IT'S NOT A BARITONE! - But It is a $200 Bass VI - Checking out the Gear 4 Music 638 "Baritone"

[@blackxlist4150]

I've got 2 of these (for the different fretboard sounds) as far as strings go, the D'Addario Bass VI set (24-84) are perfect.

[@60CycleHumcast]

this is the information people need! thanks.

[@renodavid]

Same gauge strings G4M says this guitar comes with. Maybe they’re just crappy strings?

[@ghetto_yeti]

@@blackxlist4150 you’re telling us that that light of a string gauge isn’t causing the low e string to sound mushy and just terrible? I’ve owned a couple bass vi and a couple short scale Jaguar basses and the strings the come with are too light and the low e always causes problems. The info ppl need is that you need to put something above a .95 for the low e. Fender 250 bass vi strings run 24-100 and are the least expensive choice. They fix the low end buzz and mush and sound better imo

[@blackxlist4150]

Sounds fine to me. Don't forget thu humbuckers have a different response. I've had heavier on too, but those ones work great

[@AzraelXJM]

Have a Bass VI and took the cheap and quick option of Earnie Balls which seemed much the same as the factory strings, bad low E still, until I tuned up to I think G where it was lessened but stability was done. Don't know if locking tuners would help but I was thinking of trading to one of these which I'll be happier modding. I'd like to figure out some strings that cure the low E issue whilst allowing a regular tuning around A or G but will allow for tuning down to the bass range.

[@kel5944]

I like the idea of a humbucker bass VI

[@AuntJoey]

No 60 Cycle Hum, much to the channels dismay :D

[@kel5944]

@@AuntJoeylol, true, but he has at least 3 humbucker guitars behind him in the video.

[@AuntJoey]

@@kel5944 shhh shhh shhh those are holograms

[@EmperorKamikaze]

Easy to install

[@DetroitMicroSound]

Some would argue this is the actual golden era of the guitar (bass, and all others) because of the sheer number of types available to the average person.

[@kel5944]

I need to join a band so I can justify all if this music gear I want to buy.

[@60CycleHumcast]

thats how i feel about every piece of gear i demo 'if only i had a band to play this in'

[@teknomanning]

@@60CycleHumcastat age 73 I joined a band to justify all the gear I bought!🤣👍🏿❤

[@demondarcy3911]

nah just start a youtube channel lmao

[@briangarcia8384]

Having fun with your gear and the tones it creates is justification enough. But I get it. Jamming with people is such an incredible feeling.

[@kel5944]

@@briangarcia8384I’m just trying to justify it to my wife 😂

[@barnaclerusty]

“Do what ever you want, there’s no rules!” -great quote

[@xiancode3682]

A useful video, thanks! The beard is really reaching Old Testament proportions.

[@xanghost2659]

This is a SubZero Rogue 6 baritone. A couple years ago around this time holiday season I was eyeballing one. My wife bought me this exact guitar. Same color, same head stock and body shape, black pickguard, Chrome humbuckers, through Gear4music. Maybe the one you got is the house brand version? Regardless it is a very fun baritone to play for just about any style of music. Any low tuned metal, even country, blues, shoegaze especially. Throw a little delay and reverb and leave this world for a bit.

[@klap00]

Same thing, rebranded to in-house.

[@nicosonic]

I have this guitar and I tuned it to A standard with baritone strings so now it's a baritone.

[@Scoots_McGee]

How do you like it? I'm in the market for a budget baritone and there aren't many options out there

[@nicosonic]

@@Scoots_McGee It's excellent but 30 inches is bit long for a baritone, I prefer 27 or28 inches.

[@juicekicksup]

@@nicosonichow did you get standard string sets to reach that far up the neck?

[@nicosonic]

@@juicekicksup I ordered a special set from stringjoy.

[@SixxAxxiS]

@@juicekicksup You don't. You buy baritone string sets, or bass vi sets, depending on the note range you're going for. Fender, Stringjoy, D'Addario, Ernie Ball, and La Bella, all offer string packs that pretty much meet the need of whatever note range you're trying to reach with a 30" baritone/bass vi.

[@TuescaTales]

I suspect this is the same as the Firefly 30” Baritone. Almost identical except for the headstock. That one is only $179 and awesome!

[@8wheeledassassins.]

