Circa 1961, after the release of the Precision and Jazz Basses ('51 and '60 respectively) Fender unleashed a new model on the world, known as the Bass VI or Bass Six.
Up until its release the P and J basses only had four strings and served as an alternative to the upright bass but the Bass VI was different. It was shorter in scale length (distance from bridge to the nut) and it had six strings, fitted with similar electronics to the Fender Jazz Master electric guitar and of course was tuned E to E (the same as a guitar).
It was still marketed as a bass and used by players in the studio due to the fact that although it was tuned E to E, it was tuned an octave below the standard electric guitar tuning, meaning for all intensive purposes it was a bass.
In the studio, players like Carol Kaye used the bass for it's signature 'Tic Tac' sound for many sessions in the pop and Nashville world but it was disconitued in 1975.
Who is to say if the Bass VI is a bass or guitar. If you find a use for it that sounds great to you, go for it. All i will say on this topic is that the new pawn shop model comes under the bass guitar section on the official Fender webiste.
Many reviews of the classic model, the Japanese custom shop reissue and the new pawn shop model describe it as a bass that isn't very good at being a bass. Reviews of the pawn shop model written by purists often slate it due to the fact that it isn't a recreation of the original (that is so rare now).
The pawn shop Bass VI marks the revamped return of a historic Fender instrument thats seldom seen. This updated version of the baritone classic features the traditional short 30" scale and is armed with special design hot jaguar single coil neck and middle pickups and a powerful JZHB humbucking bridge pickup.
The bass is available in three colours: Sunburt with a shell guard, Black with a shell guard and Candy apple red with a parchment guard and matching headstock
All three of theses are identical in every other way:
fretboard - rosewood
scale length - 30
neck shape - c
number of frets - 21
radius - 9.5'" (241)
neck material - maple
nut width - 1.650" (42mm)
4 bolt neck plate
Fender Bass VI reissue