# 6 string Bass on a 600 dollar budget



## Thallkenbrack (Apr 30, 2012)

Hey guys. This is my first post, so forgive me for possibly being redundant or not knowing my stuff.

I'm looking for a good 6-string bass for under 600 bucks. I haven't really found anything that's caught my eye yet, apart from the LTD B-206SM  (haven't heard anything negative about it yet, and I love spalted maple, so bonus!)

Any recommendations? 
(in case anyone is wondering, it's for metal, so the faster the neck, the better).


----------



## Metal_Webb (Apr 30, 2012)

Schecter Stiletto 6 Custom - Natural Finish 

One of these bad boys. They do come in black as well and from what I understand, they are a good deal for the price.

In a couple of months when I have the money....one will be mine


----------



## TheDuatAwaits (Apr 30, 2012)

Brice Defiant 6 Lizard Burst - RondoMusic.com

I wish i had one of these.


----------



## davisjom (Apr 30, 2012)

In my mind you only have two options that are worth a damn. (unless i really missed something)

1) ESP LTD B-206SM ESP LTD B-206SM 6-String Bass | GuitarCenter (you already knew about that one)

2) ESP LTD D-6 ESP LTD D-6 6-String Bass Guitar | GuitarCenter

Differences? D-6 is a 34" scale, neck-thru and different woods

I would get the D-6 because of the neck-thru. But i also havent played any ESP bolts. So if you don't care about how the neck is joined, it basically comes down to whether or not you want the 34" or the 35" scale.

(You should try to play them both, thats the best way to figure out what bass is right for you)


----------



## oracles (May 1, 2012)

I own the 5 string version of one of these Brice HXB-406 GL Black - RondoMusic.com and honestly cant say enough good things about it, especially for the price you pay for them. If your willing to spend the extra though, the lizard burst previously mentioned (Brice Defiant 6 Lizard Burst - RondoMusic.com) is also definitely a solid investment.


----------



## All_¥our_Bass (May 1, 2012)

35" scale will make that low B sound better.


----------



## Zeetwig (May 1, 2012)

What you can do is try to find a used bass. Ibanez has some nice 6 string basses, both in the SR and BTB series. An SR506 is about 900USD but with some luck you can get a used one for <600 

Other than that the Peavey Grind is around 600.

May I ask why you want a 6 string bass (I am sort of GASing about one too xD )?


----------



## Thallkenbrack (May 1, 2012)

Zeetwig said:


> May I ask why you want a 6 string bass (I am sort of GASing about one too xD )?



Well, I've been playing 4 string for a few years now, and I guess in a way, I've grown kinda bored of it, especially because I despise my bass (beginner Squier p-bass). It feels pretty limiting, and when someone sees me playing a Squier, they jump to the conclusion that I know nothing about bass.

I haven't been able to afford a new bass until now, and I'm starting to get into 7-string stuff, so I need the lower tuning, but I also like fiddling with higher strings, so I chose getting a 6 over a 5. I tried out a couple sixes at a local music store, and at a gig I tried out the holiest of 6's, imo, an Ibby BTB (if I could score one at a good price, I'd be all over it).



Metal_Webb said:


> Schecter Stiletto 6 Custom - Natural Finish
> 
> One of these bad boys. They do come in black as well and from what I understand, they are a good deal for the price.



Also very interested, but I'm not sure about how thin the neck is.


----------



## Konfyouzd (May 1, 2012)

Thallkenbrack said:


> ...when someone sees me playing a Squier, they jump to the conclusion that I know nothing about bass.



Shake the haters off...


----------



## Thallkenbrack (May 1, 2012)

Konfyouzd said:


> Shake the haters off...



I have, and I really could care less about what they think about my piece o' poop bass. But let's just say... if Squier made a 6, I'd never even consider it, no matter how little money I had. I've had problems with my current bass since I got it. It came out of the box new, but already had a warped neck, and somehow, the low E snapped within a week (plus the fact that I knew shit about bass, so I had my local music store adjust the neck, and basically paid a guy 100 bucks just to adjust a truss rod).

After this incident, the neck came loose, and I had to screw it back in.

6-8 months later, the bridge breaks. To this day, I have to put an old credit card in between the bridge piece and the pins (or whatever you call the things that hold the strings in place) To prevent the strings from moving around.

Fast forward to today, the low E will not stay in the nut (wiggles around), the neck is warped again, and the wiring and pickguard have come loose (but that part's my fault, I never put all the screws back into the pickguard after re-soldering a some loose cables).

