Fender-years to avoid?

**BullHorn** · #1 11-03-2010, 09:40 AM

Fender make good basses but at some points in time, their instruments were agreeably-worse. As an example, the 2003-2007 "S-1" models are quite frankly poop.

What other years were generally bad for Fender basses?

KJung · #2 11-03-2010, 09:47 AM

1966 to 2010

millsbass5 · #3 11-03-2010, 09:52 AM

I really look forward to some of the replies for this thread. I mean,the OP has already mentioned it in the opening question!
If the future is like the past,in 10-15 yrs.,the '03-'07 Fender S-1's?? Everybody will be r-a-v-i-n-g about what great basses these are!!

My point:
What,ten yrs. or so back,70's Fenders were considered junk. Now? Huh,just check the prices on e-Bay. Hell,5 yrs. ago,you couldn't give away an early-80's Fender American. Have you seen the prices on such axes as an early-80's P-Bass Spec.???

If it's good,it's good. I know what I have. I haven't purchased a bass in 15 yrs..... BTW,I'm not proud of that.

seungkoo · #4 11-03-2010, 09:55 AM

i like the 66 i say 1967-2010

JTE · #5 11-03-2010, 09:59 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Fender make good basses but at some points in time, their instruments were agreeably-worse. As an example, the 2003-2007 "S-1" models are quite frankly poop.

What other years were generally bad for Fender basses?

The only problem with the "S-1" basses is the poor execution of the S-1 switch. The instruments were OK.

This is a huge area of disagreement, always has been, and always will be. I'm one of the ones who find the market value of mid '70s Fender products to be far in excess of what most of the instruments seem to have as intrinsic value. I was a Fender dealer from 1977-1988 and while the absolute best Stratocaster I've ever played was a ca. 1979 hard-tail, most of the product we got had so many issues that they were at best mediocre. This does not in any way mean that "all" were junk. Not even that most were junk, they just weren't all that great either.

If you're talking about a specific chunk of wood and metal that you have your hands on right now, then generalities are meaningless. But based on the large number of instruments I've seen myself (played, sold, worked on, modded, fixed, tried to turn into silk purses, etc.), stuff between about 1972 and 1982 is highly suspect. Some things are purely subjective- blocks 'n' binding, the wider spacing of Jazz bass PUPs, the characteristic neck shapes, etc. But some are very objective- the inconsistent neck/body alignments, the big variance in pickup sound, the poor execution of the Micro-Tilt neck (the 3-bolt neck is NOT inherently bad, but the way Fender made them leads to problems), the huge amounts of rubbing compound left in the bodies to destroy the pots and switches, the hit-or-miss level of fret work, the thick finish in the neck joints, etc.

So even though I don't like '70s Fenders, I'm only going to judge instruments on their individual merits. That simply means I don't buy basses or guitars without playing them first.

John

WordToHerb · #6 11-03-2010, 10:01 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by millsbass5

I really look forward to some of the replies for this thread. I mean,the OP has already mentioned it in the opening question!
If the future is like the past,in 10-15 yrs.,the '03-'07 Fender S-1's?? Everybody will be r-a-v-i-n-g about what great basses these are!!

My point:
What,ten yrs. or so back,70's Fenders were considered junk. Now? Huh,just check the prices on e-Bay. Hell,5 yrs. ago,you couldn't give away an early-80's Fender American. Have you seen the prices on such axes as an early-80's P-Bass Spec.???

If it's good,it's good. I know what I have. I haven't purchased a bass in 15 yrs..... BTW,I'm not proud of that.

Ive compared my 60th anniversary Fender jazz (2006 s-1 switching) with my aunts 64 fender jazz and honestly they aren't all that different. I think the 64 shined a little more in the low end while mine has a nicer midrange character to it. It's all just a preference.

When i was shopping for the jazz bass i got though let me tell you i had to sort through A LOT of jazz basses to find "the one". Il agree I'm generally not a fan of that era of fender but hey there are winners from every generation.

Spinal Tapper · #7 11-03-2010, 10:02 AM

Good and bad from all eras. Play them yourself to see what you like.

/thread

unclejane · #8 11-03-2010, 10:03 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullHorn

Fender make good basses but at some points in time, their instruments were agreeably-worse. As an example, the 2003-2007 "S-1" models are quite frankly poop.

What other years were generally bad for Fender basses?

Anything before 2008, if you want to play them that is. In 2008, Fender really started getting their act together in terms of quality control and design improvements. The new Fenders since 2008 are, IMO, much better instruments than anything made before then (even the old pre-CBS basses which were still somewhere between ho-hum and crappy in terms of build quality, wood quality and sound).

