on/off slider switches. Tone control slider switch (bass cut-off, or "strangle") (not on very early models). Volume control potentiometer. Tone control (treble cut-off) potentiometer. Vibrato arm The vibrato tailpiece was the floating type with a locking device. This mechanism was developed for the Fender Jazzmaster and also used on the Fender Jaguar. Engineered to mimic the function of the Bigsby vibrato-tailpiece, it was more elaborate than the synchronized tremolo of the earlier Fender Stratocaster, and was claimed by Fender to be superior, but it failed to achieve the same popularity. It disappeared from the Fender catalogue with the withdrawal of the Jaguar line in the 1970s. It has since reappeared with the reissue of the Jazzmaster model, and is used on some other Fender reissues. Other 'boutique' builders have begun adopting the aftermarket 'Mastery' version of this unit, and its popularity has increased dramatically in the decade since 2010. Related instruments In 2004, Fender issued the Fender Jaguar Baritone Custom (later renamed "Jaguar Bass VI Custom"), which in format was a combination of the Bass VI and the Fender Jaguar. The Jaguar Baritone Custom used the same string gauges and tuning as the Bass VI, but differed in that it has a Jaguar-shaped body, two pickups with Jaguar-style switching options, a fixed bridge and a shorter 28.5-inch scale length. Ibanez made the SRC-6 Crossover in 2014. Schecter made several variations of the Ultracure VI, a Robert Smith signature model based on the Bass VI. Reviews Brian Molko and Stefan Olsdal of Placebo play Fender Bass VIs, with Molko saying, "Playing the Fender VI is like playing two instruments in one, it can be treated as a guitar and as a bass." Producer Mike McCarthy talked about using the Fender Bass VI on records in a December 2007 Mix magazine article. Notable users and appearances John Paul Jones (Led Zeppelin) Klaus Flouride (Dead Kennedys) Hank the Knife & the Jets Joe Perry – Aerosmith ("Back in the Saddle") Graham Coxon (The End of the F***ing World soundtrack) Duff McKagan – Guns N' Roses: Use Your Illusion I and II ("Right Next Door To Hell," "14 Years", "Yesterdays") Mark Hoppus on select tracks of Blink-182's self-titled album and on 2003 performances of "I Miss You". Robert Smith, Porl Thompson, Perry Bamonte, Simon Gallup, Reeves Gabrels (The Cure) John Frusciante – ("Dark/Light"), on his album The Empyrean. Brian Molko, Stefan Olsdal (Placebo) Rick