To Me, Fender Is.......

[Clef_de_fa]

I'm sorry....WHAT?!? The music in my head can be played on my regular old 20 fret four string Fender just fine. Am I less of a musician because I don't play a 6 string? Is the Fender holding me back? Is my music less worthy? Is it OK if I play my guitar instead?
Just.....lol....

Maybe you're the kind of guy that only play in the first 5 frets of your bass, I don't know that. But for some player, not having 24 fret is a deal breaker because they need it to pull of the music they hear, so in that case yeah yor 20 fret Fender may be not enough. Same thing if your imagination pull you in the extended range basses, a 4 strings 20 frets bass won,t be enough. This is why Anthony Jackson wanted a 6 strings bass, to pull off what he heard in is head and it won't happen with Fender.

Why is it so hard to get that a Fender isn't the "be all end all" of the bass realm ?

 

[Travis_Bass]

... the standard (or starting point).

After playing a bunch of stuff, Fender is basically where you want to start for a great instrument. Then you can try luthiers, variations etc. But I think every bass / guitar player NEEDS at least one fender.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

Go back and read some of his posts. He says Fenders are for beginners. Yeah, I have a beef with that. It's not about Fender worship.

I said so because a lot of people start playing bass with a Fender or Fender like bass. They learn, they grow up as a musician and bass player and for some people a Fender is enough, for other people as they grow up as a musician they will seek something else because Fender doesn't have the features they need to do what they want.

 

[David Jayne]

Why is it so hard to get that a Fender isn't the "be all end all" of the bass realm ?

I am by no means suggesting that it is. I have several basses, Fender and otherwise, some with 24 or even 26 frets, 5 strings, and fretless as well.
I am simply questioning your assertion that Fender is for beginners, and to really play well, you need something more, which is patently untrue.
It seems that English is not your first language, so, perhaps I am reading too much into your posts.

 

[LiamPodmore]

A bass i play, 'cause it looks good, it sounds good, and plays well. What more does it need?

Liam

 

[Clef_de_fa]

It seems that English is not your first language, so, perhaps I am reading too much into your posts.

Yeah, english is my second language

 

[David Jayne]

Yeah, english is my second language

Well, if I am mistaken and not understanding you correctly, I apologize.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

Well, if I am mistaken and not understanding you correctly, I apologize.

It is ok, I will have to learn to express myself better.

 

[number11]

For a native French speaker ( I'm guessing) , you're doing better than most people would do were the situations reversed.

And your point is both correct and well made.

C'est vrai!!

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

Pictures?

And -- I think your story is one that all TB'ers would enjoy. It's not like mint-condition '62 J basses are boring to us. You should start a thread -- or point us to a thread you have already discussed it in.

P.S., as my avatar shows, I'm not a Fender purist. I think the highest-quality hands-down best bass I possess is my Spector NS-20004, actually. That being said, I have two Squier VMJ's (the maple '70's version, and the fretless '62 version) and they are fantastic too.

To me, Fender is one of many options in a very colorful palette. I'm very into the Jazz bass sound, I'm REALLY into the sound of my fretless. I have played several other fretlesses, and I have owned a Univox 'Lectra fretless since 1988, but until I ran into that Squier VMJ, no fretless bass had ever literally jumped off the wall at me and said 'BUY ME NOW, TAKE ME HOME, LEARN ALL YOUR SONGS ON ME' quite as commandingly as that VMJ. It is one of my most prized instruments.

But Fender is also not the end-all of bass for me. Right now I'm back to playing my Ric which will probably last until my butterfly-like affections flit over to another instrument on my wall. I am seriously considering buying the Squier VMJ in olympic white, as I've never, ever, ever owned a white instrument and just kinda want one. And, I like the vibe of a '62 J bass and want to see if it is as nice with frets on it.

But after that I'm also dead-set that I will, one day soon, possess a Spector Euro, because I've played one and it made me sick with GAS.

I'm just not a purist. There's too much variety in music and sound to not explore.

Oh, and PPS, since Fender went public, I don't have much hope for their future. Perhaps people don't understand how toxic the Wall Street, casino mentality is to actual good business practice. I'm planning on acquiring all my Fender-ish wants soon, before they go sideways and become some kind of McFender abomination.

