THIS IS WHY FENDER IS HERE TO STAY

[mrperkolator]

I'm not sure, but I think the OP likes fender.

I thought there was already a Fender fanboy club. Isn't this tread redundant?

 

[JRA]

i like to make fun of the fender brand (on TB) because of the blind allegiance of so many who admittedly haven't experienced much else....which lets us know that fender's marketing-on-legacy works pretty well! my usual rag-on-fender POV is that they are overpriced for what they are and others 'do fenders' better than fender. i just don't see any reason to stop the fun... ....unless someone can counter with a fresh, fender perspective......?


TBH: if leo hadn't invented "parts axes" i wouldn't be having as much fun assembling my own better-than-fender FSOs.

 

[lfmn16]

Paragraphs are your friend.

 

[BarfanyShart]

The name "Fender" is certainly here to stay. Even if the company drove itself to bankruptcy for some reason, some private equity fund would pay money for the brand, and sell it to Ibanez or something. But, Fender's name is so valuable, it would take some serious doing to mismanage the company to the point of bankruptcy - see Gibson.

 

[Mantis Tobaggan]

I like my P-bass and my Rumble 100. To each their own. I also enjoy the legacy of Fender. Both the story of the company and their role in popular music. Most of all though, I love how my P sits in the mix.

 

[BarfanyShart]

Also, Fenders aren't that overpriced. Player series is maybe $100-150 over what another brand would sell you the same bass for, but it's Mexican rather than Indonesian, so some consumers may think that is worth the money. Americans aren't really any more expensive than any other American-made semi-boutique bass. The CS stuff is bonkers, but, whatever. Fender amps are actually a HUGE value for money, and beloved by the penny pinchers among us.

 

[GreyBeard]

I've owned 3 Fender 5 string basses, a Roscoe Beck V, a Precision Pro V (with the humbucker at the bridge and active electronics) and recently a single pup passive Precision V. I ended up selling or trading all of them because I just can't deal with the neck and string spacing. I'm just an MM SR-5/G&L JB-5 kinda guy but, I still love Fender basses, they just don't love me .

 

[Matt O]

TL;DR the text wall.

Going off the title only:

Fender is here to stay in my life, regardless if they go out of business - which I doubt will happen. I currently have 8 - 7 Ps and a Mustang.

I don't really care what others like / play.

In the rare instance I do care, I keep my pie hole shut because I like to think I'm a grown up person. Live and let live.

If you're not a fan of Fender, that's fine.

If you like to bash Fender online because you think your bass is moar betterer, maybe think about how utterly childish you sound. It's just a bass.

Be well.

 

[BobKos]

<SNIP>

The Delano neck pickup can get REALLY close to a legit P vibe, while the bridge pickup still does all the traditional J vibes. It's like having both a really great P and J in the same instrument. Oh, and they pair really well with the Sadowsky preamp.

Not to derail, but thank you for this! I am in the process of building a medium scale custom. I have these parts on hand and have been wondering how they would sound together. I think I will give them a go as first install in this project. Thank you!

 

[DaveWP]

A thread that recently ended talked about the reason why the initiator thought Fender was a dinosaur, I would like to start a thread on why Fender is here to stay.
The big 3 basses for Fender are the Precision (b1952), the Jazz Bass, and the Mustang {born in the middle 60's)There are people who don't like the Fender Bass appearance, how it sits with a strap on their shoulder or the total weight. My counterpoint is that Fender has developed a number of basses after Leo Fender left the company that add alot to the line: the Jaguar, Precision Mini, Musicmaker, Coronado, etc. The entire Fender line is replicated at a lower price level in the Indonesian made Squier line. And Fender uses Squier to introduce new basses or modification of Fender designs into the family. The latest include the Squier Precision Mini, Stratocaster Mini, Affinity Jaguar with humbucking pickup and maple fretboard. In terms of amps Fender offer a full li9ne up of bass amps to match to an individual bassist's needs. And I will say as someone whose first bass was a brand new 67 Fender Mustang Bass (sold many years ago) the first brand I thought of when I started playing again at age 67 was Fender. Squier allowed me to re enter the field at a retiree's pension and a small Fender bass amp met my needs. And when I began to look for an acoustic bass guitar to join the local farmer's market weekly jam there was the new Fender CB-60 Acoustic and a series of other acoustics along with the top of the line which has a shortened Jazz Bass neck. Fender works with large music stores doing special runs including Chicago Music Exchange's series of pink guitars and basses as well as the special finishes offered by Sweetwater. And if you like a sub 34 inch neck Fender offers some of the best options on the market: 28.6 in, 30 in and 32 inch. And the Mustang in either Fender or Squier colors offers either Precision pickups (with the addition of a J pickup) or traditional Leo-designed Mustang pickups. Consider that Fender has multiple price points based on level of sophistication and country of manufacture: Squier and Fender basses built in Indonesia, Fender basses built in Mexico, Fender basses built in the US and Custom Shop. The same goes for amplifiers starting with15 watt/8" speaker going up in steps to a piggyback amp with 2 15 inch speakers and 800 watts. The Fender I describe now is so much more versatile and varied than the Fender I knew in 1967 when I had to buy an AMPEG amp because the Bassman Cabinet was larger than I could manage. Granted, Fe3nder has not gone into new and unique shapes or vastly different types of electronic to give the bassist more "sonic" choices but Fender has built a line of basses and amps that gives the bassist who likes the Fender Sound alot of alternatives. (and yes my P Bass is a Fender clone)I but I like having a Precision Mini, a Jaguar and an Acoustic with the Fender name on the headstock

