Do You Play a Fender Because It's Expected?

[BassKitty101]

So if I went and bought a Mexico Fender, set it up all nice and slapped some EMG PAX's in it you think you could get away with that? Honest question.

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by BassKitty101

So if I went and bought a Mexico Fender, set it up all nice and slapped some EMG PAX's in it you think you could get away with that? Honest question.

Get away with what? Auditioning for a band whose leader really wants a passive Fender? No. EMG's are great and I use them in some of my basses, but it's a different, cleaner character of tone than passive.

That said, it's not like you can't find gigs without having a passive Fender. But I've lost out on a couple for not having one. Didn't care all that much since the bands went under shortly after I auditioned, but I cared at the time and it spurred me on to put passives in my Fender.

[Vince Klortho]

Originally Posted by LiquidMidnight

I get the vibe that many of them are still stuck in 1973 and are freaked out that that Ernie Ball Musicman isn't going to sound like their favorite Bachmann-Turner Overdrive record.

Ironically, for this thread anyway, in every picture I have seen of them Fred Turner was playing a Rickenbacker back then.

[Templar]

Originally Posted by awilkie84

Having some 6 figure schmuck come in & tell my established band that's worked hard to get where we are that we have to change our styles & sound is like changing the brain on a person. They're not the same person anymore.

Not worth it. They can either accept our style & who we are, or they can go look elsewhere for their meal ticket.

It's not being a prima dona, it's standing up for who you are and not letting something who doesn't know you from a rock on the sidewalk dictate who that is.

Tell the label, the manager/agent to shove their lousy deal instead? Right.

That 6 figure schmuck (at least you hope he's doing at least that well) is there to help you land bigger gigs. He gets paid for it. How many successful entertainers do you think are operating out there without a schmuck agent?

Don't you think most people trying to make it in show biz wish they could have a good agent-schmuck to represent them, help them refine their act, connect them to higher paying dates?

[Templar]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Someone coming to audition for Lenny Kravitz, who by that time was an established star on the scene, didn't do their homework if they showed up with a 5 or 6-string active. If I were Lenny, whose tastes for old school tones are no secret, I'd throw them out just for not having any idea what I'm about. And you can complain about it all you want and goof on his tastes, but at the end of the day, Lenny's the one with the gig to offer, not you, and you only have one chance to make a first impression.

Even Gail Ann Dorsey, who always uses MusicMan basses, switched to a Jazz to play with Lenny. She did it because she is a pro who wanted the gig. That's what it boils down to...either you want the gig or you don't. If I auditioned for him, you bet your ass I'd have a Fender with flats at the audition.

Sure, there you go injecting a dose of reality into this thread. Just when it was getting far enough out there to get some serious belly laughs out of it. Buzz killer!

[JimmyM]

Originally Posted by Vince Klortho

Ironically, for this thread anyway, in every picture I have seen of them Fred Turner was playing a Rickenbacker back then.

I've seen him use a 4001, and I've seen him use a Jazz, a Thunderbird, and a Les Paul. And lately I've seen him using an F Bass and a Carvin.

[BassKitty101]

Originally Posted by JimmyM

Get away with what? Auditioning for a band whose leader really wants a passive Fender? No. EMG's are great and I use them in some of my basses, but it's a different, cleaner character of tone than passive.

That said, it's not like you can't find gigs without having a passive Fender. But I've lost out on a couple for not having one. Didn't care all that much since the bands went under shortly after I auditioned, but I cared at the time and it spurred me on to put passives in my Fender.

Not exactly my point. I'm saying it seems like quite a few of these instances are people who judging the bass player based on the look of the instrument and having a good sound. I'm just wondering how many would catch on if you went under their noses like that.

