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Brand snobbery

#42
From my personal experience, brand snobs are everywhere, and come in all ages.

The "if-it-ain't-Fender-then-it-ain't-right/real"-person can often be seen sneaking around the stage after shows, waiting patiently to deliver his deadly remark regarding your choice of bass (or rather, your wrong choice of bass).

I'm a polite guy, so I try to remain calm when I get this crap from these kind of people, most of them who probably don't know how to keep a groove. You'd just love to give them a real verbal bash, though.

However, I always get compliments from sound guys how great my Modulus or Warwick sound on stage, and how easy they are to place in the mix.

Knowing this, I really don't care what brand you use, as long as you play good, and to some part sound good. I'm sad to say that the rest of the world doesn't share the same opinion.
 
#44
I dislike Fender because everyone else likes them. I quite like being in the minority who know that big name doesn't equal superiority.

The bargains are there as the lesser revered brands (Peavey/Yamaha/Cort etc..) don't sell as many, if they sold more the prices would go up, we don't want that do we ?
 
#45
yeh, just recently, someone very reputable around here came up to me at a gig and asked what gear i was using (amp-wise). when he saw it was a hartke (i bought it so i could drag it around and not feel too badly), he went off about how he hated hartke, what else did i have?
so, he wasn't a fan of my gear, and didn't stick around to hear us play, but i almost laughed when he said he had a swr amp, because i have never had good luck with swr.

i actually like giggin with 'no-name' brands (TBC & SX), because people never know what to make of them. especially the SX (SJB 75C)- folks are like, 'is that a fender?' and when i tell them, 'no, it's an sx,' there's a pause, then an 'ohhhhhh....' then they walk away. happens every time. :D
 
#46
I let my friends (guitarists) have a look at my TBC, they were bowled over by it. I could have told them i paid 1000 pounds for it and they would have believed me, but i told them 200 quid from America which added to the impact. They would just look at me blankly, glancing over at their ESPs and Deans and then back at the TBC. Thinking "And i paid 550 quid for that" !
 
#47
Hmm, people at my school weren't too bad actually as far as being snobs. Probably the worst case of snobbery thats happened with me was that my mum was telling someone at a music store and my uncle about my bass and goes "yeah I think he put Bartolini pickups in it" both my uncle and the music store owner had never heard of Bartolini. My mum also mentioned something about them being made in the US and the store owner goes "Just because its made in the US doesn't mean they're good." (which is probably more ignorance than snobbery, though he also kind of snobbed my decision for my next bass because he had never heard of Lakland)
 
#49
I've got a few different basses, not of them exactly boutique the most expensive being a Warwick Corvette, however, the singer in my band adores the sound of my Yamaha BB414 which cost a grand total of £220. Similarly I've got a Trace Elliot AH400SMX but often take my tatty old Fender BRX200 amp and boost it with a Behringer BD121 pedal (£26). None of my gear is ever going to win awards, or turn heads, but it's reliable and gets the job done. I hate the fact that in the UK any "indie" band bassist seems to play a Fender Jazz, Precision or Rickenbacker, not because they are bad basses obviously but just because it's so damm predictable. There is a lot of snobbery and ignorance regarding gear, but rarely among busy semi pro players. Like other people have said I quite like playing non Fenders just to be a bit different.
 
#50
Two great points that have been made before but are worth repeating.

1. Gear snobbery is usually based on insecurity and that is true whether you are in high school or are getting ready to go to your 25th high school reunion. I'm 46 and still see it.

2. Gear snobbery is also present anywhere that you'll find gear.
Bikes, golf equipment, sneakers, cars, etc. Often the people who pull the biggest attitude are trying to buy performance with better gear rather than practice. Just as it is easier and cheaper for me to lose 5 pounds off my butt by going to the gym, than spending $2,500 on a lighter bike. A little practice will make me sound better than a $2,500 bass.

I'm not saying you can't get incremental improvements with better gear - but if I give Victor or Geddy (or even my teacher) my SX or Peavey and they give me one of their basses - I will still be smoked. Same thing if I switch golf clubs with Tiger Woods - instead of getting beat by 50 strokes, I'd get beat by 48.

The good news is that if you and your gear sound good - people who know what they are talking about will tell you and that good feeling will far outweigh bad from the 50 snarky comments from those who don't know what they are talking about.
 
#51
Machines said:
I dislike Fender because everyone else likes them. I quite like being in the minority who know that big name doesn't equal superiority.

