover point between the guitar and bass world, boasting a 30-inch scale length with an E-E tuning that sits one octave below the guitar. This instrument’s 2-piece select alder body comes with three Fender Custom Shop ’62 Jaguar pickups that deliver everything from classic Fender thump to a cutting spaghetti western rasp when you engage the “strangle” switch. Moreover, the maple neck and round-lam rosewood fingerboard’s ’60s Style Oval “C” profile is sure to be instantly familiar to both bassists and guitarists of all backgrounds. Add in a myriad of iconic and idiosyncratic Bass VI features — including a flip-up mute system and Jaguar/Jazzmaster-style floating tremolo — and the Fender Custom Shop’s Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic is a must-have musical marvel for adventurous bassists and guitarists looking to expand their sonic boundaries.
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The halfway point between bass and guitar
For as idiosyncratic as the Bass VI’s design is, it’s an exceptionally versatile instrument that’s equally attractive to both bassists and guitarists. A 30-inch scale length meets in the middle of Fender’s standard guitar (25.5-inch) and bass (34-inch) scale lengths, allowing for an E-E tuning that sits exactly one octave below the guitar. This allows both guitarists and bassists to translate their fretboard knowledge onto the Bass VI with little to no learning curve — a fact that Fender was keenly aware of, as the Bass VI is widely believed to have been designed to enable guitarists to serve double duty on both guitar and bass in the studio.
’60s Oval “C” profile neck
There’s a reason why the “C” profile neck has served as the standard Fender neck shape for decades — it’s simply a great middle-ground neck style that all types of players have come to love. That being said, the “C” has quite a few minor variations, and if you’re a player that likes a slightly chunkier neck, you’ll love the Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic’s ’60s Oval “C” profile. This profile offers all the comfort of a standard “C,” but with a greater heft to better fill your hand. Plus, this vintage-style neck is outfitted with a variety of old-school appointments: 21 medium-vintage frets in a vintage-correct 7.25-inch radius make navigating the Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic’s long 30-inch scale a breeze.
A triple-play of Fender Custom Shop ’62 Jaguar pickups
Besides their rather large difference in scale length, the Fender Jaguar and Bass VI are perhaps the two most closely related models in Fender’s golden-era history. They share a mute system, strangle switch, pickup control plate, and tremolo system, so it’s only natural that the Fender Custom Shop Bass VI Journeyman Relic also comes loaded with a trio of Fender Custom Shop ’62 Jaguar pickups. These single-coil pickups offer a bright, clear spaghetti-western tone when played on the bridge, while the neck and middle position give you a deeper and warmer sound that’s ideal for more traditional bass duties. Plus, Fender Custom Shop ’62 Jaguar pickups sport a unique metal claw around the front and back to defeat hum.
An assortment of period-correct accouterments
The Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic was crafted by the Fender Custom Shop to perfectly reflect a true vintage Bass VI, with all the distinctive accouterments that the vintage-correct design entails. From the bass-cutting strangle switch to the flip-up foam mute system, the Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic captures every little vintage-correct detail of an early-era Bass VI. However, both Sweetwater’s guitarists and bassists agree that one element takes the cake: the floating tremolo system. Frankly, it’s an extraordinarily rare feature for any bass to have, although one sway of the Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic’s highly expressive floating tremolo will have you questioning why it’s not standard issue on all basses!
Fender Custom Shop Limited-edition Bass VI Journeyman Relic Features:
- Hybrid 6-string bass/guitar design with a 30-inch scale length and an E-E tuning one octave below the guitar
- Perfect for guitarists looking to cover bass duties or bassists looking to expand their sonic range
- Highly resonant 2-piece select alder body
- Quartersawn maple neck carved into a chunky ’60s Oval “C” profile
- Round-Lam rosewood fingerboard loaded with 21 medium-vintage frets in a vintage-correct 7.25-inch radius
- 3 Fender Custom Shop ’62 Jaguar pickups with a versatile per-pickup switching system produce everything from traditional Fender bass sounds to treble-biased grit and growl
- Strangle switch cuts your bass frequencies for a more focused and cutting tone
- Flip-up mute system reduces sustain and allows you to cop warm and relaxed ’60s-style thump
- Floating tremolo system adds a touch of shimmer and movement to your playing
- Nitrocellulose Journeyman Relic finish for a friendly worn-in feel
- Classic vintage-style Fender machine heads make string changes a breeze and prevent any extra string from poking out of the tuner
