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I need some enlightenment

F

Falsepuppet

Jun 18, 2009
23
0
38
#1
I see that a lot of people swear by Fender.
I used to own one (well i guess i still do) But I really didnt like anything about it, sound or playability wise. Im not here to flame or troll I just want to see what drives people to use what instruments they do. It might be genre based I think.

If you can give an explaination on why (if you do) use them, and what genre you play i'd love to see how this turns out.

Or we can open this up to everyone and say, List your gear and genre you play in your band (or most). Thanks
 
#2
I'm not sure what brand you do prefer, as you don't say, but I am sure that it is junk. Because this it the internet.

You did not answer any of the questions you ask.

You did not say just what Fender you own.

You did not say what you don't like about it.
 
#3
It's about the name. And the name is about resale value and sometimes, players are being judged by the brand they play. I hate it when that happens, but it happens anyway.

I've owned 2 Fenders. A MIM and a CIJ. The MIM was okay, but it wasn't good. It sounded okay, its playability was mediocre and its construction was just bad. The neck pocket was too big with as a result, I could shift the neck from left to right.

The CIJ was a lot better. After I modded it. The playability right-out-of-the-box were better than the MIM. It had a bit of neck dive, so I put Hipshot Ultralites on it and a Leo Quan Bad Ass II bridge. I removed the pickguard (something that was not possible on the MIM 'cause there were routings underneath; the CIJ was 'clean' underneath the pickguard) because I don't like the feel of pickguards.
After the Hipshot and Bad Ass treatment, the CIJ became my main bass for almost three years. It sounded and played wonderful.

And, like I said: the resale value was pretty high compared to some other brands.

As for my genres: I'm an all-rounder. I use it for almost every genre. Sometimes I'm taking my Stingray out as well.

Why did i get rid of them? I ditched the MIM because of the CIJ. Thereafter I got a Lakland US Osborn, which I ditched too 'cause the CIJ sounded nicer, although the Lakie felt nicer. Then I ditched the CIJ because of my current bass, a Sadowsky. But, all four are J-type instruments and they've covered my back many many times.

I can see where your 'frustration' comes from, as Fender's QC has taken a hit and as a customer, you'll have to search for the good ones.
Also, if you want a Masterbuilt Fender, it'll cost you way too much for what it is. I'd take a Lakland or Sadowsky (and probably a Lull,
Celinder, (insert any boutique J-builder) above the Custom Shop. I've been quoted a price of ca. 6000 euro for a Masterbuilt Fender without too many frills. For that kind of money, I'd rather buy 2 NYC Sadowsky basses.

But, +1 to the previous post: can you please enlighten us as well?
 
#5
The OP sounds like bait to me, too, but I'll bite:

You could call it "genre based" from the standpoint of "Music Created With and For the Fender Bass", which is a whole lotta music since '51, from rock to jazz to blues to country to r&b and all points in between. A quality Fender bass does the job extremely well and consistently. Some models are extremely predictable, some are extremely versitle. Most are extremely beautiful. Their track record (pun intended) cannot be denied.
 
#7
Due to Fender's timing and ability to market and produce instruments, they'll be the face and sound of most genres indefinitely. I guess the only problem with something mass marketed is that there will be some needs that fall through the cracks. I'd love to get a Fender that played like my boutique basses, but I'm simply not rich or famous enough to get what I want from Fender. Kinda sucks that other basses aren't accepted, but sometimes change and musicians don't belong in the same sentence.

To answer the OP's question, I used to play jam band and fusion style music, although no luck in a very long time and I've shifted my focus to road racing. I play boutique basses almost exclusively.
 
#8
I thought Fenders were overpriced and overrated when i first decided to take up bass 7 years ago. I tried to like them when trying them out at GC and Sam Ash, but my first bass, an Ibanez GR200, seemed to fit me better and seemed easier to play. I just couldn't imagine paying more than twice as much for an MIM Fender when my bass went "boom, boom" just as good as the Fender. And, the USA Fenders were over $1000! Give me a break!