I just bought one of those and agree. It is identical. The strings on the firefly seemed thinner. Oddly I had a hard time tuning to Bstandard Maybe I’ll set it up as a bass 6

[@bakstabbath]

Jesus that thing sounds amazing with fuzz. I don't need anymore guitars but I think I need this

[@gabet1075]

That clean playing by the fuzz on the bass VI gives this video some serious Kyuss vibes.

[@squidmissiletv]

You did a great job with the loop jam. That's what's that was made for.

[@tkauff713]

I tune my bass 6 to D standed it fixed the buzz and gives more sustain.

[@michaelslowmin]

I feel like this this would be good for some sludge/doom/stonery drone stuff

[@fullmetaflak]

Unironically I would love an fender offset with that paint scheme, literally the only parts I visually don't like are the binding and headstock logo, such a nice clean look

[@PrisonLaParis]

Another great video and review bro! Definitely going to check out this guitar!!!

[@waterboymusic]

I’M the guy who has been begging for this guitar 😍

[@robbyjamesdio1]

Was that The Meters I heard when you started playing? Very cool looking guitar. Thanks for the review.

[@allandalesizemoreandthelos4016]

@@robbyjamesdio1 yup!

[@GlenCaines-tl7jd]

Cissy Strut

[@BeyondTyrants]

The baritone that Gretsch makes has a 30 inch scale neck as well and the story goes that it was originally intended to be a Bass VI but the demand for those dropped as the demand for baritones rose so they just changed the string setup on them. I bought one and changed it back to a Bass VI. The mini buckers sound better than single coils and it's a hard tail bridge so the thing actually stays in tune. I'm curious to compare that to this one at a third of the price.

[@marcofrau7794]

Dude! I suppose I'm the last after millions stating that you're the spitted image of the character Bear in "Big Wednesday", my surf guitar guru!!!!

[@Apodicticus]

Hint: baritone strings won't reach. How do I know? I bought a Harley Benton Bass-VI with the express intention of stringing it A-A, with the option of drop-G, and I figured the extra scale length would keep it from being too flaccid. I wound up having to replace the bridge with a hardtail. Ultimately, I changed my mind and now string it E-E. Here it be: kzbin.info/www/bejne/l5PScpiNYrtlgsk

[@goc1842]

@@Apodicticus you can add a screw on tail piece over the holes for the ferrules, gives you more string length if you need baritone strings , I did on one of these

[@Apodicticus]

@@goc1842 Thanks -- I was working on a Harley Benton model, which had a tune-o-matic and stop tailpiece. Frankly, had I seen this (or the Firefly bass VI model) it would have been preferable for many reasons, including my preference for dual humbuckers over 3 singles (which I replaced with hot-rail type units.) Still, for me much of the fun is in doing the mods. I actually would have gone for the Squier but I didn't want the whammy bar or the switching scheme, since I wanted the option of phase and series-parallel in a single blade switch.

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

I hate the brand logo, but I am SO GLAD they started painting the headstock.

[@ahmetcangokceer]

yeah but its so put a sticker on top-able, that was my first thought seeing the bass : )

[@ThatBaritoneGuitarGuy]

So, I could put on one of those standard-issue Fender stickers?

[@Taylordomy]

Got this guitar and it's pretty awesome, also have the Harley Benton 30inch with single coils both are great

[@menschlicheswesen84]

But the harley benton JA 30inch is a baritone right...? Not a bass6...?

[@Taylordomy]

@menschlicheswesen84 same scale length just different gauge of strings, the Benton has a slimer neck profile also. Essentially I play them both as baritones, the bassiv is in drop e and the Benton is in drop g. Picked the gear for music one up after watching a loathe guitar playthrough 😘😅

[@menschlicheswesen84]

@@Taylordomy Wait a sec.😵 The HB has the slimer neck profile...? The neck on my HB JA is humongusly thick and the other one is even thicker...? I'm gonna go for the HB amarok 6 baritone cause it has a slim neck, but it has only 27inch tho...

[@Taylordomy]

@@menschlicheswesen84 yeah mine feels very slim compared to the bassiv.

[@DaveyMulholland]

Wonder how it would sound with Nashville tuning. Would sort the feet buzz out at least. Open C Nashville?

