Fender-years to avoid?

[Tunaman]

I have a guy selling a 2004 P bass for $500 & this thread came to mind. Good years? Thick heavy neck with great lows? Thats what I need, what do yall think?

 

[Billy3000]

I have a guy selling a 2004 P bass for $500 & this thread came to mind. Good years? Thick heavy neck with great lows? Thats what I need, what do yall think?

If you like it, buy it!

I definitely understand the bad feelings toward the 2000-2007 american basses. While, like the 70's basses, I'm sure there are great ones out of the bunch, every single one that I've played has been garbage. Granted, that during that era, the only place in Raleigh, NC I could play an American Fender was at the Guitar Center, where apparently nobody gave a **** about bass, so stuff would always be broken, out of tune, and sit on the wall for years because nobody that worked there did anything about it. But still, During that time I played quite a few, and I will say I never felt like the s-1 switch was very useful, but that's not why I didn't like them, they all just felt kind of dead to me. Like, other than where you were pressing the string down, you couldn't feel anything in the bass, there were absolutely no natural acoustics in the body, they didn't seem to have much sustain at all, and the pickups just seemed kind of tamed down to me, and a lot of them had bad fret jobs, so much that everytime I would play one, I would pick up the Mexican counterparts and always be blown away by how much better the mexican basses sounded and felt. There must have just been bad quality control in fender at the time, and the fact that I could only find them at guitar center where they didn't care about basses didn't help that at all. But I am sure that there are good examples out of that era. I always heard so many bad things about 70's era fenders, but a lot of the ones that I have played have been great instruments! My '71 bronco, and my '77 musicmaster bass are both great instruments! I have played quite a few bad strats and a couple really bad feeling and sounding P basses from that era though. But the majority that I've played have been amazing to me! As for the 80's, I will definitely agree that of all the ones I've played, the only good ones are the MIJ ones. My friend had an '81 or '82 strat that weighed at least 4 pounds heavier than any of my basses.

 

[plangentmusic]

1966 to 2010

PERFECT!

Actually, there are some from before 61 that are real dogs.

I've played seven real 62's and not of them wasn't great.

In the 80's they went downhill but I played a 81 that was as nice as any 62. And I have one of the earlier 62 reissues (1989) and it too is a sweetheart.

Some of the 2010's, including the CS I've played weren't as good as the Squiers.

So...there.

 

[P. Aaron]

Since my last post, I have picked up my 2010 Fender Precision V AM STD. I ordered this bass and did not play it beforehand.

This one has great vibe and tone. The fit & finish are great, about what I'd expect in an instrument in this price range. Weight is 8.8lbs, and overall joy to play is a 9+.

It takes a bit of getting used to the extra range...but a small thing really.

Both the 2002 and the 2010V have great Fender tone & character. Both were very nicely built.

 

[bassbully]

A wise man say-judge no Fender by its year, only how it plays.

 

[Thunderthumbs73]

Fender make good basses but at some points in time, their instruments were agreeably-worse. As an example, the 2003-2007 "S-1" models are quite frankly poop.

What other years were generally bad for Fender basses?

IMO, none. There is no "generally". Due to the sheer number of basses made, there's going to be good and bad in any one year of Fender basses. That's the fun/frustrating/challenging/entertaining part of it...

I'd say for every calendar year there was a Fender bass made, you could find someone on TB who has a bass from that year who thinks it's a great instrument. And probably someone who thinks it's "poop" as well.

 

[T-MOST]

To the poster who said 2000-2008 era wasn't real good, I have 2002 Precision that I think is a fine bass. I bought it new and the fit, finish, tone & playability are very good. I have no regrets and enjoy the feel, vibe & sound of this bass everytime I get a few minutes to play it. it's mymain bas and kills on the gig every time.

I found it after running a rack of MIA Precisions at 2 different GC's. Believe me, in 2002, that's a lot of Precisions...both USA & foreign made. When I plugged in & played this one I have now, it stood out exceptionally.

+1

I had a new 2002 MIA active deluxe and it was excellent across the board! Unfortunately, I cought boutique fever around 2005 and sold it. Compared to what I bought it was a mistake. I've been through 10 boutiques since then and truthfully 4 or 5 of them didn't sound as good as that MIA Fender although they all cost 2 - 3 times more. I still love boutiques. In fact my Smith EG will be with me 4ever. I just sold a boutique Jazz and ordered a Fender American deluxe. I think it will be nice to go home again.

It's funny how Fender is always ragged on but they are still one of the most visable brands out there among musicians from pros to semi pros to amatures alike.

 

[JimB52]

I would avoid the ones made between 1951 and 1970, because they're too darn expensive.

