What were good years for Fender

[Iridescentone]

First issue, bridge was crooked. I mean crooked like I could see it with my naked eyes. Measuring only confirmed my suspicion. It was 1/4" closer on the G string side than the E string side.

Too bad you didn't take a pic of that. 1/4" across a 3" span is unbelievably ginormous. Literally.

 

[theduke1]

Pre CBS

 

[BurningSkies]

The reply you get will be purely based upon the years that TB'ers have in their 'collections'.

 

[JIO]

The reply you get will be purely based upon the years that TB'ers have in their 'collections'.

exactly - or what anyone chooses to believe - just play it

 

[hrodbert696]

Last half of the seventies and early eighties were tough years for Fender. I have a 78 pbass that has a big neck pocket gap and runs in the finish on the maple neck. It also is easy to play and is a really good sounding bass. Go figure.

I haven't played enough to justify an independent opinion, but this is the general understanding I've picked up from reading around. After CBS acquired Fender in the 60s, there was gradually less and less attention to quality that really showed by the mid-70s and bottomed out by the end of the decade. Not that there weren't still some good ones. Then CBS sold the company and they gradually rebuilt it and restored the quality control, but it took time. Most people seem to feel it's on a high right now, but at the end of the day they make a LOT of instruments and QC is not going to be perfect on every one.

 

[awesomesawyer]

i have a 1970 p bass that was modified to have only a kent armstrong soapbar at the bridge (weird right?) and it sounds and plays fantastic.

 

[Mastermold]

1951 - 1964

 

[Mastermold]

I've read Fender's Corona CA factory makes about 350 guitars per day. That's a lot of production if it's correct, but with modern CNC machines and manufacturing they seem to keep QC up.

 

[Tom Howland]

There are great basses being made every year.
The real question is what years did Fender make fewer lemons.
Any mass produced product with have QC issues.

1958-1972 were great years for basses. After 1973 it was hit or miss. I know peoples will say they have great basses from 1972-1977. From 1978-1981 fender was producing some of there worst stuff. So much so they introduced the Reissue AV Line in 1982. They first few years from 1982-1984. The Reissue AV's were great. These are the Fullerton models. They are highly collectible now.
1985-2007 Fender had good years, and bad years.
As for now, 2008 marked a big change for Fender. 2008-till the present. Fender has been on a roll. Some of the best stuff they have ever made.
Bottom line. Your best bet is to play one yourself before buying.

 

[Mastermold]

There are great basses being made every year.
The real question is what years did Fender make fewer lemons.
Any mass produced product with have QC issues.

1958-1972 were great years for basses. After 1973 it was hit or miss. I know peoples will say they have great basses from 1972-1977. From 1978-1981 fender was producing some of there worst stuff. So much so they introduced the Reissue AV Line in 1982. They first few years from 1982-1984. The Reissue AV's were great. These are the Fullerton models. They are highly collectible now.
1985-2007 Fender had good years, and bad years.
As for now, 2008 marked a big change for Fender. 2008-till the present. Fender has been on a roll. Some of the best stuff they have ever made.
Bottom line. Your best bet is to play one yourself before buying.

I have a 1983 Fender Elite II P-bass. Weighs a ton but is very well made.

 

[electracoyote]

The standard TB response to this would be some variation of:

"Play them before you buy them. Fenders are mass produced product and QC doesn't get all the bad ones. Every year will have lemons and players."

This.

Every year had good ones and bad ones. And there is no empirical data to tell which year had "more bad ones." You're just going to get opinions on top of guesses on top of contradiction on top of speculation.

Not going to happen, one of the worst can of worms ever opened on TB.

Just play before you buy, or get a return guarantee.

 

[Troph]

First issue, bridge was crooked. I mean crooked like I could see it with my naked eyes. Measuring only confirmed my suspicion. It was 1/4" closer on the G string side than the E string side. It was centered, just not straight. It was also mounted 1/2" too far back.

