Which brands are TBers the most fanatical/loyal... Incredibly insane about?

[bassbully]

The Fender P bass...with Flats. It is the true sound of the electric bass and the sound all other basses want to be like but never will...Leo broke the mold.

[hgiles]

fEarful, fEarless, fRightful...whatever. It's all I ever heard about when I was researching cabs.

[GBassNorth]

The Spector club has got to be at the top of the list, and that's a good thing since the members there are truly polite kind and helpful.

I'd put the Thunderbird group up at the top as well, lots of Fender converts there. Good news with that site is they are not brand fanatics, as long as its a Tbird body style they'll count you in.

Next on the list is probably the Bergantino group followed by the Ampeg and VT pedal gangs.

I've never been on the Ibanez or Ric threads so I don't know for sure but outside of Talkbass these owners seem really defensive about their gear.

[powmetalbassist]

Originally Posted by Kmonk

I think most people are fanatical about whatever brands they own.

Yeah thats pretty much it. I've been here a few years and I think we are all nuts regardless of brand, model or geography. Who's the most nuts/loyal/fanatical......TBers! We just be crazy mofos with nothing better to do then argue over which one if us is more crazy. Same goes for any community look at large city sports fans (Toronto, Detroit, New York, LA, etc.) or State and city politics, nationalism. It's all the same stuff. Being part of a community causes dialogue sometimes positive, negative or down right dirty.

[foq1978]

Originally Posted by Rip Topaz

SX and Wishbass.

+ 1 on the SX. I owe one and, while I think it's pretty good for what it costs, I wouldn't compare it to my old Washburn, for instance.

BTW, Washburn probably has the less fanatical / loyal group around TB (which I think is unfair)

[Modern Growl]

I see a devoute following for:


Sadowsky
Music Man
Fender
Spector

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by foq1978

+ 1 on the SX. I owe one and, while I think it's pretty good for what it costs, I wouldn't compare it to my old Washburn, for instance.

BTW, Washburn probably has the less fanatical / loyal group around TB (which I think is unfair)

+1 on Washburn. Very underrated - I really like the designs on their instruments (particularly the XB Bantam - which is a crime they don't make anymore). I've found basses from that era in Sam Ash used, and they play pretty well.

[Bryan R. Tyler]

Keep the comments about the brands, folks- not the owners.
Thank you

[pacojas]

i'm fanatically opposed to brands that feature basses made from rare or extinct lumber and animal parts!

when i first joined, i was interested in the boutique makers thinking it was all about craftmanship and playability. to my horror i soon realized it was, for some members, also about superficial features! a bass that is made of rare and expensive materials is a bass i can never endorse. extinct woods from Brazil, Africa, Asia, etc combined with bones and ivory tusks and sea shells may be cool if the materials were chanced upon. trees and animals that were harvested be it legal or illegal really grinds my gears!!!

[/RANT]

(i'll accept my Infraction now)

[savofenno]

Originally Posted by ggvicviper

There are certain brands that certain people are fanatical about to the point where people won't post in any other threads but those related to that brand. Rickenbacker, G&L, Fodera and Sadowsky come to mind when I think about brands that have that sort of fanboy/fangirl status in TB. The brands seem to get rabid, sometimes outright blind hatred and defense from the fans and detractors alike, with some discussions about literally very simple questions going on for pages and pages, often going off topic.

I also get the Fender thing, to an extent - People talk about them all the time, but I don't think the fanaticism is as big as some of the others, as Fender fans admit inperfections in the instruments, especially in the past and in different time periods.

The biggest though I have to say is Spector. Look at how much space the Spector Club takes up in the TB database. The club is at the time of this post at part FIFTY TWO, and fewer members than you would expect. The thread is constantly kept on the first page because it's bumped constantly with fanboy behavior. Admittedly, that's the idea behind a fan club, but the Spector lovers really seem to take it to a new extreme. A lot of the same people post in the club all the time.

Not that any of these instruments are bad, it just seems these brands bring out people who REALLY have strong opinions.

