Question: I am playing bass in a humorous metal band. The idea is to make parody out of metal using as many cliches as possible (at the same time respecting the scene and having fun, of course). We have some bass solos in our songs and I am feeling that my 4 strings just aren't enough for playing the high pitched notes in solos and the low metal riffs with D tuning. I am considering getting a 6 string bass guitar for this purpose. I would like to achieve the Cannibal Corpse sound while playing bass lines and something specific (I am undecided) for the solo parts. Since it's a metal parody, the bass guitar should look as evil as possible. My questions are:

1. Does 6 string bass make sense in the described type of use?
2. What type of bass is good for achieving a sound like Cannibal Corpse?
3. Do I need some pedals etc. to flexibly change my sound within songs? If yes, what?

Answer: 
Why would it need to look evil if it's a parody? Wouldn't that mean it shouldn't look evil? Shouldn't you use a Hello Kitty bass?

Just the same you should get the cheapest basses you can find on Craigslist so you can smash them.

Alex Webster's bass is a Spectre custom 5 string ... $2800 list.. so there's no joke about the equipment.
A1: it is not about how many strings the bass has. if you need them all, buy it. you won't lose!

A2: I know more about guitar, but I would recommend Ibanez and yamaha basses.

A3: yes! there are bass distortions, and you'll need some compression, too!