• TalkBass has been independent since 1998. Add your voice.
    Create a free account to reply to discussions, view embedded media, and browse with fewer display ads.
    Join free Log in
    Want zero display ads or expanded classifieds tools? Compare plans.

Has anyone gone fenderless??

Do you use Fenders or Brand X

  • I have only Fenders

    Votes: 66 11.4%

  • I use both Fenders and non Fenders

    Votes: 257 44.3%

  • I have never owned a Fender

    Votes: 149 25.7%

  • I sold all my Fenders for Brand X

    Votes: 108 18.6%
  • Total voters
    580
#81
Matthew_84 said:
I could not play my P Bass again after this. Next to the 'Wick it felt like a heavy, clunky, piece of plywood. It wasn't of course, it was a great bass, but the Warwick just felt so nice, that it ruined the P Bass for me.
Click to expand...

Yeah I had the same reaction when I got my first Warwick Corvette Standard. It was so light & cool-looking & sounded more alive than my Precision. It had Chromes on it. Later on I got a 5-string Precision as my 1st 5-string then shortly after that I found a Warwick Corvette Standard 5. The B on the Warwick sounded much, much better than the Fender did with its stock strings & even with Chromes :hmm: So I returned the Precision. It took me a while to adjust to the very tight string spacing of the Warwick.

Fast forward a few months later. I wanted to give the 5-string P another try so I got one. Again the B didn't sound as good as my Warwick. Another month or two goes by and I got some La Bella Deep Talkin Flats for the Precision. Now it sounds much better. The B isn't as clear & articulate as the Warwick. Nevertheless, I can't stop playing it :eek: The Warwick's been sitting in my closet. The problem I had with the stock Fender strings & the Chromes (at least two different sets of Chromes) is that the B didn't sound as good as the E A D G. Now they all sound good with these La Bellas.

Edit: The poll options don't apply to me so I am unable to vote. I'm a One Bass To Rule Them All kinda mang, but I don't know if I will exclusively use Fenders or if I might come across another bass brand *shrugs*
 
#86
Just went fenderless..I am now using laklands. I am going to either buy another fender jazz or a darryl jones lakland down the road. Whichever plays better when i demo.
 
#91
I bought my current Fender because it was replacing a crappy Squier j that I had, and I knew I'd be buying it used, sight unseen, so I knew I couldn't go wrong with a quality Am Std. I have no other designs to get another, and if I get more basses, it will be on feel and sound alone, rather than brand.
 
#92
If I could find a way to cut 50% of the weight from my MIM Jazz it would probably be my only bass. As is I play it more than anything else. More and more of late though I pull out my cheap Yamaha fretless late in the evenings. It's a one trick pony but it's a pretty good trick and it feels so good in your hands.

Gerry
 
#93
I have 4 and 1 non. The non is so cheap I often don't include it in my lists. I've had other makes, but pretty much been stuck on Fenders since I got an '81 P Special for my 18th birthday back in '88. Still kicking myself for letting that one go. I was an idiot when I was young.

Current stable:
'84 P Elite II
'90 HM
'00 P Special Deluxe
'04 Dimension

...and the non - '?? Maestro fretless


The Dimension was all screwy when I bought it about a year ago. Had to completely break it down and put it back together. I think it was the fault of the original owner's tech, not the bass itself - neck was unnecessarily shimmed, massive neck bow, action crazy high. Now that I have it dialed in, it's the easiest playing bass I've ever owned.
LOVE my Fenders!
 
#94
Any Fender P bass I have ever owned can't hold a candle up to my ESP Craft House (main bass that will be cremated with me) or USA custom shop Schecter. Both basses are dead on spec wise to a Fender P too.

Don't get me wrong I am a die hard Fender guy but these basses are just beyond amazing. Trying to get my hands on a Fender AVRI '62 right now. I have owned several high end Fenders over the years and still own 2 but my ESP and Schecter are just phenominal instruments.
 
#95
ptooner said:
If I could find a way to cut 50% of the weight from my MIM Jazz it would probably be my only bass. As is I play it more than anything else. More and more of late though I pull out my cheap Yamaha fretless late in the evenings. It's a one trick pony but it's a pretty good trick and it feels so good in your hands.

Gerry
Click to expand...

You could use a 1" paddle bit and bore out a bunch of holes under the pickguard, but that might not be enough of a weight reduction.
 
#97
Haven't used one in a gig since about 1980 - at which point I started playing a Musicman Stingray and have never gone back. I've played them off and on in shops or jam sessions since and have never been impressed enough to buy one (including a 1959 P bass) - I would not rule out having one in the future however.

My main reason is that I think other basses do the generic tone just as well, but do a whole range of other things as well. Like others, I find the Jazz the least appealing owing to the neck width.....but I could probably get used to that if I persevered.

I also don't particularly subscribe to the views that old basses sound that much better, or that passive basses are better than active.

I also feel no need to have an EB3 (despite two of my favourite ever bass players using them) or a Ric. Maybe an Alembic though!
 
#99
I just recently sold off all my Fenders one at a time on ePay. I had about 5 in my stable of various models but just decided to change things up.

I ended up with a Lakland Skyline 44-60 Jazz Bass Custom in 3 color sunburst, and a Gibson EB Electric Bass in Fireburst.

Very happy with both purchases. My next bass will be another Lakland, but a P bass. :bassist:
 

Latest posts

Top Bottom
Back