Hope they have time to play their Spectors too! I believe Spectors are very nice basses, without experience of them.
I feel Warwicks are similar, if i am not wrong?

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by savofenno

Hope they have time to play their Spectors too! I believe Spectors are very nice basses, without experience of them.
I feel Warwicks are similar, if i am not wrong?

Warwicks are a bit different in feel, IMO. The necks really feel different, and they generally don't sound alike.

Unless you are talking about the fans behind the brands. In which case, on TB, I think Spector has a much stronger following.

[Fuzzbass]

Originally Posted by Kenzy

Fender Precision. They're the bass that everyone likes j-off about on TB, I'd say. Not necessarily Fender. Just the Ps.

Well, there are at least as many who dismiss P-basses as "one trick ponies".

Which is the flip side of the coin: for every fanboy, there's a hater. I blame today's hyper-partisan society (here in the U.S., anyway).

Enthusiasm is one thing, but people get waaaaay too carried away, confusing personal preference with absolute right or wrong. Most TBers know the difference, but there are always a few bad apples who think that what's right for them should be right for everyone.

[jim777]

There are a few other brands not mentioned yet that have very devoted fans, from the Carvin crowd on the one hand to the Tom Clement group on the other. Two totally different operations size wise but both with very happy players for the most part.

Another not previously mentioned group (possibly because they are so ubiquitous they don't need uniting! lol) are the players who only play 4 stringers and nothing else. I think a case could be made that 6 string basses and 4 string basses are fundamentally different instruments, but that's for another thread on a lazier day

I think all in all the groups and the fans and the love for specific instruments is a very, very good thing. If we all liked the same things the world would be an incredibly boring place!

[mjac28]

The Variax Bass Club those guys are crazy

[mjac28]

And I forgot to mention the Verellen Club members are also insane.

[Razman]

The "whatever brand of amp/cab/pre that makes my bass sound totally uncolored" bunch. Also, the "what can I do to make my bass sound like a Fender P" crowd, and the "how to I get my bass to sound like the best bass for metal" devotees.



TB is great, it never ceases to amaze and entertain, I'm glad to be a part of this great group.

Oh, and I like playing bass too.

Raz

[zfunkman]

Originally Posted by Baird6869

I have owned almost everything out there, but some bass brands seem to make TBers (me included sometimes) act like geeks at a Star Trek convention or like tween girls at a One Direction concert more than other brands. Hundreds of posts about certain $10 mods, different bridges, etc. might be a little nutty.

Which brands in your opinion get their TB owners obsessively horny/chatty/protective more than the others?

For me, the Spector Club TBers take it. Great people and completely fanatical about all things Stuart. Hard to follow sometimes as there are often hundreds of posts in a good day, but no question about Spectors is considered dumb and everyone is helpful/knowledgeable. Also, they love the brand but really could care less if you also love Warwick, Fender or anything else.

Also, the RIC fans are crazy loyal to the brand. Maybe too loyal, but they love their RICs. RIC lovers seem to be the least likely to play a different brand.... Ever. Lakland, Fodera and Sadowsky are runners up IME.

Waddya think?

I play a Ric 4003, a Jazz Bass, and a Modulus Q5. The Q5 when I need to go lower than E. I switch between the Ric and Jazz Bass.

The only "brand" I'm totally loyal to is Thomastik bass strings.

[Baird6869]

Originally Posted by cjmodulus

Yep, the Spector club.

that thread and all of the great guys in it have instilled a bit of loyalty to the Spector name in me. I mean, I've still got GAS for other brands and everything, but the dudes in the Spector club have really sold me- that and how great most spectors I've played have felt and sounded. But I digress.

Try to leave the club though.... Once I was considering selling my Forte 5... they came to my home and beat me with a garden hose and made me watch them "have their way" with my vintage Fenders. I am still in therapy.

Kinda like TB's own mafia.

[Munjibunga]

Surprised no one's mentioned Fodera.

[ggvicviper]

Originally Posted by Munjibunga

Surprised no one's mentioned Fodera.

I did.