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Fender vs. Musicman vs.G&L
- Thread starter Papajewrry
- Start date
Hard to say. In terms of popularity, he really goes down hill in order of invention (P>J>MM>G&L), though personally I think the J is my favorite design of his. The Stingray is really important too, of course, and really brought active electronics to the masses. I haven't played enough G&L ot form an opinion, but they have their cult.
I think the decline correlates more with the changes in the music industry and waning nostalgia. Not with the quality of all three of those amazing companies
A 2018 Toyota Camry is a 40X better car than a 63 1/2 Mustang. But baby boomers drive most markets still to this day. And the word Fender was on most basses when they got a drivers license.
End of story.
(By the way, I own and love three P basses and have owned a dozen Fender basses over the years. I am not anti Fender.)
End of story.
(By the way, I own and love three P basses and have owned a dozen Fender basses over the years. I am not anti Fender.)
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
OK, for anyone who saw my previous post 
, I admittedly don't even get my own sense of humor any more...
I think it's bedtime now.
, I admittedly don't even get my own sense of humor any more...I think it's bedtime now.
OK, for anyone who saw my previous post
I think it's bedtime now.
Haha still have the email from the thread, it was funny man!
- Oct 7, 2000
- 18,619
- 38,939
- Disclosures
- Endorsing artist: Musicman basses
Clarence Leo Fender did his best designs with G&L.
The Comanche or S-500 are quite superior to Stratocasters, better bridges, better pickups, better controls.
ditto on the L-2000 & the SB-1 & SB-2, they're just better than Fenders IME
The Comanche or S-500 are quite superior to Stratocasters, better bridges, better pickups, better controls.
ditto on the L-2000 & the SB-1 & SB-2, they're just better than Fenders IME
I look at the three companies as Leo’s evolution in innovation.
Leo actually started playing with Active electronics while advising Fender in the late 60’s. He used old Music Man pickup covers when designing MFD pickups, an early G&L-looking bridge was installed on the Music Man Sabre bass...
Imagine what Fender guitars would have been if Leo never sold it...
Leo actually started playing with Active electronics while advising Fender in the late 60’s. He used old Music Man pickup covers when designing MFD pickups, an early G&L-looking bridge was installed on the Music Man Sabre bass...
Imagine what Fender guitars would have been if Leo never sold it...
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He'd be dealing with the same crowd of obsessive "only make what you made in 1968 EXACTLY how you made it!!!" dudes that Gibson does
I've been fortunate to own Fenders, MMs, and G&Ls. My SB2 and MIJ Jazz will be with me until I die, my Sterling would have been if the HS option had been available at the time.
G&L people are very similar to Rick people, basically addicted, knowledgeable, and highly skilled at identifying year/variations by a ten second look.
As leo's instruments were conceived and offered for sale over the decades, the later products found themselves in an environment with ever more competition and choices. Much harder to break through the market.
My observation of "Fender people" would be..pretty much identical. As I own neither, I'm reasonably un-biased in my opinions.
Eh, I’m not sure I totally agree. There’s probably triple the Camrys on the road than 60s Mustangs. Is one better? That’s up to the driver.
As far as basses go, the Fenders were the first big name in electric basses to the masses, and as such they’ve been on thousands of recordings. They found a place in people’s eardrums that everyone seems to like and that’s what they’ve always heard on records, so that’s still the “it” bass.
Musicman brought another really unique sound and voice, and was still early enough in the electric music world to make a big dent.
G&L are really nice instruments, but I think it was just too late at that point. The market was saturated with all kinds of things, and despite the refinements to his own designs, Leo had a lot more to battle; including his own former companies.
There's a Marketing term for the primary thing we're talking about here - "first mover advantage" - the first person company that gets something about right has, assuming they don't screw up too badly, an advantage that can be ridiculously long lasting, even defying logic. Fender/Musicman/G&L is a perfect example of this - it's not like G&L's innovator was any less talented than Fender's, and yet, decades later...the first mover company is dominant. Even within Fender, the early designs still win - they've tried lots of things that they probably thought were better, but P's and J's just can't be unseated from the throne.
Speaking from strictly a design standpoint (function and looks), I think Fender (P and J) were his high point. From quality of build standpoint, he may have actually improved (judging from reputation and reports I read here, I lack sufficient experience with all of the brands to generalize).
But I'm very happy he kept moving forward and innovating. Starting new companies was good, I think, because it both forced him to innovate and allowed him to do so because he was not burdened by the popularity of his old designs.
But I'm very happy he kept moving forward and innovating. Starting new companies was good, I think, because it both forced him to innovate and allowed him to do so because he was not burdened by the popularity of his old designs.
I've owned Fenders, MM and G&Ls. All are great instruments. My preference is the G&L Tribute models...you get all of the innovations, tone and feel at a fraction of the price of either of the other basses mentioned.
I think G&Ls are overlooked by some because of "product recognition" or name snobbery.... IMHO.
I think G&Ls are overlooked by some because of "product recognition" or name snobbery.... IMHO.
