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I think I stop believing in expensive basses!

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#541
Will Kelly said:
Originally Posted by Marc61

That said, I'm more fascinated watching really good players go through the inexpensive inventory at GC or Sam Ash looking for "the one". They find them too. One of my friends, who I respect as one of the best guitarists I've ever seen, pro or otherwise has tons of vintage guitars, mainly because he refuses to sell EVER! One day I asked him what he would pay to have new frets installed. His answer "nothing, I can buy a guitar for that price". The real answer is that because he knows what he likes, and can set it up for himself, he can get away with always using less expensive guitars.
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It's interesting to note that these really good players you mention are "Looking for the one" as opposed to just grabbing any old bass. So obviously these "Good Players" hear differences from one bass to the next.

Again bass brothers, my only beef is with those that claim there are no tonal differences from one bass to the next. Build, pickups, strings, etc., all make a difference to "Good players". Examples like the one posted are very common as are examples from proffesional artists. Whether it be live playing or in the studio. Living quantifiable facts don't lie folks.
 
#542
MVPBASS said:
I think its amazing that people don't realize that back in the early days of electric bass, Fender was like todays Fodera. Not everybody could afford them, bassists argued that they were over hyped. Now, by todays standards and advancements, Fender isn't considered "boutique", maybe from all of the years of "cookie cutting", maybe because they have a factory in every country, maybe they did it to themselves. Don't think by making statements like "Jamerson played a Fender"or "Jaco played a Fender" that they wouldn't be playing a Smith if they were alive today.
Look at what the Fender players who ate still alive are playing today Joe Osborn (Lakland not Fender)
Mark Egan(Pedulla, not Fender),
Nathan Watts( Alleva Coppolo, Bossa, not Fender)
Anthony Jackson( Fodera, not Fender) and Chuck Rainey, Glen Hughes and countless others that have played so many high end basses, even the guys who still play "Fender style" instruments, aren't playing Fender. Why? Because they don't have to, they choose to look for something that fits them and makes them happy.
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Yep, they've been getting by on their name alone, and their reputation of 30+ years ago. However, they're still not bad basses, IMO, but they're definitely no Fodera or Sadowsky.
 
#543
madbassplaya said:
Yep. He was the Henry Ford of guitars.
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Pretty much. If Fender focused on perfection, their production numbers would be lower and prices higher. I'll admit to some trolling towards Fender die hards who get upset when these threads come up. Fender generally makes lots of good guitars and basses, which is exactly the goal. If you want something great, ya might have to pony up and pay extra.
 
#545
People have made comments about going through "Guitar Centers inventory trying to find the one", trying out every one until finding a Squier that played great, or as mikebass said a Fender that was the best playing Jazz style out of all that he had ever played. I would rather just pick up an instrument that is consistantly good from a boutique builder than search through a mountain of clunkers looking for "the one"
 
#546
MVPBASS said:
I think its amazing that people don't realize that back in the early days of electric bass, Fender was like todays Fodera. Not everybody could afford them, bassists argued that they were over hyped. Now, by todays standards and advancements, Fender isn't considered "boutique", maybe from all of the years of "cookie cutting", maybe because they have a factory in every country, maybe they did it to themselves. Don't think by making statements like "Jamerson played a Fender"or "Jaco played a Fender" that they wouldn't be playing a Smith if they were alive today.
Look at what the Fender players who ate still alive are playing today Joe Osborn (Lakland not Fender)
Mark Egan(Pedulla, not Fender),
Nathan Watts( Alleva Coppolo, Bossa, not Fender)
Anthony Jackson( Fodera, not Fender) and Chuck Rainey, Glen Hughes and countless others that have played so many high end basses, even the guys who still play "Fender style" instruments, aren't playing Fender. Why? Because they don't have to, they choose to look for something that fits them and makes them happy.
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I appreciate your opinion and agree with it on some level, but you are seriously reaching. There is no way to speculate on what Jamerson or Jaco would play. So, let's be rational here.

Professional music is filled with Fender players and deservedly so.

fwiw, Those Ying Yang basses are really tempting. ;)
 
#549
jamzilla said:
If Jaco played a Squier, he'd still be Jaco. ;)
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Jaco's son plays Fodera, not Fender. ;)

attachment.jpg
 
#550
MVPBASS said:
People have made comments about going through "Guitar Centers inventory trying to find the one", trying out every one until finding a Squier that played great, or as mikebass said a Fender that was the best playing Jazz style out of all that he had ever played. I would rather just pick up an instrument that is consistantly good from a boutique builder than search through a mountain of clunkers looking for "the one"
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Good point.
 
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