But later I saw the light. First of all, I learned that Ibanez did a better job with set-up from the factory. I didn't even know what a set-up was. I just thought that Fenders played lousy and Ibanezes played better. Bottom line was that the Fenders I tried needed to be set up....badly in need.

Finally I tried a nicely set up Fender and guess what? It played nice too! Very nice!

So, I get over my perception of the playabilty of the Fender, but it still went "boom, boom", just like my inexpensive Ibanez GR200. But the best thing that happened to me was finding a used, nicely set up MIM P-bass at GC for $210. I took it home and plugged it up and all the sudden the "boom, boom" sounded different. Smooth. Nice. Full. Sweet. Natural.

Nothing but Fenders for me now! That's my story. Thanks for listening.
 
#9
Falsepuppet said:
I see that a lot of people swear by Fender.
I used to own one (well i guess i still do) But I really didnt like anything about it, sound or playability wise. Im not here to flame or troll I just want to see what drives people to use what instruments they do. It might be genre based I think.

If you can give an explaination on why (if you do) use them, and what genre you play i'd love to see how this turns out.

Or we can open this up to everyone and say, List your gear and genre you play in your band (or most). Thanks
Click to expand...

The main drivers for me are fit and tone. I'm currently sitting at my G&L's tho I may eventually try something else, due to mild fit problems with both my L2000 and L2500. Balance being the main one especially with my 2500. I would also like a closer string spacing at the bridge on my L2000.
My next attempt may be the Carvin Bunny Brunel as it adresses the fit issue I'm having with my G&L's.

I have no preference as to appearance and only mild preferences as to woods used (ebony on the fingerboard as it's more durable).

Fenders have poor balance, tho the jazz neck is one of my favorites dimension-wise, so they don't fit me. The P bass tone is too muddy for me, tho the jazz bass tone can be really nice for the types of things I like to do.

So for me, the poor fit is the deal-buster on Fenders and why I don't play em.

LS
 
#10
So they do play well when set up well is what im getting out of this.
To answer some of the questions Ive gotten:
1. I play different instruments for different bands, for different tones. Its listed in my profile but here it is on post: Ibanez ICB300EX (X2) for melodic death metal, and Ibanez 706 for Progressive. I was gonna get the schecter Stillito 6 but went for the bartinilis and lighter weight.
2. The Fender I owned (my first bass) was the cheaper standard american P-bass.
3. The things Didnt like about it: Position of pickups, balance issues, limited tone adjustments, limited tone from pick ups (I understand they can be swapped).
Maybe Im just a tech head and cant be pleased with out my bartinilis now.
Also I have no idea what bait means so I need that explained.
I guess I made a few enemys in a short time with an honest question. Sorry.
 
#11
Falsepuppet said:
2. The Fender I owned (my first bass) was the cheaper standard american P-bass.
Click to expand...

:eyebrow:
You consider the American Standard Cheap? :)

It's not.... unless you are very rich.

Falsepuppet said:
Also I have no idea what bait means so I need that explained.
I guess I made a few enemys in a short time with an honest question. Sorry.
Click to expand...

Well, I believe your intentions were honest to inquire about Fender and Fender owners. ;)
But many will conceive your OP as either very naive or maybe sneaky trolling. Just a heads up.
No offense. :)



It's not genre based.
It's your personal taste.

You and I for example are both metal bassists, and there is good chance that we like the same music and bands.
But as bassists we both have different tastes.

You prefer soapbar bartolinis and don't like traditional.
I like traditional and don't like active electronics.

As long as your instrument gets the job done.

I myself tried out a lot of different type basses to come to the conclusion that a precision bass is my cup of tea.