 

[J. Crawford]

I disagree, my 2005 Fender P is incredible.

So, poo on you OP for saying its poo.

 

[Pet Sounds]

While I agree that Fender made good and bad basses in every year, I'd be leery of the late '70s, the mid-'80s up through 1994, and about 2000-2007. The S-1 is given to malfunction and I just thought the basses of the S-1 period were rather ho-hum in terms of finishes.

 

[Tusec]

I think the notion that you can't generalize is kind of ridiculous.

 

[smcd]

I've found 1974 to 1980 were poor years for the US-made Fenders.

 

[pringlw]

You know I can't answer the OP's question except to say this;

I wanted a J-Bass for years and years, and in fact had about 10 over the past 20 years, and had tried dozens However I got rid of all of them except my latest one because for one reason or another there was something that just didn't work for me. I have not had that problem, with say; my EBMM's, just my Fenders.

Then I got my hands on a 2009 Custom Shop Jazz Deluxe and it's my main bass. I finally found the Fender I have been looking for all these years.

Maybe that means that the 2008-2010 Fenders are good like someone else said. Personally I don't think that's it. I think that the "magically amazing" Fender is there in just about every year, but they are few and far between. I believe that for a long time Fender's individual instrument quality has ranged from awful, to amazing and you have to play a bunch of duds to find that incredible Fender, but once you find it.... Bliss.

 

[39-Bassist]

Wow what a question....Early years were good quality, then from 77-81 fender products were NOT a quality guitar and they started to experiment with different parts and woods and hardware.....Then from 82-87 they made some VERY good quality guitars. (I think that honestly when the Japan era came along and put some american stuff to shame, is when Fender USA got on the ball to up the quality too)

 

[pjmuck]

While the QC during the 70's was definitely questionable, I wouldn't necessarily "avoid" the era. You simply have to be more selective. I own several 70's Fenders, and my '72 J is going to the grave with me. I always get comments from musicians and producers for that bass. I also love my '78 fretless P. Heavy as hell but such a dream to play. On the other hand, I have a '77 Tele bass that you could park a small truck in the neck pocket. That was one I probably should have avoided, but being lefty I jumped on it for it's sheer rarity.

 

[Makatak]

1966 to 2010

LMAO !!!

 

[vespasian1]

PERFECT!

Actually, there are some from before 61 that are real dogs.

I've played seven real 62's and not of them wasn't great.

In the 80's they went downhill but I played a 81 that was as nice as any 62. And I have one of the earlier 62 reissues (1989) and it too is a sweetheart.

Some of the 2010's, including the CS I've played weren't as good as the Squiers.

So...there.

I played a borrowed (from the keyboard player) early '60s Jazz in the early '70s, for a year and a half. I never saw what the big deal was. It sounded dull, not very deep, and it weighed a ton.

As soon as I had saved the money, I ran out and bought a brand new '73 EB3, which was a real butt-kicker. At the time, all my bassist buds were buying Rics and P Basses, so I was a little unique, at least.

So, what was the problem with the S-1 switches? Isn't a series/parallel switch a pretty simple thing?

 

[DaLoCo]

Just to be clear, my post was meant as a little tongue in cheek humor.

Many a true word said in jest.....

 

[number six]

1966 to 2010

I was going to say anything after 1965 but I won't now.
Oh I just did . .

I remember selling my '66 Jazz as it was too 'new' and didn't look or sound like the older basses.
Also my 1982 Precision which really was rubbish.
I tested 4xP and 4xJ in '77 and an SR4 left all for dead.
My 2002 MIJ '62 RI Jazz is better thgan any US basses I've tried.

 

[A-Step-Towards]

I like my '79 P bass as much as my '97 jazz. The seventies models IMHO were the last of the good ones before CBS Fender started making more instruments out of the country. Many of us seen this as a cheaper made product for higher profit sales, thus tarnishing Fender's reputation. When CBS sold Fender in the mid nineties, the new management decided to redesign the P-Bass and Jazz not radically but with improved refinements. My '97 American standard Jazz bass is testament to Fender's commitment to it's heritage. Sure it isn't a '62 version, but I love the playability and tone and feel of the bass and to me it is reminiscent of a '65 Jazz bass I almost owned.

I'm not crazy about the extended line of Fender's like the deluxe, artist's series, relic's etc. and I Don't care to see the lower end models made in other countries, but Fender has the right to produce their products as they see the need by giving consumers a wide variety to choose from. On the flip side, this is what makes American made instruments retain and increase in value.

Funny, i think the best years ever for fender were 84-87 when most stuff was all MIJ.