The biggest thing he got right was the right place and right time.
Came up with cool ideas for sure, though.
Came up with cool ideas for sure, though.
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Second. Forearm countour seems like a big thing for gigging musicians, and the hum from a single 'single' coil. A guy on the first page had a better breakdown than the listed choices.
Yes, it's a "truck". Crude. Two saddle bridge sucks. No contouring. 60 cycle hum. Near one inch thick neck all the way down.
AND YET, IT'S SO F***ING COOL!
The original slab body makes you feel like a God when you play one! (made from October 1951 to the early part of 1954, about 2 1/2 years and maybe only 1,200 made.)
Yeah, Mr. Leo Fender got it right the first time! Then the split coil P comes in #2. The J #3. The 'Ray #4. Everything else by anyone is a modification or tweaking.
AND YET, IT'S SO F***ING COOL!
The original slab body makes you feel like a God when you play one! (made from October 1951 to the early part of 1954, about 2 1/2 years and maybe only 1,200 made.)
Yeah, Mr. Leo Fender got it right the first time! Then the split coil P comes in #2. The J #3. The 'Ray #4. Everything else by anyone is a modification or tweaking.
I don't think Leo ever got it right. He got close to right more frequently with earlier designs (Telecaster and Precision bass), then tried to modernise these designs and let some idiosyncrasies in (Stratocaster and '57 P bass refit), and then diluted his designs further as his aims and goals diverged from those of ever increasing numbers of rock musicians. For example I consider the Jazzmaster and Jaguar to be miles off the pace; in terms of performance, tone and all that weird proprietary hardware. A tremolo and bridge that barely works, coupled with a pair of decidedly vanilla pickups. The Jazzmaster of course was almost universally ignored by jazz guitarists, which leads me onto my main thought...
It seems that where 'Leo got it right' almost by fluke and happenstance. For example the 'tug bar' on older Precision basses is almost never used for its intended purpose and, after the mid '60s, the factory-fitted flatwound strings, chrome covers and foam mutes often found themselves thrown in the trash. Yet his designs were adaptable and rugged enough, and cropped up at the right time. The P bass sounds good with roundwound strings into an SVT; neither of which could have been foreseen in 1957, yet that combination is a do-no-wrong baseline for rock bass playing. People don't always use Leo's designs in the manner he envisaged. Likewise the Jaguar and Jazzmaster pretty quickly lost their voice in the '60s, post surf-rock and the twangy instrumental groups, which ensured that they were cheaper in the pawnbrokers in the '80s and early '90s. As such, impoverished rockers could buy them (importantly they still said Fender on the headstock) and could route them through Rats and Big Muffs, ironing out the sustain-lite twang inherent in both designs, and belatedly rubber-stamp them as iconic grunge and alt-rock guitars.
It seems that where 'Leo got it right' almost by fluke and happenstance. For example the 'tug bar' on older Precision basses is almost never used for its intended purpose and, after the mid '60s, the factory-fitted flatwound strings, chrome covers and foam mutes often found themselves thrown in the trash. Yet his designs were adaptable and rugged enough, and cropped up at the right time. The P bass sounds good with roundwound strings into an SVT; neither of which could have been foreseen in 1957, yet that combination is a do-no-wrong baseline for rock bass playing. People don't always use Leo's designs in the manner he envisaged. Likewise the Jaguar and Jazzmaster pretty quickly lost their voice in the '60s, post surf-rock and the twangy instrumental groups, which ensured that they were cheaper in the pawnbrokers in the '80s and early '90s. As such, impoverished rockers could buy them (importantly they still said Fender on the headstock) and could route them through Rats and Big Muffs, ironing out the sustain-lite twang inherent in both designs, and belatedly rubber-stamp them as iconic grunge and alt-rock guitars.
Leo kept improving the electric bass.
I chose the first time as he was looking to improve upon the standup, which was having issues with volume when playing that new fangled rock and roll music.
The Precision changed the way rock was played and the music evolved.
Each time, Leo answered the call with more innovations on his next model.
My first year G&L 2000 with preamp blew everything else out at the time. When you bring a beat the crap bass to practice and no one notices until you play. I'd say it was a success. People
Leo got it right EVERY time!!!!!!!!m
I was about to ask if he ever had any lemons but I guess any oddball Fender basses would have come after he left.
