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Who's never owned a Fender bass?

Have you ever owned a Fender bass?

  • yes

    Votes: 252 50.9%

  • no

    Votes: 243 49.1%
  • Total voters
    495
#122
Up until 2000 I had never had a Fender.
They were all paint,pickguard and chrome.

The Fender released the P-bass Lyte Deluxe.
Mahogany,gold hardware with no pickguard.

I had it for two years.Then had it defretted.
Then sold it two years later.

I couldn't say that it was better or worse than any other bass I've had up to that point.
I felt no Fender mystique
Never bought another Fender after that.
 
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#123
Slade N said:
The recent post about brands that you've not held or played made me realize that I've not owned a Fender bass which is a bit surprising as they are so common and I would think most players do or would have. Ive played a small amount but not that many actually. This isnt hating on Fender btw.

So, who has not owned a Fender bass?
Click to expand...
Yes, how could somebody manage to avoid owning a P or a J bass at some stage?
 
#124
I have owned several basses over my years of playing, but none have been a Fender. In my youth, my brain was always "dare to be different" so having a ubiquitous "follow the crowd" Fender "like everybody else" didn't appeal to me.

As an adult... yeah, I still have that "hipster brain" and prefer more unique instruments with modern design aesthetics. Fender and Fender-esque basses look stodgy and old-fashioned to me. I like having basses that not everybody else has. But I also avoid Fender for a more practical reason: 20 frets is not enough. I needed 22-24 for some of the stuff I was playing in a previous band.
 
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#128
Took me nearly 40 years to buy a Fender.

Don't get me wrong, they were at the top of the purchase list. Trouble was back then the late 70's/early 80's models were more miss than hit.

My eagerly awaited "1st Fender" day saw Tokai's Hard Puncher outshine 8 decidedly average and over-priced MIA Fenders. I was sure they could make great basses, evidenced by the number of folks using them, thing was so could everyone else.

Bubble was burst and I adjourned to the pub with a much fatter wallet :)

Only reason I looked at Fender again was the finish, Paisley Pink :thumbsup:
 
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#133
I don't understand the "badge of honor" mentality at having never owned a Fender bass.

G&L has some of the most fervent fans I've ever come across and that alone could have turned me off from checking out G&Ls. But I've not been on a crusade about it. Nor do I consider it a "badge of honor" that I've not looked at G&L closer.

Hey, I just didn't get around to it....
 
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#134
Not as an offense, but probably statistically the users who have not have a Fender bass probably are younger bassists who haven't had many basses at all, especially not expensive ones like a Fender (which I would consider a rather expensive brand from a global perspective).
 
#137
Dincrest said:
I have owned several basses over my years of playing, but none have been a Fender. In my youth, my brain was always "dare to be different" so having a ubiquitous "follow the crowd" Fender "like everybody else" didn't appeal to me.

As an adult... yeah, I still have that "hipster brain" and prefer more unique instruments with modern design aesthetics. Fender and Fender-esque basses look stodgy and old-fashioned to me. I like having basses that not everybody else has. But I also avoid Fender for a more practical reason: 20 frets is not enough. I needed 22-24 for some of the stuff I was playing in a previous band.
Click to expand...

And since age is coming up in the discussion, I'll footnote this by saying I'm 42 and started playing bass in 1994. So, I've played and owned my fair share of basses over the years. And not once did I ever desire a Fender. I recently did play a studio engineer's vintage P-Bass. Lovely instrument with tons of mojo, but nothing that made me GAS. I still have zero desire for a Fender or Fender-clone instrument.
 

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