Yeah, there's no threads to point you towards, the first thread I started I had to request TB mods to delete it due to it just becoming a huge mess.
Lots of arguing, lots of drama. The second thread that was started, also had to be deleted and after that I decided it just wasn't worth the effort.
The bass is shown multiple times in the ((Pre CBS photo thread)), you should be able to find it pretty easy through a search, I'm on my phone so I can't link that thread.

I'm not going to stir the pot up here in the OP's thread but it got pretty ugly pretty quick and really just needed to be pulled.

 

[peledog]

To Me, Fender Is.......

...A hard-working craftsman/inventor who advanced the electric bass by leaps & bounds, and made solid body basses available & affordable for the masses.
Leo changed popular music as we know it by putting the electric bass in the hands of thousands of up & coming bassists who incorporated his wonderful instruments in their new & groundbreaking musical adventures.
Leo Fender also paved the way for other creative innovators like Stuart Spector, Ned Steinberger, Ernie & Sterling Ball, and many others.
Whether you play Fender basses or not, the bass you do play has roots that go back to Leo and his innovative Precision Bass.

Some really depressing statements in this thread, along the linesaof "If you don't think Fender are the best, you're wrong".

Not even worth answering.

Fenders are not for me, and I've owned dozens of them in my time.

Another thing touched upon was a posters incredulity that leo didn't play. Thats exactly WHY he succeeded. he wasn't tied by conventions that being a player would have brought.

Very like the only other man to revolutionise the low end - Ned Steinberger.

A furniture designer who saw the flaws in a design, and rectified them, without a nod to convention.

The problem is that nowadays we are, as players, too tied to convention for it to happen again.

Two of the best posts I've read. Thanks for contributing.

Leo moved on, G&L, MusicMan - and inspired musicians and luthiers alike. No one is denying Fender's influence, but it is a bit of a reach if you think the electric bass has NOT evolved over the years. You can make the Model T Ford over and over - but you also have the option to buy a Honda or a BMW or a Lincoln. Does that mean Henry Ford's influence doesn't mean anything?

I love my Fender Jazz basses. But I have others. And it's ok.

 

[ransombass]

Maybe you're the kind of guy that only play in the first 5 frets of your bass, I don't know that. But for some player, not having 24 fret is a deal breaker because they need it to pull of the music they hear, so in that case yeah yor 20 fret Fender may be not enough. Same thing if your imagination pull you in the extended range basses, a 4 strings 20 frets bass won,t be enough. This is why Anthony Jackson wanted a 6 strings bass, to pull off what he heard in is head and it won't happen with Fender.

Why is it so hard to get that a Fender isn't the "be all end all" of the bass realm ?

As my teacher once said to me "If you can't make music on a four string, you won't be able to make music on a five or six string either."

That being said I have a Lakland 55-60 that I use when need be, but I always reach for my Fender 4-string flat wound strung P-bass first.

Many of the great virtuosos (Marcus Miller, Jaco, Stanley Clark, Victor Wooten, Jeff Berlin etc.) usually play four strings and many of those choose Fender four string basses.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Anthony Jackson play his most well known piece, "For The Love Of Money", on a four string jazz bass?

 

[Clef_de_fa]

For a native French speaker ( I'm guessing) , you're doing better than most people would do were the situations reversed.

And your point is both correct and well made.

C'est vrai!!

Yes I am a native french speaker and thank you very much for your kind worlds.

 

[Clef_de_fa]

As my teacher once said to me "If you can't make music on a four string, you won't be able to make music on a five or six string either."

That being said I have a Lakland 55-60 that I use when need be, but I always reach for my Fender 4-string flat wound strung P-bass first.

Many of the great virtuosos (Marcus Miller, Jaco, Stanley Clark, Victor Wooten, Jeff Berlin etc.) usually play four strings and many of those choose Fender four string basses.

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't Anthony Jackson play his most well known piece, "For The Love Of Money", on a four string jazz bass?

True but at the same time, a 6 strings bass work exacly like a 4 strings bass, it just open up position and some trick that can't be done on a 4 strings bass. The biggest difference is the muting technic.

