Fender poll. Part 3.

[micguy]

Let's see - why do I like the basses I have better than Fenders?

1) Guaranteed weight - I buy bodies from Warmoth, partly because they're made very well, but a lot of it is I KNOW the weight before I buy it.
2) Hipshot hardware - just very well made stuff that (again, you'll find this is a theme) is light.
3) Pickups that run the gamut of sounds, not just a 60 year old design of alnico and copper.
4) Roasted necks with graphite rods (Fender does a kinda graphite rod) - stable and light.
5) Well shielded everwhere - no hum, no buzz.
6) Custom circuits (lower impedance and a bunch of other things)
7) More than 4 colors available

Yeah, when you get down to it, making your own basses means you can get exactly what you want (once you figure that out). Fender's chance of selling me a bass is pretty remote at this point.

 

[Yellow Bang66]

I'm reasonably happy with their current offerings, and while I sure wouldn't say no to lower prices, I don't feel that they are overpriced (in general -- perhaps some specific models could be argued as overpriced, but that's a matter of personal taste too).

I already have three Fender basses (two purchased brand new, a third purchased very lightly used). The main reasons I want to get more: have a second Precision bass, so I can keep one with flats and one with roundwound strings; have a 1970s-style Jazz bass to pair with my 1960s-style Jazz bass, for the (admittedly subtle) tonal difference; have either a Precision or Jazz to keep a set of tapewound strings on; have something as close as possible (perhaps a Custom Shop build) to a 1963 Jazz, for personal nostalgic reasons.

I fully expect that in time I will acquire all of those nice-to-have additions for my bass collection. But what I have now gives me plenty to get the job done, and I'm just not in a hurry to buy more. So I'm not really sure what Fender could do, short of dropping prices to something unrealistically low, to get me to speed up my purchasing.

For the purpose of the poll, I selected "more color choices", because, as much as I esteem and even like 3TSB, Olympic White, and Black, I like having more options when it does come time to buy. [Of course, for only a few hundred dollars more over the American Professional line, you can go with a Mod Shop build and get a much wider selection of colors.]

I would be "interested' in something traditional looking,but forward thinking in a practical sense, something new but not too New and something versatile in sound & tone, Something like a slab tele bass in looks, but with modern electronics, sans robo tuners or some "trendy" innovative fad . anything"Robo" would be unacceptible!
like innovative pickups with new magnetic options. cool/beautiful finishes would be nice too, as would "roasted" wood options.
I think updating the styles that Leo "invented" with a more modern appeal. Sort of a What would Leo do if He were around today! with all the advancements in woods and electronics, without going overboard or trying to get too cute. avoiding what gibson did recently with that explorer-X monstrosity (the ones they ran over with a tractor)!.

 

[JW56789]

Fender is in that tricky spot that all 'legacy' brand names find themselves in. How do you progress in the evolution of a business while a) retaining your landmark design language and content, and b) not let that become either a self-limiting process or conversely evolve and risk running off your core customer base?

Finding that balance is a very, very tricky achievement, and I don't envy them. I often fault them for the endless variations on the same-old, same-old, and yet realize that what were to me significant yet proper additions to their line (say, the Roscoe Becks, PBass Lytes, the Dimensions, to name a few) aren't around anymore because they didn't sell in sufficient numbers to keep them in the line, I don't envy the balancing act their product planning faces . . . . . while there are dozens of other companies making a success of often similar variations they could easily produce themselves. GOT to be frustrating.

 

[2cooltoolz]

I chose the "order direct as I want" option. I own 4 Fender basses, but they are all completely "parts Basses", built mostly from "new" bodies and necks ordered from Stratosphere, with genuine Fender parts throughout (except one Seymour PU and one Nordstrand PU ).

The downside of that, is Fender would have charged probably 50% more to build it.

 

[PBassin]

Where's the "I already buy Fender" or "When buying Fender, it's Custom Shop only" options? The poll is skewed with the assumption that people won't buy Fender instruments, and it's just a matter of the reasoning.

