They were, but you really had to like the sound and feel of those carbon fiber round backs, and while I could barely tolerate the feel of small bowl backs, I hated the large bowl backs!
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I saw Journey twice during the summer of 1980. Both Neil and Ross were using Ovation solid body instruments.
I just looked up...despite its fairly trad look, it was made of Urelite foam (whatever that is) over aluminum!
Ovation UKII 1291 | Vintage Guitar® magazine
I thought it was only around 5. Good to know, and thanks!
Active Fenders to me sound like a nice blend of modern meets vintage to me. Compared to say an Ibanez, that sounds nothing at all vintage, but does share some similar qualities in the modern tonal aspect.
While I agree that a player's approach and individual style counts for a lot, I disagree that old Fender tones still move the music needle. A lot of Fender tone is holdover from before anybody knew bass tone was even a thing. There will always be a contingent of people who swear by the old tones, but it's not something I think is driving today's music needle.
Fender got it right the first time. That's why when you have a alternate bass, "You can get a fender sound if you do this on your bass". Other than that you don't have a bass that is or sounds like a fender. Which is not bad. It is just a different voice. If you find yourself to be the most creative on any bass, than that bass found you. Enjoy it.
Yep. With a mahogany neck and ebony FB bolted onto that body. Pickups had built in coil tap switches at the top, and sounded really wonderful. I played blues, rock, and quasi classical styles at the time, and it could handle them all.
I'm really hoping they bring back the Dimension bass line back at some point-- that was the first new design Fender did in decades that I found genuinely-interesting, while still having a distinctly "Fender" mystique to it.
I think they made a mistake by introducing the single-pickup model first, which came across as a not-so-subtle play for the MusicMan market. Introducing the 2-pickup model first as an evolution of the Jazz bass may have given them firmer footing, but who knows?
There aren't a lot of them on the used market-- never more than just a couple for sale at any point on Reverb-- so, I'm guessing their owners like 'em!
I think they made a mistake by introducing the single-pickup model first, which came across as a not-so-subtle play for the MusicMan market. Introducing the 2-pickup model first as an evolution of the Jazz bass may have given them firmer footing, but who knows?
There aren't a lot of them on the used market-- never more than just a couple for sale at any point on Reverb-- so, I'm guessing their owners like 'em!
Just for kicks, I looked at Dimensions on eBay. They’ve gotten expensive.
Regarding the Fender to Harley comparisons: It's a pretty good analogy, but I remember when the V-rod was first released. Using the Harley analogy, it seems like this is what the original post is talking about. The V-rod was unlike other Harleys - and it was awesome.
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I own multiple fenders. I love them. I do like that they look like traditional basses that I grew up watching many of the musicians I admire use on stage.
I am not a purist though. If fender came out with some hot pink bc rich warlock ripoff, and it played and sounded like heaven, I would buy it regardless of whose logo was on the headstock. Just my 5 cents (inflation is a mother..).
I am not a purist though. If fender came out with some hot pink bc rich warlock ripoff, and it played and sounded like heaven, I would buy it regardless of whose logo was on the headstock. Just my 5 cents (inflation is a mother..).
That was always my problem. When they were kings, I was a kid. When I would wander around the music stores, the ovation acoustics were always the cream of the crop. I loved how they sounded in other peoples hands, and loved the look. Those backs. As a short armed fat kid, those designs did not work for me. I never got an ovation.
Fender has made several "Modern" looking basses over the years and non of them has taken off. Right now everything is VINTAGE, VINTAGE, VINTAGE. Flatwounds are even coming back in style (for crying out loud). People are paying BIG money for a new bass that looks like it's 50 yrs old and been play hard. (Relic'd) So, with all that said, I don't see Fender coming out with anything radically different in the near future.
I simply want a 24 fret Jazz Bass! It's beyond my comprehension that they havent done that yet. I've been told that the longer neck would throw off the physics of the bass and alter it's inherent sound, but shouldnt that be the consumers choice? Recently I bought a used Ultra just to check one out... waiting on delivery... it will be the first 22 fret neck I've played on since 1980.
This is one of Fenders forays into "Modern Looking" Basses, it is a 1990 Fender Kubicki Jazz Bass in Blue Burst with Lace PUPs, I have owned it since new (Bought in 1991) and love it, the neck is fantastic and wonderful to play. I had to scrap the Kubicki electronics (About 5 years ago) and went totally passive, I could have probably messed with the electronics a bit but when I went totally passive it opened up the basses low and high end immensely IMHO. Luckily someone on here wanted the Kubicki electronics so they got recycled...
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I like the round backs. My acoustic guitar is a 1980's ovation celebrity. Been beating on that since high school.
