Poll : Fender Free?

[Jeff Scott]

... I'm curious who doesnt own any bass that's associated to Leo Fender in any way.

I don't. I have had several Fenders over the decades (my first bass, that I got in 1971, was a late '60s Jazz Bass) and I used to have a G&L JB-2, and a great 2013 Stingray 4H (that is the only Fender related bass I wouldn't still mind having, but I prefer to have battery-less instruments).

 

[StudioGC]

I'm down to one bass (I know...crazy). A 50's P Bass (Classic Series MIM). Fantastic bass. Stripped off the Urethane and gave it a light nitro couple of coats (same colour...fiesta red).

Love this P Bass.

 

[Manticore]

I own a number of basses, including a Fender J and a Fender P. I rarely play either of my Fenders as they just aren't for me; I keep them for the increasingly rare occasion when someone has the temerity to ask me to play "a Fender."

 

[rogerbmiller]

I have multiple fenders. In fact I was only lured into this thread because I thought the title was advertising a Fender bass free of charge ;-)

 

[Jeff Scott]

...I thought the title was advertising a Fender bass free of charge ;-)

That's the only way I'd get a Fender these days.

 

[Anemic_SluG]

First Bass was a Fender jazz, then played Jackson/Charvel for most of the 90's then Musicman... and now back to Fenders. All shapes and sizes. I really am digging my 80's Jazz special "duff" bass at the moment.
Have tried to get into something else and nothing have sat as well in my bands mix as a Fender. Also haven't really jumped in the +$2000 basses either.

 

[mattj1stc]

No actual Fenders or their siblings (MusicMan and G&L), but I have owned them all at some point. I do have a Fender inspired bass from Lakland, so I chose the middle option.

 

[Timmah]

I don't own any Fenders or their immediate family (G&L, MM etc); the closest I own is a cheap Yamaha P/J that I never play.
One of my basses has a G&L bridge and neck on it, if that counts? I chose the last option.

 

[Coriolis]

I have an MIA P and a fretless, 5-string with soap bars & piezos, so I see both sides of the coin. I love them both.

However, one could argue that some non-Fenders appear to be deliberate attempts to be non-P and non-J. Therefore, these non-Fender designs HAVE been influenced by Leo.

I'm not trying to stir up anything. That's just my humble take on it for as little as my opinion is worth.

 

[DigitalMan]

A G&L. Its kind of a Fender... Right?

That's like saying your Spector is kind of a Steinberger.

 

[rogerbmiller]

That's the only way I'd get a Fender these days.

Doh!

 

[TNID]

My first bass back in 1995 was a MIM Fender Jazz, but I only had it a few years. The closest I've had since then would be my two Stingrays.

I do have a Strat, but that's my only Fender product at the moment.

 

[MAJOR METAL]

I've never owned a Fender bass in 21 years of playing. I was tempted on occasion to get a Roscoe Beck 5 and the paisley telecaster bass.

I sure love my Sadowskys though!

 

[Korladis]

Even without the Jazz I'd still have a MusicMan Ray. I'm curious who doesnt own any bass that's associated to Leo Fender in any way.

I don't. I own two Rickenbackers, an Epiphone T-bird, and a Peavey.

 

[kat888]

Even without the Jazz I'd still have a MusicMan Ray. I'm curious who doesnt own any bass that's associated to Leo Fender in any way.

I'll admit that selling a bass which isn't related to Leo Fender in any way can be a pain in the arse. I have a semi-hollow LP shaped piezo bass I've been trying to move on for ages. It will probably end up as a trade in for an Epi EB3L.

For years I would only play Rics and a 4005 was at the top of my GAS list. A subsequent conversion to humbuckers and 'big angry pianos' has me on the Thunderbird path. All the 'advice' I was given by old men when I was young bass player, I took - don't play so hard, you must use your fingers, don't use roundwounds, distortion is bad, get a P or J and grrls can't play - and put in a drawer marked 'bollox'.

 

[Korladis]

I'll admit that selling a bass which isn't related to Leo Fender in any way can be a pain in the arse. I have a semi-hollow LP shaped piezo bass I've been trying to move on for ages. It will probably end up as a trade in for an Epi EB3L.

For years I would only play Rics and a 4005 was at the top of my GAS list. A subsequent conversion to humbuckers and 'big angry pianos' has me on the Thunderbird path. All the 'advice' I was given by old men when I was young bass player, I took - don't play so hard, you must use your fingers, don't use roundwounds, distortion is bad, get a P or J and grrls can't play - and put in a drawer marked 'bollox'.

Indeed. Though I find Rickenbackers also do the "big angry piano" thing well. I actually think of them and T-birds as kinda similar, even though 4003s are single coil and T-birds have humbuckers (I wonder how similar 4004s would sound, since they have humbuckers).

And likewise, I play quite hard. My sister remarked that when friends of hers played their instruments unplugged at school, it was never nearly as loud as when I was practicing unplugged.

 

[rmayer]

I don't currently own any Fenders but I do own two "Leo" basses. I have two G&Ls, a JB and an LB100. I have owned dozens of Fenders from Mexis to Custom Shops, and (except for my orig '62 Jazz) I think these two basses are right up there with any of the Fenders. They both have Empress, lightweight bodies and Jazz width necks. I think Leo's last company definitely made some great instruments.

 

[Korladis]

If I was going to own a Fender-related bass, it would probably be a G&L.

 

[Ellery]

Being a non-owner as I stated earlier (as anyone paying attention should have immediately recognized), I would say if I lost all my bases today and had to buy one bass to keep on going, it would be a Fender American P bass (or G&L equivalent)

 

[kat888]

And likewise, I play quite hard. My sister remarked that when friends of hers played their instruments unplugged at school, it was never nearly as loud as when I was practicing unplugged.

Playing hard started for the simple reason that at the beginning I was sharing an amp with a guitarist, and everytime he started doing his walls of feedback, the bass channel went away. By the time that was no longer a problem it was my style and there was no reason to change.