Fender is so popular because when the electric guitar was still a relatively new instrument, the came up with the Precision Bass. While it's not my cup of tea, for the new music that was emerging, it was a very useful instrument. Reasonably comfortable to play, easy to maintain, simple to record and very portable. This predated the bass guitars of the other main manufacturers of electric instruments.
And then they made the Jazz Bass, which personally I like a lot better than the P-bass, and which most people would agree is a good design, also fairly comfy to play, and with lots of good tones to use.
So, when other companies were just starting to release their first electric basses, Fender already had two solid designs under their belt. Many people had already fallen in love with the P and the J, and so they became a bit of a standard, by virtue of being basically the only things around in numbers in those early years. And in the intervening years, Fender has made a lot of them.
Today, Fender is a very safe choice for showing up to a gig. While many people might not be that wowed, pretty much nobody will balk at the choice of one.
Do I think they're the best? No, not at all. But their place in history can't be denied, so now it's sort of a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing.
Though quite a few companies have basically made a business out of "fixing it," (Sadowsky, Lakland, etc.), it's interesting to note that most models are based off of those two designs (or a combination thereof).
If salespeople at music shops are constantly trying to push Fenders you don't want on you, just say flat out "I don't want a Fender." Say it clearly and with a certain finality. They will probably get the message.
And then they made the Jazz Bass, which personally I like a lot better than the P-bass, and which most people would agree is a good design, also fairly comfy to play, and with lots of good tones to use.
So, when other companies were just starting to release their first electric basses, Fender already had two solid designs under their belt. Many people had already fallen in love with the P and the J, and so they became a bit of a standard, by virtue of being basically the only things around in numbers in those early years. And in the intervening years, Fender has made a lot of them.
Today, Fender is a very safe choice for showing up to a gig. While many people might not be that wowed, pretty much nobody will balk at the choice of one.
Do I think they're the best? No, not at all. But their place in history can't be denied, so now it's sort of a "If it ain't broke, don't fix it" thing.
Though quite a few companies have basically made a business out of "fixing it," (Sadowsky, Lakland, etc.), it's interesting to note that most models are based off of those two designs (or a combination thereof).
If salespeople at music shops are constantly trying to push Fenders you don't want on you, just say flat out "I don't want a Fender." Say it clearly and with a certain finality. They will probably get the message.
