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High end copies

#81
I'd like to contribute my opinion. Let me start by saying I've never owned or played(For any length of time) anything but Fender. I really like their looks and their tone.

BUT!

I'm curious as to what would happen if we were all Blind to the visual aspect what we'd prefer in terms of Sound Tone and Feel (Comfortability).

Shape wise I don't know if I'd prefer a different one, I haven't played a different one but I'm curious if a other than Fender shape may be "More" comfortable. Both Body and Neck.

Sound and tone wise there are tons of basses that cop good Fender tones but allow you to get much more if you desire.

If we chose with ear instead of eyes, we'd probably all play something different.

God Bless, Ray
 
#82
LilRay said:
Shape wise I don't know if I'd prefer a different one, I haven't played a different one but I'm curious if a other than Fender shape may be "More" comfortable. Both Body and Neck.
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Fender's shapes are adequately comfortable. For the most part, most will be within a reasonable weight, with some heavier and some lighter. I can only recall one or two I'd consider neck heavy.

I've been a big fan of long horn basses, which are beneficial in basically guaranteeing good balance, but also bringing the first position closer and reducing the reach. Deeper cutaways can make upper fret access much easier, but at the very least will also reduce weight. Rob Allen's saddle placement really reduces reach to the point where my 32" scale Fender Urge was almost the same reach as my 35" scale Rob Allen MB2.

Take a gander at the OP's basses in regards to the lower bout. Fender's lower bout allows the bass to sit nicely on the leg. That comfort is generally adequate, although not quite as nice on a heavier bass. Something like Cliff Bordwell's Ball bass feels like it was designed to sit on my leg. The combination of shape and reduced weight made some really long practice sessions that much more pleasant. These days, I'm no longer in a band, but I still practice from time to time and I'm still extremely satisfied with the comfort. At this point, there's no goin' back to traditional design for me.

DSC00751.jpg
 
#83
That's a good point, when I design a bass it's made for sitting or standing. When you build for a customer you take into account of his/hers personal needs. I've picked up a few high enders that felt strange in a sitting position. But they fell into place when standing. When you work with a builder they can move wings up or down to take into account what you need. After a body is joined with the neck a builder can file more here or their depending on what you want. A custom built instrument is made for the individual player.
 
#85
I think weight has a lot to do with boutique advantage over mass produced. Selection of mateials alone. Everyone who's ever bought "Cookie cutters" knows you have to sift through tons of them to find the "one". Selection of materials altogether has me intrigued with boutique. Having the ability to tell someone I want x,y,z and It must weigh less than x amount.

We just have to be willing to save in some instances rather than choosing "off the wall".

God Bless, Ray
 
#90
Birdsongs are "non-traditional",but they feel GREAT either sitting or standing. I go for sound more than looks...(though I don't play 3 times a week like I used to.) I WISH I had had the chance to have custum built guitars when I was playing...looks wouldn't have meant beans to me.(Just MHO)
Kent:bassist:
 
#95
spade2you said:
LOL, wouldn't matter, I've never been a working bassist. Still, if I were forced to sit in the studio 8+ hours at a time, I can't imagine using anything other than my CB or Rob Allens.
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One thing I found out during all of this was, alot of studios didn't or don't allow anything but Fenders. Thats why a bunch of these guys own "high end copies". But then again how many of these guys are session players? I probably opened up a new can of worms with that one.:eek:
 
#96
jworrellbass said:
One thing I found out during all of this was, alot of studios didn't or don't allow anything but Fenders. Thats why a bunch of these guys own "high end copies". But then again how many of these guys are session players? I probably opened up a new can of worms with that one.:eek:
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The funny thing is that some of the high end copies don't always get a Fender sound. A couple of my boutiques were able to dial in a decent Fender tone, some good enough that I didn't mind letting my Fenders go.

I've been told that things like my Conklin will NEVER work in the studio, then complimented how it sounded (before they knew it was my Conklin). ;)
 
#97
jworrellbass said:
One thing I found out during all of this was, alot of studios didn't or don't allow anything but Fenders. Thats why a bunch of these guys own "high end copies". But then again how many of these guys are session players? I probably opened up a new can of worms with that one.:eek:
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In those very 'closed minded' studio's (less and less these days from what I understand), they wouldn't allow the 'hi end copies' in either. So, I reject your hypothesis as to why many of us play an uber quality bass that happens to have the look and feel (and in some cases, the tone) of a more classic instrument:smug:

Put another way, fancy woods, multilam necks, extended horns, and asymmetrical body shapes often have very little to do with playability and tone.:cool:

I would also suggest that the vast majority of what many call 'coffee table' basses (i.e., the more typical 'fancy wood' boutiques) are just as derivative of the 'originals' (Alembic, Ken Smith, Villette-Citron, Fodera, etc.) as many of the boutique J's and P's. Not much new under the sun at this point!
 
#98
jworrellbass said:
One thing I found out during all of this was, alot of studios didn't or don't allow anything but Fenders. Thats why a bunch of these guys own "high end copies". But then again how many of these guys are session players? I probably opened up a new can of worms with that one.:eek:
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for a lot of folks, performing music is a job, just like anything else. some folks have to wear a uniform at their job, whether it's overalls or a suit and tie. has no bearing, generally, on their performance, but they have to wear it anyway.

same thing with some musical jobs - folks need to look the part to sell the product. -shrug- it's not a bad thing, really - nobody forced these folks into that position.

if i was a working studio jockey, i'd bring my 77 jazz . i'd make the folks who hired me aware that i had available to me a few (:hiding:) other, better-sounding options, should they wish to take advantage of them, but ultimately, if they're paying, they're saying, as far as i'm concerned.

i'm not that interested in doing that kind of thing, though, so i don't have to worry about it. when i go to a studio, it's for -my- music, and so the studio guy that -i'm- paying is listening to what -i'm- saying, or he's not getting paid.
 
#99
KJung said:
Put another way, fancy woods, multilam necks, extended horns, and asymmetrical body shapes often have very little to do with playability and tone.:cool:
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While I'd agree that they probably don't affect tone, the extended horns certainly help with playability, especially us shorter folk. The multilaminate necks can potentially offer added stability, depending on what the research of the day says.
 
#100
spade2you said:
. The multilaminate necks can potentially offer added stability, depending on what the research of the day says.
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I used to think that also until I started playing the high end boutique J's with that uber quality, flat sawn, maple neck wood. All 4 of my flat sawn, one piece maple necks are the most stable I've ever owned, and I've owned a ton of the multilams. I don't notice any difference in the incidence or level or severity of dead spots either.

Again, just providing some 'counterpoint' to the hippie sandwich approach in the spirit of the OP's question.

I've come to the conclusion that QUALITY of the materials and care in construction is much more important than the QUANTITY of the laminates or number of pieces of wood used in construction. That was a real eye opener to me, since I too didn't quite get the 'Boutique J' thing back in the day. I sure get it now:bassist:
 

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