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I LOVE/HATE - CAN'T STAND/CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT A FENDER

How Do You Feel about Fender

  • I wont play anything Else

    Votes: 52 7.9%
  • I Like them and I own and play at least one

    Votes: 418 63.8%
  • They're okay but not my favorite

    Votes: 61 9.3%
  • Not that crazy about them, but If I found a good one at a good price, I'd own it

    Votes: 39 6.0%
  • Dont' Like them but I'd play one if I had to in a pinch

    Votes: 30 4.6%
  • I hate them and would never own or play one

    Votes: 13 2.0%
  • I Like Carrots

    Votes: 34 5.2%
  • I Hate Carrots

    Votes: 8 1.2%

  • Total voters
    655
I LOVE/HATE - CAN'T STAND/CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT A FENDER

Let's say you're a man who is into women (it doesn't matter; just for illustration purposes).

You could as well say "I LOVE/HATE - CAN'T STAND/CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT A WOMAN".

The thing is what it is. All you have to do is find the right one for you (right Fender, right woman, right religion, etc.)

I have two Fender basses, two Fender amps, and one woman. Previously I had others of each. But since all of my current ones are right for me, I'm okay with their quirks, and I don't care what anyone else thinks of them.
 
Right now I only own and play fenders, well one's a squier. It's not that I'm exclusive or anything, it's more that I can't afford to buy the kinds of modern instruments I'd want. So for now I play what works. I really want a 2 band stingray and a dingwall super p in my future but I have a lot more money to save and spend before those happen. A fodera would also be nice, but I've come to realize I much prefer single pickup instruments.
 
I couldn't stand them for years, and then I bought a J on a whim. I like it a lot, and am the process of building a few clones (P and another J). I was leaning heavily towards buying a new Am Std Jazz for the CS60s and resale value, but I just can't bring myself to spend $1500 on a new J. I love the warmoth body I have, and am going to go the same route for the J (and another J) with a neck from the classifieds or something from warmoth if I can ever decide on what type of neck profile I prefer without ever having played one. I can probably put together 3 basses for the cost of a new Fender.

The P with a P46 will be done this summer, The J with Model Js is on deck for the second half of summer, and a J with CS60s might come together over the winter and next spring.
 
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I play my AmStd P mostly, it has a great tone. My MIM Jazz is fun to play and has a great growl to it. I also love my Gibson eb3l and Carvin. I've yet to hear a better low end than the Gibson. Basically if it is a hunk of wood with 4 strings I like it. Its kinda like dogs, I love all the breeds except unlike basses, I prefer someone else own them.
 
it seems to me there is a lot more anti Fender/anti P sentiment than for any other maker or model.
Little dogs bark the loudest. ;)

I don't even own a Fender and I get sick of the whining and crying. You don't want a Fender? Don't buy one, but quit trying to ruin it for everyone that DOES want a Fender.
 
I've never owned a Fender. I've played Fenders. Even performed with Fenders. I appreciate Fenders. I own and have owned Fenderesque basses.

I am in no hurry to become a Fender owner. However, I have submitted an early request for my 50th bday present (still a few years away) to be a Fender electric bass that is about my age -- built in the year of my birth or the year of my making. :D
 
My issues with Fender basses:
  1. Boring- They've been working the same body shapes for decades. The color selection generally screams "grandpa's guitars."
  2. Singular Tone- if you get a jazz bass or a P bass you know exactly what you are going to get, and only that.
  3. No Options- Want a P bass? Cool you have have the same one that they've made since the 1960s with no additional features, color options, pickup selections, bridges, tuners, woods, etc. Unless you want a custom, in which case you can pay a ton for a Fender when you could have bought a Lakland or a Sadowsky.
  4. Necks- The P neck is OK but not wow. The Jazz neck is oddly round and not particularly comfortable to me.

So if I had to use one because I was in an Iron Maiden cover band or something I would buy the cheapest used one I could find because I wouldn't use it for anything else. If someone was paying me to record and said "I need a jazz or precision tone here", fine, if you have one for me to play, I'll do it.
My Lakland basses are easier to play, more versatile, and have a slightly different body shape.
 
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Fender is irrelevant to me ... I own a Fender (5-string American Deluxe Precision) but it's mostly wall art as I don't play it. I have nothing against Fender per se, it's just that I've come to standardize on 5 strings and 35" scale and since Fender doesn't offer that they are in effect not interesting.
 
It took me a while to appreciate Fender and specifically the Precision Bass for what it can do. 20 years ago, I thought that "more" was what I was looking for: more frets, more electronics, more strings...it took me buying a Precision on a whim and playing it in a band to understand that "more" wasn't what I wanted after all. I always stayed away from the Precision because I had never tried one in a band setting, but when I did it was an epiphany.

Now I suddenly had "less". Less electronics, less fancy wood, less fussing with eq and less desire to play anything else. The Precision just worked for me and I suddenly found myself not worrying about my tone or being able to hear myself the way I envisioned...it was all right there. Stripping away the bells and whistles allowed me to focus on the music and actually allowed me greater control of my tone and its nuances. I do like and am open to trying other basses, but very few come close to the utilitarianism and practicality that a Precision affords me, so my forays into trying to use other bass guitars are always short lived.

They work for ME better than anything else I've used so far and that's really all there is to it. Other basses aren't better or worse, they just aren't a Precision Bass.
the 6 stringers all crack on marshalls as well well those that don't own one do, it's that green eyed monster known as jealousy...now I wouldn't use a telecaster as a boat paddle or any other Fender guitar... besides, a P JB or Strat, as far as I am concerned, there are no others...I feel the same about big twin Harley's
 
I've had many fenders; I have not owned one for years.
Why?
Better options... and they have yet to make a 5 string I thought was decent. Not one.

If I was in a motown review band, regularly gigging, I'd pick up a Fender PJ and use it. BUT I am not, so I will not.
 
I have an American Jazz that somedays I love, and some days I hate.

I'll never get rid of it.
image.jpg
 
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IBM :D

I have a problem with Fender in that every one that I have owned (ordered new) has had abysmal quality control, though the US ones are less likely to be bad. So, I will buy a Lakland, Sadowsky, Lull, Carvin, Spector, etc. before I'll buy another Fender. These are, IMHO, far superior in every way. Yes, they are not vintage instruments, but I don't care about vintage. I care about what sounds and feels good to me, and so far, Fender isn't it. I don't really understand this obsession with vintage sound either, but that's just me. I think there are better sounding modern amps and basses. I never liked any flats until I tried TI and they are pretty nice, great for recording. I still play roundwound mostly though.
Let's say you're a man who is into women (it doesn't matter; just for illustration purposes).

You could as well say "I LOVE/HATE - CAN'T STAND/CAN'T LIVE WITHOUT A WOMAN".

The thing is what it is. All you have to do is find the right one for you (right Fender, right woman, right religion, etc.)

I have two Fender basses, two Fender amps, and one woman. Previously I had others of each. But since all of my current ones are right for me, I'm okay with their quirks, and I don't care what anyone else thinks of them.
How about I love/hate3 - Can't Stand/Can't Live without my Ford F150?
It is surprising how misunderstood the intent of the post is. It really is about attitudes and preferences, not what you like or don't like and whether anyone should flame me for posing the question.
But, your point is valid. And, now I feel worthless because you are one Fender Amp ahead of me. :crying: