Here's a bass that we can atually call NEW. A 6 string Fender.
Actually, there was a 6 string Fender bass before, the Fender Bass VI, but this was actually more a baritone guitar (30" scale), tuned one octave bellow a guitar. Jack Bruce used this instrument with Cream back in the 60's.
However, Fender had never produced a series of modern 34" 6 string bass tuned BEADGC, although the Custom Shop did that type of bass for Alien Ant Farm's bassist Tye Zamora.
The new Fender Steve Bailey signature is the first 6 string production bass from Fender. The idea was simple: to create a 6 string Jazz Bass. This is easier said than done, so creating a 24 fret 6 string version of a Jazz Bass was quite an effort for Fender.
Steve Bailey is a gifted bassplayer, columnist and educator with an amazing carrier. He had been using Fender style 6 string fretless basses for a while, so it made sense that Fender eventually did this signature model.
The neck is quite wide, but the compound radius and slim neck make playing this bass really easy.
The alder body and maple neck are the perfect ingredients for a traditional tone. Ebony is used both on the fretted and fretless models.
Standard 6 string pickups wouldn't work here, so Fender has come up with these single coil pickups that have been wired to make this bass sound as close to a standard Jazz Bass as possible. A 2 band active circuit completes the electronics, apart from a Mute switch that lets you use the Volume pot to find the tone you like, and just switch the bass in or out when needed. Steve Bailey has acted as musical director on several occasions, and this switch is very handy in that situation.