[SneakyT]

Used to. Now I play them cause they sound good and play well. If you miss out on a gig cause you have the wrong instrument you probably are loosing the gig for other reasons as well. People expect those instruments because of the tone thats associated with them. If you nail the tones and the parts most will become blind to brand. That said its easy to just take that out of the equation up front and have the right tool for the job. I got over my brand loyalty issues long ago. If I really want a gig I'll make concessions. I've been on the other side of that as well. I wanted a guitarist to use a Tele for a project that I was doing. People who argued didn't get the gig. The guy who did was playing a G&L ASAT. He nailed the tone, had great attitude and played his ass off. I could care less if it said Fender or Telecaster on the headstock cause he nailed the tone. If you are trying to get away with something you've already missed the point. Be flexible, easy to work with and sound the part.

[klejst]

I don't think anyone is really expected of anyone to play any certain companies brand (Unless perhaps you work for that company or are endorsed by them then it may influence you more to use that certain brand). However no one can really force you to use anything. I play Fender basses because it's what I love to play and they work great for me, not because it's a popularity contest.

[Scott in Dallas]

Some people might be confusing session work, particularly recording work, with being in your own band. If you hired a session musician to play in your band, you might have a very specific idea of what and how you want him to play, and you wouldn't hire a guy who refused to do what you told him or played what you considered the "wrong" instrument.

In a recording session, it's a cattle call. Guys that are capable and easy to work with are the ones who get called back. Sometimes your ability to adapt to the situation, work with people and get a track down quickly is more important than your playing ability, and it's far more important than how nice your custom-made instrument is.

Believe me, guys, I understand the frustration associated with this. We had long, long arguments just like this in commercial music in college. I realized that I would never be cut out for this type of work because I'm too prone to talking back, and it felt too much like a real job.

To clarify, the term "Fender bass" in the industry refers more to a type than a brand. I don't think guys are looking at the name on the headstock of your bass, but they are going to ask questions if something looks like it might be a headache for them. If you show up with a Fender, an SX or a Sadowsky, they probably won't question it unless it sounds wonky. Like Sneaky suggested, what's most important is your ability to nail a specific sound when it's requested, and having on-hand the tools you need to do it.

As with most jobs, you try not to make waves when you're starting out. And as with most jobs, if you aren't willing to do what the boss tells you, then you go find something else to do.

[Biggbass]

Originally Posted by Misterwogan

Roll of at 40hz, boost at 200hz, scoop at 500hz, boost at 1.2khz and shelf reduction at 2.5khz. Sound familiar?

It's what the dance music business has been doing since the 1980s.

Cool...I will definitely give this a try.

[4dog]

Ive never even owned a fender , 1 gibson , 1 yamaha , 1 esp ltd ,
All i have ever really played and recorded were ibby's.

[tekdiver500ft]

Sort of. I first bought a Fender because that's what the engineer I was working with wanted. However, I've stuck with it because it really is the sound I wanted, especially now with my LaBella Jamersons, DiMarzio Model Ps, Hipshot Model A, and a silk mute. Ahh, I can plug into my Type 85 Countryman, direct into the board, and with little or no EQ, I sit wonderfully in the mix. It just doesn't get any better than that.

[unclejane]

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

Believe me, guys, I understand the frustration associated with this. We had long, long arguments just like this in commercial music in college. I realized that I would never be cut out for this type of work because I'm too prone to talking back, and it felt too much like a real job.

This was my problem too, even before I discovered my injuries. It always seemed that I wanted to do X on my bass, but the music business wanted to do NOT-X. And, as I've posted elsewhere before, the compensation for biting the bullet and adapting to NOT-X was too paltry to even think about trying it. My career earnings total at the time would have paid for about 1/6 of the cost of MIM Fender P that would have gotten me all those $1-a-day gigs lol.

So I bowed out of loose-cannon session playing before I really got started with it and got the other qualifications I really would have needed to do it professionally (reading music, multiple styles, etc).

There's a little more hope if your thing is medium to long-term bands. There, you're in charge of a lot more, including the musical direction and equipment choice. Eg. if I still had a good left hand and ears so that I could play in bands again, I'd only ever drag my L2K and my 2 Bunnies to practice and the gigs. And the other guys would just have to deal lol.