Marcus and Jaco modded their Fender J that give them their unique sound. There is a possibility that without their unique sound they wouldn't caught the attention of the bass player community. As for Jeff Berlin, he is from the same area as Jaco but he isn't as known as Jaco and I'm sure it is because of the sound of his bass. Jeff doesn't play a Fender anymore, he plays a Dean.

Stanley Clark used picolo and tenor bass to get what was inside his head. Victor Wooten also use tenor bass and a fretless 5 strings ( with Bela Fleck ) but yeah I know this isn't the reason he is a star in the bass realm.

I don't know the song you're talking about but I know Anthony down tuned his fender to get lower note but he was sick of it and to have to move up on the neck so he went on a quest for a 6 strings bass.

So none of those bass virtuoso play a stock Fender, they all had to modify it or get another brand to have the features they wanted.

 

[mb94952]

I see I am in the minority here.

I am *so tired* of Fender basses. Yes, James Jamerson, and Jaco are the poster men for the Fender tone, but basses have come so far in 50 years, yet changed so little, too.

I went to a friend's house the other day and he is a well known bass player. He works 7 days a week and plays in a different city and or country every week.

That being said, he is a Fender fanatic. When he is in town, he calls me and I go to his house and we try all the new basses he's picked up on the raod, and I bring my goodies like a bass and an amp or something.

He wastes thousands of dollars buying 30 Fender basses admittedly trying to find the right tone. I sold him a Kramer Focus years ago and he still calls it his best sounding P bass.

Every one of his basses sounds like garbage. It's an old, tired outdated sound to me. Not to mention, there is no consistency with Fender basses. You have to play 20 to find a good one. Ironically, we voted that the best sounding "Fender" of all of them this time was a Yamaha.

He plays through an Alembic preamp, a Crown power amp and an SWR cab and his tone still sucks. I bring my Cirrus over, and it's like a piano. Yes, all my basses are active, *and* they are consistent.

I will use Peavey for example - Take any passive Peavey model and it will sound nearly the same as another of the same model. The necks feel good and don't feel like I'm about to stand on the plate waiting for a pitch.

I just don't get the draw of having to look at 20 Fenders to find one that doesn't have a dead E string sound. It's pathetic.

Fender reminds me of the old Harley Davidsons and the slogan that went around - "Own a Harley, own the best, Ride a mile, walk the rest."

Someone here said a Fender is like the Ford of basses - Yeah, the Model A.

After my rant, I will say that the only good Fender is a Squier Classic Vibe....

OK , is this where you guys start calling me names and trying to justify why spending $1,000 on a Fender is a good deal ?

 

[number11]

There's a chummy, back-slapping attitude prevalent on TB with regard to Fender. Guys start threads like " My P Bass does everything" because it is a safe attitude to have, a sure-fire way of receiving acceptance.

No bass does everything. The player does everything.

Its like supporting Manchester United anywhere in the UK or Ireland,. Except in Manchester.



I agree with a lot of the post above.

He'll get slated for it though.

Not so many years ago, there was an attitude in ireland that the Stingray was the bass to have. YOu'd show up for a session and the studio had one.

You'd get a new gig and the band leader would ask you to get one, or lend you his.

Sound familiar?

 

[faulknersj]

Everyone knows the quality of a bass is proportional to the number of knobs and switches.

[This invalid link has been removed]
Fender P bass = 2

Lowenherz = 13

Case closed.

Sweet P-Bass!!

 

[nukes_da_bass]

What is Fender?
1) The greatest instrument company from the early 50's to 1964

2) A set of designs to build upon forever.

I will always own something Fender-esque.

I got burned twice by Post Leo versions of FMIC but I always have my eye on them in case they build something at a design point and a price point I agree with.

Otherwise? Like my Faux Reggie Hamilton V I'll just have someone copy it (I didnt have $4000.00!).

 

[1SHOT1HIT]

I see I am in the minority here.

I am *so tired* of Fender basses. Yes, James Jamerson, and Jaco are the poster men for the Fender tone, but basses have come so far in 50 years, yet changed so little, too.

I went to a friend's house the other day and he is a well known bass player. He works 7 days a week and plays in a different city and or country every week.