The bargains are there as the lesser revered brands (Peavey/Yamaha/Cort etc..) don't sell as many, if they sold more the prices would go up, we don't want that do we ?
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That's just as closed minded as the people that only like Fender's. You don't dislike Fender due to quality or feel or tone, you don't like them based on a common opinion and you wanting to stand out. I'm not standing up for Fenders, because I myself don't like them (after trying many out, time and time again), but I'm just pointing out the double standard here. That mindset of "I want to be different so I'm going to say I don't like a major name brand" is so ignorant, it's almost embarrassing to the rest of us. Please think before you post.

ANYWAYS - Back on topic. There are basses that I like, and basses that I don't like. I used to be one to base my opinions on looks or popularity, but since I had the "tone is in the hands" epiphany, I've kinda dropped that. I don't say anything about a bass that I haven't tried out unless I explicitly state that my opinions are purely on looks and the tone I've heard from others. There are many super high end basses that I don't like, many I do, and the same is true for cheapos. It depends on the individual and the individual bass. [IMO & IME as needed]

Peace and Groove
Drake
 
#52
Want to see gear snobbery....try playing in Nashville...I met a fellow bass player at church Sunday. He was telling me, something that I've also heard from other people in town as well, when he got to town, he played a Ken Smith 5. He also wore it pretty high as was his style. He was told, lose the Smith, get a Fender and lower his bass. I've had the same thing told to me before, when I had a sixer, a benavente 5er, and no Fenders.

Odd thing is that I'm really into Fender's now. Not becuase of the stupid snobs in town, but it's a sound and feel that I truly enjoy. But I'm not going to look down on anyone for playing a Warwick (which I love by the way), Ibanez (personally not crazy about, but they're great basses), or anything else. Gear snobbery, unfortunately, doesn't end in high school. It gets worse in some areas actually.
 
#55
You are going to have Fender snobs in the bass world no matter what. I don't see the same for gibsons or ricks or MMs, just fender in the bass world. However, seems you can get by with a p or j clone a lot easier than any custom.

Anyways, BRAND snobbery happens way too much in almost all aspects of life. Can't tell you how many conversation with a hot chick involving 'he drives a lexus (porsche blah blah)', or especially the Louis Vitton thing, (wife is chinese, asians LOVE some brand names, ain't that right Jong?). Basically, developing thick skin and having your own gauge of who is an idiot and who is not is essential in today's world.

That said, getting turned on to the fender thing is interesting to me now. I have an older fender p with a j pup added that really sounds awesome recorded, and now after a smoking jazz 5 string (already tried it, and WOW).

that said, I have played many peaveys and yamahas that could give any serious high end instrument a tough run. PS, whoever dogs a yamaha under these discussed conditions is a complete idiot, not recognizing exactly how much great stuff they (and on different fronts, Sony) have their hands in and how they always produce great products. Nothing has made me laugh more than some guy who thinks they are a generic brand. Complete.
 
#56
xgabriel said:
Don't let it get to you. Kids will be kids and you can't stop it. Play what sounds good, and you'll get all the street cred you need.
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Wish I'd learned this earlier too.
Not about what you play, but how you play it. When I first started playing and was popping out Primus licks on my Peavey Millenium II 4 string, people listened. :bassist:
 
#57
I own a Sadowsky and a Benavente, but I should confess that I am a Yamaha BB-series snob... :help:

Seriously, I really appreciate the great quality and workmanship of boutique basses and I still love to play them, but my Yamahas learned me that great quality doesn't always come with a big pricetag. That in itself made me realise that a great bass is a great bass, and a bad bass is a bad bass, no matter what the brand name on the headstock is. And a bad player is a bad player, no matter what bass he's playing!
 
#59
chris_nairn said:
Tiger and Spade, I don't want to hold out but I just don't feel it would be right. With his attitude I probably shouldn't care but...I do.
Except for his crappy attitude about (my) basses. He was very fun to talk to. Oh yeah, he also could not find enough bad things to say about one of my favorite bass players. That kind of sucked especially since the one that I said was one of my faves has gone on record before saying he really likes the playing of the one I was talking with. I mentioned that and he said, "yeah who cares, he sucks, he can't play at all". And, "He used to come back stage to my shows in the late 70s and early 80s and blow smoke up my arse, telling me how much he liked my playing and what an influence and inspiration I was". I said see he has good taste. This didn't go any where, so I decided we should talk about travelling, beer, etc..
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But thats how people with low self esteem acts, obviously he is pretty insecure about his playing if he feels the need to hate on other peoples skills and gear.
 

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