Fender Custom Shop George Harrison 1967 Bass VI - Bleached 3-Color Sunburst

Blending vintage low-end thump with six-string playability, George Harrison's 1967 Bass VI was a distinctive voice in the Beatles’ Abbey Road Studios arsenal, opening new avenues of expression as the band expanded their sonic palette in the late ’60s. The Fender Custom Shop George Harrison 1967 Bass VI recreates that storied instrument with painstaking attention to detail, offering the slinky short-scale feel and broad tonal range that have long made the Bass VI a studio favorite. The two-piece select alder body is dressed in Bleached 3-Color Sunburst and carefully relic’d to channel the spirit of Harrison’s well-loved original. A 30" scale 1960 Oval C maple neck with a bound AAA rosewood fingerboard feels fast and responsive under the fingers, while three Custom Shop hand-wound Jaguar pickups with independent switching provide everything from defined low end to growling mids and articulate highs. Handbuilt by the Fender Custom Shop in Corona, California, with period-correct hardware and a floating tremolo tailpiece, this limited-edition Bass VI offers a remarkably detailed recreation of one of Harrison's most distinctive studio instruments.

Resonant Alder Body With Relic'd Nitro Lacquer Finish

The George Harrison 1967 Bass VI starts with a two-piece select alder body, delivering resonant warmth and balanced midrange that provide a versatile foundation for the instrument's expansive range. A thin nitrocellulose lacquer finish in Bleached 3-Color Sunburst gives the body authentic vintage character, while Fender Custom Shop Relic aging carefully recreates the aged-in appearance and feel of Harrison's road-worn original. Paired with the Bass VI's distinctive elongated offset shape, the select alder body provides a comfortable platform for an instrument that stretches well beyond the range of a conventional six-string electric.

30" Scale Maple Neck for Smooth Playability

A 30" scale maple neck with a 1960 Oval C profile is shaped to match the dimensions of Harrison's original Bass VI, pairing its shorter scale with a supple string feel that invites melodic runs, chord voicings and guitar-style phrasing alongside traditional bass lines. The bound AAA rosewood fingerboard features a vintage 7.25" radius and 21 vintage frets for a comfortable, period-correct playing surface, accented by white pearloid block inlays for a distinctive late-'60s look. A 1.5" bone nut and large '60s-style headstock complete a neck that combines authentic Fender character with the fluid playability central to the Bass VI experience.

Three Hand-Wound Jaguar Pickups Unlock a Wide Tonal Palette

Three Custom Shop hand-wound flat-magnet Jaguar pickups give the George Harrison Bass VI the definition and character to make full use of its unusually broad register, moving from firm, articulate lows through growling midrange to clear, cutting highs. Each pickup has its own on/off slide switch, allowing you to isolate individual voices or layer pickups together for a wide variety of textures, while master volume and tone controls keep overall shaping straightforward. A dedicated "strangle" switch engages a bass-cut circuit that trims low frequencies for leaner, more focused sounds—particularly useful when treating the Bass VI as a melodic or textural instrument rather than a traditional low-end anchor. From foundational bass parts to chiming lines and layered studio textures, the flexible switching system is a major part of what makes the Bass VI such an expressive arrangement tool.

Vintage Bass VI Hardware and Period-Correct Details

A six-saddle vintage-style adjustable bridge pairs with the Bass VI's floating tremolo tailpiece for expressive pitch movement, while the dedicated mute provides another distinctly vintage tonal option by tightening the attack and shortening sustain. Vintage-style Fender-logo tuning machines, an American Vintage '59–'64 string tree and specialized .025–.095 stainless steel Bass VI strings complete the period-correct setup. Fender has also reproduced the etchings Harrison made on the switch plate of his original to identify his preferred settings, adding a uniquely personal detail to an already meticulous recreation. A deluxe black hardshell case, strap and certificate of authenticity accompany each instrument.

A Distinctive Voice From Harrison's Abbey Road Years

As the Beatles pushed deeper into studio experimentation during the late '60s, the Bass VI became a valuable part of their expanding instrumental palette, appearing throughout the White Album era and into the sessions surrounding Abbey Road. For a guitarist like Harrison, its six-string layout and manageable 30" scale offered a familiar path into the lower register, making it natural to move between foundational bass parts, melodic runs and more guitar-like phrasing. The Fender Custom Shop George Harrison 1967 Bass VI recreates that versatility alongside the unique wear and personal details of Harrison's original, offering players and collectors a remarkably detailed connection to an unconventional Fender that helped shape the sound and texture of the Beatles' final years in the studio.