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Steve Bailey speaks on Warwick/Fender..

#102
Hey, Steve! (If you make it back here.)

I think I read somewhere that your Seymour Duncan pre is going into the Warwick. I'm curious why it was not in the Fender. Some kind of licensing issue?

I love my Fender, but I have to admit that I was disappointed with the pre that came in it.

Thanks,
Kwin
 
#107
fretlesssurfer said:
I once worked for a rather famous British group and was forwarned by a great musician who had worked with them previously to “make sure to get paid up front, and watchout for _______________ (the leader), he is an A-hole” Ultimately I had one of the greatest experiences of my career and ________________ and I are still good friends.
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ya, i've never met him but ian anderson has always struck me as being pretty down to earth for a bandleader whose vision completely dominates jethro tull. but some can't hang under those circumstances, so i could see people getting disgruntled from time to time. did meet martin barre once and found him charming, funny, and just a general all-around decent guy.

oops!
 
#108
Thanks so much for being so open, Steve. It's definitely enlightening. I wish that your experience with Fender had been a more positive one.

I personally recall writing an email to them at least 10 years ago (if not longer) about how Fender was behind the times in not offering a 6 string bass model. At the time I was playing 6 string almost exclusively and felt neglected that the company that was the cornerstone of bass guitar developments did not regard the 6 string seriously. I had also thought that since they had gotten involved with Roscoe Beck, another prominent 6 string bass player, that they might take the plunge into the 6 string market with him. But they only felt confident in offering a 5 string at the time. Still, I was pretty into your Aria signature model that was released in the late 90's.

When your Fender signature model was announced I was definitely very excited, even if I had made the move to 5 string as my primary instrument. But that excitement faded when it became very clear that most Fender dealers might not get the Steve Bailey signature bass in stock for me to try out. Perhaps it was the state of the economy and MI sales in general? Perhaps the 6 string market is a bit more narrow than it was a decade ago? I think there are a number of factors at play in the market that may not have been ideal in addition to Fender being a rather large and ungainly corporation.

As for your move to Warwick? I think you have to do the right thing for you. Sometimes a company like Fender can be a little too big for their own good. And perhaps Warwick will be a much better fit. I wish you luck on the new relationship with Warwick.

All that being said, is there any chance that you might hold a clinic at the Warwick shop in NYC any time soon?
 
#114
I guess it was Victor Wooten, who said that when listening to someone speaking we don't consentrate on the tongue and mouth but to what the person has to say. Shouldn't really be that different in this case.

I'm sure the Warwick is a nice bass, and hope you'll be happy with it and the "family" Steve!
 
#115
ShoeManiac said:
Perhaps the 6 string market is a bit more narrow than it was a decade ago? I think there are a number of factors at play in the market that may not have been ideal in addition to Fender being a rather large and ungainly corporation.
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Just speaking from the potential customer side, my finding was that Fender is actually the worst place to go if you're not only a 6 string player, but an unlined fretless 6 string player.

That was actually my situation around 8 to 10 years ago when I started playing 6 string fretless exclusively. There was already no l0v3 out there from a lot of manufacturers for the fretless or the 6 string, but when when I put both of those requirements together, I practically became a leper when it came to shopping for a bass.

I suspect Fender still makes too much money selling 4 string fretted basses to bother with the 6 string FL market gnat kind of buzzing around in their faces. Even for the 4 string, their FL offerings are absolutely pitiful - there's only one jazz bass offering and it's lined. Or you have to go with the Tony Franklin, which is a signature model with a price to match.

I ended up getting a Carvin (BB76F), but I discovered them after my career had ended long long since due to my crapped up left hand/wrist. Just click a few buttons on the order page thing and boom you got a 6 string unlined.

So, that'd be my perspective. Fender probably just has a lot of hate for the 6 string FL... To me, SB is doing exactly the right thing going with Warwick, where there's more l0v3 there for "fringe" folks like 6 string FL players....

LS
 
#119
fretlesssurfer said:
I have been to the Warwick factory. Amazing facility, amazing people, .. that simple. The only “slave” being driven that I saw is the owner, who is up at 4am, at the factory hours before everyone, and there until at least 8pm, after everyone leaves. Reminds me of my passion for the bass when I was 16… I wish I could get that back!!
Aside from that, the factory is “green”, geo-thermal, and generates it’s own electricity through solar panels and wood waste... and a state of the art gym that is available to everyone. I think there is also free housing as new employees get settled, in apt. buildings that Warwick has renovated. There is a beautiful concert hall with a full on Jam Stage, and I even heard employees jamming away up there.
Judging from the cleanliness, efficiency, and quality of product, I would imagine that employees are held to very high standards. (which can probably be a source of discontent from employees unwilling or unable to meet those standards) I have also witnessed an unprecedented level of support for an employee going through a tough time that is unbelievable. (not a company “veteran”, but a young, new worker) Yet another, among many things that attracted me to the company.
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I'm not terribly surprised to be reading this. I worked for a German medical device manufacturer, at their US subsidiary, and one thing I found out is that the Germans have a different attitude from us regarding work and the workplace. They place a greater importance on good worker relations than we do, especially with benefits that will help their employees. They demanded a lot from their employees, with higher quality standards than what we were used to, but the Germans sure knew how to have fun when the time came. Some of the best company parties I ever attended were at this company! Every once in a while the company president would visit from Germany, and I can remember him telling us, "In Germany we work to live, and here in the USA, you live to work!" I liked their approach better! But lest people think they neglect their work, nothing could be further from the truth! To Germans, quality is prized above all else. Just ask a BMW or Warwick owner! Our endoscopes were the best on the market, which gave us a lot of pride and motivation to do a better job.
 
#120
Ewo said:
Jeez, Aloise! People flamed you, Steve, simply for switching to another builder?!?

My .02: an artist needs the tools to bring his/her vision into (sonic) reality. And it's to be expected that an artist's preferences in tools will change over time, for any number of perfectly good reasons.
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Yeah, highly weak. It's not like Steve, as a Jazz/session guy is filthy rich... Flaming a guy for moving on is just... ignorant.
 

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