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Flamers Prepare: Ampeg and Fender

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#21
Then why stop with Fender and AMPEG, lets really go to war. P Bass vs Jazz Bass.... I just happen to like EVERYTHING about a modern Jazz.

There's a lot of other amps out there than AMPEG. I always wanted one and of the amps I lusted after in my youth, they're the only guys really still making the stuff.

There has been several POLLS as to which amp being used and those numbers spread out pretty well across the manufacturers.

BOB
 
#22
JimmyM said:
This is a bit of revisionist history here. By the time the electric bass caught on (early 60's) there was never a time when Ampeg and Fender were the only choices for bass. Every other brand had a fair chance in the marketplace, and every other brand had its fair share of famous users.
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I think I might be talking in more general terms... You know how much the market for bass products has expanded from that era... I might be wrong about Ampeg and Fender being the only ones, but I'm sure they had the biggest share of recording time., but then again, I could be wrong.
 
#23
Not so much Ampeg, apparently. It did get some play, but Fender amps were also very popular in studios for bass, and for live work, until the SVT came out in 69, Ampeg didn't get much play on stage at all. But yeah, I think it's a fair statement that Fender got a lot of play back then, not so much by self-contained bands (especially the early British Invasion bands), but definitely by studio musicians.

But my point in saying what I said was because a lot of younger people assume that Fender/Ampeg was the ONLY choice in those formative years and that's why they became the standards, and they were never the only choice.
 
#24
Today young aspiring bass players go to concerts and see bands playing Ampeg and only Ampeg 95% of the time, it's kinda become institutionised. Also if some of the other popular manufacturers would make cabs/amps that look good in a rock/metal setting lots more of those bands would use them. Some of those manufacturers are but it seems they have only started doing this recently.
 
#26
You buy Fender when you need "a bass". You buy Ampeg when you need "an amp for bass".
For some reasons people used the term "fender bass" for all electric basses back in the 60's :)

But sometimes you want something different, or something more.
Then you buy something different.
Nothing else to say here.
 
#27
I tried not to be a Fender/Ampeg guy for a while. I was always messing with gear though.

Then one day, I went back.

The combo just works for me (especially in a band situation). The bedroom is a different story, but in the mix, Fender/Ampeg works.

It is not the only solution however...
 
#28
I'm glad to hear both sides of the story. And clarify, this is my view of the stereotypical gear, as I've seen many other brands being played. I've played in a few states, big cities and small, but I'm not trying to come off as seeming as if I know what I'm talking about.

I agree about the saxophone idea as well. I'm trying to a decent back-up and all I hear is Selmer this, Selmer that.
 
#29
totallybacan,

I started playing bass when I was 16-17. The last thing I wanted was the "status quo", so I eschewed Fender/Ampeg, etc. Fast forward 4-5 years when I started playing full-time & all I wanted was a Fender through an Ampeg!

Fender/Ampeg isn't the only way to go- of course! TB is a perfect example of the diversity & range of bass gear available. Don't knock the "go-to classics" just because you don' get it! Chances are that you'll someday see what the fuss is about as well. Then try other things. Then go back. etc, etc, etc.....
 
#30
bassforce said:
For some reasons people used the term "fender bass" for all electric basses back in the 60's :)
.
Click to expand...
That's because if you played bass in the '50s your choices were upright acoustic or Fender. Song charts that specified the instrument would say either double bass (acoustic) or Fender bass (electric). Most studio players then played both.
 
#32
Dolflundgren said:
I've only been playing bass for a short while (came from guitar) but I already think Ampeg is HUGELY overrated.
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... which is perfectly FINE!

These forums are all about OPINIONS. If players like Ampegs, it's because Ampegs WORK for them. I had one, it weighed a ton, but I've never found that sound anywhere else.

To paraphrase Eleanor Roosevelt, no one here is imposing their opinions on anyone else without their consent.
 
#34
What does the OP suggest instead?

I like Fender because it is the epitomy of function over form. It is simple. If it breaks I can repair it.. but likely it won't break because it is simple. I don't need a flamed maple top to sound good.

Today, one of the other big draws to Fender is that, for better or worse, they have become the standard. If I need/want a new part, I have a multitude of options to replace it with.
 
#35
Fender invented the electric bass, and Ampeg set the standard for electric bass amplification. This double whammy was completed in 1969. More than a generation later, those two "icons" have left a solid following and countless hit records, and huge stage shows. What's left to discuss?
 
#36
RickenBoogie said:
Fender invented the electric bass, and Ampeg set the standard for electric bass amplification. This double whammy was completed in 1969. More than a generation later, those two "icons" have left a solid following and countless hit records, and huge stage shows. What's left to discuss?
Click to expand...

yeah, exactly. It doesn't really matter if the tone just sounds good, or if it sounds good because you have heard it so many times.. it sounds good, so you use it.
 
#38
Most of my basses are Fender. Hell, almost all of my basses are Fender. I only own 5 non-Fender basses currently, and one of them is a G&L.

I use a P-bass because my first bass (still have it and its my main player) was/is a Fender P-Bass. Its what I'm used to, and what I like. I also do a fair bit of studio work, and the most requested bass is one of my P-basses. They sit will in most given mixes with minimal tweaking and I do a lot of reggae, dub, soul, R&B, hip hop, funk, and dance music so a P-bass with flats usually fits right in. Occasionally I'll use a Jazz bass with flats or something but the P-bass is clearly king here. I play in rock bands, I play jazz gigs, and do as much as I can with as many people as I can.

Ampeg? Eh....
I've owned a lot of their stuff in the past. I currently own an SVT-3Pro head and the SVT-VR. The 3Pro is the smallest amp I own, and I pretty much use it as a practice/small gig amp. I don't use the VR, even though I'd like to because its broken and I can't afford to fix it.
I usually grab my GK 2001RB or my Mesa Boogie 400+ for live stuff. Way way more wattage and headroom. Both amps sound really good to boot. Regardless, I still sound like me no matter what rig I'm playing through. Some amps are better for different applications though.
Almost all of my cabinets are Ampeg though. I like them. They're cheap and they're durable. I've got 5 Ampeg cabinets currently, and two Bergantino. I can pretty much nail whatever it is that I'm going for between either of them.

Do I discount other stuff? Hell no! Do I use Fender and Ampeg? Well I'll give you a hell yeah with various degrees of satisfaction. Both companies still dominate a fair share of the market place and they're what you see most often.

All said, I still want some more G&Ls, a Ray, and something fancy with Soap Bars.
 
#39
Everybody is free to choose and use whatever they like.

Maybe there's a reason the preponderance of of pro players with access to anything they want choose to hang with the industry standards.

When push comes to shove, there are probably many, many reasons people use what they use. No sense grousing about it.
 
#40
honestly, at this point in my career, whenever i see someone loading an Ampeg Fridge,SVT 3Pro, and P bass into a small club, my first thought is always "Oh, he must have been a guitarist who switched over because he thought it was easier."
of course, should that person start grooving like no other, i'll change my mind. but sadly, a good majority of the time i'm right.
i'm not against that sound or those companies, but i feel like it's the easy way about things. it requires no thought, no individuality or personality to your tone.

Disclaimer: i mean no disrespect if Fender/Ampeg is your bag. there's many people who rock this combo and mean it, and i'm all for that. but if you roll this way because you've never tried anything else, you're missing out.
 
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