IF LEO FENDER WERE ALIVE....

[BigAlBass69]

Ok, after deleting nearly 100 posts, the thread is reopened. If you have a personal axe to grind that you feel compelled to talk about rather than discuss the thread subject, please, feel free to get off your computer and go shout it at the nearest brick wall. We don’t need it here.

Thank you Bryan

 

[smperry]

Reopened. Please, stop reporting posts before this one. We see it.

 

[Rib 13]

A more important question is: If Leo Fender were alive, do you think he would read our opinions of him on TalkBass?

 

[gln1955]

I would have liked to have seen Leo pull a Steve Jobs and take back control of Fender.

 

[smperry]

OMG.

Thread reboot. Here are the relevant parts of the OP:
If Leo Fender were alive today, which of his bass creations would he be most proud? I own a 74 P Bass, G+L 2000 and 2500 and Musicman Bongo( I know NOT HIS) and love them all but Leo has to pick one model. Would it be the P Bass, Tele, J, Stingray or one of the G+L models? OR...would he gravitate to a non-Fender creation? Hmmmmmmmm.....

 

[smperry]

Posts about Tutmarc (edit: or other predecessors) will be treated as trolling at this point. I'm sorry, but that's not what this thread is about. Wow.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

Leo was a great kind man, humble and never claimed he was an inventor, he was a tinkerer/engineer. The people he worked with often supplied the details, and the designs for the body styles. He came up with innovations, not invention.

I unlike many if not ALL of you,
knew, and worked with him. I drove him home several times, and ate lunch with him.
Dale, and George were strong contributors to the designs, and actual products.

Answer to the question, he took pride in all of his products. Each in turn was his best effort, a progression from his previous product.
His drive was to put a useful intrument in the hands of as many people that desired it.
Pride in his own legacy, yet felt that everything could be improved upon in some way.
The caster was a proof of concept, the strat, the evolution.
The first precision, an item to fill a need he percieved (guitarist to play low notes)
The Jazz to answer the need for tonal variation.

He did NOT play and was darn near deaf.

Keep also in mind that Rickenbacker was a few miles from either the original factory site or the "lab" which became Music Man, and later G&L

Bless you Leo, you are missed.

Discuss but respect the humble, kind man that he was.

 

[Ric Vice]

Since Leo's original designs are reflected in the basses built by Mike Lull, Lakland, Roger Sawdosky and a host of others. I think
that his creations live on in the reverence and sound we find in these instruments. Just my take. The Fender Jazz bass with it's
offset body is the template that's used today most of the basses on the market and the Fender Precision is still reflected in
a lot of instruments.

 

[bassbenj]

I think Leo would like his latest best. As noted above Leo tried to view bass design as a progression based on the previous designs. And each addresses certain aspects of the instrument. As AA3phisto said you start with the simplicity of the p-bass and then start adding features to make it more useful. Dual pickups, the active circuits of stingray, and finally what I regard as the culmination of the GL L2500. It solves so many problems. It's active, it's passive. It allows you to change pickup tone by rewiring. It has tone controls that are passive and don't quit from active to passive. It has flexibility and yet killer massive tone. Yes, it's not like other basses (even now) and is quirky with too many switches and knobs for some, but how else could he give you the choices? To me the L2500 was the final culmination of all Leo's bass experiments to that point and I think it really works. I bet he was proudest of it too.

 

[Dbassmon]

I am not sure about I get the point of those that discount Leo's place in musical history.

The Precision Bass was the design of Leo Fender. That point in universally recognized.

If designing the Precision bass was all Leo ever did, he is still the most significant electric bass guitar designer in history as evidenced by the longevity and enduring relevance of the design.

Add J Bass, Musicman Stingray a variety of amplifier designs for both Fender and Musicman, G&L instruments, strats, teles, to Leo's accomplishments, you have compiled a list that no other designer can come close to.

I tip my hats to the early designers referenced in this tread. Pioneers that tried to make a product that was ahead of its time. But they weren't fully realized and usable designs. Without that, there is little chance that anyone would a adopt a fledgling instrument.

Leo's timeing was right and the design is timeless.

 

[Bflat]

I did not intend to insinuate that the product was lacking in some way.
Coca Cola is a very satisfying and tasty product, and also has become the standard of it's product niche, and the formulae is touted to be best, but I like Pepsi.
If I order a a whiskey and Cola, I may get royal crown.
Vive la difference use what works, but to believe that the first to market, became the standard does not , by that alone make it (best) for all. Taste is both visceral and mental to varying degrees. Both are subjective rather than factual. Applying same viewpoint in this discussion is fair and objective rather than argumentive

While I tend to agree with you......I am the only person in the world that has both Pepsi and Coke and I just spent 2 hrs in the basement with my 73 SVT and 2 cabs and I don't think you could taste the difference between the two, but the Coke in the 51 ounce can sure does fit your hands alot better, so that is something to be proud of

 

[Bflat]

To reinforce what you said about Leo's character the very first 1951 Precision 0017. he gave it to a 10 year old kid in September 51 just as he finished putting it together, who was there at the factory with his dad to buy a guitar also...... he gave it away and asked Arlis to show it to all of his friends, and he did!!!

 

[bearfoot]

My guess: it would be the bass amp. That's where he got his start, his Uncle gave him a radio kit and he tinkered his way into repairing the Rickenbacker and other obscure amps of the time as a side to radio repair. There were no particularly great bass amps at the time, and arguably his amps were equal to his solidbody instrument innovation.

 

[Biggbass]

If Leo were alive today he'd probably ask David Gilmour to give back Strat SN001.

 

[JimmyM]

My guess: it would be the bass amp. That's where he got his start, his Uncle gave him a radio kit and he tinkered his way into repairing the Rickenbacker and other obscure amps of the time as a side to radio repair. There were no particularly great bass amps at the time, and arguably his amps were equal to his solidbody instrument innovation.

Sorry, but while Leo made some cool amps, his bass cabs were meh. And they remained meh for a very long time after he sold Fender. They were always too small for the boxes so they'd fart out way earlier than the more well made bass cabs by Ampeg and Acoustic. Sounded good at low volumes, but that was about it.

 

[/\/\3phist0]

To reinforce what you said about Leo's character the very first 1951 Precision 0017. he gave it to a 10 year old kid in September 51 just as he finished putting it together, who was there at the factory with his dad to buy a guitar also...... he gave it away and asked Arlis to show it to all of his friends, and he did!!!

Yup : Arliss McMinn and the California Playboys

 

[bearfoot]

Sorry, but while Leo made some cool amps, his bass cabs were meh. And they remained meh for a very long time after he sold Fender. They were always too small for the boxes so they'd fart out way earlier than the more well made bass cabs by Ampeg and Acoustic. Sounded good at low volumes, but that was about it.

oh. well here's a groovy ad

 

[Bflat]

Yup : Arliss McMinn and the California Playboys

Thats a great story!!! I assume you know I own that bass that Arliss got as there is a long tread on that bass here. I assume he is still with us, he told me the entire story of that bass and Leo having to change speakers all the time because he kept blowing them!!

 

[JimmyM]

Thats a great story!!! I assume you know I own that bass that Arliss got as there is a long tread on that bass here. I assume he is still with us, he told me the entire story of that bass and Leo having to change speakers all the time because he kept blowing them!!

Your collection of historic stuff is second to none, especially the old Tutmarc stuff you have!

 

[Bflat]

Your collection of historic stuff is second to none, especially the old Tutmarc stuff you have!

you know jimmy you are welcome to come play any of my insane collection anytime you want.... I only have 1 SVT though.......some times I just sit and stare.........