[@DaveyMulholland]

*fret buzz

[@thefilthyhoney]

I have one of these, had it for about a year. If you're thinking of buying one, here are a few things to consider. Yes, if you swap the strings it can be used as a baritone. The bass vi strings that came with it were fine on mine, no buzzing. The reverse headstock makes it a bit of a pain to tune, especially cos the tuners are quite closer together. On mine, the A string tuner is a bit loose. The humbuckers sound great. And finally, probably the most important thing.... because of the 30 inch neck and the reverse headstock you need really long strings and the only place I've found that sells strings long enough is Stringjoy (and if you live in the uk, they take over a month to arrive)

[@lesliefarlow5734]

Hell ya Wes Borland used a Fender Bass VI on some of the Gold Cobra album, I might have to check one out

[@ghetto_yeti]

I pulled the ultimate heresy and converted my Lake Placid Blue w matching headstock Squier CME Bass IV into a baritone. It’s actually a complete badass mutant… the 30” scale is huge for a guy who prefers short scale guitars like Jaguars. That love of Jaguars is why I wanted a Bass VI in the 1st place. I did very few mods to initially convert it. If started by replacing the dinky strings that come stock w Fender 250s. They are Bass VI specific strings that go from 24-100. The 100 low string fixed the horrible floppiness that I’ve found all Fenders short scale basses to suffer from. No more low end mush! I did swap out the bridge, pots and but it wasn’t necessary. All I did was buy a set of Slinky 6 String Bass Strings 20w-90 and a 13 & 18 a la carte, so to speak, and mixed and matched the 3 sets of strings to fit what felt good to me. The high E String was a bit tricky since the 30” scale is longer than normal baritone you can only get about 3-4 wraps on it but it hasn’t slipped on me yet so I guess it’s all good. To sum up the Bass VI baritone mod is simple and you can pretty much go back and forth between the two if you’d like w simple string changes and a minimal intonation job each t8me. If you like to see a video on the process let me know. I’ve also begun the process of rewiring the “Tone 6” to have 2 circuits like a Jaguar etc but using push/push pots and a kill switch. Fun stuff!

[@AVM-Music]

What’s funny about this particular guitar is that even G4M don’t know fully what it is. Last time I looked it was still advertised as a baritone when, like you have posted, it is a bass VI. It’s a very well built guitar, clean finish and production. Tuners could do with being upgraded and it’s a great thing to play

[@cachacinha1378]

there was a jazzmaster vintage modified on squier that had the 30" scale, I'm betting they are probably referencing that instrument (which does share the scale length with the fender/squier bass vi)

[@BTFxDrumMachine]

It's basically the SubZero Rogue IV baritone with a different headstock. Body, controls and pickups are the same as the SubZero I have. For the price, you can't beat it, and the band Loathe used them as well.

[@jonlavigne3270]

I want to get a Bass VI so I can try to do Charlie Hunter type stuff on it. You probably want to stick with shell voicings as opposed to full chords. Unfortunately, I don't have the money to get even the cheapest one right now.

[@ewm416]

Thanks for sticking the long necked guitar out for us.

[@EXSENTRIX]

How much is shipping to the states? Might be a $300+ guitar for us. It's a sweet guitar though.

[@ZachKTS]

Specifications General Scale Length: 30” Number Of Strings: 6 Dexterity: Right Handed Joint/Construction:Bolt-On Body Material: Alder Colour (Top): White Gloss Colour (Back/Sides): White Gloss Neck Material: Maple Fretboard Material: Maple Headstock Finish: Black Gloss Neck Binding: Black Headstock Binding: Black Radius: 16” Profile Shape: C Number of Frets: 22 Fret material + Size: Nickel Silver, Extra Jumbo Inlays and Material: Black ABS Blocks, Black 2mm Side Dots Finish: Natural Satin Nut Width: 43mm Nut Material: Graphtech Nubone Hardware & Electronics Bridge Pickup: Chrome Covered Humbucker, Ceramic Neck Pickup: Chrome Covered Humbucker, Ceramic Volume Pot: 1 Volume Pot, 500k Tone Pot: 1 Tone Pot, 500k Switch Type: 3 Way Toggle Switch Switch Tip: Black Plastic Scratchplate: Black 3-Ply Input Jack: Regular Strap Bolts: Chrome Buttons Tuners: Chrome Die-Cast Tuners Bridge: Tune-O-Matic with Stoptail, Chrome Truss Rod: Regular Headstock Access Hardware Colour: Chrome

[@landonbailey]

Try tuning it to B. No reason why

[@60CycleHumcast]

NO LANDON NO

[@DHGagnon]

It's me. I AM THE GUY WHO WANTS A $200 BASS VI. Unfortunately, shipping to the US puts it above $280. At that point, you're getting close to the Squire line, and considering this one lacks the bass cut switch, I'll most likely just save my money and spring for the Squier.

