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Fender-years to avoid?

#81
unclejane said:
Anything before 2008, if you want to play them that is. In 2008, Fender really started getting their act together in terms of quality control and design improvements. The new Fenders since 2008 are, IMO, much better instruments than anything made before then (even the old pre-CBS basses which were still somewhere between ho-hum and crappy in terms of build quality, wood quality and sound).

The new basses, tho, are pretty well-made instruments...

LS
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I love my new amer std 5er P I played ALOT of basses and was really impressed with the way Fender is stepping it up with they're new american standard line, very good quality/feel and great tone. This is what I always imagined a Fender to be. I could have bought any bass, but this simple P is it for me :)
 
#83
Boombass76 said:
...I guess it's just a matter of time before the 70's basses get so expensive people start paying attention to the next decade... :)
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Maybe not. The market may crash from all the TB'ers who speak so negitive about them leaving them worthless. Oh the power of TB and its members. I will be left to clean up the mess and buy them all up cheaply ;)
 
#84
Mojo-Man said:
:cool:
The above is the bottom line with fender.
But for my years of collecting.
All the early pre-CBS basses are ex. 1952-1965.
The CBS basses, 1966-1980 were very good.
1966-1973 bass were almost as good a pre-CBS.
I never played a bad bass from 1966, or 1970.
The basses from 1974-1980 is where the QC got worst.
Yes, there were great basses made in this period, but also a lot of bad ones.
By 1980 Fender bass were no way near as good as before.
So bad in fact, this is why they came out with there "Reissue"
line in 1982.
Fender went back to making bass just like they did in the early 60's.
Also in the early 2000's Fender slipped a little again.
But as of 2008, Fender again came back making quality basses.
The USA American Std. of 2008 are find basses again.
Also the new 2010 "Roadworn" basses are great for the money.
I did not go into Custom Shop, or Artist models.
But I will say, the CS "Pino" P-Bass is as nice as any I've ever
played, regardless of year.JMO.
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That post says it the best I have ever seen on TB about Fender basses , its years and all the lows and highs..nice job!
 
#86
Harpo61 said:
I have a 2006 Sunset Orange Transparent P-Bass It is defiantly the nicest Modern P-Bass I have every played . It has a nice light swamp ash body which you can not get on a new American Standard . I am not too crazy about the present colors on the American Standard's .
When Fender upgrades the American Standard in a few years are people going to bash the current models ?
The S-1 switch is good idea on paper I thinks works better on the Jazz then the P-Bass but it was less then popular so it was discontinued.
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I'm not a P-bass guy generally, but I just bought a sunset orange 2005 Precision and it beat the 2010 Precision by a long shot. One of the nicest necks I've played.

I guess it goes back to the 'play them all and buy the one that speaks to you' thing...
 
#87
Here is mine very light and plays great
 

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#88
I've been lucky enough at my age to have played quite a few 1960-1964 Jazz basses as well as my uncle having a stock 1964 jazz (kind of like WordtoHerb). I've played a good amount of 70's Fender and from what I noticed from '75 and on they felt heavier and didn't play/sound as good. In terms of 80's I really like the sound this '83 Pbass that a "local" GC has (brighter sounding than normal). From those decades the 60's ones were hard to beat in feel and sound.

When it came time for me to get a US Jazz for myself in 2005, I played a bunch of them from various guitar centers around DFW. I didn't really like them so this guy I know who worked there ordered one and when I played it right out of the box, it sounded fantastic. So it is sort of a luck of the draw with those S-1 switch Fenders but they're not as bad as some people try to project on to them. I will say I find it funny that Fender now buffs the rosewood fingerboards now to give them the darker/Brazilian rosewood look. I noticed the ones from about 2006-2007 had a somewhat ugly light brown look to them.
 
#92
Really the only Fender to avoid from any year is one that doesn't sing to you personally. If it doesn't feel good, sound and play well does it matter what year it was made?

What if you picked up a great playing P bass that when you found out it was from the 70's are you to say Oh dang it! I love it but its from the 70's and I heard they are all junk... back it goes :rollno:

I was in a town yesterday to play a festival and had to go into a local shop that has a fender CS P bass hanging there that has been there for years..why? Its a dog. I call it dog. A very average sterile sounding P bass and they want $2100.00 for it with a gap in the neck pocket...it even comes with the dust on it...free.
 
#93
I own 2006 American Jazz. It is my workhorse bass. I own several others but this is the one that has never failed me. It's butterscotch blonde with a maple fretboard. I have to agree I felt the S-1 thing was pointless. I know Fender hyped it but I found it worthless, plus the dang button always got stuck.
I did solve that problem when I dropped an Audere in that bass.
I've added a Badass III and a funky pickguard and some Schallers. I've recorded with it and played it on countless gigs.

When I'm moldy and old, I have a funny feeling that sucker will be valuable based on previous fenders.
 
#94
I like Jazzes up to ~'75 when they went to the 3-bolt Micro-tilt necks. The pre-CBS are the most valuable, but I prefer the feel of the bound necks ('66+). I like the sound of the pre-'73 or so basses that had the bridge pickup positioned more forward, but that's completely a personal preference.

As far as Ps go, I think anything pre-'80 is worth trying out. I'm sure there are Fenders from the 80s, 90s, and 00s that are nice and well-built, but I think it's a bigger crap shoot with those years.
 
#95
Except for the sound I've been generally disappointed by every Fender I've ever owned or played in the last 45 years. Very few have ever been a worthy bass to me and not one resides in my collection at this time.

Mike Lull, Sadowsky and several others make far superior instruments to any Fender ever made.

Remember electronics can be changed out of those basses to get the sound you want. My biggest gripe is, and has always been, playability and construction

Sorry Fender guys but they did ask my opinion.
 
#99
warnergt said:
You're the only person I've ever heard say that. Those were great basses.
That's the period when everyone was starting to recognize that Fender
was getting it's act together in terms of quality control and consistency.

The S-1 switch was of little or no value but that doesn't detract from
the rest of the bass.
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Really..if you don't like the S-1 switch, remove it. It's such a small part of the total instrument and perhaps, the least important. Put a regular pot in and PLAY ON!
 

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