Stigma for not playing Fender

[DrThumpenstein]

My buddy borrowed ol' Vince here to play in church for "a month or two" until he could find himself a bass.

A year and a half later, under threat of exposure both of his covetousness AND borderline theft, nearly a 2 commandment infraction, he returned it to me upon purchase of a fine G&L bass of his own. He told me it was missed by him AND the sound guy.

My guess is that it depends on how open minded and objective, vs biased and close minded, the music director and sound person might be, as to whether showing up with something other than a P or J might be accepted.

 

[arbiterusa]

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

Don’t know. I show up with my Steinberger and have gotten some looks. I plug it in and that’s the end of that.

Doubly hilarious when someone realizes after several gigs I’m playing fretless.

I have never once been asked to use something else. And the only comments I get are along the lines of “wow, that thing sounds amazing”.

 

[Bassmunnky]

I don't think it's EVER going to go away. I mean, every sound engineer, live or studio knows how to make a FENDER P sound good...any more than 4 strings and 2 knobs makes them uncomfy. Every new gig I start, I just bring a fender to the calm them down..then bring the Active 9 string when I get the gig...Just kidding but yeah..it'll never stop.

 

[BarfanyShart]

People do hear with their eyes sometimes, that is true. The engineers I understand, because they have a procedure for getting things done efficiently. I never owned a Fender Bass, so for me it was like "if you don't have one here for me to play, then let's just take my little Fender amp in the other room, mic it, run a line out from it, and do our best."

 

[JRA]

What are your experiences?

IME: it's a myth, perpetuated here for entertainment purposes. has nothing to do with real life, playing gigs, making money, yada yada.

Maybe it's just me?

yep.

you may need to get out more! good luck!

 

[Element Zero]

Luckily I guess I’ve never played with such pretentious people in my 26 years of playing and gigging. I suppose if I were playing a Pat Boone tribute gig and showed up with my Fodera Yin Yang 5 or Purple Sparkle Music Man 5er I’d get some “looks”, but I’d be sure and ask if the “look” was important for such a gig.

 

[SteveC]

Fortunately, in this small rural town, no one really cares what I play. They know I’ll be early, play an appropriate bass and play an appropriate line. A few years ago when recording a “standards” CD with a local vocalist (think Sinatra) I used a Geddy Lee jazz - with rounds. It was the only bass I had at the time. I rolled off the volume a bit, same with the tone, played close to the fingerboard and “like an upright player” and it sounded great. We recorded to 2” tape which was awesome. No Protools and copy/paste.

Anyway, I have a fretted 5, fretless 5 and a P. None are Fender. I still get gigs.

 

[Koshchei]

I get a bit of poopie for playing a Ric, but they shut up the second they hear it.

 

[SJan3]

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?

I actually think worship music is 5 string territory so I don't think Fender.
In the studio is a different can of worms.

 

[alexbib]

I think it's because most of you guys are in the USA, where the majority of churches are protestant. The protestant movement was started when people stopped worshipping gold and instead started worshipping Leo Fender

 

[kesslari]

I've never run into what the OP describes.

 

[MultiScaleMale]

If you don't know what to expect, showing up with a Fender or a Fender-looking instrument is the safe bet. If it's a metal band, a Dingwall is the safe bet.

 

[funk generator]

Sometimes I rock my Nordy, but most of the time I play my skjold or MüB in church.

I did one time get a “that’s a pretty cool fender knock off” in reference to my Nordy VJ5 at an audition.

 

[Kukulkan61]

It was like that back in the 50s and 60s, you needed to show up with a Fender to record, it isn’t like that anymore, play what makes you happy...

 

[mikewalker]

I think it's because most of you guys are in the USA, where the majority of churches are protestant. The protestant movement was started when people stopped worshipping gold and instead started worshipping Leo Fender

 

[trevcda]

“that’s a pretty cool fender knock off”

Technically, aren't they all Fender knock-offs?

 

[cableguy]

My church is smaller I guess, but I've been rocking my Spector Euro for over 5 years. Nothing but compliments on the sound. Played a G&L before that.

 

[Funk With Me]

Try showing up with this.
Right tone, wrong looks.
Dare anyone to say the tone you get out of it isn't usable.
View attachment 4034221

I need one of those to go with my Orange rig.

 

[Geri O]

Man, where the hell are some of you guys playing to run into this kind of grief over non-Fender basses??

There’s all kinds of basses being used around here, of all places. Gigs, sessions, church, I’m playing a non-Fender bass, although it does kinda look like a Fender. But when I had one, no one ever said “leave that Stingray at home!”

 

[devilof76]

I stopped bringing these to church when my boots caught fire. No one had to say anything.