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Instrument Brands: A Brief Rant

A

Atticus

May 26, 2010
156
0
Memphis, TN
#1
I've noticed that Fender and Gibson seem to be the axes of choice in many local bands 'round my neck of the woods. I guess it makes sense: we've got a Gibson factory here and Fender has always been a benchmark in the industry. I figured some of it might have to do with the fact that a MIM Fender is the cheapest "big name" that a budding guitard or bassist can afford. It doesn't explain all the Les Pauls, though.

Anyway, getting to the point. My singer and I were hanging out and discussing my bass. It's a Fender clone, but when I showed it to him he had a funny look on his face when he didn't recognize the name on the headstock. After discussing the merits of P-bass and J-bass sounds, he asked me "Which kind of bass is best?" I told him it depended on the tone you wanted, the budget range you have, and many other factors, and he said "I know Gibson is best for guitar..." I responded that it wasn't always true, and pointed out that Hendrix and Blackmore used Strats, among many others, but he seemed to brush it off, and I realized he didn't seem to recognize any brand of guitar besides those two. I don't even think he realizes they have multiple models. I think he just thinks a Les Paul is a Gibson, a Strat is a Fender, and whatever the bassist is holding is a Fender. I should have smacked him (and I did later, but for different reasons).

Has anybody else encountered musicians who can't recognize a bass that isn't one of the big two manufacturers? Or should I just write this off as a singer who thinks he understands guitars a lot better than he does? :scowl:
 
#3
This would be pretty standard fare for the majority of musicians who weren't guitarists or bassists. Most people (whether musos or not) assume that because Fender and Gibson are the most popular, that means they are the best.

Unless they have a genuine interest in the subject, why should they care? I don't know the ins and outs of the differences between a Shure and Sennheiser mic or whatever other brands there might be and what models they have - same for drums and cymbals.

I have met plenty of bassists and guitarists who don't know much more than the brand they play and Fender and Gibson. And don't even start on non-musician types...

Only my Marcus Miller jazz has the Fender logo on it - so my 2 other basses (modded P bass and a custom jazz) get plenty of questions - from all sorts of people.

Cut the guy some slack and don't expect others to know (or actually care) as much as you do.
 
#4
It`s only because Gibson and Fender are clearly the best for metal.

Personally, I hate talking bass gear (let alone any sort of musical gear) with people who aren`t musicians (and even then there are some musicians who don`t know any better). I once auditioned for a band and the drummer thought my Warwick Streamer was some cheap P.O.S bass. Little did he know they go for $4,000 new. Same with my Markbass rig. People thought it looked cheap until they heard it.. and even then most people would say that they didn`t know a cheap rig could sound so nice.

It sucks, but such is life.
 
#5
Atticus said:
I've noticed that Fender and Gibson seem to be the axes of choice in many local bands 'round my neck of the woods. I guess it makes sense: we've got a Gibson factory here and Fender has always been a benchmark in the industry. I figured some of it might have to do with the fact that a MIM Fender is the cheapest "big name" that a budding guitard or bassist can afford. It doesn't explain all the Les Pauls, though.

Anyway, getting to the point. My singer and I were hanging out and discussing my bass. It's a Fender clone, but when I showed it to him he had a funny look on his face when he didn't recognize the name on the headstock. After discussing the merits of P-bass and J-bass sounds, he asked me "Which kind of bass is best?" I told him it depended on the tone you wanted, the budget range you have, and many other factors, and he said "I know Gibson is best for guitar..." I responded that it wasn't always true, and pointed out that Hendrix and Blackmore used Strats, among many others, but he seemed to brush it off, and I realized he didn't seem to recognize any brand of guitar besides those two. I don't even think he realizes they have multiple models. I think he just thinks a Les Paul is a Gibson, a Strat is a Fender, and whatever the bassist is holding is a Fender. I should have smacked him (and I did later, but for different reasons).

Has anybody else encountered musicians who can't recognize a bass that isn't one of the big two manufacturers? Or should I just write this off as a singer who thinks he understands guitars a lot better than he does? :scowl:
Click to expand...

I'm a child of the late 60s and 70s. That's the way it was. There was Fender. There was Gibson. (But not for bass) And there was this vague, far off pipe dream called a "Rickenbacker" but you hardly ever saw one. All the rest were considered trash... including instruments we now cherish and bid up on ebay as being "oh so special."

