This is not a museum piece. It is a working instrument built for modern players who need articulation, balance and authority in dense arrangements. Classic lines, block-inlay elegance and vintage-correct switching meet refined hardware and carefully voiced pickups, resulting in a Bass VI that feels authentic but performs with clarity in contemporary studio and live environments.
Designed to sit between guitar and bass — without getting lost beneath either.
Body
Two-piece, centre-joined alder forms the foundation. Alder remains the classic choice for Bass VI-style instruments: balanced lows, present mids and a sweet, open top end that responds beautifully to dynamics and effects.
Finished in Candy Apple Red nitrocellulose lacquer, lightly aged with fine lacquer checking and subtle edge wear, the look is unmistakably mid-’60s without drifting into caricature. Vintage contouring ensures comfort, while routing is correct for Bass VI vibrato, pickup and slider switch layout.
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Material: Two-piece centre-joined alder
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Shape: Classic Bass VI outline with vintage contouring
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Finish: Candy Apple Red
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Lacquer: All nitrocellulose, lightly aged
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Pickguard: 3-ply parchment or tortoiseshell (TBC)
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Routing: Correct Bass VI vibrato, pickup and slider layout
Neck
A one-piece maple shaft with slab Rio rosewood fingerboard delivers warmth and authority across the full 30” scale. White celluloid binding and pearl block inlays bring the unmistakable late-’60s aesthetic.
The neck profile is carved to the client’s preference using a profile gauge, ensuring the instrument feels as personal as it sounds. A vintage heel-adjust truss rod, hand-cut bone nut and lightly aged tinted nitro finish complete the package, with rolled edges and a worn-in feel from day one.
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Scale Length: 30”
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Radius: Vintage-correct 7.25” or matched to reference (TBC)
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Frets: 21 x Jescar 47104 or Dunlop 6130 medium jumbo
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Nut Width: Approx. 43mm (TBC)
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Profile: Medium C, custom carved
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Fingerboard: Rio rosewood, white binding, pearl blocks
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Truss Rod: Vintage heel-adjust
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Finish: Tinted nitrocellulose, lightly aged
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Nut: Hand-cut bone
Pickups – Eternal Hand-Wound Jaguar-Style Single Coils
Three hand-wound Eternal Jaguar-style single coils form the tonal core.
Built with Alnico 5 magnets and 42 AWG plain enamel wire, the set is carefully calibrated, with a slightly overwound bridge unit for added midrange focus and clarity in a mix. Whether lacquer or wax potted (TBC), the goal is control without sacrificing openness.
The voice is articulate and balanced, engineered to coexist cleanly with guitars and traditional bass in layered arrangements.
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Configuration: Neck / Middle / Bridge
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Magnets: Alnico 5
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Wire: 42 AWG plain enamel
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Bridge: Slightly overwound for mix presence
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Covers: Aged white
Electronics – True Bass VI Control
Vintage-correct switching gives you total control over pickup combinations and tonal shape.
Three on/off sliders allow independent pickup selection, while the fourth slider introduces the classic “strangle” bass-cut — essential for tightening the low end, adding snap and pushing the instrument toward baritone or guitar territory when required.
High-quality components throughout ensure reliability and consistency.
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3 x On/Off pickup slider switches
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4th slider: Vintage-style bass cut (“strangle”)
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Master Volume
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Master Tone
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CTS brass collar 250k pots
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Vintage-style 0.033µF tone capacitor
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Cloth-covered hook-up wire
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Switchcraft output jack
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Vintage-style control plate
Hardware – Modern Stability, Vintage Spirit
Where appropriate, discreet upgrades enhance performance without compromising the aesthetic.
A Halon bridge provides rock-solid intonation and resonance, paired with a Mastery vibrato for smooth, reliable operation. Gotoh/Kluson vintage repro tuners and aged nickel appointments maintain period-correct appearance with modern dependability.
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Bridge: Halon
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Vibrato: Mastery
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Tuners: Gotoh/Kluson vintage repro
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String Tree: Butterfly-style
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Strap Buttons: Aged nickel
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Output Jack: Switchcraft
Finish & Ageing
This is ageing with restraint — elegance over excess.
Case
Supplied in a vintage-style hardcase.
Estimated Weight
Approx. 8.5 – 9.2 lbs depending on final timber selection and hardware.
Price & Lead Time
£4,500.00
Completion approximately six to eight months from commission.
The Eternal Approach
The original 1967 Bass VI was a bold idea. This Eternal interpretation retains that spirit but refines it for players who need tonal versatility and clarity in modern contexts.
It can underpin a track like a bass.
It can chime and shimmer like a baritone guitar.
It can cut, snap and punch when the arrangement demands space.
Please contact to discuss build options.
