Do You Play a Fender Because It's Expected?

[Buster Brown]

Bass players "EXPECTED" to play Fender!?!

Please, allow me to relate my story. It's a cautionary tale for those who STILL have not learned......

I HATED FENDER. DESPISED anything Fender. Then, one day, it happened.

I was walking down the "strip" in LA. The year was 1971 and I was carrying my beloved T-Bird to a gig. The next thing I remember, a black hood was thrown over my head and everything went fuzzy.

I awoke (who knows, days later maybe) in a foreign country. It sounded like Detroit. Anyway, the hood was removed and a bright spotlight was hitting me in the eyes. I heard a voice say "ZO!! YOU DO NOT LIKE ZE FENDAR!?" I said "No Sir!" His cold reply was "VE VILL SEE!"

Months went by. One re-education camp to another. Little sleep, less food, pills being shoved down my throat, loud music being screamed in my direction, being waterboarded with the sweat from the brows of Fender players, having line-level wires attached to my nipples (you really didn't think I was going to use 120, did you?) being made to repeatedly "tongue test" 9 volt batteries taken from American Deluxe Fenders ( yeah, I know they weren't around then - leave me alone, I'm on a roll)- it was a nightmare.

Then, as quickly as it started, it ended. I awoke outside the Whisky. The sun was bright, people were stepping over me saying "far out".... and my beloved T-Bird next to me. I reached for it but I was suddenly repulsed by the sight of her. Suddenly, she was an ugly beast. I ran down the street to "Wild Thang's Music" and traded the Gibson for a new P bass.

I, over the years, have relayed that story to many, many Gibson, Epiphone, Gretsch and the like, players. Usually, I am looked at like some guy who was just "on tour" way back then...but it DID happen...It HAD to have happened, right?

Please....don't let this happen to you. Buy a Fender today. Hell, buy two or three....buy Fender strings, buy Fender straps and amps.

"ROSEWOOD"........


They ARE watching........

[SteveC]

Originally Posted by Mike M.

My only gig these days is playing at church and I don't think it matters one bit to the congregation (or to God) what I play.

However, I've been playing Fender Jazz basses since 1984 because I like how they sound, how they play and how they look. Got my old mutt of a '73, a 2009 American Standard and a 2011 5 string American Standard. Plus the soundmam at church says my sound is pretty good.

I only gig at church these days as well. I do have and have been using a Geddy Lee. It was fine. Good enough of Reese Reeves slim sure it's enough for me, too.

Unfortunately, I have been bit by the Roscoe bug. I have a fretless 5 that I am trying tomorrow and a fretted 5 being built. I will probably hang on to my Geddy. Not sure how much action it'll see, but you never know when a god old passive 4string jazz will come in handy. Even hard core Roscoeheads have a jazz bass hanging around - just in case.

I've used 3 different basses at church in the last year or so - the sound guy has barely changed my settings or barely noticed a difference. The player has to account for a little bit of the sound, right?

[nukes_da_bass]

Haven't owned an FMIC branded instrument in close to 15 years.

At this point however, I wouldn't be caught DEAD without something "designed by Leo" as my go-to bass.
I play classic R&B and they sound and feel correct for the job.

[Ric5]

Do You Play a Fender Because It's Expected?

--------------------------------------------------------------------------------

NO

Also my Fender basses are all modified and none of them are really Fenders ... some have Fender parts but none is a complete Fender bass and none have a Fender logo. I don't like the way Fender makes a 5 string bass.

[Bassmunnky]

If that's what the producer wants, sure. If it means the band leader will feel better if I Dont bring my Bongo 6 string for a cover gig sure.

Why not?

Got all kinds of basses, and I'm hired for a reason, play the tunes, don't sound like crap. And have fun.

[Mike M.]

Originally Posted by SteveC

I only gig at church these days as well. I do have and have been using a Geddy Lee. It was fine. Good enough of Reese Reeves slim sure it's enough for me, too.

Unfortunately, I have been bit by the Roscoe bug. I have a fretless 5 that I am trying tomorrow and a fretted 5 being built. I will probably hang on to my Geddy. Not sure how much action it'll see, but you never know when a god old passive 4string jazz will come in handy. Even hard core Roscoeheads have a jazz bass hanging around - just in case.

I've used 3 different basses at church in the last year or so - the sound guy has barely changed my settings or barely noticed a difference. The player has to account for a little bit of the sound, right?