Oh and then along comes some guy named Entwhistle playing something called an "Alembic." What the hell?!
 
#6
gm2_in_co said:
I'm a child of the late 60s and 70s. That's the way it was. There was Fender. There was Gibson. (But not for bass) And there was this vague, far off pipe dream called a "Rickenbacker" but you hardly ever saw one. All the rest were considered trash... including instruments we now cherish and bid up on ebay as being "oh so special."

Oh and then along comes some guy named Entwhistle playing something called an "Alembic." What the hell?!
Click to expand...

So back in the '60s and '70s there were no Gretschs? :)
 
#9
I actually don't see many basses which are not based on a Jazz or on a Precision or on a Stingray.
Guitars, are basically single coil (Strats and Teles, Fenders) or humbickers (Les Pauls or semi-hollow, both Gibson usually.).
I don't know about the best, but Leo Fender and the Gibson boys are surely the ones who came up with the most widely used designs.
 
#10
lifeblind said:
So back in the '60s and '70s there were no Gretschs? :)
Click to expand...

There really weren't many and to the extent there were, they were considered "country." /yuck! Neil Young is the only one I can remember playing one and of course that wasn't a bass. By the time I'm thinking about Gretsch, Vox, Hagstrom, Hofner, etc. had all sort of faded into the past by and large. My first bass was a Framus acoustic/electric and oh how I wish I had it now. But back then, it was an embarrassment. My band sort of had an "intervention" and insisted I get a proper bass. Enter the Gibson Ripper and they were still sort of pissed I didn't get a Fender.
 
#11
Comes with the territory. There are big names and then there are everything else. And it really varies by genre. I played a gig with a bunch of indie-alternative-whatever-rock type bands one night and was amazed that there was not one fender between the 5 bands (I brought my gibson though ;)). Actually, what was more surprising was there was no leo fender basses at all. It was a univox (mosrite copy) a few ibanezes, and some random GC-only brand that seemed more ibanez inspired.
 
#16
jmattbassplaya said:
It`s only because Gibson and Fender are clearly the best for metal.

Personally, I hate talking bass gear (let alone any sort of musical gear) with people who aren`t musicians (and even then there are some musicians who don`t know any better). I once auditioned for a band and the drummer thought my Warwick Streamer was some cheap P.O.S bass. Little did he know they go for $4,000 new. Same with my Markbass rig. People thought it looked cheap until they heard it.. and even then most people would say that they didn`t know a cheap rig could sound so nice.

It sucks, but such is life.
Click to expand...


I've also had an opposite experience with expensive gear. There was a guy auditioning to be a worship leader at our church. We were talking after the service, and he asked me how his guitar sounded in the audience. I told him it sounded a little tinny. His immediate response was "But, this is a $6000 Taylor". I responded that it probably didn't have to do with the guitar as much as the way the sound was mixed. I didn't mean to insult his instrument. But when a guy asks me how it sounds, I'm assuming it's for diagnostic reasons, so I gave him my diagnosis. Sometimes, I forget when people ask how it sounds that it's usually asking the them to tell them they sounded good. But, I don't like to lie either.
 
#17
I suppose if I was to talk microphones with a singer the only brand I really know of is the Shure SM57. Although I certainly wouldn't talk in absolutes and would be open to the experiences and knowledge of the person talking about other brands and options.

Ignorance is normal, it's about how you go about it that counts.
 
#18
I try not to come down on people too hard for this sort of thing.

Some non musicians don't know the difference between a guitar and a bass guitar.
But I don't know the difference between most construction machinery.

Your singer doesn't know any brands other than Fender or Gibson.
But how many trumpet manufactures can you name off the top of your head?

Some knowledge just comes with the territory. That's all.
 
#19
I thought Fender was the only "real" bass there is. That's why, out of the 9 I have hanging on my wall, I have one. The people I play with don't care what bass I play as long as it supports the music. My "Frankenbass" plays just as well as any of the others and better than some. I play what feels and sounds the best to me at the time and don't care what the headstock has on it.
 
#20
Muckaluck said:
I suppose if I was to talk microphones with a singer the only brand I really know of is the Shure SM57. Although I certainly wouldn't talk in absolutes and would be open to the experiences and knowledge of the person talking about other brands and options.

Ignorance is normal, it's about how you go about it that counts.
Click to expand...

Shure SM57 isn't a "brand." Its a specific model. Point made.
 

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