:scowl: That is truly disturbing. I have seen several basses recently (not just Fenders, but they're certainly not immune) where the strings were off-centered on the fretboard because of the bridge position. In this day of CNC machines and precision drill presses, I don't quite understand how that could happen, and I *especially* don't understand how it isn't detected at QC and sent back for repair.

Second issue, which is not a repairable issue or a QC problem but more of a design flaw and it seems to be inherent to most if not all Fenders and their clones. The 6th fret is a huge dead spot. The note there does not ring. It doesn't buzz out, it just decays very rapidly. No sustain whatsoever. Anywhere else on the neck is great, nice clear ringing tone, even the 5th and 7th frets, but that 6th is just dead. Some say adding mass to the headstock can reduce this, others say it just moves the deadspot. I don't buy snake oil, so I just deal with it.

Most bolt-on neck instruments have some kind of wolf in that vicinity, usually most noticeable on the G string. Not a big deal to me.

Third and final issue, may or may not have been a factory screw up. The nut was sloppy as I've ever seen. Not just the slots, the location of it was off. It wasn't centered in the groove on the neck. It was sticking out on the E side and recessed on the G side, enough to where it was quite noticeable. I swapped it with a graphite nut. Again, that could have been done after it left the factory, there's no way to know for sure.

That's also too bad. I have received several Fender nuts that were way too high and the slots needed to be filed way down to reach proper first-fret clearance, but I've never seen one that wasn't flush with the edge of the fingerboard.

 

[adi77]

early sixties US early and mid eighties japanese

 

[ROOTSnFIFTHS]

There are great basses being made every year.
The real question is what years did Fender make fewer lemons.
Any mass produced product with have QC issues.

1958-1972 were great years for basses. After 1973 it was hit or miss. I know peoples will say they have great basses from 1972-1977. From 1978-1981 fender was producing some of there worst stuff. So much so they introduced the Reissue AV Line in 1982. They first few years from 1982-1984. The Reissue AV's were great. These are the Fullerton models. They are highly collectible now.
1985-2007 Fender had good years, and bad years.
As for now, 2008 marked a big change for Fender. 2008-till the present. Fender has been on a roll. Some of the best stuff they have ever made.
Bottom line. Your best bet is to play one yourself before buying.

^^^^^^ This

From my experience over the years, I agree with the above.

I completely stopped using Fender because of the examples I played from this time(78-81).

Since then and more recently I have purchased/tried out samples from various years and my opinion is based on what I have personally played.

The very early years were more 'handmade' and that resulted in a better product (plus add the 'mojo' and vintage romanticism)

You can find great examples from any year but I have played many from 2011-2014 and every one I have played has been a winner. I think Fender has made an effort to kick up the QC on their latest product. 2008-2014.

You may get a klunker, but as mentioned above, you have less chances of it during these later years.

Series. The AVRI, AV and (brace yourself) the Road Worn series are pretty fantastic. My 3 Road Worns, AVRI and American Standard basses are absolutely the best in my stable.

Just my opinion..

 

[Pattycakes]

for what it's worth, i have a 2010 (i think) jazz that is excellent.

 

[Biggbass]

I didn't care much for edges on the 80's necks but that's not dissing the basses overall.

 

[okcrum]

Based on the historical and anecdotal evidence, Mojo-Man seems dead on it. Once you talk to enough players WHO WERE AROUND, you can get a feel yourself.

Remember, most of the crappy ones are no longer changing hands, the more so the older they are.

 

[SirMjac28]

51-2014

 

[BawanaRik]

Hi there, Ive always wondered what years were good for Fender P & Jazz Basses. Both US, Mexican and Japanese. Can anyone offer any expertise?

Jared.

Even the worst years had good basses. And even a bad Fender bass isn't likely to be that bad.

I know there may be some but some that were bad from the start and a few more bad from abuse but most Fender basses are perfectly acceptable instruments.

Play the bass. It's like a girl. Some years may be better than other but you have to find one you like.

 

[TinIndian]

The general consensus is that the 08's thru now have been fantastic. As well as the late 70's thru early 80's were a low point. But as most have said every year can have some clunkers and some gems. The best p bass I've ever played was a 78.