[@SixxAxxiS]

Assuming you're talking about the Squire Bass VI, it comes with 3 single coil pickups, rather than the 2 humbuckers here. Really depends on what sonic vibe you're looking for. I've got a few of these, and each is for their own purpose, with some crossover, depending on the need of the song.

[@wolfchan4389]

are the humbuckers standard size? if so it could be cool to put in something that coils splits

[@jimmyj4811]

Thanks for the review.

[@giulioluzzardi7632]

Love the Fuzz sound..no matter where you play the fretboard it sounds the same..excellent. I want to hear a band with 2 bass 6 and a baritone and solid bass and double bass with an electric mandolin( Fender) doing Surf Music with occasional "Fuzzzz"...that box-like cardboardy fuzz that only that bass 6 can do...Hawaii 5-O theme. BTW looksike Ibanez Telman with a long neck.

[@ottovonnekpunch1268]

Ryan, I agree the string change-out is warranted, but making sure to tighten the tuning and bridge posts are in order, as well! That's worth mentioning JIC... 🤔🤔🤔

[@gilbertcrespin5631]

Sold! Thanks for the review!

[@billdelunalewis7171]

Looks like the seller took advantage of your cool vid. The $179 model is now equal in price to the White model. 😎

[@60CycleHumcast]

@@billdelunalewis7171 it was probably a Black Friday deal that’s over now

[@joermnyc]

For a while I had one of those Fender baritone “Strat” necks on a Blacktop Jazzmaster body I’d picked up for cheap and was modding (tight squeeze, but it fit). I ultimately put a regular matching black headstock Jazzmaster neck on it instead. That guitar had a Seymour Duncan vintage Jazzmaster neck pickup, but one of their P-rail bridge pickups with the pickup ring with Mustang-ish switching built in so I could select either coil, or run that pickup out of phase with itself.

[@NeoRichardBlake]

Ryan can you get your hands on the Firefly version of this and do a comparison?

[@StopTryingSoHard]

Interesting for the $200 when I've rarely seen the Squier Bass VI below maybe $400. Seems like it's a Gibson Explorer Baritone x Fender Bass VI marriage. I guess we could swap pots (and the jack) and setup coil splitting with little effort.

[@flapjack413]

Def a Bass XI. You could even route the top for a JM/Jaguar vibrato and pop a roller bridge on it if you really wanted to go all in on the Bass XI vibes with it.

[@tallthinkev]

Bass XI (eleven)? Do you not mean bass VI?

[@ACWraith]

I've been eyeing it for a while. The only thing that makes me wary is the bridge intonation. Overall, I'd be tempted to use it as a mod platform.

[@blackxlist4150]

It's got a Nashville bridge as standard, so slightly wider than a standard Tune-O-Matic, the extra space means no intonation issues.

[@ACWraith]

@@blackxlist4150 Good to know. Thank you. :)

[@GuitarP0RN]

FYI: the Firefly 30" Jazzmaster baritone is $206.91, total(no tax)

[@disenchanteddad7759]

So similar to the Firefly version, aside from the neck heel and bridge. And yes, 30" scale length = Bass VI. Baritones are best at 27" or 28". Leave some low-end for bass players, everyone. In either case, Bass VI's or "baritones" are so much cooler with a vibrato tailpiece. 😎

[@Scoots_McGee]

I'm in the market for a budget baritone guitar. Should I buy a cheap one, convert a bass 6, or just buy a digitech drop pedal? I'd love some some input and suggestions for all three options

[@geraldfriend256]

The drop pedal just does not sound real to my ears, especially the farther down you go

[@paperoverflow]

This one looks freaking awesome. Are these also available in Europe?

[@d9mt-s5e]

Yes!