 

[DaveWP]

I'm 69 and have always wanted to play the bass. Finally a couple of years ago I bought my first Fender Pbass, MIM and I love it. Over the years I never thought about buying anything but a Fender. I looked at other basses, but knew if and when I bought a bass it would be a Fender. I also grew up in Fullerton and went by the Fender shop almost everyday to and from somewhere. Maybe that's why only a Fender would do for me. And thanks for accepting me into the group, my first day here.

 

[ProbablyTooLoud]

When I decided to be a first time (of)Fender I actually got a G&L.

 

[DaveWP]

When I decided to be a first time (of)Fender I acutally got a G&L.

On Fender Ave, Fullerton.

 

[Bass Viking]

Also, who brings 5 basses to an audition?? Haha.

Yeah, it's overkill.

 

[lowfreqgeek]

Fender isn't going away any time soon.

In the bike world, people love to complain about Specialized and Trek and Cannondale because they're too "corporate", yet they can't build bikes fast enough to meet the demand. I don't get why people are so afraid of success, but whatever. I'll play the basses and ride the bikes I like.

FWIW, I don't currently own any Fender basses, but I have in the past and would again. I also have bikes from Specialized, Trek, Diamondback, and GT, so there's that.

 

[Rolling Thunder]

The funny thing is how Fender sticks to traditional designs with subtle updates here and there and at the end of the day they watch the money come in.

And then there are post of why they are doomed or why they are the best thing since ice cream.

Meanwhile Fender just does what they do....successfully.

 

[noahw1]

They'll be here until they aren't just like everything else.

 

[4stringfarley]

My watch must be off, normally these F is dead / Never going to die threads come on the first of the month, not the end.

 

[kodiakblair]

Even if the company drove itself to bankruptcy for some reason, some private equity fund would pay money for the brand

Already happened, didn't even wait for bankruptcy.

Servco Pacific took over as main share holder in 2020.

 

[Canadian APII]

A thread that recently ended talked about the reason why the initiator thought Fender was a dinosaur, I would like to start a thread on why Fender is here to stay.
The big 3 basses for Fender are the Precision (b1952), the Jazz Bass, and the Mustang {born in the middle 60's)There are people who don't like the Fender Bass appearance, how it sits with a strap on their shoulder or the total weight. My counterpoint is that Fender has developed a number of basses after Leo Fender left the company that add alot to the line: the Jaguar, Precision Mini, Musicmaker, Coronado, etc. The entire Fender line is replicated at a lower price level in the Indonesian made Squier line. And Fender uses Squier to introduce new basses or modification of Fender designs into the family. The latest include the Squier Precision Mini, Stratocaster Mini, Affinity Jaguar with humbucking pickup and maple fretboard. In terms of amps Fender offer a full li9ne up of bass amps to match to an individual bassist's needs. And I will say as someone whose first bass was a brand new 67 Fender Mustang Bass (sold many years ago) the first brand I thought of when I started playing again at age 67 was Fender. Squier allowed me to re enter the field at a retiree's pension and a small Fender bass amp met my needs. And when I began to look for an acoustic bass guitar to join the local farmer's market weekly jam there was the new Fender CB-60 Acoustic and a series of other acoustics along with the top of the line which has a shortened Jazz Bass neck. Fender works with large music stores doing special runs including Chicago Music Exchange's series of pink guitars and basses as well as the special finishes offered by Sweetwater. And if you like a sub 34 inch neck Fender offers some of the best options on the market: 28.6 in, 30 in and 32 inch. And the Mustang in either Fender or Squier colors offers either Precision pickups (with the addition of a J pickup) or traditional Leo-designed Mustang pickups. Consider that Fender has multiple price points based on level of sophistication and country of manufacture: Squier and Fender basses built in Indonesia, Fender basses built in Mexico, Fender basses built in the US and Custom Shop. The same goes for amplifiers starting with15 watt/8" speaker going up in steps to a piggyback amp with 2 15 inch speakers and 800 watts. The Fender I describe now is so much more versatile and varied than the Fender I knew in 1967 when I had to buy an AMPEG amp because the Bassman Cabinet was larger than I could manage. Granted, Fe3nder has not gone into new and unique shapes or vastly different types of electronic to give the bassist more "sonic" choices but Fender has built a line of basses and amps that gives the bassist who likes the Fender Sound alot of alternatives. (and yes my P Bass is a Fender clone)I but I like having a Precision Mini, a Jaguar and an Acoustic with the Fender name on the headstock

Fender what??? Does anybody still play one. I have over forty basses and never owned a Fender bass. I find that they took a major market share loss in the eighties and never recovered.