I voted second because I love my Jazz bass. But that's not to say I don't love my P bass. Not a fan of MM or G&L. I guess I haven't played the right one yet.
I must add an Amen to that!
The ones I've played and owned were incredible basses!
buldog5151bass
Kibble, milkbones, and P Basses. And redheads.
Fender made some great instruments. Gibson made some great instruments. PRS made some great instruments. Alembic made some great instruments. Rickenbacker made some great instruments. Stradivarius made some great instruments.
Rinse and repeat.
Rinse and repeat.
Ric5
Inactive
- Jan 29, 2008
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Leo got it right the ____ time
Nobody ever really gets it "right"
But Leo Fender made some very good bass and guitar designs ...
BUT ...
The p-bass has the p pickup backwards
The Jazz bass scoops out low mids a little too much
The Stingray often suffers from a weak G string
And pretty much all of his basses have dead spots
Nobody ever really gets it "right"
But Leo Fender made some very good bass and guitar designs ...
BUT ...
The p-bass has the p pickup backwards
The Jazz bass scoops out low mids a little too much
The Stingray often suffers from a weak G string
And pretty much all of his basses have dead spots
Well its
1st time is Single Coil P-bass
2nd time is Split Coil P-Bass
3rd time is Fender Jazz
4th time is Fender Bass VI
5th time is Fender Bass V
6th time is Fender Mustang
7th time Musicman Stingray
8th time is the Musicman Sabre
9th time is the G&L L1000
10th time is the G&L L2000
etc etc because he came out with a million models while at G&L
Even though I currently own and play P-basses, Jazz basses, and a Stingray, Leo's best designs were probably the L1000 and L2000 because of their MFD pickups (individual string balance!) and onboard preamps. I think they were also the first basses he did that didn't come equipped with mutes.
The L1000 has a P-bass killer if there ever was one. It had the plug and play simplicity of a Precision, but the passive preamp and the 3 way switch provided tonnes of tone. Hell, there is in a switch setting called OMG mode (single coil with bass boost) How could you not want a bass with something called OMG mode?
The L2000 is probably the most versatile of Leo's designs when it comes to getting a million tones. I had an ASAT which was killer. The only thing I don't like about the L2000 is that it has more knobs and switches than the Apollo Lunar Module and its too tempting for me to fiddle.
1st time is Single Coil P-bass
2nd time is Split Coil P-Bass
3rd time is Fender Jazz
4th time is Fender Bass VI
5th time is Fender Bass V
6th time is Fender Mustang
7th time Musicman Stingray
8th time is the Musicman Sabre
9th time is the G&L L1000
10th time is the G&L L2000
etc etc because he came out with a million models while at G&L
Even though I currently own and play P-basses, Jazz basses, and a Stingray, Leo's best designs were probably the L1000 and L2000 because of their MFD pickups (individual string balance!) and onboard preamps. I think they were also the first basses he did that didn't come equipped with mutes.
The L1000 has a P-bass killer if there ever was one. It had the plug and play simplicity of a Precision, but the passive preamp and the 3 way switch provided tonnes of tone. Hell, there is in a switch setting called OMG mode (single coil with bass boost) How could you not want a bass with something called OMG mode?
The L2000 is probably the most versatile of Leo's designs when it comes to getting a million tones. I had an ASAT which was killer. The only thing I don't like about the L2000 is that it has more knobs and switches than the Apollo Lunar Module and its too tempting for me to fiddle.
- Jan 26, 2014
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I dunno, G&L's command a nice resale among those who know. Not going to argue the Fender sticker on the headstock helps sell more instruments. As far as build quality per dollar cost retail... come on. Sure, 20 years from now the small percentage of Fenders that aren't fit for firewood will probably retain value better than G&L, so I agree about the name carrying more weight, but as far as current instruments go, that's more thanks to the marketing department than the production department.
Just my comment, experience and opinion about the so called "P-Bass Killer" L1000. Nothing kills a P Bass!
The L1000 is an OK bass and it does do things that the standard split coil P can't. The standard P Bass is heard on thousands and thousand and thousands of recorded songs and is still the all around most popular bass guitar ever! No so the L1000.