 

[4sight]

I think they're generally overpriced. Them dropping the new price low enough to tempt me seems unlikely when I can pick up a perfectly good used MIM for £350-400.

 

[hennessybass]

I voted something else.
I feel like at this point, I have a pretty specific idea of what I want in terms of quality, feel, and features - and that can be kind of hard to come buy especially if you are not willing to start modding your brand new bass.

I've seen some nice CS basses that I like. A few weeks back I played one of the 50s RI P basses that was very nice.
I think I'm probably more inclined to buy a Nash bass than a new fender.

 

[MtManiac]

I have no plans to buy another new one. I suppose if one were stolen again, I would. I haven't bought a new one since 2010, I'm content with exploring the very plentiful used market. There isn't a poll option for any of those reasons, so I picked "something else."

 

[DrMole]

I have no plans to buy another new one. I suppose if one were stolen again, I would. I haven't bought a new one since 2010, I'm content with exploring the very plentiful used market. There isn't a poll option for any of those reasons, so I didn't respond to your poll.

"Something Else, Please elaborate" which you did...and your reasons seem solid and reasonable ( as reasons should be)

 

[MtManiac]

"Something Else, Please elaborate" which you did...and your reasons seem solid and reasonable ( as reasons should be)

Yeah I went back and edited my post.

 

[DrMole]

All is well then; as I mentioned your reasons are reasonable

 

[kodiakblair]

Nothing could entice me to buy a new Fender. They had their chance 35 years back and blew it 6 times on the bounce.

OK the mid 80's wasn't a good time for them and no doubt they've upped their game.

Trouble is,so has everyone else

 

[ELG60]

Since finding my Ocean Turquoise 75 reissue jazz bass earlier this year, I have to say that my GAS is completely satisfied. I do have . . . Let me think . . . 8 Fender basses and one parts jazz bass.

I'd have to really be moved by a particular model, or be specifically motivated by being able to choose options direct, to be theoretically tempted.

Btw, I've never purchased a brand-new bass fwiw.

 

[punchclock]

More lefty options.

 

[fjbass78]

In my case i have a '78 jazz bass, a 62 reissue P bass, 5 string P bass, and another Fender parts J bass i put together. 2 Laklands, a rickenbacker, a Hofner, and my old 78 Ibanez. I really don't need another bass except maybe a musicman, but lower prices are always good.

 

[J-Mags]

I voted for lower prices, although I'm unlikely to ever buy a bass new. I suppose I could be convinced if they had a 32" scale length model at a reasonable price, like the old Japanese Aerodynes, except about $600 new.

 

[Bunk McNulty]

Brand new 32" scale Fender Japan Jazz bass. Maple fretboard. I'd buy it. I have a used one (1994), and I'd like another.

 

[pacojas]

Fender should just fold up and go away. i love them, but like in Hollywood i'm tired of the same marquee names in every other movie.

 

[LowRick]

I chose the "elaborate" option, so here goes:

I would have to need it and like the sound/feel etc of it. This latter i think is no problem since so many play them, probably not for no reason. Further i guess i'll need one pretty soon because i play in an old blues band and my ray is slightly being frowned upon.

Having scouted them for a while, i just think there are too many types out there (mia, mim, mij, cij, player, standard etc etc) and too many people interested in them for their trade value instead of their playability.

I remember seeing a band in a bar nearby and during the break a guy walked up to the bassist, looked at his headstock and said, "hmmm... not mia..." and turned his back and walked away. Later i spoke to this guy and asked him if he played, he said no. he just liked the real things and admitted he'd traded some of them on "marktplaats" (local sort of ebay here). The bassist played really good and had an awesome sound. That part of Fender i really dislike. It attracts gear-snobs.

 

[Nashrakh]

Per the other 2 polls, I have purchased new (MIA) Fenders, 3 in total, in the last 5 years. I'm really interested in a 6 string bass next, but I just don't see Fender branching out much into that realm.

Which is too bad. I'm a P bass guy at heart, but I love the extended range as well. Guess this is a case of "can't have your cake and eat it".