Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI: save me from blowing money

[rfurtkamp]

I've been kicking myself for almost 20 years for not buying a MIJ Bass VI reissue for $600 or so from a shop that had a handshake and "pay us $5 at a time for a while" credit plan that would have let me take it home at the time - an exhorbitant price for me at the time.

I have some unexpected bonus money coming in and see the Eastwood Sidejack Bass VI (note the actual 30" scale length, E to E tuning, not the crappy baritone that would just make me wish I had a VI) is available. Not famously happy about the colors, but I wasn't on my Mascis Jazzmaster either.

I want the trem more than fancy electronic packages, switches, and the like - I'd like it to at least sound passable out of the box with the possibility to replace electronics later.

Compounding this is the fact that I can get a heck of a Bass VI sound out of my Roland GR-55's vGuitar with faux lipstick pickup settings and tuning it down an octave virtually. My synth controller is a Jaguar, so I have everything but the scale length and physicality of playing the bigger VI in the package and probably 98% of the sound or more - but it means I have to run through the Roland. There's no crime in that but wanted to throw it out as a clarifier.

I also have a beautiful, kept me happy for years Jazz Bass. I"m big enough to play stupid chords on the Jazz but don't have the trem on it (and I'm not potentially ruining a bass that's made me happy with a major mod, and it still wouldn't get me the 2 extra strings.

So tell me why I shouldn't get a Skdejack Bass VI other than the cosmetics. I could swing a bit more than its asking price if I had to, and I'm not interested in a fixer-upper or an Agile/SX crapshoot unless it came with an ironclad "it's better than the other Agile/SX crap you've played or I come to your house and finish unpacking for you" guarantee.

There doesn't seem to be much in the way of alternatives unless I want a fixed bridge, and dammit, I want the trem.

So, learned buyers of the wierd, what should I do?

[skullservant]

Is the Schecter VI Aen just got a fixed bridge? Because it looked pretty damn nice and around the same price

[Chankgeez]

I haven't heard anything about these since NAMM, but I've still got GAS:

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qXSXYOVm_hM[/youtube]

Supposed to come out in June. It's almost September. No idea when it'll actually be available.

Also, no idea if it'll be available with a whammy bar.

Definitely gonna be more expensive than the Eastwood.

Sounds like you really want the Eastwood. So, I'd say go ahead, but I'd wait for the Lakland.

[rfurtkamp]

Yea, if I enter Lakland pricing territory I can lowball real MIJ Bass VIs for $1200ish by the time they come out. It'd hurt me financially in a bunch of ways - fixed income on disability sucks but it is what it is.

I have an unexpected and kosher to blow amount of cash coming to me soon, may be a once in the rest of my lifetime thing since I'm not exactly expected to live more than Bowie's "Five Years" and figured I'd try to take one thing off my gear regret list.

Most of it I can't fix, i'm not spending $3k on a beat up pre-CBS Jaguar or Jazzmaster even if I had that in one lump to throw down.

None of the Schecters appear to have a trem of any stripe (I could do somethign other than the Jag/JM trem if I had to but again, I'm trying for as close to a VI as I can get without entering real VI territory).

[Chankgeez]

In that case, rfurtkamp, I'd aim for the MIJ Bass VI.

Sell some stuff you're not using.

[WeHuntKings]

I've seen some great twangy jazzabilly played on the eastwood recently. A very under appreciated instrument methinks.

[aen]

I bet you could squeeze a bigsby on an Ultra VI or Hellcat. AND the hellcat is $600 right now at Musicians Friend. Now, I havent had the Hellcat ever, but the other Schecters I've had are TOP NOTCH. and both of mine are import models.
NOTE: I am not sure a bigsby will fit on that fucker. But it looks like a good possibility.

[metalmariachi]

Love Bigsbys, they could do everything a Floyd can do except stay in tune.
And you can play behind the bridge.

MM

[rfurtkamp]

Guess it's saving cash for a real VI or until Shechter or somebody reliable comes out with a VI with a bridge.

In sadness, I ordered what may be the last Squier Jag in surf green in the country, it took me two days to find.

[CaptainWampum]

Please show me where these exist.

[rfurtkamp]

Ebay had several, YT has demos if you're referring to the Sidejack VI.

Ken Stanton Music in Georgia on the surf green Jag.