[@kel5944]

Idk how or when I stumbled on your channel, it may have been a pedal review, but I now appreciate surf music, unusual looking guitars and the spring reverb built into my crate practice amp 😂 a lot more since I’ve found you and I’ve discovered new bands like The Surfrajettes and Messer Chups. What are some of the songs that you play riffs from? I definitely recognize inspector gadget and the pink panther because I think I’m a little older than you.

[@BCThunderthud]

I don't remember if it was this same model but I remember reading that people were having trouble finding strings for a 30" guitar with a reverse headstock. It might be tough to make it a baritone for that reason. I bought a different $200 bass vi with a normal headstock and switched it to something more manageable with help from Stringjoy's custom string sets.

[@areallyboredguy5825]

You should checkout the Vola JZ FRO, it's an offset p90/s/p90 guitar with wiggle stick. That guitar looks to have a similar body.

[@misterjezyk13]

Nice stuff but with the tension putting on the head it won't last long... If they made some improvement to the upper.😅

[@ibanezleftyclub]

If it’s 30” is still a baritone, baritone starts at anything after 25.5”. All you would have to do is put regular guitar strings on it for baritone, so probably the bottom 6 of a 8 string set and tune it to F or G.

[@mrNobody100]

maple fretboard with black block inlays! HELL YEAH!!! i love that shit! also, i didn't even think about rattling until you said it, then i couldn't un hear it after... but i guess i've usually not been put off by some rattle or buzzing unless the note feels super compromised when fretted...

[@wheeljork]

I just finished blowing all my money on gifts for other people. Maybe next year. But you make me think, is that 30 inch mark where the "overlap" is on intonation for the two different string gauges you would want for baritone vs bass 6? I would love to see you put some fat normal guitar strings on it and see if it intonates fine in B in "baritone" mode. Maybe a video for a different kind of channel though, I dunno

[@TerrestrialMack]

I got a Harley Benton bass vi and a Duesey trem to put on it but i had to source a heavier spring for the tension

[@cjhenry41]

It rattles like a trash can. I could see getting one and upgrading it, but could also see getting a Squier Bass VI and swapping in some noiseless or stacked Humbucker picks. This is cheap enough to take a chance on, and different enough to cough up for setup and some minor upgrades. Great when at 14:25 you got NIN and SUNN o))) into your studio. I take the in between on my actual baritone, with TV Jones pickups. Right after you put this video up, they raised the price. Make them pay you.

[@brandonobrien7239]

I got a squier bass vi and the strings that came with it rattled like crazy. It took new strings and a bit of intonation to get that guitar going. I was only able to find sets of flatwound strings, which I didn't particularly like. I ended up finding a company called Kalium that sells strings and they work great.

[@JRP3music]

Put some coil taps on each pickup. It will do both sounds. Mix them up.

[@davelanciani-dimaensionx]

What are the string gauges on this?

[@JT-si6bl]

Its a hot humbucker, the bridge is good, and the action is decent. Its a good instrument, and it works for me. Interesting it is. The tuners twist my brain and its a bitch to tune. But I never figured it go to any other tuning but standard. Imaana try different. Great vid dude. I love the hanging axes there!

[@kel5944]

I came back to the video to reply to a comment. This bass VI sounds AMAZING on my home stereo. My AirPods suck…

[@brianmansfield666]

That’s a nice looking geetar at any price…

[@mykhedelic6471]

The first riff you play on the bass 6, what is it, you always play it. Meters?

[@60CycleHumcast]

yeah sissy strut by the meters

[@teknomanning]

At 73,I joined a band,to justify all the gear I have🤣👍🏿❤

[@stratguy1784]

I once ordered a baritone from Firefly and it came with regular strings :/ so it was just a really long guitar. The nut wasn't cut right for baritone strings so I returned it, at a cost of course. Last time I got one of their guitars

[@60CycleHumcast]

Yeah I stopped covering them when they bypassed Amazon. With cheap guitars you need some sort of return protection.

[@stratguy1784]

@@60CycleHumcast agreed!

[@GrackAlaciN]

I tried one of those, the fret sprout was so bad that it took days for the skin of my fingers to return to normal.

[@60CycleHumcast]

Oh no!

[@shainearkenburg5093]

Idk I got a g4m 7 string baritone and I still have it but I've never been able to play it so I have to send it to Ed Roman maybe in a couple years I can afford to spend 1600$ to have it rebuilt. Shame too

[@marqsee7948]

pick or no pick? Of course there are no rules. I even saw a popular guy, a successful guy, I mean he even had a woman, a beautiful woman, who helps him. (big sniff) She held a camera for him as tears streamed down his face while he was using an effect pedal as a pick. (gestures somehow both robotically and wildly) Big strong hands, that pedal looked so tiny in them. Everybody loved it! *disclaimer: facts may be a little different than they appear. **claimer: she's more than just a woman, she's still patient.

[@msbrech]

So, for my own education because I don't know, what exactly is the difference between a baritone and a Bass VI?

[@60CycleHumcast]

Baritone is typically tuned to B. It sits between standard guitar and bass. A bass vi is basically bass tuning but with a high b and e string. Bass vi uses heavier strings than baritone.

[@kyleluck8097]

How much does this thing weigh?

[@JMal883]

The GAS is strong with this, but preferred the Sub Zero branding. Unfortunately the G4M brand carries a lot of unfair stigma in the UK, still can always cover it with stickers for a full on punk style bass vi!

[@davessparetime83]

6 String Bass is just a 30" Baritone with thicker strings. Baritone uses 0.14 - 0.68 Where 6 string Bass 0.24 - 0.90. Nut. tuners and bridge might need to be different based on string thickness.

[@lawrencegenereux8567]

The cost for delivery puts this axe into "ahhh... No" territory.

[@whatwedointheshadows3349]

No cure riffs?

[@friedrich1957]

Yes, I want a Bass 6, with Bass strings...that's the problem.

[@JRP3music]

I would like to hear it split to a bass amp....

[@andsoistopped]

Gear 4 Music have reached out to a lot of You Tubers recently.

[@60CycleHumcast]

lol yep.

[@cujo80676]

Was that the 2 Princes setup? lol

[@HenrikMoos]

With the fuzz it’s a doom monster

[@johnmclaughlin2392]

It’s hard for me to have eyes for off brand headstocks. They did good a job on this one.

[@jeffgarrison7056]

It looks cool... 30" scale and humbuckers are kinda odd, but for around $200...??? Not bad!!!

[@luke8026]

theres def other use cases, but at the end of the day this is for the modern metal player who plays in tunings around the universe of drop e and f

[@StoreBrandHoney]

I have the Firefly variant of this guitar but I left it factory tuned to B and it’s been my sole go-to lately. Such a fun guitar, fast, ball-end frets. Paid like $170 for it lol.

[@wesmitchem825]

Looks better than my Harley Benton bass vi

[@briansnoderly1850]

Currently at $216. I think I need this to go along with my Squier Bass VI.

[@PJB222]

You wanna hear a Bass IV used to perfection listen to Quicksand

[@nickrouse8426]

Rattling strings is likely a couple high frets that weren't intended for strings that fat. Couples tweaks froms perfection.

[@shainearkenburg5093]

On second thought firefly 28"scale baritone les paul or an SG 28"SCALE 230$ TO 179$ much better buy than g4m and you can put a hipshot tone a matic bridge with a fine tuner and a locking nut and locking tuners too. 😮

[@TFMB]

one day i too will tune as fast as you do🤣

[@billhatfield7231]

Get Gunstreet to make you a coil split harness with push pull pot.

[@shainearkenburg5093]

I'm one of those guys that doesn't have much money to spend so I totally got ripped off 😢 nice guitar probably doesn't intonate the way it's supposed too once you really check it out. 😅

[@leopoldbluesky]

B for Baritone, and E for... no, wait...

[@Tuning_Spork]

...Everything Else

[@kenmiles4145]

I converted my bass vi to a baritone. I don't like the sound of the bass roundwound strings. Too tinny. So I bought some xl baritone strings at GC.

[@BeauregardHall]

Has NO ONE commented on the viking-tier beard?

[@riklionheart23]

Fastest growing beard on KZbin 😂

[@IndicacannaJones]

I really want to hear a JB at the bridge.

[@hrtbrkkids]

So is this a 6 string bass?

[@pablowentscobar]

That thing just demands you to play Sludge. You keep falling back into Sludge riffs. That's almost worth buying it alone.