Hey bro, it all comes down to what works best for you and for the situation you're in. Who cares if you play a Fender, a Roscoe, a Ric or a Hofner! If it works and sounds good in the context then it is good!

[bootsox]

I play a jap precision clone occasionally because I like the way a P with flats cuts through.

[funkinbottom]

Do You Play a Fender Because It's Expected?

No. In high school (1970) all I had was a cheap POS solid body no named bass and needed to upgrade, so I found a used Fender Jazz Bass for $100. It was all I could afford. It's still my daily driver.

[JoeWPgh]

OK. I just have to say this. For most of the 40+ since I first picked up a bass, I held Fender in pretty low regard. It boggles my mind to see what people pay for a 70's Fender, which I saw as nothing less than junk in that day. All that said, I put together a few USACG knock offs and was quite impressed with what you could get out of it. Then recently, I bought a new American Deluxe J. This is such a fine instrument, that I find it hard to believe it's really a Fender. Of the 6 ~ 7 precious basses I have owned over these years, this one is really something else. Right out of the box, it plays and sounds like a dream. File the nut down a scratch or two, lower the action to where it goes and yowza! So that's me. I held them in contempt for years, but am now sold.

[Scott in Dallas]

Originally Posted by Clef_de_fa

You are right ... and at one point ... if they are looking for a particular sound and may have a bass part written that the bass player would have to play ... then why don't they do it themselves ... they already know what they want and all, it will take much less work to do it themselves instead of trying to find someone who has what they are looking for. Especially when it is so generic bass line and sound ... the kind of thing everybody could do and it won't make any difference at all.

If you're a session musican and walk in saying that, you'll be thanked for your time, the door held open for you, and you'll never get a returned phone call again. They'll then let in the next guy who brings the proper instruments and plays what's requested and pay him for his time.

[can_v]

Well, As a p bass user myself, I've been in quite a number of recording sessions. And I did my own home recording myself, nothing fancy though.

Fender has become my go to bass.

For me, it just works the best. I think maybe it's because of the simplicity of the bass itself and the sound it produce. As an amateur in sound mixing, p's sound is just easy to work with. I tried using different bass in my own recordings. But for me, try eq-ing active bass is rather hard. There's so little I can do about it to the sound. If I could get the same sound in the recording as I heard from my amp, it would be no trouble, i guess. But that wasn't always the case.

[Munjibunga]

No.

[Stilettoprefer]

I play a pieced together P clone because it fits everything that I have to play pretty well. And I get to say that I built it. Oh and it is more comfortable and lighter than pretty much anything that fender produces for under $1800. Has a finish that isn't sticky feeling thick polyurethane, and doesn't look like every other fender style bass, too.

Anyways, I don't think that the bass makes the bassist. If you can't play, you won't get hired. I can play the same lines and get a similar sound out of any of my basses, so I take whichever one looks best to me at the moment. It's been my Frankenstein P for the last 4 months. I may switch it out for a ghetto mutt that looks like absolute garbage just to spite a jazz instructor, very soon though.

[moonliner]

I haven't read everyone's responses.... It's an interesting question and one sure to spark some emotional responses!

I have many basses for many reasons... I like a well stocked tool belt and some producers or artists like a certain sound/vibe. I'm all for finding the right instrument for the job. I feel it's part of being a professional musician. Others might have a more emotional response, like "This is what I play and f*ck you if you don't like it". I can understand both schools of thought.
I have an Alembic which I love (I REALLY love the company and find it's history quite fascinating) but I know the reality is that Alembic basses carry a lot of stigma, right or wrong. I don't know of any other bass company that evokes such strong feelings... I find it rather interesting really. I must admit that sometimes when I pull out the Alembic at a session or a gig I almost feel a little apologetic.. it's hard to explain... :-/

Part of me held out on getting a Fender just because they were the "norm", but when I joined a full on rock band I got one because all the past bass players had played P basses and I thought what the heck, I'll give it a try... Wow, I was stunned at how great it was! After 30 years of playing professionally I finally 'got' it. There's just something about how they sit in the mix, and the way they make you play. Turns out there's a reason people like to see (and hear) them! Huh!
Anyway, long and rambling story.. Bottom line is I'm all for finding the right bass for the right job and don't mind when people want a certain sound, or look.

[pbass6811]

Originally Posted by Buster Brown

Bass players "EXPECTED" to play Fender!?!