The new basses, tho, are pretty well-made instruments...

LS

Rocky McD · #9 11-03-2010, 10:06 AM

I have owned several 03 - 07 Fenders with the S-1 switch, they were all good basses.

Like millsbass5 said, we can answer this question in about 15 - 20 years.

The only basses I would avoid are the pre 1957, the tugbar only had one screw.

Rocky

pjmuck · #10 11-03-2010, 10:06 AM

It's not a question of which years to avoid, it's a question of finding good and bad throughout Fender's history. Plenty of fantastic and poorly made instruments to be found in any year, so it comes down to trying the instrument out, as previous poster pointed out. For every bassist who can't stand the late 70's boat anchor northern ash basses there's plenty here who love them specifically for their heft, for example. So it's a matter of personal taste.

Jeff K · #11 11-03-2010, 10:09 AM

Well, to each his own; but I basically disagree with everybody who has posted in front of me except millsbass5. "1966 - 2010", while probably tongue-in-cheek, is a pretty gross generalization. (While there is no "Sarcasm" smilie, at least a wink would help.)

Every year has it's duds and it's gems. As for the '03 - '07s, I don't think they were all that bad. You don't have to use the S-1 switch. Some crap came out, but some fine ones as well. If I had to pick a GENERAL timeframe for poor quality control, I'd go with the '80s; but of course there are good ones in there as well.

Lots of people dislike Fenders. That's fine. That's their right. But "'1966 - 2010"? Come on...

EDIT: Wow! A bunch of people posted after millsbass5 and before mine posted. No offense to any of those folks...

Rob17 · #12 11-03-2010, 10:09 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by KJung

1966 to 2010

+1.

**pacojas** · #13 11-03-2010, 10:11 AM

1951 was a terrible year for Fenders.

KJung · #14 11-03-2010, 10:12 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Rob17

+1.

Just to be clear, my post was meant as a little tongue in cheek humor.

M.R. Ogle · #15 11-03-2010, 10:21 AM

Don't avoid buying any instrument because of the year it was made. Let your hands and ears decide whether it's a good instrument for you.

And don't let speculative prices based on "vintage" lead you to believe ANYTHING as to quality or playability. They're arbitrary and usually just fishing for a sucker.

baileyboy · #16 11-03-2010, 10:32 AM

I've tried many brand-name basses and always return to Fender P, although I also own a '73 J, too. As already posted, there are good and bad with every year. I'm sure the same could be said of any other brand name mass-produced bass. It took me quite a while to find, but my '75 P is one of the finest tones I've ever played. My '79 P is heavy, but the construction and tone are excellent. I've played some dull sounding, poorly constructed Fenders, though.

carlos840 · #17 11-03-2010, 10:34 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by Spinal Tapper

Good and bad from all eras. Play them yourself to see what you like.

/thread

+1

fourstringburn · #18 11-03-2010, 10:37 AM

I like my '79 P bass as much as my '97 jazz. The seventies models IMHO were the last of the good ones before CBS Fender started making more instruments out of the country. Many of us seen this as a cheaper made product for higher profit sales, thus tarnishing Fender's reputation. When CBS sold Fender in the mid nineties, the new management decided to redesign the P-Bass and Jazz not radically but with improved refinements. My '97 American standard Jazz bass is testament to Fender's commitment to it's heritage. Sure it isn't a '62 version, but I love the playability and tone and feel of the bass and to me it is reminiscent of a '65 Jazz bass I almost owned.

I'm not crazy about the extended line of Fender's like the deluxe, artist's series, relic's etc. and I Don't care to see the lower end models made in other countries, but Fender has the right to produce their products as they see the need by giving consumers a wide variety to choose from. On the flip side, this is what makes American made instruments retain and increase in value.

fourstringburn · #19 11-03-2010, 10:38 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by M.R. Ogle

Don't avoid buying any instrument because of the year it was made. Let your hands and ears decide whether it's a good instrument for you.

And don't let speculative prices based on "vintage" lead you to believe ANYTHING as to quality or playability. They're arbitrary and usually just fishing for a sucker.

+1

warnergt · #20 11-03-2010, 10:50 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by BullHorn

As an example, the 2003-2007 "S-1" models are quite frankly poop.

You're the only person I've ever heard say that. Those were great basses.
That's the period when everyone was starting to recognize that Fender
was getting it's act together in terms of quality control and consistency.

The S-1 switch was of little or no value but that doesn't detract from
the rest of the bass.