I never understood the urge to be "exclusive" to one brand. I enjoy my Rickenbacker, Ernie Ball Music Man, Ibanez, ESP and Fender basses. Fender basses are great instruments... but they can't sound like a Rickenbacker, Ibanez or a Stingray.
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Hating on anything but Fender
- Thread starter J Sudjian
- Start date
What do I think? I think that what my Grandfather told me, many years ago, still applies; "Boy, don't ever pay a braying Jackass any mind; no matter how many legs he's standin' on.." I still think it's good advice...
I did know a guy who bought a new SVT back when you always saw them with two cabinets. Two weeks later he had it for sale because one of the bands he auditioned for required Marshalls only (Image thing). A poor move financially as the "Marshall" band broke up eight gigs into it. I tried to talk him into renting, but it was a no go.
People like that are snobs. You can always have a preference to a certain brand but to say stick to X is just plain stupid. The fact is certain companies do certain things better than others. I was Primarily a Spector player then on advice from someone he told me to try Fender Jag Basses. I went and traded one of my Spectors for one and LOVED IT. From there I tried Jazz Basses. Loved them as well. Then a friend told me to try P Basses liked them as well. Then I got a P bass which I converted into a PJ and it’s a beast. I chase tone and feel not namebrand.
Now my bass family collection consists of
1986 Gibson Thunderbird
Fender Jaguar CIJ
G&L L2000
Spector Mike Starr Euro with a US Haz preamp
1989 Fender CIJ PJ
I’ve got a bass for every possible situation which could come across my way.
I play in two bands and having my Basses as varied as they are helps. I’ve played in numerous bands and never have I been asked to bring a certain type of bass. My playing is what has gotten me gigs.
play what you want
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I think long ago the talk was more about it especially irritating the producers, I recall a guy bringing his bass in, and them insisting he use a Jazz bass that was at the studio because they were so used to knowing exactly how to mix it..........it was someone we’ll know I just can’t remember dang it, but that’s a pretty particular situation maybe, was just curious since I’ve heard all than multiple times now.
Thanks again everyone for chiming in.
Stay safe everyone.
Thanks again everyone for chiming in.
Stay safe everyone.
For the record, I have owned (and currently own) one Fender bass. I started playing in 1982 and have taken only a brief hiatus from 1996 - 2000. I got the Fender (Geddy Lee CIJ Jazz Bass) in 2000 for free and, while it is a good bass, it has only rarely shown up in my hands onstage and has been sitting in a case in the closet for most of the last decade. Again, it's a good bass, but I like my Dingwalls and my Warmoth so much more.
If I were ever told to bring a Fender to something, I might get snarky and require the other people to only show up having driven Chevys, or only play through a certain brand of amp, or only chew a certain kind of gum, or drink a certain brand of beer, or use a certain version of Pro Tools, etc... to point out the ludicrous nature of the request.
If I were ever told to bring a Fender to something, I might get snarky and require the other people to only show up having driven Chevys, or only play through a certain brand of amp, or only chew a certain kind of gum, or drink a certain brand of beer, or use a certain version of Pro Tools, etc... to point out the ludicrous nature of the request.
I saw an interview on Scott's Bass Lessons where a bassist told the story of showing up with an active bass that wasn't a Fender and getting poopie for it.
I have a fender classic '70s jazz, a fender current edition steve harris P and a ric 4003.
Would love another Bongo 4
I dont bash what others like.
Actually the best bass that fit me was a Bongo 4.
Loved that thing , sold it to buy a car when the wife ran off with the neighbor.
Are people who bash fenders on the same level as Fender people who bash other brands ?
Would love another Bongo 4
I dont bash what others like.
Actually the best bass that fit me was a Bongo 4.
Loved that thing , sold it to buy a car when the wife ran off with the neighbor.
Are people who bash fenders on the same level as Fender people who bash other brands ?
Oh man, when I told her about the switch after a few months she near accused me of some nefarious motivations.
I'm just frying chicken and pork chops man.
Save a couple $ so I don't wince about her organic free range cruelty free avocados that are sung to by angels every sunrise and sunset, fed bottled water and vegan imported soil from Atlantis.
- Jul 3, 2007
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- Author of "Soul Fingers." I'm the Duck Dunn expert.
I would say so.
I'd also imagine nobody would walk up to any of the bass greats and tell them they'd sound better with a different bass (unless they were selling that bass). And if they did (and didn't offer something like a sponsorship), that bassist would probably end that conversation pretty quickly.
MDBass
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YouTube comment sections are sewers of the internet: the most recorded session bassist ever, Carol Kaye, currently plays an Ibanez with a pick.
Use what sounds good to you and play it like you mean it, that’s all that has ever really mattered.
The 1911 is a good pistol, but the guys who talk about how they "won" two world wars tend to be a bit goofy. The hi-power is also a solid design, same with the tokarev. Kinda weird how bullets work, plenty of people are willing to say that a bullet is inadequate, very few are volunteering to demonstrate.
Same with stuff that isn't Fender, plenty of folks rag on fender, plenty of folks rag on stuff that isn't. I used to think gear mattered, then I learned that skills matter, gear sorta does but mostly doesn't.
Ive been playing for 30+ years and have always played fender jazz basses. Everyone has there own tastes who cares what brand someone plays. Its all in your technique, how you play etc. not in the brand lol its immature and silly honestly
Play whatever suits you - it's your tone. That said, there is an amazing diversity of potential sounds that can be generated with Fender inspired basses (including the copies, knock-offs, betters, etc.). Even if you stay within the Fender brand, there are differences between a 50s P and a 70s, even more true for 60s Jazz vs 70s. Mostly it's that Fender made the first two widely accepted commercial bass guitar lines, so they're kind of the standard instruments, the sound that people have in their heads for what bass is supposed to sound like.
I’m 69, started playing bass at 16, I’ve never, except on the Internet, heard anything like this. If someone said something like that to me I’d simply tell ‘em to play bass themselves; I’m going over to the adults table.