I bought a "Wunkay" because of all of the wonderful things said about it here on TalkBass. I did not like it. Why? The neck was wide and thin. Felt like holding a bowie knife blade side ways in my hands. Yuck!
Had the bullet truss rod adjuster! Yuck!
Had a 3 bolt neck! Yuck!
Weighed about 11 lbs and + oz! Yuck! I had to sell that bass! Just wasn't my thing.
The pickup had 60 cycle hum in the single coil position and also in the OMG series position. (The parallel position does hum cancel but it is not a very appealing sound!) (Whereas a P pickup is hum canceling in it's series wiring.) Although the new L1000 made in the 21 century now have dumped the OMG thing and the series position is now hum canceling.
The MFD pickups are ceramic which is the biggest head scratcher to me. For well over 30 years, Leo always used alnico 5 magnets while many other bass and guitar makers used ceramic. Then, for some strange reason, Leo started using ceramic. To me, that was a "back step". Alnico 5 was and is the established sound!
For me, it's like when you are Leo Fender and you've already done it all and did the best instruments ever, what do you do for an encore? Create G&L and try to re-invent yourself. And other companies pretty much started doing the same thing. Refrying Fender Basses. Mostly by putting fancy preamps into their basses which is nothing more than a copying of the Stingray.
Thanks for putting up with my opinion and expressions. Nothing is concrete and what I say is just my opinion which means nothing except to me.
The L1000 is an OK bass and it does do things that the standard split coil P can't. The standard P Bass is heard on thousands and thousand and thousands of recorded songs and is still the all around most popular bass guitar ever! No so the L1000.
I bought a "Wunkay" because of all of the wonderful things said about it here on TalkBass. I did not like it. Why? The neck was wide and thin. Felt like holding a bowie knife blade side ways in my hands. Yuck!
Had the bullet truss rod adjuster! Yuck!
Had a 3 bolt neck! Yuck!
Weighed about 11 lbs and + oz! Yuck! I had to sell that bass! Just wasn't my thing.
The pickup had 60 cycle hum in the single coil position and also in the OMG series position. (The parallel position does hum cancel but it is not a very appealing sound!) (Whereas a P pickup is hum canceling in it's series wiring.) Although the new L1000 made in the 21 century now have dumped the OMG thing and the series position is now hum canceling.
The MFD pickups are ceramic which is the biggest head scratcher to me. For well over 30 years, Leo always used alnico 5 magnets while many other bass and guitar makers used ceramic. Then, for some strange reason, Leo started using ceramic. To me, that was a "back step". Alnico 5 was and is the established sound!
For me, it's like when you are Leo Fender and you've already done it all and did the best instruments ever, what do you do for an encore? Create G&L and try to re-invent yourself. And other companies pretty much started doing the same thing. Refrying Fender Basses. Mostly by putting fancy preamps into their basses which is nothing more than a copying of the Stingray.
Thanks for putting up with my opinion and expressions. Nothing is concrete and what I say is just my opinion which means nothing except to me.
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I agree and the reason I say that is not how many recordings use a P-bass or how unique a stingray is.
The thing that Leo got right each time was driven home to me at a guitar show. I was standing around at this bass dealers display as some dude (who was a killer player) Methodically tried all manner hyper expensive boutique basses. You know things like in the Drozd class etc. A bunch of us just stood around watching the show. Here's the thing. Some of those Boutiques were very great sounding basses. Some in spite of the price, not so much. Anyway, then the dude grabs a standard Fender Jazz and starts to play. WHOA! Very clearly in spite of a much lower price tag the sound of this bass clearly had "SOMETHING" special and great about it. Same for a P bass. Clearly these early Fenders are something where you get MORE than you are paying for. And then through the years I came to realize that each of Leo's creations in the own way also have that special "something" without a bank-breaking price. That was his genius. He would build just the things you needed into an instrument to make it great rather than the boutique approach where you make EVERYTHING in the instrument as good as you can and then charge a fortune for it. This "getting more than you pay for" has been recognized by musicians for a long time and is the reason, I believe, for the continued popularity of his creations.
