Anyone Else NOT Like Fender Basses?

[FingerDub]

I like my Precision very much. I don't like Fender Jazz basses at all. But, I prefer playing Thunderbirds. Sometimes the P is the sound you need, but most of the time, nobody knows what the bass really sounds like except the bass player. When was the last time an extremely desirable member of the audience came up and commented on bass tone? Never? Yep. That's right. Never. It's always some weird guy who you hope wants to corner the drummer or guitarist, but no luck. That weird guy wants to talk about your bass tone. That's the ONLY time anybody cares. And, you wish he didn't.

Why don't you like jazz basses?

 

[SanDiegoHarry]

It's not a matter of "like" or "Dislike" for me - it's that they aren't as nice as I want, simple as that. I picked up the nicest fender that I have *ever* played a few years ago, and while it was quite nice, it wasn't as nice as the used Lakland I have. So... yeah. But note that I like Fender "Style" basses. Gibson type basses, no thanks.

 

[Dougie44]

The Fender sound is the bass sound that I hear in my head when I think BASS.

However , I don't own a Fender bass. This is because my hands prefer 19mm string spacing on a 34 scale with the asymmetric profile neck.
My back and shoulder prefer a light weight body under 9 lbs.
My ears prefer a p pickup in the sweet spot.
And I prefer 5 strings with a great low B string.

Fender doesn't fit my above listed criteria .
Therefore , I'm content playing another brand.

All of my favorite bass players either still use or became famous using Fender basses.
For this reason , I like Fenders.

Fender got the electric bass guitar market started so the name, marketing know how got a good jump start. It seems to me that whatever brand especially neck feel turns out to be what you will stick with.
Fender makes some good guitars and that's what I wanted, but after trying 2 brand new American made Fenders that needed set up because of frett buzz I went with a different brand.
Just did not want to pay the price for something from the factory that wasn't right.
I like the Fender bass, just make sure you play it before you buy.

 

[Michael B]

Scale length and fret size shared by all brands?

I think not.
There are numerous different fret sizes available, and as for scale length we have standard 34", short scale, medium scale, 35" scale, 33 1/4" scale, fanned fret/multi scale...

Personally, I prefer non-Fender and their clones, but that's my taste and preference for several reasons.
We are not all the same player, have many varied needs, and all have differing aesthetic values.
Vive le difference!

Agreed. All brands have different fret sizes. It's not 1 brand per 1 fret size.

 

[FingerDub]

My P bass is probably the only bass I won't sell. I'd sell my Stingray HH before my P bass. Why? Because the build quality is perfect. The neck has graphite rods in it and for some reason, notes ring out FOREVER above the 12th and even 14th fret, even on the G string. None of my other basses seems to be able to do this. Neck feels amazing, bass is under 9 lbs. Comfort is very high. Actually, Fender necks seem more built for comfort to me than some other brands in regards to radius and profile. I can always change out the pickup if I'm looking for a change in tone.

 

[Antisyzygy]

I like all bass brands, but I do tend to gravitate towards Fender-like basses. G&L is my favorite brand so far but I haven't tried the more boutiquey Fender-like brands like Lull or Sadowsky.

 

[Gaolee]

Why don't you like jazz basses?

I don't like the way they sound for the most part.

 

[ThuzzleFump]

Many people like Fenders. Some do not. This is OK.

 

[SirMjac28]

 

[HolmeBass]

I do not dislike Fenders at all, but I am glad there are other brands. I play my Warwick Streamer Stage I most, and my Fender Jazz second most.

 

[GMC]

I like and respect every thing Leo Fender has innovated and given us bassists. Most modern / boutique basses really have more in common with Fender than most people realize. Most pickup configurations are bassed (soz) on Leo's ideas or designs. Jazz / P / Music man / Humbuckers....most of these configs are all his.
But there are things about his basses that irritate me and are not so well designed. I don't like 4 in a line tuners. It makes neck dive more obvious and adds needless bulk to an already large instrument. I don't like the headstock design...or the fact that it's not angled back. I don't like string tees...use a 2 a side angled back headstock and the bass feels easier to play and gets the same string down force on each string....and doesn't need a string tee. I don't like the bent metal bridge...there are far far better bridges available these days. I don't like the 21 or 22 fret fingerboard...24 fret is far more useful and it's not hard to do. I like rear routed control cavities and properly shielded cavities and pickup surrounds. I liked side mounted jacks and I like to use two over sized rear strap buttons so I don't need a guitar stand. I like bolt on, set or straight through neck construction and I also like headless...I also like 6 string basses.

 

[Moe Hickey]

I have played mostly Fenders over the years. Got one G&L, then another, and that's all I have now. I was at the Dallas Sam Ash over the weekend and played an Adam Clayton and an AVRI Jazz. Set ups were terrible. Build quality IMO was poorer than my G&Ls. Fenders feel cheaper to me than G&L now. Would be really hard to go back.

 

[JWMurrayJr]

Many people like Fenders. Some do not. This is OK.

The voice of reason. I don't like Fender because they cost too much (For me.) I do like Fender because it's a Fender and I think Leo Fender was a cool guy. But then I don't play bass so who cares what I think (About Fender basses at least.)
If I ever do try to play bass, and that's a distinct possibility, I'll probably start with an SX for reasons that are obvious to me if not thee.

 

[CGremlin]

I don't dislike Fenders, but I do find the body shape and size of the Jazzes tend to push the neck out a little further than I'd like so that I have to reach a bit. Precisions fit me a lot better. I've got Fender, Peavey, Ibanez, Yamaha, EBMM, and Rickenbacker basses so I'd like to think I've had a decent selection to see what works for me. So far, the most comfortable of all of them has been the TRBX 305 I got last week, although the Stingray and RB800 come pretty close.

 

[superdick2112]

Anyone else NOT like troll threads?

 

[Deak]

The trailblaze for the Fender is historic but I have never owned one. Love the sound but hate the looks.

I wouldn't even pick one up. I had a real physical aversion to the Fender Bass and it's look a likes.

I first saw one and it's owner, at a tennis court dance in the summer of '63. The bassist was about 6'5" and skinny as a rail with that big awkward Fender body and head stock. Made an unreasonable impression on me as a new teen concerned about looking "Hip" as a new bass player. As I said, I was an early teen dripping with hormones and lacking all reasoning. I had yet to learn that bass players don't get the babes.

However, being much older now (and fatter and no wiser and righteously crabbier TYVM) I am keeping an eye out for that "J" and/or "P" that speaks to me and hope to understand and feel the "oneness" that I heard and felt in the music, but did not touch.

Kinda like when you're lucky enough to be in the music at that exact moment (it's almost always unexpected) when the perfect music moment drives down to your soul and you look at the group members and uncontrollably shed a tear. The Fender Bass has that and I'm looking forward to the dance even in my old age.

Eh. to each his own. Ain't life grand? I'll take my meds now. We grow.

 

[ESPweasel]

I'm not a big fan of the headstock. But that's just a matter of taste.

 

[gln1955]

If you don't like Fenders, there are other companies that make basses. Or so I've heard.

 

[lfmn16]

Really, you've been on TB for three years and need to ask?

 

[Ninevolt]

I don't like fender guitar/bass necks, not a good fit for my hands. That and I don't like poly on the neck front or back, and string trees. I prefer angled headstocks.