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Conform to Fender?

Matthew Hanafin

Matthew Hanafin

Dec 23, 2015
81
61
23
Michigan
#1
Okay so ive been playing bass for two years (only 13) and my main bass at the moment is a peavey ac bxp 5 string and I love it but the 4 string I have is a affinity series jazz bass (first bass) which is okay but I want a nicer 4 string so Ive saved 600 with the intent of buying a mim Jaguar (passive one) but started thinking outside the basic predictable fender but the problem is most of what my band covers are tracks with fender basses for example: the ramones, the clash, blink 182, weezer, ect. But I want to know should I go fender or go with something else if so tell me what bass.
 
#2
Matthew Hanafin said:
Okay so ive been playing bass for two years (only 13) and my main bass at the moment is a peavey ac bxp 5 string and I love it but the 4 string I have is a affinity series jazz bass (first bass) which is okay but I want a nicer 4 string so Ive saved 600 with the intent of buying a mim Jaguar (passive one) but started thinking outside the basic predictable fender but the problem is most of what my band covers are tracks with fender basses for example: the ramones, the clash, blink 182, weezer, ect. But I want to know should I go fender or go with something else if so tell me what bass.
Click to expand...

ive said this a zillion times in other threads: Playing bass is about 'salesmanship' as much as it is about getting a sound i.e. 'Can you sell what you do'? Its more important to play with confidence and to lock in phat and tight with the drummer than it is to play exactly the same instrument and mimic the exact tone as the guys on the record. As long as your sound isnt too drastic of a difference (such as trying to cover bright punchy roundwound bass parts with the rubber-band sound of a semi-hollow strung with flats), you can play almost whatever bass you want within reason

$.02
 
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#4
Bass players are the only ones who notice that the base tone doesn't match exactly to the record. Nobody in the audience cares, unless they're also a bass player. There are TONS of good basses out there that can approximate those tones, So go play a bunch and buy the one that speaks to you. Then keep doing that until you have all the ones you want. Then keep doing that until you find the next one you want.
 
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#6
What matters is that it sounds good to you and you like the way it plays. You don't have to play any particular brand of bass to play any particular style of music.

There's nothing wrong with using a Fender if that's what you like. And there's nothing wrong with using a different brand. As long as you like the bass you're playing, it's all good.
 
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#12
Matthew Hanafin said:
Okay so ive been playing bass for two years (only 13) and my main bass at the moment is a peavey ac bxp 5 string and I love it but the 4 string I have is a affinity series jazz bass (first bass) which is okay but I want a nicer 4 string so Ive saved 600 with the intent of buying a mim Jaguar (passive one) but started thinking outside the basic predictable fender but the problem is most of what my band covers are tracks with fender basses for example: the ramones, the clash, blink 182, weezer, ect. But I want to know should I go fender or go with something else if so tell me what bass.
Click to expand...

Fender basses are the industry standard, you can really do any style of music on them and they never sound out of place. That being said, play whatever bass that makes you want to play, the one that looks and sounds attractive to you
 
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#13
chris_b said:
He's starting early.

This is a bad road. We should be discouraging him.
Click to expand...

I think it would be good to encourage him to venture out and try new things. Whatever gets him to play more. Yeah, I get what you mean, new players shouldn't be distracted by all this gear and should just focus on playing. OTOH, for me, new gear always incites more playing for me. Every time I get new gear, I play more. I play every day as it is. So if I'm home, I'm usually playing. I get it, not everyone is like this. But getting anther new bass could be a huge push for the OP to play his little heart out every day. So who are we to say??

@Matthew Hanafin, get whatever you think sounds good. Period. I remember the first few years I played, I didn't know what to get. So I went to a Sam Ash one day with a few hundred dollars in my pocket determined to get something I liked. I ended up getting an Ibanez ATK300. Not many dudes played that bass back then. Hell, still don't. But I loved the way it sounded and played. So I bought it. And I still use it all the time to this day and it is my main player for my band. Not a Fender! :eek:
 
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#19
the 'it must be a Fender' notion...or the even more prevalent 'if its not a Fender, Talkbass gets mad' notion are false....I like Fenders, lots of folks like Fenders I also like Musicman, Gibson, G&L, Squire, Ibanez, etc...but this idea that there is a militant Pro-Fender hive mindset here is GREATLY over exaggerated...in the many years I have been here and on HCBF previously, the non-Fender crowd is far more vocal and proactive than any other....you can't type Fender without several G and L, Warmoth, Anything but Fender, Sire etc touts frantically posting...

Fenders can be great - non Fenders can be great....if you are a decent bass player and you bass plays in tune..you can pull just about anything off, convincingly...and only other bass players in the crowd will notice the shape of your headstock or the PUs in your bass...

Many folks love to play pseudo martyr and go on and on about their amazing strength and resolve playing another brand....play what works for you and what you like...save the sermon
 
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#20
Hey man welcome to the wonderful world of GAS.
Honestly dont worry about conforming, if that jaguar bass speaks to you then play it. Jaguar basses are my favorite basses and ill vouch for their cool factor. If you're playing punk though remember that its about doing what you want and rocking the hell out of it. If you want to play a guitar made out of an oil can you can do that (check out bohemian guitars basses they're really frikkin cool), if you want a jaguar then do it, if you want an absurd BC rich triple neck then do it.
 
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