If your experience is that modern Ibanez basses works best for you and the music you play, stick with it. :)
 
#13
all fender? sorry i meant the $600 standard does, I know that.
Guesss i should watch my wording. Some people are understanding me better and they turn out to be the people in my genre. But they still insist on different instruments.
I guess what I have learned most form this is the people connect better in their genre, but still have different tone disires C'thulhu You've been extremely helpful on this for me thanks. Also i need to clarify when something is IMO, sorry im new to forums.
 
#14
Falsepuppet said:
1. I play different instruments for different bands, for different tones. Its listed in my profile but here it is on post: Ibanez ICB300EX (X2) for melodic death metal, and Ibanez 706 for Progressive. I was gonna get the schecter Stillito 6 but went for the bartinilis and lighter weight.
Click to expand...

Tell me more about these bartinilis :hmm:


Falsepuppet said:
2. The Fender I owned (my first bass) was the cheaper standard american P-bass.
Click to expand...

I think you may mean the Standard Precision which is made in Mexico and retails for about $550 new. The American Standard Precision is madein the US, retails for about $1300 new, and is a pretty nice instrument IMO.

There's nothing inherently wrong with Fender basses. I've owned Ibanez (SR905) and Fender (Am Std P5) and they're both nice, but they definitely have different things going on.
 
#16
im not trying to talk down about fender, my OP was what drives people to use them?
like I picked my instruments becuase of playability weight balance pickups. almost everything i like and that which i didnt (ie lack of strap locks) i fixed.
It was an honest question.
 
#17
Ah so the 600 dollar one is made elsewhere.
and sorry about he spelling thing. I should just start every conversation with IMO to not start a debate about what i wasnt even asking hahahaha. Sorry about the conversation issue.
 
#18
You can't talk down Fender because of their name, just like you can't talk down - for example - Sadowsky because of their reputation. They were there in the beginning, they were there on millions of records and a lot of good and influential musicians played and play on their instruments...

A fact for the mass-production Fenders is that you have to look around and test drive a certain number of their basses before something nice might come out.
 
#19
Welcome to the forum then Falsepuppet. :)

You got to have a thick skin sometimes. ;)



I'm at it, metal bass, for 10 years. And still learn new things and changing my views on it.

When I started out I would have never thought a Fender Precision bass would be my main bass.

But it's not just any Fender Precision, it's a fretless Tony Franklin signature.
Modded and voiced for metal off course.
SPB-3 pickup, badass II bridge, and heavy piano sounding strings.
I love to use fretless in metal... well, not for the purpose of saying: hey, I use a fretless for metal.
But I prefer to play a fretless bass, and I can make it sound like a fretted.
And I can play faster on a fretless than on a fretted.

It works for me.

And there is some cool history about a precision bass in metal.
Steve Harris, Markus Grosskopf,... and dozen of other have used a precision bass succesfully in metal.
But really any bass will work.
Look at Martin Mendes with his Marcus Miller signature jazz bass.
Or modern active basses will work as good.

It depends which tone you are after in metal.
Metal is not stereotyped to just one tone.
I started a thread about this some months ago.
http://www.talkbass.com/forum/showthread.php?t=499286



I am now also having my first custom boutique bass build. To my specs voiced for metal.
It's going to be fretless, maple solid body, and a Nordstrand dual coil humbucker in the sweet spot like an Ibanez ATK.

So I will have one "traditional" bass, and one modern bass.

It's good that we have so many choices. :)
 
#20
Musicfreak1988 said:
You can't talk down Fender because of their name, just like you can't talk down - for example - Sadowsky because of their reputation. They were there in the beginning, they were there on millions of records and a lot of good and influential musicians played and play on their instruments...

A fact for the mass-production Fenders is that you have to look around and test drive a certain number of their basses before something nice might come out.
Click to expand...

Actually, I cant talk down fender becuase 1. They have a reputation obviously, and 2 becuase I wasnt. It'll be obvious when I mean ill will. Im asking out of my personal experience to see what others experiences are.
 

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