Stigma for not playing Fender

[dwagner]

Similar to those that consider the Precision Bass the "one bass to rule them all" (and probably justifiably so), I've noticed there's a lot of emphasis in a lot of places that if you aren't playing a Fender, that you don't have "the sound/authenticity" (sorry Gibson).

Example: worship music. You play a Fender Jazz or a Fender P and those are your choices. You show up to a big church with something that's not a Fender and you'll get some looks.
Seems like this is also the sentiment for studio as well. You're using a Fender P, Fender Jazz, or a Fender active 5.

It feels like there's some stigma about the instrument not being legitimate if it's not a Fender. What are your experiences?

Maybe it's just me?
Discuss?

 

[jd56hawk]

Try showing up with this.
Right tone, wrong looks.
Dare anyone to say the tone you get out of it isn't usable.

 

[David Jayne]

Seems expensive single-cuts go over just fine in the worship circuit.

 

[Killed_by_Death]

The guy who bought my JP-90 from me said his church told him to get a U.S. Fender.
JP-90 are the cheapest U.S. Fender basses around, so he scored!

 

[JMarkD]

I have never faced any negative push back for using any bass, and I have used some oddballs over the years. One exception was my first couple of gigs in Florida with a Steinberger. However after it was heard the comments stopped.

 

[jd56hawk]

Seems expensive single-cuts go over just fine in the worship circuit.

Even Orange British ones?
(The O bass is very inexpensive, though.)

 

[TBird1958]

I'm glad I don't let other people's misconceptions about my choice of instruments trouble me. Sheesh.

 

[buldog5151bass]

Not nearly as much as it used to.

 

[David Jayne]

I'm glad I don't let other people's misconceptions about my choice of instruments trouble me. Sheesh.

Well yeah but, lol, let's just say you've got bigger fish to fry.. : D

 

[Drifter8230]

The guy who bought my JP-90 from me said his church told him to get a U.S. Fender.
JP-90 are the cheapest U.S. Fender basses around, so he scored!

Wow. That's ridiculous! But, inversely, I'm sure some metal bands would demand their bass player ditch their U.S. Fender and get "a better bass for metal."

 

[kinopah]

A few people have asked me “what’s wrong with Fender?” when I’ve brought my Fodera P, but all I’ve ever responded is “this plays better, sounds better” and since it DOES, nobody has anything else to say.

But yeah Smith, Fodera, Tobias all go over no prob in Worship groups. And very few hang onto the Fender thing enough to give you side-eye let alone say something. Mostly when they do they just want to interact and it feels like something they can ask you and sound quasi-knowledgeable.

 

[Pings Bass]

I once got some guff from a drummer who had never heard of g&l, but that's about it

 

[two fingers]

Me, in church, this past Sunday. Fretless G&L. Everybody loved it.

I think there are small pockets of that kind of ignorance. But it's not pervasive.

That being said, if your plan is to be a bass player for hire, it would he wise to have an FSO (Fender Shaped Object) in your arsenal. If the ignorance outranks you, you just have to deal with it. It's their way or the highway. If you do x, you get the gig. If you don't do x, you won't be called back.

In this case, x = show up with a Fender bass.

 

[TheReceder]

I play every Sunday since about 1976. Haven't used one of my Fenders for about 5 years.

The only complaint I get is that a couple basses are a little too aggressive, (my EBMM 4h) . I have to agree, I just never got it dialed in for the brighter tone. A little to clanky when I dig in. It was fine when I give it more bottom.

As for Studio, I've gotten some of the best compliments from "good" producers when I've used something that was able to give a broad spectrum of tones that they could work with. Only once did I bother to bring a Jazz bass. I knew they'd have plenty of basses there to choose from if I needed it.... I didn't.

For live gigs... for years I got "oh... it's another Peavey" from the bands... I just brush it off.

 

[eliascalles]

I guess it depends on whether you can play well or not lol. I had some other bass player give me some stupid comments during changeover at a festival couple years ago about my cheap ass (non fender) bass but he shut up pretty good after our set

 

[thewildest]

Time to resurrect the Moth.

 

[Dave Leighton]

I see way more non Fender 5 strings in a major amount of worship bands...

 

[Scottgun]

Example: worship music. You play a Fender Jazz or a Fender P and those are your choices. You show up to a big church with something that's not a Fender and you'll get some looks.
Seems like this is also the sentiment for studio as well. You're using a Fender P, Fender Jazz, or a Fender active 5.

How much are you getting paid? If $0, tell those people giving you looks to bend over and look up their own jacksie.

 

[Bob_Ross]

I'm certain I've told this story on TB before, but what the hell.

The only times I've ever been given any guff about not playing a Fender...



were the two highest profile gigs I've ever done in my life: The MD in a Broadway pit orchestra, and a well-known, award-winning producer during a huge budget major label album recording. Both guys took offense to my Steinberger L-2, and basically said "come back with a normal-looking Fender bass."

(Ironically, after coming back to the major label album session with two different Fender Precision basses, they ultimately wound up using my Steinberger!)

 

[trevcda]

What?! A house of whorship with strong opinions on something they know next to nothing about? Say it ain't so! FWIW, as with many other applications, I suspect Fender is just a known quantity that doesn't have to be Googled to figure out what it is and isn't too pointy. For reasons, I've been watching a lot of streamed services from various denominations the last several months and frankly they should be more worried about pitchy singers, poor mic technique, lousy mixes and musicians who seem to think that they are the star of the show, rather than the name on your headstock.