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What's the problem with Fender?

V

vespasian1

Feb 20, 2009
402
5
South Jersey (near Philly)
#1
Howdy.

In the market for a new bass, and a US PBass is on the short list. I've been away from it for a long while, and have only been looking into basses for the last couple of months.

Here on TB, I'm seeing a lot of disdain for US Fenders. Everyone warns me to play it first, because I could get a clunker. I've been looking on Ebay and elsewhere online, for a '06 or '07 NOS, because I really don't want to shell out $1400 in a music store. So, playing it first probably won't be possible.

Nobody has really said anything specific, regarding US Fenders, so I'd like to ask what kind of problems you all have been running into?
 
#2
It seems quality varies. While at Guitar Center I picked up a mexican road worn jazz that just sang without an amp. Then I grabbed the American jazz right next to it and it just didn't seem to have the same resonate properties as it's cheaper south of the border cousin. Might have been store setup but you can usually tell whether or not the bass has it by just how it feels when you initially pick it up and pluck those first few notes. For some unknown reason some instrumentts get furniture grade wood and some get the right combination of parts and that will make a bitchin bass. If you can play it before you buy it you're really better off. I hate to see a guy gamble online with that much money and end up unhappy. Happy hunting.
 
#3
I've harped on this before... My '08 MIA Precision could have a better finish, and someday will. I'm replacing the neck with a Status Graphite P replacement, but am keeping the stock maple neck for a custom build I'm doing - a "Fenderbird." It's a nice neck - great tuners from Hipshot - but I need more stability for the low action I play with. It has a tiny amount of twist that has settled into it over the last twelve months of changing seasons, but I've been told it's fairly normal. I'm also replacing the pickup, but let's be fair, most standard issue Fender pups can be improved on.

The bridge is nice, though. And the body is in fact shaped like a Precision bass. So it has that going for it.
 
#4
Well, my .02.....

If I were about to drop a hefty sum on ANY bass...I would want to play it first....whether it be a Fender or a Warwick or a Sadowsky. Obviously, this isn't always a viable option....

In lieu of being able to "lay hands on one"....I would say that if you go with the US P and it "isn't right", the option of returning it is always there.

About 5 years ago I ordered a Fender QMT deluxe jazz (sight unseen) and it was perfect. The set up was great out of the box and I could play it immediately. I was extremely pleased. 2 years ago I again ordered a US 75RI Jazz (again, sight unseen) and, again - it was perfect out of the box.

Like you, though, I have read the utter HORROR stories about basses that were crap and (according to those telling the stories) nothing could possibly remedy their situation. So, I have seen both sides.

Will this be the case for you? You won't know until you pull the proverbial trigger.....but I'm hoping the best for you!

Keep us updated!!
 
#7
I can only speak for myself and a few of my students I guess. I have 2 Fender Jazz Basses and original USA 75 and a 76 Jazz Reissue. The last 3 Fender Americans I have purchased be it on Ebay or otherwise have all ended up having problems. Ranging from the truss rod being maxed out and still unable to play to shotty workmanship. I had one a few weeks ago and sold it within a week just couldn't get the action low like I like it, without sounding like I was playing a Sitar. I think Fender has become like a lot of companies they figure WE"RE FENDER! We don't have to do anything we don"t want to and you'll buy it because we're FENDER! Look how long it took them to start making Active Basses other companies had been doing it for years! I have never been disappointed with any of my overseas reissues and prefer them. If I were you I would check into a reissue..
 
#8
beezerjoe said:
It seems quality varies. While at Guitar Center I picked up a mexican road worn jazz that just sang without an amp. Then I grabbed the American jazz right next to it and it just didn't seem to have the same resonate properties as it's cheaper south of the border cousin. Might have been store setup but you can usually tell whether or not the bass has it by just how it feels when you initially pick it up and pluck those first few notes. For some unknown reason some instruments get furniture grade wood and some get the right combination of parts and that will make a bitchin bass. If you can play it before you buy it you're really better off. I hate to see a guy gamble online with that much money and end up unhappy. Happy hunting.
Click to expand...

I agree with this. Good acoustic resonance frequently distinguishes the best basses from the merely good ones. This is why my 2003 American Series Jazz and 2008 Jazz V are better than my 2004 American Series Precision. But the P is still a great bass. There's a little less "wood" in the tone, but these subtle nuances disappear in a band mix, and it still sounds fantastic.

So yes, it's obviously better to play a bass before purchase. Even so, if you buy a recent U.S. Fender, I think the risk of getting a dog is low. Some have problems, but the vast majority are solid, and on average I think they're better than the MIM models. (The Classic '50's P seems to be just as good as the U.S. basses, though it lacks some of their refinements, like a graphite reinforced neck.)

I have the three mentioned above, plus two American Series Strats, and I used to have an American Deluxe Precision. They've all been great. My 2003 Jazz developed a neck twist after a few months, I think because the shop owner cranked the truss rod hard without loosening the strings. (I saw him do this.) But Fender replaced the neck under warranty with no hassle, and it's my number one bass.

So I say go for it. If you want to buy used, consider Craigslist, where a seller might let you try before you buy.
 
