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"Do you play a Fender?"

#41
I'll just put it this way. I have one if I need one. A Fender Geddy Lee Jazz simply because I like it. However it is being upgraded with a set of Reed James VVN's and an Audere 4 band pre. This way I can still sell with original parts if I need to. My main basses are 2 Brubaker Brutes and a Brubaker KXB-5 Custom.
 
#44
Don't get me wrong, I love my Fenders but:

BazzTard said:
...everybody knows the sound you're gonna get from a Fender bass.
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I don't. I've learnt from experience that not all Fenders are created equal.

BazzTard said:
It is THE industry standard.
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Making more instruments than anyone else does not mean Fender are an industry standard. In fact mass production often leads to quality control issues.

But coming back to the main point of the thread: Any decent band would listen to you play first and then admire your instrument second.
 
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#45
SanDiegoHarry said:
But what a fine point!!! A PoS Squier Affinity gets more respect than a Zon or Lakland? Outstanding!!!
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I've had guitarists speak poorly of my Pedulla and also my Squier. Both basses sound and play great, although one cost an order of magnitude more.

Some people hear with their eyes, and aren't open to new information. I cannot take these people too seriously, depending of course on how much they're paying me. ;)
 
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#48
I am guessing that the preference for a Fender is more of a cosmetic "Uniform" type issue. I hear of this a lot, and while a lot of the guitarists / bassists I know play a Fender of some sort, I actually know more folks personally that play Ibanez than Fender... By about a 2 to 1 margin...

If the Band Leader / band is going for a certain look, he should have prefaced his question with...

"We are going for a certain look and sound with our band. Do you have a (Insert color here) Fender (model specs) bass that you can gig with?"

I have seen more than a few bands where the guitarists, and bass player are playing color matching Fenders, like Candy Apple Red P bass, a strat, and a tele... Typically the drummer will be on a drum kit that comes close to color matching...

Kind of old school, but if you are doing a Motown / Doo Wop kind of thing, I can see it...
 
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#49
/\/\3phist0 said:
I play a Squier by Fender. So yes I play Fender. It says so on the headstock.
Doesn't every ad selling a Squier affinity have the title "Fender...."
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Squier by Fender, El Dorado by Caddilac... A Fender, and a Caddilac... Hair splittin' difference...

Now I will back off a bit and let the hate from Fender purists be flung my way...
 
#51
gln1955 said:
They would have had a lot more credibility if they had asked for a specific sound. Who cares what you use to get it unless it's a tribute, early R&R vibe band, etc. If that was the case they should have explained that in the original ad.
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Which goes back to my point about it being a part of the "Uniform"... We've all seen it I would think... Country bands where say a BC-Rich Warlock bass would look outright out of place, a glam metal band where a natural finish matte bass would look wrong...

Music is about music first and foremost absolutely, but playing live, it's about the show too... You need to look right not just sound right. That's why you don't see too many, uh... voluptuous women headlining bands. (The great Aretha Franklin excepted). The fat lady singing generally speaking (Although not exclusively) is reserved for church choir, or the Opera...
 
#54
I think I've posted this before, but here it goes anyways. I've been asked the same question and bar none I've never ever ever found myself even a little enticed by the bands that ask that question. It's short sighted and sounds arrogant. I've posted before I used to gig a 72 silverface bassman 50 with a 210 avatar cab and an Ibanez sr700. People loved it.

Ive been more than amazed by people on all sorts of gear, and I'd never disqualify anyone in this way. Never would I think Id know what's best for my guitar player, and I prefer musicians of similar disposition. The appropriate question is "do you have pro gear". Then, only under the auspices of just gear talk, would I wanna get into the gear before hearing it

These are the guys that refuse to by on quality and instead based on MSRP. I'm not saying there's no correlation but I think we can all agree that price tag isn't everything. Nowadays I do play a fender through a boutique pedal and an Aguilar rig, and I'll still do jams with people like this. I just look at it the same way I would look at being late for an interview. I'm probably not gonna hire you unless you're the second coming of the Beatles, but let's see anyways.
 
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