That being said, he is a Fender fanatic. When he is in town, he calls me and I go to his house and we try all the new basses he's picked up on the raod, and I bring my goodies like a bass and an amp or something.

He wastes thousands of dollars buying 30 Fender basses admittedly trying to find the right tone. I sold him a Kramer Focus years ago and he still calls it his best sounding P bass.

Every one of his basses sounds like garbage. It's an old, tired outdated sound to me. Not to mention, there is no consistency with Fender basses. You have to play 20 to find a good one. Ironically, we voted that the best sounding "Fender" of all of them this time was a Yamaha.

He plays through an Alembic preamp, a Crown power amp and an SWR cab and his tone still sucks. I bring my Cirrus over, and it's like a piano. Yes, all my basses are active, *and* they are consistent.

I will use Peavey for example - Take any passive Peavey model and it will sound nearly the same as another of the same model. The necks feel good and don't feel like I'm about to stand on the plate waiting for a pitch.

I just don't get the draw of having to look at 20 Fenders to find one that doesn't have a dead E string sound. It's pathetic.

Fender reminds me of the old Harley Davidsons and the slogan that went around - "Own a Harley, own the best, Ride a mile, walk the rest."

Someone here said a Fender is like the Ford of basses - Yeah, the Model A.

After my rant, I will say that the only good Fender is a Squier Classic Vibe....

OK , is this where you guys start calling me names and trying to justify why spending $1,000 on a Fender is a good deal ?

So hold on, he's a well known bass player who plays a different city, or country every week, can afford to by 30 , $1000.00+ Fenders on what seems to be more than one occasion, your BOTH bass players, he's a very successful bass player, and your complaining about a bass manufacturer on the Internet. But it's his tone and basses that suck????????

Did I read that correct?
He's a successful bass player and your ?

His Fenders have helped him become well known, and play all over the world.

And your non-Fender has kept you waiting around for him to call so you can load up and go scurry over to his Fender owning house to try out his new Fenders that you seem to hate, and your the friend he calls?


I drive a Mustang, I have a buddy that hates Mustangs, when I get new parts on my Mustang he's typically the absolute last person I think to call over to check it out.

You claim that you have to try out 20 basses to find a good one, but you hate the tone of s Fender and your still trying out 20 Fenders?
I assume you don't own a Fender based on your distaste for the brand yet you have it down to a science how one would go about selecting one.
Having to play 20 and all.

Are you taking the time to set these Fenders up completely? Truss rod, Bridge height, intonation, action at the nut?

You must have a ton of time to spend at music stores, he'll I tried maybe 4 basses the last time I was at a shop and none were bad, one sounded a bit off to me but it was obviously a set up issue.
And those four basses to get a decent feel for each one took me close to an hour and a half.

That's spending on average only about 20 minutes on each one.
If I tried out 20 at 20 minutes a piece I'd have been there what almost a full work day and that's w/o taking a break at all. No bathroom no lunch, no nothing just straight playing non stop 20 minutes for each bass.
That's literally almost 7 straight hours.

You wouldn't be exaggerating a bit would you?

I don't care if you like Fender or don't but at least bring some honest reasons to the table.
If you have to exaggerate and make such far fetched claims it really makes you look like your just hating on them.

I myself love Fender but the only real example I have is a Pre CBS jazz.
Kinda hard to hate it.

I do agree that the Classic Vibe Squier is a phenomenal bass, but the best fender there is????

Really??? C'mon are you being serious? Are you just fishing for an argument here oh WAIT is this a troll?
I think
I now understand the meaning of someone trolling. Thanks man.

 

[Jack Wren]

Over priced! Sorry, you asked. And before anybody goes off on me try to understand what I'm saying. The fender bass that I played the most was bought in a pawn shop for $75. It played just as well as the ones that cost nearly $2000 today. If I am going to pay $2000 for a guitar it won't be a Fender. Fender has it's place in history. It's just a shame that it has turned into a commercialized cookie cutter factory. The Fender basses (along with 95% of the other brands) hanging on the wall in my local guitar shop are geared towards people that don't know how to play and don't know what a good guitar is. You can find a good one if you know what you are looking for. The rest of them are junk. Just my opinion...