#12
Here's the thing with all Fenders, IMHO YMMV:

More-so than any other company I can think of, The build and tonal quality of those things are all over the place.

I have played and heard the low line stuff that just killed and likewise expensive models that were just meh! way beyond something you can blame on bad or dead strings.

I can't really speak to fit and finish issues because I really don't pay much attention to that as long as it's not falling apart. It's gonna get used and worn no matter how perfect it started.

You can make anything play well with a good set up.

How they sound, which is really the bottom line for me? You really have to look at each one as an individual without regard to price or point of origin.

The bright side is that it's very possible to pull a MIM off the rack that will spank a USA at a quarter of the price. The dark side is that it's pretty risky to buy one without earballing it first.

Specifics? How about dull, lifeless sounding with a massive dead spot on the neck.

I am BTW a pretty big Fender fan. Good one's are GOOD.

I have an '83 SQ series Squire P that I would put up against any P bass ever made, anywhere.
 
#14
I'm a HUGE advocate of the "try-before-you-buy" policy. Hell... try it twice, no matter how much it costs, no matter what it says on the headstock, just to be sure.

I'm sure that there are some gems to be had out there, and for good money to boot. I'm just the kind of guy who is perpetually in the situation where I can't justify putting out the money for a new bass just because I want one, without knowing if it's right for me. I just don't have that kind of cash kicking around a lot of the time.

Either way, whatever your choice, I hope you enjoy your new bass.
 
#15
I worked at a dealership that sold Fender basses for almost 7 years. The answer to your questions can be summed up in one word: consistency. I will break it down for you the way I experienced it in the store where I worked. We would get in new stock of USA, Mexi and MIJ (mostly signature models and Aerodyne). The new basses would get set up by our guitar guy, then I would tweek them a little to the liking of "most" bass players. So I have played HUNDREDS of Fenders. The USA ones broke down like this: Out of ten there would be a couple of "cherry" basses (really nice ones), a few "so so" basses, and the rest were no better than cheap knock-offs. In the Mexi basses, you would find (again, out of ten) 1 or MAYBE 2 good ones, six or seven OK ones and a crap bass quite often. MIJ were the most consistent. I didn't like the pickups on a few, but the build quality was almost ALWAYS fine. Form, fit, and finish on them was usually really good. As for what makes a "so so" bass? A lot of them had necks that were impossible to get "perfect". This usually meant a slight twist, or a "dip" in the neck at some point. Things may have just not "fit" right, like too much gap in the neck pocket or something like that. Anyway, I agree with a few others. If possible, try to find a bass on CraigsList that you can play. Or, better yet, try to find one on the Talk Bass classified section. You can ask a lot of questions, and most of the time, ANOTHER TB'er will know the bass in question. Good luck!
 
#16
If this bass is gonna be your primary player, then you MUST try before you buy. If you're willing to roll the dice (which is much easier to do on a bass you wont' rely upon) then TB Classifieds or Ebay are the ticket - - I've had pretty good luck there...

But this begs a question: How do you know that a US P-bass is on your short list? What have you actually played? Have you sat down at GC and played a few different basses, or are you basing your preference on pictures & the feedback of others? Like many here, I'm a *big* fan of playing a bunch of instruments and seeing which one fits.

Quick story on this general subject: About 3 months ago, I was killing time up in Pasadena while my girlfriend had to work an afternoon, so I went into the local GC to see if they had *anything* I might like (usually a total disappointment). The bass room had nothing worth a damn, and they didn't have any acoustic fretless basses, which I'm keeping my eye out for... Like I said, I was killing time, not shopping.

On the way out, I see a riser with a bunch of used basses - I give them a glance and see a single black Lakland 4-94 - black with maple fretboard. Nothing fancy - and clearly it had been PLAYED (the bartolini pickups have string grooves worn in them). I figure, what the hell... So I played it. *instant love*. It pissed me, let me tell, because I didn't have any extra $$... but that thing just *spoke* to me. Now, as an old guy and long-time player, I have learned when an axe does that - when it just feels RIGHT, you don't Ignore it. So I put $200 on it, sold my J bass and bought it 3 weeks later. And I play it constantly as my new primary axe.

Why the story?

You can NOT get this experience on line. You have to play a whole lotta basses before you find the one that speaks to you, and you have to have an open mind. I was NOT in the market for a new 4 string, I was not looking for a Lakland, and if I were, it would be one of the really pretty figure-maple top Laklands, not some boring black beast... And yet, the bass just works for me. This would *not* have happened were I looking on line.

Anyway, good luck - and good on ya for trying to shop for a US made bass.
 
#17
As has been said Fender just has significant variation in both their guitars and basses.

If you are going to go new online, than make sure you can return the bass with no hassles, so if you get a lemon you aren't out anything. Otherwise its not a bad idea to get a used one online. If you don't like it, you can usually get your money back (although in this economy that is harder)

Ideally if you can play the bass before you buy it that is the best. Have the store get a bunch from the back and try as many as you can. The problem I often run into is finding a bass to try out, for example no stores near me have a MM sterling or Ric 4003 for me to test out.
 

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