Please, allow me to relate my story. It's a cautionary tale for those who STILL have not learned......

I HATED FENDER. DESPISED anything Fender. Then, one day, it happened.

I was walking down the "strip" in LA. The year was 1971 and I was carrying my beloved T-Bird to a gig. The next thing I remember, a black hood was thrown over my head and everything went fuzzy.

I awoke (who knows, days later maybe) in a foreign country. It sounded like Detroit. Anyway, the hood was removed and a bright spotlight was hitting me in the eyes. I heard a voice say "ZO!! YOU DO NOT LIKE ZE FENDAR!?" I said "No Sir!" His cold reply was "VE VILL SEE!"

Months went by. One re-education camp to another. Little sleep, less food, pills being shoved down my throat, loud music being screamed in my direction, being waterboarded with the sweat from the brows of Fender players, having line-level wires attached to my nipples (you really didn't think I was going to use 120, did you?) being made to repeatedly "tongue test" 9 volt batteries taken from American Deluxe Fenders ( yeah, I know they weren't around then - leave me alone, I'm on a roll)- it was a nightmare.

Then, as quickly as it started, it ended. I awoke outside the Whisky. The sun was bright, people were stepping over me saying "far out".... and my beloved T-Bird next to me. I reached for it but I was suddenly repulsed by the sight of her. Suddenly, she was an ugly beast. I ran down the street to "Wild Thang's Music" and traded the Gibson for a new P bass.

I, over the years, have relayed that story to many, many Gibson, Epiphone, Gretsch and the like, players. Usually, I am looked at like some guy who was just "on tour" way back then...but it DID happen...It HAD to have happened, right?

Please....don't let this happen to you. Buy a Fender today. Hell, buy two or three....buy Fender strings, buy Fender straps and amps.

"ROSEWOOD"........


They ARE watching........

That...was a pretty harrowing tale! I'm glad you survived. Do you still see "them" checking on you from time to time?

The closest I've ever been to a Fender are the few Musicman basses I've owned. Didn't care about them or want one. Been very happy with the Spectors, Modulus, MTDs, Roscoes, Pedullas, & Warwicks that I've been lucky enough to own. However, lately, I've had this intense desire to buy a Jazz bass. I've no idea where this is coming from, but its now on my list of things to do...

[ljazz]

I don't think anything sits in the mix quite as nicely as a good P bass.

My first multi-track recording experience gave me a glimpse of that. The producer/eng had a wicked band, and one of the best bassists around town. He played a G&L L2K. At the time I was playing a G&L SB1 (I rolled off the vol and tone a bit to keep it vintage P sounding). During the session, he asked what I was playing. When I told him, he said, "Man, I wish my bass player would play something a bit more simple like that."

I have a modest recording rig here that I record my band with, and do some work for others. A P sits right on top of the kick, and doesn't intrude on anything else in the sonic spectrum. I still have my SB1, along with a '08 MIA P and a '08 CS '59 P. They sit right in that pocket where nothing else being recorded will sound good. I find that even when recording with different type of basses (even J's for that matter), I still find myself eq'ing to get it to sit where the P inherently sits.

[deeptubes]

No. I play Fenders because they suit me, and sound great, not because of the name on the headstock. Never laid my hands on a "bad" one. When you find a brand that works for you, you tend to stick with it. I've owned other makes, of course not all of them, and there are plenty of other basses I would love to own. But, I can play a very wide range of tones and styles with my varying Fenders. Don't fix what ain't broke!

[Wookieonbass]

I play Fenders simply because I like looks and the feel and since I play mostly classic rock they just fit.

[CJAtheBassman]

I own a Squier VM Mustang Bass and I previously owned a Squier Standard Jazz Bass (they're still Fender), but I didn't get them out of perceived obligation to own a Fender. I got them because they both had tones that I like (the Mustang Bass moreso).

You should never feel obligated to have or play a Fender if you don't want one.

[slawie]

I have 2 basses. A 1975 Alembic series I and a 1977 Fender Jazz bass.
I recently replaced the active pickups and Badass bridge on the Fender back to the original equipment. I so much prefer the sound of the original Fender as it was built.
I searched in vain for years trying to get my sound. It was there all along it was just that I messed with original configuration and took the bass away from its design and sound idea.
I do not and have never messed with the Alembic at all.
Sound guys and studio folks must record my instruments as I present them for the tunes I am playing.
I am not a gun for hire I engage studio folks to record my sound.

slawie