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

[higain617]

Rickenbacker seems to get more abuse for their corporate practices than Fender. Fender and Gibson are both traded companies with hired gun CEOs. Rickenbacker is a personal fiefdom, so it gets run differently from the others. Fender and Gibson both have business practices that make a certain amount of sense if you think of them as publicly traded companies. Rickenbacker takes on the quirks of its owner/operator in a way the other two don't.

Ric seems to take an authoritarian stance toward its customer base, which is both odd and fascinating.

 

[Watchootognbout]

Fender IS retro.
I don't like retro.
When I look at Fender styling,I HEAR some 50's Rock 'n Roll playing.
They're traditional colors make me imagine a car from the 50's'
Shiny paint and chrome.
Candy Apple Red.Surf Green.

Paisley.?
Why?

Everywhere I go.Everywhere I look.
Paint,pickguard and chrome.
Even their natural walnut finished Jazz isn't walnut.
Their Fender VI wasn't an actual six string contrabass.
BEADGC tuning.

They can't make what I want.They won't make what I want.
It's not in THEIR best interest to make what I want.
Not without paying up the wazoo for a custom shop job.
Other companies DO and HAVE made what I want.

I don't hate them.
I'm just not drawn to them.
They're so...................common.
I can't stand seeing at that same 'ol face everywhere I look.


Fender.
No thanks.

 

[beatlebass64]

I was tempted to vote for carrots, but I chose the "They're okay, but not my favorite" option. Nothing against Fender, but there are a lot of good basses out there and I would prefer to play something less common.

 

[Kaden Daniels]

Huge Fender fan cant live without my Noel Redding Signature Model

 

[quickfix]

Rickenbacker seems to get more abuse for their corporate practices than Fender. Fender and Gibson are both traded companies with hired gun CEOs. Rickenbacker is a personal fiefdom, so it gets run differently from the others. Fender and Gibson both have business practices that make a certain amount of sense if you think of them as publicly traded companies. Rickenbacker takes on the quirks of its owner/operator in a way the other two don't.

Back to our regularly scheduled spat - if you have a Fender P, you are walking in the light of truth and joy. If you have a Fender J, you have aligned yourself with the Prince of Darkness, Lucas Electrics, and the gremlins that make the magic smoke escape from copper colored electrical magic smoke tubes.

You wouldn't be an LBC owner...eh?

 

[vegas532]

I was actually at Fender today testing driving all of the P Basses I could get my hands on. The winner of said shootout was a surprise even for me. I LOVED the Mike Dirnt.

And no, I'm not a Green Day fan.

 

[Gaolee]

You wouldn't be an LBC owner...eh?

I can neither confirm nor deny whether it is a car or a motorcycle or both.

 

[DiabolusInMusic]

I got a made to order musicman a few years back took about 4 months to get it but I only paid about $2100 and got zero attitude from this folks. Believe what you will

Call up Sterling and tell him you want a different finish and pickup configuration that he offers. In addition to that, tell him you want your Stingray to be a neckthru. See how willing ole Sterling is then. Getting a bass made-to-order is not the same as a custom shop.

 

[Flabass]

I have a P and a Jazz but never play them out anymore. I have 4 USA George Fullerton & Leo Fender basses. My main bass is my SB-2.

 

[Gilmourisgod]

I'm not sure it's possible to improve a Jazz Bass stylistically or ergonomically if you get one that doesn't neck dive. It's very nearly a perfect manufactured device IMO .The P bass never did much for me in either looks or sound, kind of like the standard hammer in every toolbox. Among Jazz basses, it's either a bound and blocked 70's or an Aerodyne on my gas list.

 

[wmhill]

I have owned them, and wouldn't own one again (unless it was a deal that I could flip for profit). I do play them on occasion if I'm sitting in with a band for a few songs. A few guys have ones that I like for a few numbers- but nothing I'd want to play all night. It's cool that so many folks like em, but I' not one of em. (don't like ampegs or flatwounds either)

 

[ariwax]

I have three Fenders - a '71 fretless P, a 2009 Am Std Jazz, and a CIJ Marcus Miller. If you count EBMM, my Stingray 4 HH makes four. I have other basses, some considerably more expensive, but the P and the Ray can cover every tone I have ever wanted. Strangely though, it's the Am Std Jazz I always pick up first and play most.

 

[Gaolee]

I'm not sure it's possible to improve a Jazz Bass stylistically or ergonomically if you get one that doesn't neck dive. It's very nearly a perfect manufactured device IMO .The P bass never did much for me in either looks or sound, kind of like the standard hammer in every toolbox. Among Jazz basses, it's either a bound and blocked 70's or an Aerodyne on my gas list.

I have multiple hammers among my tools. There is a framing hammer, demolition hammer, sledge hammer, ball peen hammer, trimmer, tack hammer, several mallets, plastic faced hammer, and several more I'm not thinking of. All for different purposes. One P-Bass takes the place of ALL of those hammers. Maxwell wouldn't have needed a silver hammer if he had a P-Bass. It is the perfect tool for all uses.

But, the band likes the Ric better. So, I keep all the hammers. A Thunderbird is more like a big block Chevy V-8 for all purposes.

 

[sigmafloyd]

For basses: Fender or bust. For guitars: Maybe Gibson, but most likely Fender. End of story

 

[Gilmourisgod]

Glad you like your hammer, my G&L is a better bass than any Fender I've ever played, which doesn't stop me gassing for an Aerodyne. Leo Fender got it just right on his second try.

 

[Up the dose]

My thirty year quest to find a Fender bass that I will keep forever has finally ended. I picked up the most un-Fender Fender ever. My ADPV is active (18v), has a humbucker, and a three band EQ. Things not typically associated with Fenders. Extremely versatile and useful bass. That being said, the cavity needs better shielding, it is very noisy under certain conditions and the tuners with the plastic pieces are cheap feeling and will need to be replaced. The two Music Man basses I own sound great and need nothing.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

I did have 2 of them many years ago but no thank you, not anymore, they doesn't have what I'm looking for

 

[davidjbass]

I was never ever was a P bass fan. I hated them. But then I started listening to Jamareo Artis. Boy did he open a whole new world to me. Now I can't put down my P Bass 5! I love it's tone. I love its natural sound. I love its passive no worries electronics. I love it's feel. I love the fact that it's even all across the board on all strings. No weak strings. I wish I discovered P Basses sooner. Fender you have me.

 

[North of You]

Voted "they are ok.....". I have one, but I do find myself reaching for the other bass 9 times ou of 10. The neck is a bit too big and the sound just isn't as nice as my other bass.

But....

Guess which bass I bought first? The Fender. So maybe there is something to be said for having this huge brand recognition that has the ability to draw new players into playing music. And that I think is worthy of respect.

 

[BassFishingInAmerica]

Is this the Fender owners group?