So yeah, the reason it has haters is because it's in pretty laughable shape right now


----------



## Zeetwig (May 1, 2012)

Thallkenbrack said:


> Well, I've been playing 4 string for a few years now, and I guess in a way, I've grown kinda bored of it, especially because I despise my bass (beginner Squier p-bass). It feels pretty limiting, and when someone sees me playing a Squier, they jump to the conclusion that I know nothing about bass.
> 
> I haven't been able to afford a new bass until now, and I'm starting to get into 7-string stuff, so I need the lower tuning, but I also like fiddling with higher strings, so I chose getting a 6 over a 5. I tried out a couple sixes at a local music store, and at a gig I tried out the holiest of 6's, imo, an Ibby BTB (if I could score one at a good price, I'd be all over it).



Cool ^^ I too want that low end of the register while still keeping the ability to do some high soloing, tapping and chording (or just noodling  ). I wish you the best of luck finding one! 



Thallkenbrack said:


> I have, and I really could care less about what they think about my piece o' poop bass. But let's just say... if Squier made a 6, I'd never even consider it, no matter how little money I had. I've had problems with my current bass since I got it. It came out of the box new, but already had a warped neck, and somehow, the low E snapped within a week (plus the fact that I knew shit about bass, so I had my local music store adjust the neck, and basically paid a guy 100 bucks just to adjust a truss rod).
> 
> After this incident, the neck came loose, and I had to screw it back in.
> 
> ...



Gsus :S No wonder why you want a new bass :S Try getting your hands on a used BTB or an SR. Those are wonderful basses and they really "merge" with you when playing. Absolutely no resistance from the bass what so ever  If you get one you'll be forever satisfied! I know I might be a little biased since I own an SR and have tried BTBs, but whatthehell Ibanez really does make great instruments


----------



## Konfyouzd (May 1, 2012)

^ What this guy said...


----------



## Thallkenbrack (May 1, 2012)

Zeetwig said:


> Gsus :S No wonder why you want a new bass :S Try getting your hands on a used BTB or an SR. Those are wonderful basses and they really "merge" with you when playing. Absolutely no resistance from the bass what so ever  If you get one you'll be forever satisfied! I know I might be a little biased since I own an SR and have tried BTBs, but whatthehell Ibanez really does make great instruments



My local music store sells the BTB676-NTF for 900 new, so outta my price range unless I look at taking more time to get a bigger budget
BUUUUT The SR506 is 699... gonna have to start looking into the possibilities!

Also, that Brice looks nice as FUCK, but due to me not being in the states, the shipping/handling/brokerage fees add up to an 800-900 dollar purchase.


----------



## Konfyouzd (May 1, 2012)

^ Scratch it and haggle... 



It's worth noting that BTBs and SRs feel a lot different. I'm not sure how much experience you have with either, but I've owned both and I find the string spacing on the BTB more comfortable.


----------



## Thallkenbrack (May 1, 2012)

I've played an SR505 and the BTB in question.
The BTB felt more comfortable, but the SR weighed like -10lbs.
One thing I don't like about the SR is how close the strings are to each other, in comparison to the BTB, where you have more room for the occasional slap/pop.


----------



## Zeetwig (May 1, 2012)

It's true that string spacing is not so spacey on Ibbys... But I like them anyway  The best thing you can do is to try the bass you are interested in and then compare it to other basses. Slap is doable on the SRs, and it's more a matter of technique, but yes it will be more easy on a non-ibby

nevertheless the EQ on both the SR and BTB slays, and the thin neck feels really nice  

And 900 for a BTB676 is not that bad! :O here in sweden they are around 1200 :S


----------



## Konfyouzd (May 1, 2012)

Thallkenbrack said:


> I've played an SR505 and the BTB in question.
> The BTB felt more comfortable, but the SR weighed like -10lbs.
> One thing I don't like about the SR is how close the strings are to each other, in comparison to the BTB, where you have more room for the occasional slap/pop.



THIS so many times over... I like the weight of th SR so much but I wish they came out with a model that had a hybrid string spacing between SR and BTB. I ended up getting a Douglas WEB 825 Fretless to see if I even dug fretless bass and it feels so much like an SR in the body which I love, but the string spacing is small like the SR too which I don't like--particularly when trying to fret a note and hit a harmonic at the same time (like Jaco does in Portrait of Tracy). 

A lot of the time I will end up deadening one of the two by accident because of how close the strings are unless I curl all my fingers up like a crab claw. I've learned to play things this way, but it would be more comfy with a wider spacing.


----------