Otherwise, getting to where you're truly in charge of everything you do is about as likely as winning the lottery - that is, celebrity status. For the rest of us, the supply of bass players so enormously, gargantuan-ly, exceeds the demand that we have to do mostly what we're told if we want to make a living at it.

I ended up here in my living room with my Bunnies, my real Fender (the L2K) and a Roland cube. I'm snug as a bug with a day job and doing my own stuff. I can work around my injuries and hearing damage and have a reasonably decent time.

But even at that, I'm aware of the harsh realities out there when it comes to trying to be a successful professional. That part truly sucks (but I imagine that actual success is pretty cool).

LS

[Melonthief]

35 years in and at least 100 basses over the years an not one fender. I'm sure a good one gets made every once in awhile but how many frogs you have to kiss..... They just seem like mass produced junk to me and now you need a fender degree to decifer the country of origin vs value thing. Screw em, the sticker on the headstock doesn't make it a good bass

[Melonthief]

Btw- I play in an iron maiden tribute. If anyone is "expected" to play a fender it's probably me. I don't. What I do is practice every day, maintain my gear and kill it at rehearsal and gigs. Nobody complains about my 1983 Washburn force 40 EVER!

[Clef_de_fa]

Originally Posted by Templar

Tell the label, the manager/agent to shove their lousy deal instead? Right.

That 6 figure schmuck (at least you hope he's doing at least that well) is there to help you land bigger gigs. He gets paid for it. How many successful entertainers do you think are operating out there without a schmuck agent?

Don't you think most people trying to make it in show biz wish they could have a good agent-schmuck to represent them, help them refine their act, connect them to higher paying dates?

Well if you are an original band ... and you aren't playing mainstream music and all ... you don't want an old fart telling you that you need to change everything and then you will make money ...

If you are someone hired to play bass on whatever project, yeah right, otherwise no. Even then ... playing for whomever pay, most of the time the bass sounds very generic ...

[Clef_de_fa]

Originally Posted by Scott in Dallas

Some people might be confusing session work, particularly recording work, with being in your own band. If you hired a session musician to play in your band, you might have a very specific idea of what and how you want him to play, and you wouldn't hire a guy who refused to do what you told him or played what you considered the "wrong" instrument.

In a recording session, it's a cattle call. Guys that are capable and easy to work with are the ones who get called back. Sometimes your ability to adapt to the situation, work with people and get a track down quickly is more important than your playing ability, and it's far more important than how nice your custom-made instrument is.

Believe me, guys, I understand the frustration associated with this. We had long, long arguments just like this in commercial music in college. I realized that I would never be cut out for this type of work because I'm too prone to talking back, and it felt too much like a real job.

To clarify, the term "Fender bass" in the industry refers more to a type than a brand. I don't think guys are looking at the name on the headstock of your bass, but they are going to ask questions if something looks like it might be a headache for them. If you show up with a Fender, an SX or a Sadowsky, they probably won't question it unless it sounds wonky. Like Sneaky suggested, what's most important is your ability to nail a specific sound when it's requested, and having on-hand the tools you need to do it.

As with most jobs, you try not to make waves when you're starting out. And as with most jobs, if you aren't willing to do what the boss tells you, then you go find something else to do.

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.

[bucephylus]

Got a good laugh from the posts above that Fender is "mass produced junk," while Washburn is the one.

Pretty hilarious. Made my day.

And no offense to the Washburn, which I have no doubt is a perfectly great axe.

[C.Linton]

Originally Posted by Melonthief

35 years in and at least 100 basses over the years an not one fender. I'm sure a good one gets made every once in awhile but how many frogs you have to kiss..... They just seem like mass produced junk to me and now you need a fender degree to decifer the country of origin vs value thing. Screw em, the sticker on the headstock doesn't make it a good bass

And to be fair, the opposite is also true. And your overall conclusion that Fender is "mass produced junk" and that the good ones are few and far between is a gross exaggeration. If that were even remotley true , they would have gone out of business a long time ago.